0:00:02 > 0:00:04It started out as something tremendously complicated,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07suspected arson, potential homicide.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10West London, one of the busiest coroner's jurisdictions
0:00:10 > 0:00:14in England and Wales, with over 4,000 cases a year.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Today, coroner Alison Thompson is about to enter court
0:00:19 > 0:00:23to solve the mystery of a man who died in suspicious circumstances.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Bedroom two, where the casualty was found...
0:00:27 > 0:00:32It's the culmination of a six-month investigation by the coroner's team.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34From the moment that death has been reported,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36there's a whole play going on.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Recovery of the body, police involvement.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Police entered into the premises, found the victim...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45In her court, the coroner must establish the facts.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Who was the deceased?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51When, where and how did he die?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54You have to go in with a flexible head.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57The unexpected happens and we have to be ready for it.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59When life's end is unexplained
0:00:59 > 0:01:02the answer falls to Her Majesty's Coroner.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Court rise!
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Saturday 12th March.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24What should be one of the quietest days of the week
0:01:24 > 0:01:28for the coroner's team at Uxbridge Mortuary. But not today.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34A man has died in suspicious circumstances.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39Police and a pathologist have been called in to investigate.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43The circumstances of the incident are as follows -
0:01:43 > 0:01:47some builders noticed a male walk into the block of flats,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51then heard some banging, ringing a bell,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54calling out as if for the occupant to open the door.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This carried on for about ten minutes.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01From what I understand, it then went quiet for a further ten minutes.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The witnesses see the same male exit the building.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12A few moments later, there was smoke seen coming from the address.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Police entered into the premises, found the victim,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19it appeared to the officers there were signs that he'd inhaled smoke.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23While police outline the case,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28mortuary technicians prepare for a special postmortem.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30These highly detailed forensic examinations
0:02:30 > 0:02:34are only carried out when a death is suspicious
0:02:36 > 0:02:38He's been taken to hospital.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42But presumably pronounced dead fairly soon thereafter.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Yes.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47The 41-year-old man died yesterday afternoon,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and the special postmortem must be held as soon as possible
0:02:50 > 0:02:53to preserve crucial forensic evidence.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Of significance, there's one person in custody.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Is that... This is the male that was seen banging on the doors?- Yes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08As the man's death looks suspicious, police have limited time
0:03:08 > 0:03:12in which to charge the suspect or release him on bail.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Did you get a time, Howard? 0940, OK?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl is one of only 30
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Home Office forensic pathologists
0:03:22 > 0:03:25qualified to conduct special postmortems.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29It's his job to determine the cause of death for the coroner.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35He begins by examining the body for any external injuries
0:03:35 > 0:03:38which might suggest foul play.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42We've just got some of these bruises...
0:03:43 > 0:03:46If you want to do it like that, that's fine.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53The police investigation is being led
0:03:53 > 0:03:56by Detective Sergeant Nick Doherty.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01He'll be liaising with coroner's officer Shirley Stewart.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05As soon as we have some indication that it's going suspicious
0:04:05 > 0:04:08or non-suspicious, as best we can determine,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10then I can deal with the suspect.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Samples of DNA, hair, and body fluids have to be collected,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18meticulously logged, and stored,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22preserved as evidence in a potential criminal trial.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Externally, we haven't found any injuries that give cause for concern that,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32for example, would suggest he'd been in a fight or anything like that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36We'll examine all the internal organs to look for any natural disease,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38any injuries that are present,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42or to look for whether there's evidence of inhalation of smoke into the airways.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Even though Dr Fegan-Earl has ruled out an assault,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52DS Doherty needs to know if the fire contributed to the death.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54He may have to apply for an extension
0:04:54 > 0:04:57to keep the suspect in custody
0:04:57 > 0:04:59I've spoken to Shirley.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02By about midday we should have an answer.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So what I'll do, as soon as I get the answer, I'll give you a ring.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09If we need the extension, we need to do it before 1pm.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It needs to be done in person and if we're running low on time,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17it's not going to happen, they'll have to kick him out, they'll have to release him.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19After nearly three hours,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22the special postmortem is almost complete.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26There's no soot in the airways, Howard.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- No soot?- No.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36I think, at the end of that,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39we haven't got a definitive cause of death.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43That said, I cannot see any positive pathological evidence
