Latest news with #CornwallCoroner'sCourt
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
British man shot dead in Mexico was 'in the wrong place at wrong time'
A British man shot dead alongside two friends while travelling in Mexico was 'tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time', an inquest heard. Ben Marshall Corser, 36, from St Just in Cornwall, was killed while sitting in the back of a car outside a supermarket in Colima on May 24, 2022. Cornwall Coroner's Court heard Mr Corser was taken to the hospital unconscious but pronounced dead on arrival there after a fatal shot to his chest. Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall, concluded that Mr Corser had been unlawfully killed. During an inquest in Truro on Wednesday, Mrs Hillson said: 'Ben had been travelling in Mexico since January 2022. He had been very happy and enjoying a sociable time. He had lived in different parts of Mexico, becoming part of the community. He was living with an American-Mexican family, with two other young men, Claudio and Alfredo, in Colima. They were skateboarders, and Ben joined them in skateboarding.' The court heard Ben and Claudio returned to Colimo on May 24, and Alfredo picked them up in his car before they stopped at a supermarket. 'While the three were in the car, outside the supermarket, all three of them, including Ben, who was sitting in the back seat, were shot dead,' Mrs Hillson said. Mrs Hillson said police reports included one witness statement, from a woman who described hearing gunshots and dropping down to the floor before seeing a white van with the driver's door open. Police obtained evidence from video cameras around the scene, which showed a grey vehicle with no identifying features. The coroner added: 'Three years have now passed since this death. I am satisfied it is unlikely that further information will be forthcoming.' She reached a finding of unlawful act manslaughter, recording that Mr Corser died from a wound produced by a penetrating gun projectile to the thorax. Concluding the hearing, she thanked Mr Corser's family – father Andrew Corser, mother Lorraine Downes and brother Tom Corser – and friends for their attendance and for bringing a picture of him to court. A statement read to the hearing by Andrew Corser described how his son was healthy and had been enjoying a 'very happy and sociable time' while travelling in Mexico in 2022. He said his son and the two friends he had been living with had gone to the supermarket to get some food for Claudio's mother when they were killed. Mr Corser told the court: 'We have had no explanation or reason given, no suggestion of robbery, kidnapping or anything else. Police have not provided us with any information apart from the cause of death. 'Apparently, there has been a dramatic upsurge of violence in Colima. It is most likely this was a question of Ben, Claudio and Alfredo being tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time.' A police report read to the inquest said a homicide investigation had been launched following the deaths, with evidence gathered at the scene. More Trending It referred to the witness statement of a local woman who heard gunshots and threw herself to the ground before seeing a van with the driver's door open but could not give any details on those responsible. Investigations are continuing in Mexico, the court heard. Earlier this month, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provided a statement to the coroner's court that 'it was unlikely further information would be forthcoming due to the time passed since the death.' In a tribute issued after Mr Corser's death, his family said: 'He held first class degrees in both fine art and mathematics, he was an artist, a poet, a computer user, maker, coder and programmer, a skateboarder, a sea swimmer, wild camper, a festival goer, an actor, a yoga lover, a photographer, a music maker, a dancer.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man found 'tortured' to death in home was bound by ankles, court hears MORE: Toddler dies after 'drunk dad left her in a hot car for nine hours' MORE: Zelensky refutes Trump's take on war and calls Putin 'murderer who came to kill the kids'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man shot in Mexico 'in wrong place at wrong time'
A 36-year-old UK man killed in Mexico was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" an inquest has heard. Ben Corser from St Just in Cornwall was shot alongside two of his friends while they were sitting in a car outside a supermarket in Colima on 24 May 2022. The inquest at Cornwall Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday police in Mexico had recorded a report from a witness but had been unable to find the gunman. Assistant coroner Emma Hillson found Mr Corser had died as a result of unlawful act manslaughter and unlawful killing. Mr Corser's family told the inquest he and friends Claudio and Alfredo had driven to a supermarket in the city and had been shot as they sat in the car, at about 18:40. "It is most likely that this was a question of Ben and Claudio and Alfredo being tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time," the family said. The inquest heard Mr Corser had been found unconscious at the scene and had been taken to the regional university hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, at 22:00. The post-mortem recorded he had sustained chest wounds consistent with "a projectile shot by a firearm" and a bullet had been found. The inquest heard homicide police officers in Colima had recorded a witness to the incident who said she had heard gunshots and thrown herself to the ground. She told them she had seen a