Inquest into death of Jeremiah Duggan is ready to get under way next week
Thursday, 17 June 2010
THE initial phase of a long-awaited second inquest into the death of a 22-year-old student found dead on a road in Germany is to get under way.
Next Tuesday, Barnet coroner Dr Andrew Walker will open a pre-inquest hearing into the death of Jeremiah Duggan following a seven-year fight by his family to secure a fresh inquiry.
The hearing at Barnet Coroner’s Court, in Wood Street, High Barnet, is expected to determine the scope of the inquest which will try to piece together the events leading up to the death of the student from Golders Green after he became involved with a political movement called LaRouche in March 2003.
The inquest is then likely to be adjourned while evidence is gathered.
It comes after two High Court judges last month quashed an earlier inquest in November 2003 and granted approval for a fresh probe to be carried out.
Police in Germany have always maintained that Jeremiah committed suicide by leaping into the path of two cars on the B455 road near the town of Wiesbaden.
The first inquest later concluded only that he died in a “state of terror”.
But High Court judge Lord Justice Elias said that claims the student had been the victim of “foul play” should be investigated after fresh evidence suggested the crash may have been faked and Jeremiah killed elsewhere.
The 22-year-old student had travelled to Germany from his university in Paris to attend what he thought was an anti-Iraq war rally but became involved with what was described in court as a “cult-like” political organisation.
During the early hours of March 27 Jeremiah telephoned his mother Erica Duggan declaring he was is deep trouble, but as he attempted to spell out the name of the town he was in the line went dead. Several hours later he was discovered dead by police.
His mother Erica, who has spearheaded the campaign, told The Press: “I’m just pleased that it’s getting under way. It’s encouraging that the coroner is getting on with it so soon because delay is really a denial of justice.
“A lot of people have been working very hard to prepare the case. There are a number of questions that need to be answered and we are just hoping that Andrew Walker can help achieve that.”
Email: nick.griffin@nlhnews.co.uk