0:05:43 > 0:05:46to suggest he's been the victim of any form of assault.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Perhaps most importantly, there is no evidence
0:05:49 > 0:05:54of inhalation of fire fumes, so I can't see any sooty debris
0:05:54 > 0:05:59extending down the airways, and branching into the lungs.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03That doesn't explain the fire at the moment,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but from the pathological features,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08he was not alive when that fire was on-going.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11We come down to further investigations.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15I think probably most importantly, toxicology,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18to see what drugs or alcohol are present in his system,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21which may be, therefore, relevant to the death.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28In an intricate case like this,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Shirley can attend the scene of the death
0:06:31 > 0:06:34to assist in the investigation.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Her role is independent of police -
0:06:37 > 0:06:40she's looking for clues for the coroner.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44We are the voice of the deceased and we are there to protect them
0:06:44 > 0:06:48because they can no longer talk for themselves.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's up to us to investigate the death,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54to establish the circumstances, to be able to satisfy a family
0:06:54 > 0:06:57that everything has been done correctly
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and within the parameters of the coroners' law.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03There is an awful lot of comparison with Silent Witness,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Waking The Dead, CSI, Quincy...
0:07:07 > 0:07:11SHE LAUGHS Quincy's another thing they call you.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13That always makes me laugh.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16If only we could solve everything in half an hour, eh?
0:07:25 > 0:07:26It's Saturday afternoon.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30At the scene, police and fire investigators search for evidence
0:07:30 > 0:07:34that could reveal how the fire started and how the man died.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39My name's Shirley, I'm from the coroner's office
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I'm Remi, the crime scene examiner.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50I think, in here we found some bottles of medication
0:07:50 > 0:07:54that have got the deceased person's name on.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Just in case we find this in his blood
0:07:57 > 0:08:00from the postmortem this morning, we're doing toxicology.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04If they could be seized so we have the physical evidence it is actually his
0:08:04 > 0:08:06because it'll have his name on it.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Also, in the living room, I've noticed there's some strips of tablets,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12I haven't been able to see what they are.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15But if you could take those as well.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- OK, I'll take a photograph in situ first.- Please.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- And then I'll package them later. - That's lovely.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And if we give them to Nick he can store them until such time
0:08:23 > 0:08:28the investigation is completed by the police and coroner.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30You OK with that? Thanking you.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The dead man was discovered on his bed.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40There are prescription drugs and alcohol on most surfaces.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The London Fire Brigade investigation team
0:08:43 > 0:08:49are now focused on the bedroom next door, where the fire started.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53We've found a newspaper which is a day old, previous day,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57and we found it right in the area burning which is here.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Was it just lying on the floor? Was there other stuff underneath it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:04It appeared to have been pushed under.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08It had been pushed under the bed amongst all the other storage,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09the videos, the boxes.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The fire spread to the underside of the mattress.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Burnt along the underside of the mattress.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The heat's radiated down to the rest of the stuff.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Up any easily flammable materials or easily ignitable materials.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25So at this point, is there anything to indicate what started that?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28In our opinion it's application of naked flame by persons unknown.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32In other words, the fire was started deliberately,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but they don't know by whom, or why.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38After ten hours of investigation,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Shirley's work for the coroner is only just beginning.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Coroner Alison Thompson lives and works in West London.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Her team deal with an average of 75 deaths each week.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The leafy surrounds of Richmond in spring
0:10:04 > 0:10:08remind her of the cases she's dealt with over the past 12 years.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I go to work and I sort of pass
0:10:11 > 0:10:16the scenes of previous cases, so I always remember them.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I'm particularly careful
0:10:18 > 0:10:21if it's an area where there's been a road traffic accident.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, I'm hyper-sensitive to the locations I see.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29It's really beautiful. Unfortunately, this is also an area where we have a number of suicides.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It's got lakes, beautiful ducks, black swans.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35It's just a lovely part of the park
0:10:35 > 0:10:38with rhododendrons and... it's a beauty spot,
0:10:38 > 0:10:43and unfortunately a lot of people choose to go there
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and hang themselves.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And seeing the aircraft, we're on the flight path,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and we've had a number of fatalities
0:10:50 > 0:10:54of people who have stowed away in the undercarriage.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58One of them fell fairly recently into the local Sainsbury's car park.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Previous boyfriends said that I saw everything as danger.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I'd be on a cable car on a skiing holiday and be terrified
0:11:05 > 0:11:07or I'd be watching children in a playground
0:11:07 > 0:11:10thinking of health and safety rather than,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12"Isn't that a beautiful sight?"
