This morning was the fourth day of Gaia’s inquest and the morning was taken up with one witness, Professor Matthew Walker, a Professor of Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and at UCL. Most of the questioning came from counsel to the inquest, Sarah Clarke, and the Coroner. Professor Walker […]
This morning the jury at Gaia’s inquest heard from the pathologist, Dr Russell Delaney, who conducted her post mortem and ascertained her cause of death. Dr Delaney has been a Home Office Registered Pathologist since March 2009, and he undertook Gaia’s post mortem on 19 November 2017 at Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Senior Coroner Rachael […]
Gaia’s full inquest hearing was opened yesterday with a jury of thirteen sworn in to assist the Senior Coroner for Dorset, Rachael Griffin. The Coroner introduced in broad terms what happened to Gaia, I’m not sure anyone who has followed the pre-inquest review hearings would have necessarily learnt anything knew, but there’s coverage from Steven […]
28/01/2011-31/07/2017 Coco was the most perfect, precious little girl, who was at the centre of our family. She loved Justin Bieber and Little Mix, chocolate brownies and ice cream, and all things Disney especially Toy Story. Coco attended St Ives Infant School and was awaiting starting school full time when she died, aged just 6, in […]
A few months ago, after Peter Seaby’s inquest concluded, I recorded a series of five short videos to explain what had happened. I did this for a few reasons. Firstly, for practical reasons, because I was too tired to try and write a blog post and wrangle my thoughts coherently. Secondly, because I was interested […]
Morning, it’s early, and dimpsy outside so I’ve scoured my house for a well lit corner and I’m talking to you from my kitchen. I have just hit publish on a blog post that I wrote yesterday, on what was the 9th anniversary of the death of Mark Shannon. Last week I got to speak […]
I’m going to start by letting you into a secret, I am rarely shocked these days. In some ways I hate how the last decade has made me but I’m deeply cynical and mostly unflappable. Steeped in bereaved families fights for answers and accountability, deeply aware of the many flaws of our justice system when […]
Hello, so this week Twitter sent me a tweet, to tell me I’d been here for 13 years and it got me thinking and I thought I’d do a little recap. So just over 13 years ago I’d been to something called the @TheDoLectures, I was gifted a place. Look them up, they’re fabulous, it […]
As I sit trying to write this, to introduce you to Danny Willgoss, the poignancy of it being World Suicide Prevention Day is not lost on me. Danny was 25 when he died, his family believe by suicide, on Fathers’ Day in June 2018. Danny was autistic and we know that autistic people, without a […]
I attended a press conference this morning for the release of a Safeguarding Adults Review commissioned by Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board into the death of three “patients” at Jeesal Cawston Park “Hospital”. I’ve intentionally put patients and hospital in scare quotes, because it’s a term that really shouldn’t be used in my opinion. Personally I’d […]