Report a death to Herefordshire Coroner

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.

Report a death to Herefordshire Coroner (GP, hospital doctor or Medical Examiner only)

Access the referral portal

This portal is specifically for the use of medical professionals, such as a GP, hospital doctor or Medical Examiner.

If you are a member of the public, you should contact a Coroner's Officer on 01432 261806 or coronersoffice.herefordshire@westmercia.police.uk Please do not use the portal.

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
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
22 June 2026	Gardner Hall, Hereford	Christopher Richard Ebsworth	43 years	Inquest
22 June 2026	Gardner Hall, Hereford, Venns Lane	Doris Elizabeth Brand	100 years	Inquest
29 June 2026	Gardner Hall, Hereford, Venns Lane	Andrew Smith	65 years	Inquest
29 June 2026	Gardner Hall, Hereford, Venns Lane	Helen Barbara Crown	74 years	Inquest
29 June 2026	Gardner Hall, Hereford, Venns Lane	David Gwyn Thomas	92 years	Inquest
6 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	James Andrew Phillips	90 years	Inquest
8 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Jerry Cash	18 years	Inquest
8 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Ben James Nelson	24 years	Inquest
8 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Teresa Anne Preece	52 years	Inquest
13 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Davina Margaret Hughes George	94 years	Inquest
13 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	David Alan Newman	89 years	Inquest
15 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Mary Evelyn Hughes	82 years	Inquest
15 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Penelope Lauclan Sands	79 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Krzysztof Heronim Kostrowski	65 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Robert Edwin Austen	67 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Cameron Richard Owain Hendrie	29 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Nico David Smith	29 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Toby Gordon Ash Aitchison	27 years	Inquest
20 July 2026	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Louise Farrell	31 years	Inquest

Inquest and pre-inquest review hearings

Date	Time	Venue	Name of deceased	Age at death	Place of death	Coroner
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
22 June 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Joseph Packeer	84 years	County Hospital, Hereford	James Bennett
22 June 2026	2pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Doris Elizabeth Brand	100 years	Hereford	James Bennet
29 June 2026 Pre-inquest review hearing	10am	Via video link Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Victoria Louise Au-Yeung	46 years	Hereford	James Bennett
29 June 2026	12pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	David Gwyn Thomas	92 years	County Hospital, Hereford	Lindsey Tonks
29 June 2026		Inquest in writing	Richard Denville Horne	64 years	Malvern	James Bennett
Week commencing 6 July 2026		Inquest in writing	Christopher Richard Ebsworth	43 years	Hereford	James Bennett
6 July 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Charlotte Elizabeth Louise Mobberley-Manns	29 years	County Hospital, Hereford	Lindsey Tonks
6 July 2026	2pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	James Andrew Phillips	90 years	County Hospital, Hereford	Lindsey Tonks
8 July 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Alec William Kirby	82 years	County Hospital, Hereford	James Bennett
8 July 2026	1:30pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	David Alan Greaves	81 years	Herefordshire	James Bennett
13 July 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Joanne Helen Snowzell	44 years	Hereford	James Bennett
13 July 2026	1pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Rose Dalton	1 day	Hereford	Lindsey Tonks
13 July 2026	1:15pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Davina Margaret Hughes George	94 years	County Hospital, Hereford	Lindsey Tonks
13 July 2026	1:30pm	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	David Alan Newman	89 years	Ross-on-Wye	Lindsey Tonks
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
10 August 2026 Pre-inquest review hearing	2pm	Via video link Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Bernard Paul Clark	81 years	County Hospital, Hereford	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
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
27 October 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Claire Fry	59 years	County Hospital, Hereford	James Bennett
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	1pm	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
9 December 2026	10am	Gardner Hall, Venns Lane	Andrew Smith	65 years	County Hospital, Hereford	James Bennett
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