0:11:12 > 0:11:15So, yes, they're in danger all around them.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Danger everywhere.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19PHONE RINGS
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Good morning. Coroner's office can I help you?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23What's the name of the deceased?
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Alison's court is in Fulham, where she has five investigating officers
0:11:28 > 0:11:33who are the first port of call for all sudden and unexplained deaths.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36We're not going to hurt her, you know we can't hurt her.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But I think we need to find out what happened.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42With 12 years' experience,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Shane Spencer is one of the longest-serving coroner's officers.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Dealing with grieving families is a tough part of her job.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53All right then, I will do, Maggie, take care. Bye-bye.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Shane came from the Ambulance Service,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03so she's got nerves of steel to able to manage that.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Today, she's handling an unusual road traffic death
0:12:06 > 0:12:10involving an 81-year-old local businessman.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20This gentleman was over from Spain to attend the funeral of his brother.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22And outside his home,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26I think he was returning to the home address in Richmond,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and he was involved in a collision with a pedal cyclist.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Sustained serious injuries at the scene.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39The accident happened on the 21st,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and he passed away on the 24th.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Good afternoon, is Eduardo there, please?
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It's the coroner's office. Hello.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56It's just to let you know the results
0:12:56 > 0:12:57of your father's postmortem.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59The examination has taken place
0:12:59 > 0:13:03and the cause of death will come back as a head injury.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08We will open and adjourn the inquest today,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11then we will issue all the paperwork tomorrow,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and he'll be released to your undertakers.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20All right? OK, and, obviously, my condolences.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I've already been informed by the undertakers that they want
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Dad for cremation and that'll all be sorted,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and he'll be released to them tomorrow,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31or as soon as they can come and get him.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35All right? He was a character, wasn't he?
0:13:35 > 0:13:41Yeah, yeah. Thank you and again my condolences, sir.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Thank you, bye-bye.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Shane has to brief the coroner at the beginning of every case
0:13:46 > 0:13:48her court deals with.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52This gentleman by the name of Fernando Izquierdo.
0:13:52 > 0:13:58On the 21st April, he was involved in a collision with a pedal cyclist,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02actually a few yards from his home.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05The family have a restaurant named after their father.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Well, in that case I think I might know it,
0:14:08 > 0:14:13as it is quite a well-known tapas restaurant in Richmond
0:14:13 > 0:14:14up by the station.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16I think you're right, ma'am, I think, yes.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Will we issue the paperwork now to let him go?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21We will release it in the morning. Yeah.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24With any case where the family wishes to bury their loved one
0:14:24 > 0:14:28overseas, the coroner must sign an "Out of England" form to authorise it -
0:14:28 > 0:14:31although it's not always necessary.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33We won't need to, he's going as hand luggage -
0:14:33 > 0:14:35his ashes are going back to Spain.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- Oh, sorry, I'm sorry. - No, that's fine, ma'am.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43They did say he would quite like the idea of that.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48He sounded quite a sweet gentleman, but the family are really pleasant.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51So, I wonder what the police are doing with that, if anything?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's Hampton that are dealing, Hampton Traffic Garage.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Hampton - the specialist Collision Investigation Unit
0:15:02 > 0:15:03of the Metropolitan Police.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06The team here deal with traffic fatalities
0:15:06 > 0:15:07for the whole of West London.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Investigator PC Adrian Armstrong has recreated the scene
0:15:13 > 0:15:16of Fernando Izquierdo's traffic collision.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I investigate on behalf of the coroner.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Finding out how somebody died is the most important job
0:15:25 > 0:15:27that a police officer can ever do.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The laser reconstruction allows him to calculate vehicle speeds
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and breaking distances with pin-point accuracy.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38This is the view that Mr Izquierdo would have had looking up the road
