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Inquest to Examine Death of West Brom Fan at Sheffield Wednesday Match
The inquest into the death of a West Bromwich Albion supporter during a match at Hillsborough Stadium is scheduled to take place nearly a year after the tragedy. The proceedings will focus on the crucial question of whether the medical response provided at the Sheffield Wednesday ground was sufficiently prompt and effective following the football fan’s medical emergency.
Inquest Delayed for Family of Mark Townsend
Senior Sheffield coroner Tanyka Rawden voiced concerns regarding the protracted wait endured by the family of Mark Townsend. Mr. Townsend tragically passed away during a game at Hillsborough last September. The inquest aims to determine if there was adequate provision of appropriately trained medical personnel, necessary medical equipment, suitable treatment protocols, and a sufficiently rapid response time to the incident.
CCTV Footage Key to Inquest Proceedings
During a preliminary inquest review on Thursday, it emerged that lawyers representing the family have not yet received crucial CCTV footage from Sheffield Wednesday, which could be pivotal to understanding the events surrounding Mr. Townsend’s death.
Mrs. Rawden stated that while Sheffield Wednesday initially believed they had provided all relevant CCTV, only a partial extract was initially available to the coroner. Although the coroner’s office now possesses the complete footage, subsequent IT issues have hindered its distribution to legal representatives for Mr. Townsend’s family, the South Yorkshire ambulance service, Lambda Medical (the private medical firm contracted by Wednesday for emergencies), and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. Legal representatives for all these parties, as well as Sheffield Wednesday themselves, are expected to be present at the inquest.
Focus on Timeliness of Medical Support
The club is expected to furnish three sets of CCTV footage, one of which is annotated to potentially illustrate the speed at which qualified medical staff arrived at the scene after Mr. Townsend, from Harborne, Birmingham, experienced a medical emergency during the Championship fixture. The 57-year-old former car factory production line foreman suffered the incident during the match.
Mark Townsend (pictured) tragically died following a medical emergency in the stands during the Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and West Brom at Hillsborough.
Townsend became unwell during the first half of the Championship game in September.
Conflicting Timelines Regarding Emergency Response
Ian Perkins, representing Wednesday, informed the hearing that a medical response was initiated within ‘three or possibly four minutes’ of the medical emergency. However, Jade Bucklow, the family’s representative at the pre-inquest hearing, noted: ‘There is a disconnect between timings,’ suggesting a potential discrepancy in recorded timelines.
Independent Medical Expert to Assess Response
The coroner intends to engage an independent expert witness, Dr. David Kirby, an emergency medicine consultant and deputy medical director of Luton and Bedfordshire Hospital Trust. Dr. Kirby will provide an expert assessment on the ‘timeliness and appropriateness’ of the medical support provided by Wednesday on the day of Mr. Townsend’s death. This expert testimony is expected to be crucial in determining the adequacy of the medical response at the football stadium.
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