Cow trampling inquest delayed because Wakefield Coroner's Court unfit for wheelchairs

A woman whose husband was trampled to death by cows faces an indefinite wait for an inquest after being told the coroner's court cannot accommodate her wheelchair.

Teresa Holmes was left paralysed due to spinal injuries in the same incident which killed her 57-year-old husband, Michael, in Wakefield in September 2020.

She waited two years for an inquest at Wakefield Coroner's Court, only to be told the day before it was due to happen that it had been cancelled indefinitely.

Mrs Holmes was told the court could not accommodate wheelchairs alongside a jury.

She said: "I was all geared up for it. We all were. My family were coming – they’ve taken time off work for two days.

"They were all wanting to get that closure after what has been a terrible, tragic two years for all of us. I miss him terribly. He was meant to be by my side forever."

Wakefield Coroner's Court is among the busiest in the country, holding more than 800 inquests each year.

But last year it was deemed unfit for purpose for flouting disabled access laws, which state that all public buildings should make reasonable adjustments to help everyone access public services.

Mrs Holmes' solicitor, who also uses a wheelchair, said the case should prompt a public inquiry into the accessibility of court buildings.

Jonathan Fogarty said: "The fact that in 2022 two wheelchair uses want to use the coroner's court at the same time and that wasn’t possible. I would suggest that is unacceptable."

He said an inquiry could examiner "some of the problems that, as a wheelchair user, I face on a regular basis when trying to access court buildings".

Gillian Marshall, chief legal officer at Wakefield Council, said: "We fully acknowledge how essential it is that our buildings are accessible to everyone and plans are in place to move the Wakefield Coroners court to a new space in the city centre next year, which is fully accessible.

"Unfortunately, the new location will not be available in time for this inquest and we sincerely apologise to the family of Mr Holmes for the impact this may have."

She said that the court was currently looking into suitable dates for the inquest for early 2023, but could not yet provide a firm date.

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