0:15:38 > 0:15:41as he looked back towards the bus.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Now, the witnesses said that Mr Izquierdo simply didn't look before he crossed the road.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But it seems far more likely that he in fact did look,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and that he was happy that there was a bus there,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and that he had time to cross before the bus reached him.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56The bus itself has provided vital evidence.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Its onboard cameras captured the collision from four different angles.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Mr Izquierdo just didn't expect a cyclist to come around the bus.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13The cyclist reacted in less than one second's time, but it was too late.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28'I'm on call, so I don't tend to plan much when I'm call,
0:16:28 > 0:16:29'to be honest with you.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32'Because it's always when you're in Marks & Spencer's
0:16:32 > 0:16:34'or somewhere like that that the pager goes off
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'and all of a sudden you'll find lots of people around you.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40'It's the fascination of the unknown, I guess.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:477.00, Monday morning. At the coroner's Uxbridge office,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Shirley Stewart catches up on the weekend's cases.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Never regained consciousness.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58Next door, it's the responsibility of the all-female technician team
0:16:58 > 0:17:01of Cheryl, Mary-Anne and Cassie to look after the deceased
0:17:01 > 0:17:04before, during and after the postmortem.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I've been here full-time for a couple of years now.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Two-and-a-half years?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13But I worked before that for a couple of years
0:17:13 > 0:17:15as a sort of as and when - Saturday girl, if you like!
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Like in a hairdresser's.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21I'm not a spiritualist person or anything like that.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24'But it does make me sort of see that we...
0:17:24 > 0:17:26'This is a vessel that carries us around day to day,'
0:17:26 > 0:17:30and that what we are and who we are and our beliefs,
0:17:30 > 0:17:36and the way we treat people, that is your spirit - and that goes.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37This is going to sound silly -
0:17:37 > 0:17:42but I actually do believe that there is something else after.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I do believe that. I'd like to believe that.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I'd like to think that you go elsewhere.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50You know, and you're at peace.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55You see quite ironic, funny things sometimes.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Sometimes you might get an elderly gentleman come in with
0:17:58 > 0:18:06a pair of ladies' underwear on, you know, little things like that really.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Yeah, you're like, "Oh, wasn't expecting that!"
0:18:11 > 0:18:14You go to do the head and the wig falls off,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16and you're not expecting it to be there -
0:18:16 > 0:18:19you know, it's just silly things, isn't it, really?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25You've got to be human, you've got to be caring here, haven't you?
0:18:25 > 0:18:29You'd never say, "that one over there with the funny hair."
0:18:29 > 0:18:34That'd be dreadful, no!
0:18:34 > 0:18:37"Gentleman", "lady", "mister", "misses".
0:18:37 > 0:18:38Yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:44Again, that's about having respect for what you're dealing with.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45And it is, it's huge.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51In the office next door, Shirley is making the difficult call
0:18:51 > 0:18:55to the sister of the man who died in the weekend's suspicious fire.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00The police believe the man is 41-year-old Terry Williams,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04but to be sure, they need confirmation from his family.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08So at this point in time we don't know why your brother's died,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12but we can be sure that he hasn't died as a result of the fire.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14All right?
0:19:14 > 0:19:18What we really need to do is make arrangements for either
0:19:18 > 0:19:22yourself or another member of the family to attend
0:19:22 > 0:19:26the mortuary in Uxbridge to formally identify your brother.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31You'll be able to do that, will you, Jill - you're happy to do that?
0:19:33 > 0:19:38It's important to make that memory for the family fairly decent,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42because that might be the last time they see them,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and unfortunately with a death like that, the family have to come in
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and identify, formally, the body.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51And it would be cruel to not present it well.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57You know, the most important thing at the moment is to have him
0:19:57 > 0:19:58formally identified by yourself,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02so that you can have a bit of peace of mind. All right?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07You're welcome. Yes, I'll be here.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11All right, Jill, thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18When you've put a body out to view and you think, "Oh, God,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21"they really look quite nice," it's a lovely feeling.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26If you can make it just a tiny bit more bearable by small gestures,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29then that's what it's all about, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:35PHONE RINGS
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Hello, Alison Thompson.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40'Hello, ma'am, it's Shirley.'
