Alice Gross 'Blunder' Coroner Back At Work

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Controversial coroner reprimanded for bullying staff been on paid leave

It's been reported that the coroner who lost a major file relating to the death of Hanwell teenager Alice Gross in 2014 , is back at work after a two-year absence.

Following a conduct investigation, Chinyere Inyama was given ' 'formal advice' but allowed to keep his job despite the blunder. Alice's parents were said to have been 'bewildered and angry' over the decision and the inquest was handed over.

Since then there followed numerous complaints about him including allegations of bullying, dealing insensitively with bereaved families, sexist comments and a growing back log of cases. Hammersmith MP, Andy Slaughter, raised the issue in the Commons saying, " Despite previous findings of serious misconduct, three-year delays in issuing death certificates, secret inquests being held at night and important case papers being lost, he has been cleared by the Secretary of State to return to work. Will the Secretary of State meet west London MPs and council leaders to discuss this crisis?" The Secretary of State agreed to take the meeting.

In 2015 the six councils served by the West London Coroner which includes Ealing wrote to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) asking that action be taken against him. In 2016 he was issued with ‘formal advice’ by the Lord Chancellor after an inquiry into the loss of documents relating to the death of Alice Gross. It is believed that he left a report on her killer Arnis Zalkalns on a train which police had specifically told him not to remove from his office.

After further complaints about him were received, he was suspended on full pay in October 2016 but was reinstated at the end of last year. His case was reviewed by the then-Lord Chancellor David Lidington, who became Minister for the Cabinet Office in the recent reshuffle, and Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett who concluded that his behaviour amounted to serious misconduct. However, they did not recommend that he be fired despite the urging of Hammersmith & Fulham Council that represents the interests of the other councils in this matter and he was only reprimanded. Only the Lord Chancellor can remove a coroner.

A spokesman for Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which pays his salary on behalf of the five boroughs in his jurisdiction including Ealing, said, “We believe the best result for bereaved families is for Mr Inyama to resign.''

The Evening Standard reports that Mr Inyama continued to receive his £120,000-a-year salary whilst he was off work pending the investigation, but they have revealed that he has now returned to the coroners offices and is expected to handle investigations into deaths across West London including Ealing, Hillingdon, Hownslow,Hammersmith and Fulham.

Mr Inyama told the Standard he had ' absolutely no comment.'

 

October 10th 2018