View deaths referred to the Coroner, inquest hearings and conclusions
The role of the Coroner is to investigate and record the causes and circumstances of all sudden deaths where the cause is:
- Not known or
- Violent or
- Unnatural or
- Occurred when the deceased was in custody
The Coroner is an independent judicial officer.
Herefordshire Coroner's Service
The Herefordshire Coroner is James Bennett.
The Assistant Coroner is Lindsey Tonks.
They are supported by:
Coroner's Clerks
- Administrative support is available on email coroners@herefordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01432 261813.
Administrative support is available to the public during the following hours:
Monday to Friday 8.30am - 12.30pm
The Coroner's Officers are Ceri Barnes, Jackie James and Sarah Sentinella.
They are contactable Monday to Friday 8.30am – 3.30pm by telephone on 01432 261806 or by email at coronersoffice.herefordshire@westmercia.police.uk
The postal address is Coroner's Office, Gardner Hall, Venns Lane, Hereford HR1 1DT
Outside the hours set out above, any sudden violent or unexpected deaths may be reported through any police officer.
About the Coroner
The Herefordshire Coroner sits at Gardner Hall, Venns Lane, Hereford.
He considers deaths in Herefordshire that are reported to him. Of the 2,000 or so deaths in the county each year approximately half are referred to the Coroner for consideration, some will necessitate a post mortem.
Of the cases referred, the Coroner will typically open an inquest in 100+ cases each year.
Some inquests proceed on the basis of evidence read by the Coroner. Interested persons may seek disclosure of the evidence prior to the inquest and/or request the Coroner give consideration to the person providing the evidence attending in person.
The Coroner endeavours to establish how the deceased died. Often this will be useful in understanding whether safe procedures or practices have been followed or can be improved.
The Coroner meets regularly with representatives from business, the police and hospitals to discuss ways in which deaths can be prevented or their number reduced, frequently using the knowledge gained from the inquest process. This leads to the adoption of new practices both within organisations and in our daily lives.
The Coroner, therefore, while endeavouring to provide a compassionate service for the bereaved, very much exists for the benefit of the living.
For more information on the role of a coroner and what to expect during a coroner's investigation, see the Ministry of Justice Guide to Coroner Services (pdf).
Deaths referred to the Coroner and Inquest hearings
Details of deaths referred to the Coroner and Inquest hearings are listed below.
Inquests may be listed at short notice and may not always appear on this page. If you are expecting an inquest to be listed and it does not appear please telephone or email the Coroner's office using the contact details above.
Opening of inquests in the current and previous month
| Date | Venue | Name of deceased | Age at death | Hearing type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Nigel Vincent Lines | 63 years | Inquest |
| 27 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Bernard Paul Clarke | 81 years | Inquest |
| 27 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Hilary Ann Armstrong | 86 years | Inquest |
| 27 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Ruth Mary Thomas | 87 years | Inquest |
| 28 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Angela Jane Hornsey | 46 years | Inquest |
| 28 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Elena Vitale | 43 years | Inquest |
| 28 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | David Alan Greaves | 81 years | Inquest |
| 29 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Colin Breen | 84 years | Inquest |
| 29 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Harold Hubert Corfield | 83 years | Inquest |
| 29 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Thomas Pritchard | 76 years | Inquest |
| 7 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Gladys Maud Wilkinson | 103 years | Inquest |
| 7 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Laura Jayne Brogan | 35 years | Inquest |
| 7 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Barry Taylor | 82 years | Inquest |
| 7 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Mary Pothecary | 91 years | Inquest |
| 7 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Peter Langlois | 91 years | Inquest |
| 11 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Esosa Gift Obanor | 29 years | Inquest |
| 18 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Lesley Margaret Preece | 71 years | Inquest |
| 18 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Julia Josephine Mitchell | 93 years | Inquest |
| 18 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Clive Innes Newman | 61 years | Inquest |
| 18 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Wanda Eva Maria Jones | 78 years | Inquest |
| 29 May 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Muriel Sockett | 101 years | Inquest |
| 3 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Claire Fry | 59 years | Inquest |
| 3 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Lyndon Brent New | 73 years | Inquest |
| 3 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Peter Dooley | 80 years | Inquest |
| 10 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Geoffrey Edwardson | 82 years | Inquest |
| 10 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Rosemarie Elizabeth Bengry | 78 years | Inquest |
| 10 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Craig Stephen Brown | 46 years | Inquest |
| 10 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Martin Robert Wells | 73 years | Inquest |
| 15 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Liam Jonathan Wooles | 27 years | Inquest |
| 15 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | John Stephen Brigg | 90 years | Inquest |
| 18 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Avril Mary Pole | 90 years | Inquest |
| 18 June 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Henry Charles Pryor | 92 years | Inquest |
Inquest and pre-inquest review hearings
| Date | Time | Venue | Name of deceased | Age at death | Place of death | Coroner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Hereford via video link | Edward Harry Turner | 78 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 22 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Ryan Blackwell | 33 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 27 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Yvonne Valera Pearce | 60 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 27 April 2026 | 2.30pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane via video link | Hilary Ann Armstrong | 86 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 29 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane via video link | Duncan Edward Abrams | 66 years | St Michael’s Hospice, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 April 2026 | 11.30am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Colin Breen | 84 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 April 2026 | 11.30am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Harold Hubert Corfield | 83 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 April 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Thomas Pritchard | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| Week commencing 4 May 2026 | Inquest in writing | Robert Disley | 68 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett | |
| Week commencing 4 May 2026 | Inquest in writing | Scott Nigel Howells | 53 years | Hereford | James Bennett | |
| 7 May 2026 | 12pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Gladys Maud Wilkinson | 103 years | Bromyard Community Hospital | James Bennett |
| 7 May 2026 | 12pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Barry Taylor | 82 years | Worcestershire Royal Hospital | James Bennett |
| 7 May 2026 | 12pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Peter Langlois | 91 years | Ledbury | James Bennett |