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Shirley, good morning, how are you?
0:20:42 > 0:20:43'I'm fine, thank you.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:49I know you've had a very, very tricky weekend, and you must be exhausted.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- A little bit. - 'Yes. You OK, though?'
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Yes, I'm fine, absolutely fine, I'm just really ringing
0:20:54 > 0:20:56to update you on what happened on Saturday.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01'We've taken a sample of blood, urine and vitreous humour,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'because, at the address, were found some medication'
0:21:05 > 0:21:10and the alcohol - lots of empty alcohol bottles and cans.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And they'll be forwarded, with your consent,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18- to the forensic toxicology labs for analysis.- 'Yes.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21'The medication is definitely his, and it's his sleeping tablets.'
0:21:21 > 0:21:25If it's OK, ma'am, we can open the inquest, please?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Yes, we can do that either this afternoon or tomorrow morning,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- whichever is easiest. - Thank you very much.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Oh, well, well done, Shirley,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and I know you will have got everybody organised!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'm told I did!
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'Yes, well, I expect nothing less,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'I know you will have done and thank you for that.'
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Morning, Tox!
0:21:49 > 0:21:54Toxicology samples, like those belonging to Terry Williams,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57are dispatched to St George's, University of London,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59for specialist testing.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Here, they can isolate poisons, street drugs
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and over-the-counter prescriptions.
0:22:09 > 0:22:16The toxicology team's analysis of Terry's samples could prove vital to the coroner's investigation.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Do come in! Morning.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Thank you, ma'am, nice to meet you.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- My name's Nick Doherty, I'm a DS. - Do have a seat.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I thought in view of the circumstances of the case
0:22:29 > 0:22:32it would be useful to have you here at the formal opening
0:22:32 > 0:22:34of the inquest if that's all right?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And so what I'm going to ask you to do is simply outline
0:22:37 > 0:22:40the overall circumstances of the case, if you can.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The situation I have, is I've got two different incidents.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I've got the incident with the deceased
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and obviously the incident of the fire.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The weekend's investigation concluded that the fire didn't cause
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Terry Williams' death, but it was started deliberately.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The arson suspect has been released on bail,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03pending further inquiries.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Who started the fire is still unknown.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12And now, Terry's flatmate has come forward with new information.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I don't know if you're aware, ma'am,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17there is a witness that also resides in that flat.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20He saw the deceased take some pills earlier that morning.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25With the pill packets that Shirley gathered from the scene,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and Detective Sergeant Doherty's new witness evidence,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33the coroner is closer to establishing how Terry died.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46NEWS FOOTAGE: Police believe a man whose body was found yesterday
0:23:46 > 0:23:48was a student who'd been missing for two weeks...
0:23:48 > 0:23:52A man believed to be in his 20s has been shot dead in...
0:23:52 > 0:23:54An elderly woman has died in a house fire,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56the cause is being investigated.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Coroner's officer Shane Spencer is on her way to Hampton
0:24:02 > 0:24:05to collect the final police report on the death
0:24:05 > 0:24:08of Richmond restaurateur Fernando Izquierdo.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11'You do feel for your families, don't get me wrong,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13'but you can't take it all on board.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18'If I was sobbing with each and every one, I'd be a complete wreck.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23'I'd probably be in a folder somewhere on another coroner's officers' desk!'
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Once she has the police file, the inquest date can be set.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Sadly, it's not the first time that Shane
0:24:31 > 0:24:36and Detective Inspector Tom Sheridan have had to deal with a death in the Izquierdo family.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Good afternoon.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Hello, Shane, nice to see you, welcome to Hampton.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- Come and take a seat. - Thank you.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45This family, I think we've met before, haven't we?
