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Dorset Coroners service Inquests and Hearings

A Coroner is an independent judicial officer. They are assisted by Coroner’s Officers and secretarial staff.

The Coroner investigates and records the causes and circumstances of all deaths where the cause is unknown, or that was violent or unnatural, or occurred whilst the deceased was in lawful custody.

The information on this page is only about our local Coroner, you can find out more about the role of a Coroner here.

If you are concerned about a death you are entitled to raise these concerns with the Coroner.

Our Office is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm and on Fridays 9am to 3.30pm, except for Bank Holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Our address is : Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth. BH2 6DY.

01202 123 900

coroner.service@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

The Coroner's team

The Senior Coroner for Dorset is Mrs Rachael Griffin. The Area Coroner for Dorset is Mr Brendan Allen. The Assistant Coroners are Mr Richard Middleton, Mrs Victoria Cook and Mrs Deborah Rookes. You can contact them at the Coroner's Office.

The Senior Coroner for Dorset covers deaths that occur in the administrative county of Dorset or where the body of a deceased person is found in Dorset, even if they died elsewhere.

The Assistant Coroners act when the Senior Coroner is not available. They have the full powers of the Senior Coroner.

Find out about inquest hearings

You can find all publicly available information here. Please do not contact the Coroner's Court office, staff or police press office as they cannot give you any further information.

In Person Attendance and Remote access for members of the Press and Public

The courts are open to members of the press and the public, except in exceptional circumstances.

If you wish to attend court in person, it would be helpful if you could notify our offices in advance.

Under the current legislation, participants to inquests including interested persons and witnesses are permitted, with the Coroner's approval, to attend remotely.

For anyone wishing to observe remotely, permission from the Coroner may also be granted.

All requests to attend hearings remotely will be placed before the Coroner for approval. In order to allow sufficient time to consider any request please complete the relevant document, with as much detail as possible and submit a minimum of two working days prior to the hearing. The form is accessed by clicking the above link.

The document must then be submitted by email to: coroner.service@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Inquests to be opened week commencing Monday 22 September 2025

Location: Dorset Coroner's Court, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY

Date Deceased Date of Death Place of Death Place of Residence Time of Hearing Age Coroner
Monday 22 September 2025  James Michael Shelley 10.09.2025  Bournemouth  Salisbury  1.30pm  76  Brendan Allen 
Tuesday 23 September 2025 Lindsay Randall John West  15.09.2025  Bournemouth  Bournemouth  1.30pm  74  Brendan Allen 
  John Fergus Cox 17.09.2025 Bournemouth Bournemouth 1.30pm 30 Brendan Allen
  Derek Leslie Skipp 25.08.2025 Blandford Forum Blandford Forum 1.30pm 87 Brendan Allen
  Louisa Jane Clapcott 13.09.2025 Poole Bournemouth 1.30pm 58 Brendan Allen
Wednesday 24 September 2025  Edgerley Adrian Beaumont 20.07.2025  Sherborne  Wellington  1.30pm  52  Brendan Allen 
  William Alexander McClure 18.09.2025 Bournemouth Wolverhampton 1.30pm 31 Brendan Allen
Thursday 25 September 2025  Benziah Handsome Johnnyray Best Smart 19.12.2024  Poole  Wareham  1.30pm  Richard Middleton
  Andrew David Gordon Widdowson 11.09.2025 Poole Poole 1.30pm 67 Richard Middleton
  Douglas William Kibble 15.09.2025 Ferndown Ferndown 1.30pm 81 Richard Middleton

Friday 26 September 2025

 Graham Howell Evans 16.09.2025  Bournemouth  Wimborne  1.30pm  82  Richard Middleton 

Inquests to be held week commencing Monday 22 September to Friday 03 October 2025

Location: Dorset Coroner's Court, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY

Date Deceased

Date of Death

Place of Death Place of Residence Time of Hearing Age Coroner
Monday 22 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Mark Adrian Selby 7.03.2025 Bournemouth Bournemouth 10.00am 67 Brendan Allen
Tuesday 23 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Helena Evans 23.01.2025 Bournemouth Bournemouth 10.00am 67 Brendan Allen
  Robert Francis Fulford 23.09.2025 Yeovil Sturminster Newton 11.00am 96 Brendan Allen
  Louisa Jane Clapcott 13.09.2025 Poole Bournemouth 1.30pm 58 Brendan Allen
Wednesday 24 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Mark Steven Wiltshire 25.11.2024 Verwood Verwood 10.00am 56 Brendan Allen
Thursday 25 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Sheila Margaret Bowey 17.02.2025 Poole Poole 2.00pm 85 Richard Middleton
  Julian James Read 27.03.2025 Bournemouth Bournemouth 3.00pm 54 Richard Middleton
  Daniel Charles Pinnock 22.02.2025 Bournemouth Bournemouth 3.30pm 46 Richard Middleton
 Friday 26 September 2025              
Monday 29 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Frederick Paul Thomas 25.04.2025 Poole Poole 10.00am 71 Brendan Allen
  Dennis Geoffrey Owen 26.06.2025 Poole Bournemouth 2.00pm 67 Brendan Allen
Tuesday 30 September 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
Wednesday 01 October 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
Thursday 02 October 2025 Leonard Farruku 12.12.2023 Portland Portland 10.00am 27 Rachael Griffin
  Mahmood Abdulqader Abdulkarim 17.03.2025 Trent No Fixed Abode 10.00am 24 Brendan Allen
  Roland Michael Hargreave 25.06.2025 Bournemouth Bournemnouth 2.00pm 79 Brendan Allen
Friday 03 October 2025              

Complaints about a Coroner's decision or the outcome of an Inquest can only be dealt with through proceedings in the High Court. The Coroner's office can explain the procedure, but cannot give legal advice. If you are researching past cases you have to apply to the Coroner in writing first before you can be given the information you are requesting.

Requests for more information

For more detailed information and/or copies of documents, you need to explain your relationship to the deceased and why you want the information.

Feedback and complaints

All complaints about the administration of the Dorset Coroner Service, or the conduct of individual coroners or their officers should first be raised by writing to the senior Coroner.

The Coroner cannot normally discuss cases which she is or has been involved with, but comments and suggestions on improving the Coroner Service are always welcome.

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