Key Points:
- Senior coroner Graeme Irvine warned Met Police officers they face prison for contempt of court.
- PC Muhammad Asad admitted failure to submit evidence in the inquest of 23-year-old Anna Bellamy.
- Anna Bellamy died in October 2023 in Upminster; her inquest is now delayed due to lack of police cooperation.
- Irvine said this case was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” after two years of poor compliance.
- The coroner ordered PC Asad to write a personal apology to Anna Bellamy’s family and warned future summons may follow.
- Met Superintendent Neal Donohoe admitted failings and apologised to Anna Bellamy’s family.
The Metropolitan Police has been issued a stark warning from East London’s Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine, who said officers could face imprisonment for contempt of court following repeated failures to comply with judicial orders, including in the inquest of Anna Bellamy, a 23-year-old woman from Havering whose untimely death continues to deeply affect her family.
Why were Metropolitan Police officers summoned to East London Coroner’s Court?
On Friday, 11 April, Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine ordered PC Muhammad Asad and a sergeant to appear at East London Coroner’s Court over the force’s failure to comply with long-standing orders related to the death of Anna Bellamy. The 23-year-old was found deceased at her home on Howard Road in Upminster on 27 October 2023.
The hearing was convened after the Met failed to examine Anna Bellamy’s electronic devices, which the coroner had ordered months ago in November to assess for potential evidence of intent regarding her death. “I found to my horror that the electronic devices have not moved from the police station,” Irvine stated.
What did the coroner say about the police’s conduct?
Coroner Irvine said the failure to deliver evidence was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” and described the Met’s performance over the last two years as having “collapsed”. He added, “Unless the force can now weave some sort of magic, her inquest will have to be delayed. I haven’t seen much magic over the past two years, to be brutally honest.”
Addressing PC Asad directly, Irvine warned that failure to comply with judicial orders could lead to contempt of court proceedings and imprisonment. “That doesn’t apply to your sergeant. It doesn’t apply to your duty inspector. It applies to you,” he said. He added, “It seems to me that you need to protect yourself.”
How did the officer respond?
In a rare moment of candour in court, PC Muhammad Asad took full responsibility for the oversight. “That is my fault… There’s no excuse. Not for the coroners. Not for the family,” he said.
Coroner Irvine acknowledged the officer’s transparency and honesty but made clear the issue was systemic. “The reason you’re here is not strictly because of this case or Miss Bellamy. You’ve probably heard the phrase before, the straw that broke the camel’s back. I am that camel.”
How has the Met Police responded?
Superintendent Neal Donohoe later issued a formal apology. “We deeply regret any distress this may have caused Anna Bellamy’s family and offer our sincere apologies,” he said. “I fully accept that we did not carry out the coroner’s request in a timely manner and have fallen short of the standards the public rightly expect.”
While Donohoe pledged to resolve the specific matter “as quickly as possible”, the Metropolitan Police did not respond to the broader criticisms issued by the coroner regarding evidence provision and referral quality over the past two years.
What orders were made following the hearing?
Coroner Irvine told PC Asad to write a letter to Miss Bellamy’s family, explaining the failure. He further instructed the officer’s sergeant, who was seated in the public gallery, to inform the duty inspector about the coroner’s comments and the consequences of any further non-compliance.
“I have already been in touch with the borough commander about this case,” Irvine confirmed. He also warned that if the Met’s digital forensics team does not expedite the review of Anna Bellamy’s devices, he would summons them to court as well.
What could happen next?
The coroner warned that if such failings continue, the court may require a police officer to attend every inquest opening in the borough, a move he said was avoided out of consideration for staffing pressures. “But if this service continues to fail… that’s what is going to happen.”
Unless the Met improves its cooperation with coroners’ inquests, more officers may find themselves “gripping the rail of the witness box,” as Irvine put it, while facing judicial scrutiny — or worse, contempt charges that could lead to prison.
Editor’s Note:
We have updated this article to use the full name Anna Bellamy throughout, in recognition of the dignity and memory she deserves. We sincerely apologise to her parents and loved ones if the previous version caused any distress. It was never our intention to speak of Anna in a manner that felt impersonal or insensitive.