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- Yes, we have, haven't we?- Under very tragic circumstances, too.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It was the grandson. The grandson of Fernando
0:24:52 > 0:24:59sadly died in a collision with a bus on Kingston Bridge.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02That's right, yeah, about two years previously.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05All our collisions are tragic, but this is especially so
0:25:05 > 0:25:09because they've been here before.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Yes, I don't know in 12 years I've ever had it where it's been the same family.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Sometimes you think, "Why does it have to come to somebody's door again?"
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It's just tragic.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25The report that we've given you here contains a number of maps
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and diagrams and calculations in there that show the coroner
0:25:28 > 0:25:32how we've come to the conclusions that we've come to.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The final piece of evidence in Shane's investigation
0:25:36 > 0:25:40is PC Armstrong's analysis of the CCTV footage.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45As the bus comes to the stop, the driver told us in his statement
0:25:45 > 0:25:48that quite a lot of people got off.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And we can see Mr Izquierdo.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Oh, I see him. - Coming out of his front door,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57the bus is indicating to the right, starting to pull away.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- My goodness!- You can see both of them were knocked out by the accident.
0:26:03 > 0:26:09Good grief, that is quite an impact, isn't it? Oh, gosh.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11The cyclist did nothing wrong.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14He was going at a reasonable speed -
0:26:14 > 0:26:17he did everything the highway code asks of you.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Coming round the bus, the last thing you would've expected
0:26:20 > 0:26:25- was someone to step out in front of you, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27It's awful.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's down to a split second,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37how tenuous your link is to this life.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40If he'd have left home five minutes earlier,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42or five minutes later...
0:26:43 > 0:26:44Do you know what I mean?
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Or walked up the road a little bit further, before he'd crossed,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and that's what it's down to - just split seconds.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03In the name of the Father
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09St Elizabeth's, Richmond, and the family and friends
0:27:09 > 0:27:14of Fernando Izquierdo have gathered to bid him a final farewell.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17My dear friends in Christ, let us prepare ourselves
0:27:17 > 0:27:20to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass,
0:27:20 > 0:27:25which we offer this morning for the happy repose of Fernando.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29For his son Eduardo,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31it's a chance to fondly remember his father,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35the patriarch of a large West London family.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39When he was younger, he was...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41a loveable rogue, you could call him.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44He moved to London in the mid-'50s.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48He came with a suitcase and not a penny on him, and worked his way up.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52We all ended up in catering my brother was a chef in the Hilton,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and another brother was a chef in the Ritz, and we just came back
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and Dad said, "Let's open a restaurant together."
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Obviously, the restaurant's called Don Fernando's after my dad,
0:28:02 > 0:28:03and it is him.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06If you look around, just about everything has come from Spain
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and everything was chosen by my dad.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11In fact, every time you look round you see Dad,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14which is nice in some ways, but it's a bit sad as well.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17He actually passed away on Easter morning,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19with myself and my older brother
0:28:19 > 0:28:22just there with him holding his hand,
0:28:22 > 0:28:23so that was nice.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Mum would have liked to have been there,
0:28:25 > 0:28:30but we had to keep sending her home because she was not in a good state.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33They'd just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary
0:28:33 > 0:28:35the week before...
0:28:39 > 0:28:41..and I think it hit her pretty hard.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Well, it hit us all hard, but obviously Mum's the worst,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46so we have to look after her now.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00That concludes all the evidence that I propose to call in this case,
0:29:00 > 0:29:06the sad death of Mr Fernando Izquierdo Alvarez.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09After a five-month investigation,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11the coroner's case is complete.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15I will record a verdict of accidental death.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19I think it was a genuine accident.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I'm not here as a bereavement counsellor or social worker.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25I'm here to do a legal job,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28but if people walk out feeling,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30"We're more settled in our minds about it,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33"we can live with this now, we can come to terms with the death,"
0:29:33 > 0:29:35then that has to be good.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38No-one was to blame.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41You think all sorts of things
0:29:41 > 0:29:46when people are dying, when you can see your loved ones struggling.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Then when you sit down and look at the bare facts
0:29:49 > 0:29:54and the inquest helps with that it's, um...
