Family of Sunderland man seek answers over his death in New York

Sunderland Coroner's Court is expected to hear up to four days of evidence about the death of 21-year-old Shaun Dobinson more than two years ago.

Mr Dobinson, a former maintenance technician at Grundfos, in Castletown, died on June 3, 2016, after receiving hospital treatment while on holiday in New York.

An inquest into the Washington man's death was initially opened in November the same year and adjourned while police investigations either side of the Atlantic took place into what Sunderland coroner Derek Winter called an "extremely complex" inquiry.

Now, with no criminal prosecutions seemingly pending, his family are hoping to learn about the circumstances leading up to his death when the hearing resumes on Tuesday morning.

Michael Scobie, a solicitor specialising in medical negligence at Irwin Mitchell, who is representing the family, said: “Shaun’s family remain devastated by their loss and continue to have many questions regarding what happened in the lead up to his death.

“We are hopeful that the inquest process will provide them with the many answers they deserve.”

In the months before his trip to New York, Shaun had felt dehydrated for prolonged periods.

With a family history of diabetes, he sought medical attention to ensure he was in good-health.

Shaun’s mother, Julie Dobinson, said: “The entire family loved Shaun so much and we still cannot believe that he is gone.

"His death was incredibly sudden and it has had a huge impact on us all.

“We hold so many questions regarding how his condition deteriorated so quickly and whether more could have been done to prevent his death.

"We are hopeful that the inquest will provide the answers we feel we deserve."

Shaun's former work colleagues were quick to pay tribute to him after his 2016 death and completed a charity cycle ride in his memory.

Catherine Attwell, HR director at Grundfos, said at time: “Shaun was a very popular and hardworking member of the team."