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 Coroners are Roland JT Wooderson and Lindsey Tonks.
They are supported by:
Coroner's Clerk
- 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 contactable Monday to Friday 8.30am – 3.30pm by telephone on 01432 261806 or by email at the following addresses:
Jackie James - Coroner's Officer
Ceri Barnes - Coroner's Officer
Sarah Sentinella - Coroner's Officer
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Charlotte Mobberley-Manns | 29 years | Inquest |
| 9 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Alec William Kirby | 82 years | Inquest |
| 11 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Joanne Helen Snowzell | 44 years | Inquest |
| 11 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Alan James Hirst | 19 years | Inquest |
| 20 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Samuel James Meechan | 43 years | Inquest |
| 20 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Katie Amelia Burchill | 42 years | Inquest |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Pamela Ann Davies | 84 years | Inquest |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Rosamond Trafford-Roberts | 85 years | Inquest |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Heather Elaine Weston | 81 years | Inquest |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Gerald George Langford | 86 years | Inquest |
| 1 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Christopher Richard Greaves | 73 years | Inquest |
| 1 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Colin Alfred Russell | 70 years | Inquest |
| 9 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Terence Roy Cumbes |
82 years |
Inquest |
| 9 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Stanley Gill Fraser | 72 years | Inquest |
| 14 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Karl Andrew Davidson | 58 years | Inquest |
| 14 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Shirley Linda Pobiega | 80 years | Inquest |
| 14 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | June Doreen Preece | 94 years | Inquest |
| 14 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Richard Denville Horne | 64 years | Inquest |
| 14 April 2026 | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Jordan James Baker | 30 years | Inquest |
Inquest and pre-inquest review hearings
| Date | Time | Venue | Name of deceased | Age at death | Place of death | Coroner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week commencing 3 March 2026 | In writing | Jessica Ellie Parsons | 21 years | Worcester Royal Hospital | James Bennett | |
| Week commencing 3 March 2026 | In writing | Timothy John Sheldon Barratt | 64 years | Shropshire | James Bennett | |
| 9 March 2026 | 10am | Town Hall, Hereford | Peter William Worthington | 81 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 9 March 2026 | 2pm | Town Hall, Hereford | Ann Christine Daw | 83 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| Week commencing 9 March 2026 | In writing | Ryan Douglas Pitt | 49 years | Hereford | James Bennett | |
| Week commencing 9 March 2026 | In writing | Nicholas Charles Peacock | 77 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett | |
| 16 March 2026 | 10am | Town Hall, Hereford | Stuart Henry McKenzie | 56 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 20 March 2026 | 10am | Town Hall, Hereford | Rosemary Catherine Hale | 55 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 20 March 2026 | 10.30am | Town Hall, Hereford | Kieran John Kenneth Coultas | 25 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 23 March 2026 | 10am | Town Hall, Hereford | Benjamin Josef Higgins | 27 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 23 March 2026 | 10.30am | Town Hall, Hereford | Jessica Emma Reed | 27 years | Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 25 March 2026 | 2pm | Town Hall, Hereford | Gerald George Langford | 86 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| Week commencing 30 March 2026 | Inquest in writing | Amy Rose Powell | 97 years | Leominster | James Bennett | |
| 1 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane, Hereford | Colin Alfred Russell | 70 years | Ross-on-Wye | James Bennett |
| Week commencing 6 April 2026 | Inquest in writing | Tanith Ermintrude Ireland | 61 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett | |
| 8 April 2026 | 10pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane, Hereford | Aaron William Smith | 37 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 9 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane, Hereford | Molly Megan Ball | 20 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| Week commencing 13 April 2026 | - | Inquest in writing | Terence Roy Cumbes | 82 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 14 April 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Karl Andrew Davidson | 58 years | St Michael's Hospice, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 14 April 2026 | 3pm | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Shirley Linda Pobiega | 80 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 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 |
| 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 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | David William Groves | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 27 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Joan Florence Pritchard | 90 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Roland Wooderson |
| 29 May 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Matthew Benjamin Williams | 53 years | Herefordshire | Roland Wooderson |
| 1 June 2026 | 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 |
| 8 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Hereford | Linda Cooper | 85 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 9 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Christopher Simon French | 76 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 9 June 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Scott Nigel Howells | 53 years | Hereford | James Bennett |
| 10 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Doris Ada Ann Gough | 95 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 15 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Raymond Edward Tyler | 92 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 15 June 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Robert Disley | 68 years | County Hospital, Hereford | James Bennett |
| 17 June 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Susan Maria Mackintosh | 73 years | County Hospital, 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 | Alison Jane Powell | 49 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 | Roland Wooderson |
| 15 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Alan James Hirst | 19 years | Herefordshire | Roland Wooderson |
| 15 July 2026 | 2pm | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Katie Amelia Burchill | 42 years | Hereford | Roland Wooderson |
| 20 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Rosamond Jane Trafford-Roberts | 85 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Roland Wooderson |
| 20 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Heather Elaine Weston | 81 years | Bromyard | Roland Wooderson |
| 22 July 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Christopher Richard Greaves | 73 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Roland Wooderson |
| 21 September 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | June Doreen Preece | 94 years | County Hospital, Hereford | Lindsey Tonks |
| 5 October 2026 | 10am | Gardner Hall, Venns Lane | Richard Denville Horne | 64 years | Malvern | Lindsey Tonks |
Opening of treasure inquests in the current and previous month
| Date | Venue | Description of find |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Post Medieval Silver Vervel |
| 25 March 2026 | Town Hall, Hereford | Early Medieval Silver Brooch Fragment |
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 |
|---|