The inquest of a Chessington man who raped a pensioner has been delayed once again, more than two years since he was found unresponsive in Wandsworth Prison.
Robert Richards, 22, died in St George’s Hospital after being discovered unconscious in his cell on July 29, 2014.
He was found just days before he was due to be sentenced for raping and trying to murder a woman in her 70s.
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His inquest was due to start at the Royal Courts of Justice today, but it was confirmed by Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning that the inquest has been delayed.
An original inquest in July 2015 was stopped by coroner Fiona Wilcox after she called for a formal investigation into the number of deaths at Wandsworth Prison.
In 2014, 11 people at the prison, three times more than expected.
At a pre-inquest review in July last year Richards’ family’s representative Jude Bunting told of his relatives’ “great mounting frustration” at the delays.
The start date was set for today while investigations took place ahead of the inquest, with Dr Wilcox acknowledging she had “quite a lot of sympathy for the impatience” of the family.
His inquest will take place alongside his cellmate Ian Pearson, 42, who died at Wandsworth Prison.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was unable to confirm when the inquest, scheduled for two weeks, would be rescheduled.
- Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6315 or send an email to jonathan.mitchell@london.newsquest.co.uk
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