0:29:54 > 0:29:56No, it's very helpful,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58and it helps you move on.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01He lived life to the full.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Although you care and it's affected you, just be happy that you had
0:30:05 > 0:30:09such a great dad and that he had a good life, you know, and he did.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15Dad would have liked to have been hit by a Ferrari, really, not a bicycle.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19Probably when we go to Spain we'll tell everyone he was hit by something like that.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30It's a new week at Uxbridge Mortuary
0:30:30 > 0:30:33and Home Office pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl
0:30:33 > 0:30:37is preparing for the day's post-mortem examinations.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38PHONE RINGS
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Good morning, coroner's office, may I help you?
0:30:41 > 0:30:45In the office next door, Shirley Stewart is following up
0:30:45 > 0:30:50on Terry Williams' case and fielding the steady flow of new ones.
0:30:50 > 0:30:51Coroner's office?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54It's four routine cases today
0:30:54 > 0:30:57so...that's not too bad.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Did the London Ambulance Service bring him into casualty?
0:31:03 > 0:31:07And his date of birth, please? And died when, please?
0:31:07 > 0:31:08And his first name, please?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11And his family's wishes are for organ donation?
0:31:12 > 0:31:14We're all too well aware of the movies,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18where everything in forensics is so precise, so accurate.
0:31:18 > 0:31:19You'll see some films
0:31:19 > 0:31:23where we're told exactly how many hours and minutes ago they died.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26But in reality, can we do that? The answer's no.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Fly eggs. It's fly eggs in his nose. Get rid of them!
0:31:32 > 0:31:36They will automatically seek out the odour of death.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41That's one of the few sciences that we do have any faith in.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46Because insects visit a body in a distinct order. By looking at the species that are present,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50the entomologists can make an assessment of the time since death.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Oh, wow, look at that.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56That's the faxed toxicology report
0:31:56 > 0:31:58for Terry Williams.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59Oh, my goodness me.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03What we do see, I suppose, in the context
0:32:03 > 0:32:05of daily life is very surreal,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07but it's something that the vast majority of people
0:32:07 > 0:32:10if they were exposed to it,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12would get very used to.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16So, seeing these bodies here today is no different to me
0:32:16 > 0:32:19seeing a car travelling down the street.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21Who's next?
0:32:27 > 0:32:31With the toxicology results now in, Shirley can give the Coroner
0:32:31 > 0:32:34her final briefing on the Terry Williams case.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Now we do know that this gentleman actually went to the chemist
0:32:37 > 0:32:39- the day before...- Yes.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- ..and cashed in his prescription of ten Zopiclone tablets...- Right.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46..and the empty wrappers were found at the address
0:32:46 > 0:32:47and were seized by police.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Excellent. Have we got the toxic range there?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Right, so we're quite clear, 0.58,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- we're into the fatal range, without a doubt.- Yeah.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01- Any previous overdoses? - Yes - he does have a history.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Feeling actively suicidal, March of 2010.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Again, suicidal ideation plus, plus, plus,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10a little bit later in that month.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12We've got a clear overdose,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14we've got obtaining the medication a day before,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and we've got an empty pack of ten tablets.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20What we don't have is any note found,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24so we haven't got any written evidence of intention
0:33:24 > 0:33:26- to take his own life.- Yeah. No.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29We'll obviously determine it on the evidence we have,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33but that's a matter for me at the inquest!
0:33:33 > 0:33:35But, no, that's helpful.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40And the chap who was arrested originally?
0:33:40 > 0:33:44The arson charges against this man were dropped earlier this week
0:33:44 > 0:33:46and he has been informed of that.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Good. Right. I think we could get that on pretty soon.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50OK, lovely.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52I'll speak to his sister
0:33:52 > 0:33:54and then find out if they've got any dates
0:33:54 > 0:33:57they specifically need to avoid before setting the inquest.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Yes, with the summer holidays planned.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05The Coroner may have all the written evidence she needs in Terry's case...
0:34:07 > 0:34:12..but what his sister Jill knows about her brother is also important to the investigation.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18The day we had the knock at the door from the policeman
0:34:18 > 0:34:21to say that Terry died and there was a house fire,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24you know, all sorts of things go through your head
0:34:24 > 0:34:28and the first thing you think is that, "He's been burned."
