Sunderland coroner thanks bereaved families as inquests resume after lockdown

Derek Winter and his team have been working from home throughout lockdown and hearings only resumed in the city in August.

Inquests are being held each Tuesday and last week saw five concluded and a further four opened.

A number of steps have been taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections – anyone attending court will have their temperature taken. They must also sanitise their hands and wear a mask.

A one-way system into and out of the coroner’s court at Sunderland Civic Centre has been introduced and social distancing measures are in place.

Staff, who have been working from home, will be split into in two teams when they return to the office, to ensure work can continue if anyone is infected.

Ways to hold bigger hearings, such as those requiring a jury, are under consideration.

Some have already been scheduled for the civic centre’s council chamber, while IT alternatives to allow people to participate virtually are also being looked at.

Mr Winter thanked families for their patience and praised his officers and deputy coroners Karin Welsh and David Place for their work to keep the service operating during lockdown.

He said: "We have kept working because families can’t get the final death certificate until we have had an inquest.

"We have to thank families for their patience because so many hearings have had to be adjourned. They have been fantastic – they have waited a long time, some of them, only be disappointed at the last minute.

“We initially adjourned everything back to August 28, but now everybody should have a date allocated.

"We will keep going until we clear the backlog because we need to deal with things in a timely way for the families, subject to how long an investigations takes.”

He also thanked Northumbria Police and Sunderland City Council for their help during lockdown, and added: “The local authority did very well in arranging cremations and burials and everybody has played their part.”

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