| 11 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Sean Andrew Powell | 55 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 11 May 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Matthew David Richard Finden | 46 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 18 May 2026 | 11.30am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | David William Groves | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 18 May 2026 | 3pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Wanda Eva Maria Jones | 78 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 21 May 2026 | 10.30am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Sylvia Roselin Vanes | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Matthew Benjamin Williams | 53 years | Herefordshire | James Bennett |
| 1 June 2026 - Pre inquest review hearing via video link | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Matthew William Henry Barnett | 36 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 1 June 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Deborah Swann | 56 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 3 June 2026 Pre-inquest review hearing via video link | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Andrew Paul Lewis | 64 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| Week commencing 8 June 2026 | Inquest in writing | Christopher Simon French | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett | |
| 8 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Linda Cooper | 85 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 8 June 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Heather Elaine Weston | 81 years | Bromyard | Lindsey Tonks |
| 10 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Doris Ada Ann Gough | 95 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 10 June 2026 | 1pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Martin Robert Wells | 73 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| Week Commencing 15 June 2026 | Inquest in writing | Stanley Gill Fraser | 72 years | Herefordshire | James Bennet | |
| 15 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Raymond Edward Tyler | 92 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 15 June 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Esosa Gift Obanor | 29 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 18 June 2026 | 11am | Via video link Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Natasha Jade Ashby | 21 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 18 June 2026 | 1pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Avril Mary Pole | 90 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 18 June 2026 | 1pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Henry Charles Prior | 92 years | Country Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 22 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Joseph Packeer | 84 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 23 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane |
Andrew Paul Lewis |
64 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 June 2026 Pre-inquest review hearing | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Victoria Louise Au-Yeung | 46 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 6 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Charlotte Elizabeth Louise Mobberley-Manns | 29 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 8 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Alec William Kirby | 82 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 13 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Joanne Helen Snowzell | 44 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 15 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Alan James Hirst | 19 years | Herefordshire | James Bennett |
| 15 July 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Katie Amelia Burchill | 42 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 20 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Rosamond Jane Trafford-Roberts | 85 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 22 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Christopher Richard Greaves | 73 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 29 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Joan Florence Pritchard | 90 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 7 August 2026 Pre-inquest review hearing | 11am | Via video link Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Trincomalee Rajeswaran Vijayakumar | 89 years | Morriston Hospital, Swansea | James Bennett |
| 17 August 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Pamela Ann Davies | 84 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 7 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Samuel James Meechan | 43 years | Ledbury | Lindsey Tonks |
| 9 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Angela Jayne Hornsey | 46 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 16 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Laura Jayne Brogan | 35 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 21 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | June Doreen Preece | 94 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 23 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Elena Vitale | 43 years | Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham | James Bennett |
| 28 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Jordan James Baker | 30 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 5 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Ruth Mary Thomas | 87 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 5 October 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Richard Denville Horne | 64 years | Malvern | Lindsey Tonks |
| 7 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | David Alan Greaves | 81 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 12 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Bernard Paul Clarke | 81 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 19 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Mary Pothecary | 91 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 21 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Craig Stephen | 46 years | Leominster | James Bennett |
| 26 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Muriel Sockett | 101 years | Leominster Community Hospital | Lindsey Tonks |
| 2 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Julia Josephine Mitchell | 93 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 2 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Peter Dooley | 89 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 9 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Geoffrey Edwardson | 82 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 11 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Rosemarie Elizabeth Bengry | 78 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 16 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Lesley Margaret Preece | 71 years | Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham | Lindsey Tonks |
| 18 November 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Liam Jonathan Wooles | 27 years | Herefordshire | James Bennett |
| 7 December 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | John Stephen Brigg | 90 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 18 January 2027 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Lydon Brent New | 73 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 27 January 2027 Pre-inquest review hearing | 10am | Via video link Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Allison Jane Powell | 49 years | County Hospital Hereford | James Bennett |
Opening of treasure inquests in the current and previous month
| Date | Venue | Description of find |
|---|---|---|
Treasure inquests
The Coroner is also responsible for inquests in connection with Treasure. Set out below are those Treasure inquests currently being considered.
| Description of find | Hearing date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Medieval Silver Vervel | 18 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane |
| Early Medieval Silver Brooch Fragment | From 18 May to 21 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane |