Mum’s emotional drain as son’s death probe faces delay

Text said: ‘If anything happens, investigate’

Mystery still surrounds the death of a world renowned conspiracy theorist after a coroner adjourned his long-awaited inquest this week.

The inquiry into the reasons why and how Max Spiers from Canterbury died in Poland were expected to be revealed at the hearing.

But north east Kent assistant coroner Alan Blunsdon has postponed the inquest until early next year, saying he still needs more information.

Mr Spiers died suddenly in a house in Poland in 2016, just days before he was due to address a conference.

The 39-year-old father-of-two is said to have vomited black fluid shortly before his death but the Polish authorities initially recorded he had died from natural causes.

A second post-mortem when his body was returned to east Kent proved inconclusive.

His mother, Vanessa BatesSpiers, of Merchant’s Way, Canterbury, suspects her son – who made a name for himself in the shadowy world of conspiracy theorists and sought to expose government cover-ups – may have been murdered because his work “made him enemies”.

She said that shortly before he died he had texted her saying: “Your boy’s in trouble. If anything happens, investigate.”

The inquest into his death was originally opened in December last year and adjourned for a full hearing, which had been due to take place this week.

But at an administrative hearing on Friday, coroner Alan Blunsdon decided he still did not have enough information to fully examine the death.

In particular, it is hoped witnesses in Poland, who have submitted statements but are not obliged to attend, can give their evidence at the hearing via Skype.

Mrs Bates-spiers said she was disappointed the hearing had to be adjourned but understood the coroner’s view.

“I thought he was very fair and thorough and although there are a lot of statements, it was clear the coroner was not confident he could reach a fair conclusion without more information,” she said.

“It is emotionally draining but I’ve waited this long and don’t mind if it takes longer if we eventually get to the truth of what happened to Max.”

Max Spiers’s death remains shrouded in mystery; his mother Vanessa Bates-spiers, at his grave, suspects murder