Home Office link to Windrush death denied

THE family of a Windrush migrant who died while he was trying to prove his British citizenship walked out of his inquest yesterday after clashing with the coroner over the Home Office’s role in his death.

The family of Dexter Bristol, 57, who collapsed in the street and died, had wanted to make submissions on the issue to the coroner, Dr William Dolman.

But Dr Dolman, sitting at St Pancras coroner’s court, refused to consider the role Home Office policy might have played in Mr Bristol’s death. He ruled that the department should not be an interested party in the inquest because its policy was not relevant to the immediate circumstances of the death.

There were heated exchanges between Dr Dolman and the barrister representing the Bristol family, who had obtained a medical report saying stress was a contributing factor.

The coroner accused Una Morris of “trying to tell me how to run my court” and repeatedly ordered her to sit down.

Dr Dolman said it was clear that Mr Bristol, who had lost his job because of his immigration status and had been denied benefits, was under “some sort of distress or pressure” but he added that this did not come solely from his immigration status.

The coroner concluded Mr Bristol had died from natural causes – acute cardiac arrhythmia.