0:34:31 > 0:34:35That first five days were hard, but slowly, slowly,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39it was all starting to... We were finding sort of, more answers
0:34:39 > 0:34:43which, you know, were bringing a light to everything.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45We have to be very honest with you,
0:34:45 > 0:34:50- and you've heard things that perhaps you wouldn't want to hear.- Yeah.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54And, you know, I can't imagine how that must have made you feel.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00You know, we had quite a few arguments,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02but it was only because...
0:35:02 > 0:35:05to tell him that he needed to go and get help.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Somewhere in between the age of 14 to 16,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13he was sexually abused...
0:35:15 > 0:35:19..and he hit the drink quite hard.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23And then it's sort of downhill from then on, really.
0:35:23 > 0:35:24Personality changed.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29He was sort of relying on alcohol every day after he finished work.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31He used to cry
0:35:31 > 0:35:35a hell of a lot. He used to sob his heart out.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Sometimes we just couldn't reach him.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40He was just so mentally scarred.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50It's Wednesday 7th September,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53six months after Terry Williams' death.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55His sister Jill is attending court
0:35:55 > 0:35:58to hear the coroner decide how, when and where he died.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03It started out as something tremendously complicated,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06as a suspected arson, a potential homicide,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and all that, as far as this man's death is concerned,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12has turned out to be a peripheral matter.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15A big investigation from the police point of view, quite rightly so,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18and one that's still technically open.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20But I'm going to focus very much on him.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24The impression I get is that he thinks suicidal thoughts
0:36:24 > 0:36:26when he's had a lot to drink.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30That doesn't necessarily mean he intends the outcome to be fatal.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33We'll see.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I don't know which way it will go.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Right, OK, off we go.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Court rise!
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Good morning, everyone, please sit down.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48English law does not allow filming in court,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51so the coroner has re-recorded her summing-up for this case.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58So what evidence is there of Mr Williams' intentions?
0:36:58 > 0:37:00His flatmate saw him
0:37:00 > 0:37:04on two or three occasions swallowing tablets with alcohol.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07I bear in mind the evidence
0:37:07 > 0:37:10of the key worker who doesn't believe
0:37:10 > 0:37:12he had suicidal thoughts at all.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I was minded that the evidence did not persuade me
0:37:18 > 0:37:20to the required standard of proof.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24But what I have found to be very compelling evidence in this case
0:37:24 > 0:37:29is the evidence of Mr Williams' sister Jillian.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34She felt very strongly that on this particular occasion,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36everything was different.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42I AM satisfied, bearing in mind all that I have heard,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46that Mr Williams DID intend to take his own life
0:37:46 > 0:37:48that particular morning.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I didn't expect that it would go that way.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00It just shows you one must always keep an open mind.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03The sister knew him better than anybody and she was very much
0:38:03 > 0:38:06of the view that he had intended that on this particular occasion.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10He woke up that morning knowing what he wanted to do.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15He just couldn't cope no more with the demons in his head.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It was... It was, erm...
0:38:17 > 0:38:20He decided to call it a day, I'm sure.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- We WERE close, yeah. - Mmm.- We were close.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32If we went out, he would be there, behind me, "Oi, that's my sister!"
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- That's the last thing you need when you're a teenager, isn't it?! - That's right.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39But I knew he was always there.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43We miss him. We do really, really miss him.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48We miss him putting the world to rights by shouting and hollering.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51We just miss everything, you know - his bads, his goods.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Everything.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55We really do.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00I know that everybody has worked so hard for Terry.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04And I really am grateful for everything everybody's done,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06especially you, Shirley.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Thank you.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14How do I let off steam? Something that involves life and living.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17I love Queen.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19I LOVE Queen.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21I want to break free!
0:39:21 > 0:39:23# I want to break free
0:39:25 > 0:39:28# I want to break free from your lies
0:39:28 > 0:39:30# You're so self satisfied
0:39:30 > 0:39:33# I don't need you
0:39:34 > 0:39:36# I've got to break free
0:39:39 > 0:39:42# God knows
0:39:42 > 0:39:45# God knows I want to break free. #
0:39:45 > 0:39:48A bit of a rock chick!
0:39:48 > 0:39:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd