East London's senior coroner has demanded answers after tests on two men who died from drug overdoses took almost two years to be completed.
Graeme Irvine opened inquests on Thursday (January 9) into two men’s 2023 deaths in Newham and Waltham Forest.
The Metropolitan Police Service initially felt both deaths were suspicious and requested forensic post-mortems – but Mr Irvine said “inordinate delays” meant the results had only just reached him.
Abdulhamid Eldow, 60, was found dead at his flat in St Barnabus Road, Walthamstow, on January 9, 2023.
The delay meant his inquest was not opened until exactly two years later.
A pathologist concluded he had died from drugs intoxication.
Mr Irvine ordered “a written explanation from the forensic post-mortem supplier as to why it has taken such a long time for the result to be supplied to the court.”
He also demanded “a report from the senior investigating officer to determine to what extent this case was delayed by decisions made in relation to criminal investigation, when it was that the death was deemed non-suspicious and why it has taken so long for the case to come to me".
A second inquest was then opened at East London Coroner’s Court, Walthamstow, into the death of 81-year-old Stratford man Charles Joseph Coote.
Mr Coote was found dead on the afternoon of May 24, 2023, at his home in Arundel Close, Stratford.
The court has only just received the results of his forensic post-mortem, giving his cause of death as medication intoxication.
Mr Irvine again ordered the post-mortem provider to explain “why there was such an inordinate delay in this case”.
He also ordered “an overview report from the senior investigating officer setting out why the death was initially treated as suspicious and why it has been deemed non-suspicious.”
The post-mortem providers were not named in court.
Both men’s final inquests were provisionally listed for May 15.
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