Reprimand for coroner over social media claim

A CORONER who identified himself as a “judicial office holder” on a social media page has been reprimanded by senior judges.

Officials at the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office say David Urpeth, who oversees inquests in Yorkshire and the Black Country, was given “formal advice”. Detail of the case emerged in a statement on the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office website. It said judicial heads have concluded that Mr Urpeth’s actions amounted to “misconduct”.

“Mr David Urpeth, assistant coroner for West Yorkshire (Western), South Yorkshire (West) and the Black Country, has been subject to an investigation into his conduct,” said the statement.

“Mr Urpeth acted against guidance by identifying himself as a judicial office holder on his social media page and published material that had the potential to bring the judiciary into disrepute.”

Mr Urpeth is the second Yorkshire coroner to reprimanded in recent weeks. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said in January that “inappropriate” comments made by David Hinchliff on more than one occasion amounted to serious misconduct.

It was understood that the complaint related to comments made at the inquest into the death of Kevin Ellis, a West Yorkshire Police officer who took his own life following his arrest on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.