closed white van with the driver's door open but she had not seen who was in the vehicle. Mrs Hillson said the Mexican police told her it had gathered footage from a surveillance camera at the scene which had shown a grey vehicle but that no further characteristics, including model and registration number, had been visible. She said police had confirmed its homicide investigation was continuing but on 4 June the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had said "it is unlikely further information would be forthcoming because of the amount of time passed since the death". Ms Hillson said as three years had passed since Mr Corser's death she agreed with the FCDO. She gave her condolences to Mr Corser's family and friends and said: "It is incredibly difficult to wait this time and have no more evidence since then and it be unlikely to have more." Mr Corser's family said: "If there ever is a conclusion drawn by the Mexican authorities as to why and by whom he was killed, that is little consequence to his family because Ben lives on in all of our hearts and in many other ways." More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Family tribute to UK traveller shot dead in Mexico Cornwall Coroner
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
British man shot while travelling in Mexico was unlawfully killed, coroner finds
Ben Marshall Corser, 36, from St Just in Cornwall, was killed while sitting in the back of a car outside a supermarket in Colima on May 24 2022. Cornwall Coroner's Court heard Mr Corser was taken to hospital unconscious but pronounced dead on arrival there. A post-mortem examination found he had received a fatal shot wound to his chest. Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall, concluded that Mr Corser had been unlawfully killed. During an inquest in Truro on Wednesday, Mrs Hillson said: 'Ben had been travelling in Mexico since January 2022. 'He had been very happy and enjoying a sociable time. 'He had lived in different parts of Mexico, becoming part of the community. 'He was living with an American-Mexican family, with two other young men, Claudio and Alfredo, in Colima. 'They were skateboarders and Ben joined them in skateboarding. 'On the evening of May 24, Ben and Claudio returned to the area on a bus and Alfredo picked them up in the car. 'They travelled along the main boulevard and stopped at a supermarket. 'While the three were in the car, outside the supermarket, all three of them, including Ben who was sat in the back seat, were shot dead.' Mrs Hillson said police reports included one witness statement, from a woman who described hearing gunshots and dropped down to the floor before seeing a white van with the driver's door open. Police obtained evidence from video cameras around the scene which showed a grey vehicle with no identifying features. The coroner added: 'Three years have now passed since this death. 'I am satisfied it is unlikely that further information will be forthcoming.' She reached a finding of unlawful act manslaughter, recording that Mr Corser died from a wound produced by a penetrating gun projectile to the thorax. Concluding the hearing, she thanked Mr Corser's family – father Andrew Corser, mother Lorraine Downes and brother Tom Corser – and friends for their attendance and for bringing a picture of him to court. A statement read to the hearing by Andrew Corser described how his son was healthy and had been enjoying a 'very happy and sociable time' while travelling in Mexico in 2022. He said his son and the two friends he had been living with had gone to the supermarket to get some food for Claudio's mother when they were killed. Mr Corser told the court: 'We have had no explanation or reason given, no suggestion of robbery, kidnapping or anything else. 'Police have not passed to us any information apart from the cause of death. 'Apparently there has been a dramatic upsurge of violence in Colima. 'It is most likely this was a question of Ben, Claudio and Alfredo being tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Mr Corser asked for information from the Mexican police on their investigation and what lines of inquiry they were pursuing in relation to the case. A police report read to the inquest said a homicide investigation had been launched following the deaths, with evidence gathered at the scene. It referred to the witness statement of a local woman who heard gunshots and threw herself to the ground before seeing a van with the driver's door open but could not give any details on those responsible. Video surveillance from the area showed a grey vehicle with no make or licence plate visible, Mrs Hillson said. 'Investigations are continuing to be carried out,' she read. During the post-mortem examination, a projectile was recovered from Mr Corser's body and stored as evidence, the court heard. Earlier this month, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provided a statement to the coroner's court that 'it was unlikely further information would be forthcoming due to the time passed since the death'. In a tribute issued after Mr Corser's death, his family described him as having a 'breadth that is rare today'. They said: 'He held first class degrees in both fine art and mathematics, he was an artist, a poet, a computer user, maker, coder and programmer, a skateboarder, a sea swimmer, wild camper, a festival goer, an actor, a yoga lover, a photographer, a music maker, a dancer.'
Glasgow Times
11 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
British man shot while travelling in Mexico was unlawfully killed, coroner finds
Ben Marshall Corser, 36, from St Just in Cornwall, was killed while sitting in the back of a car outside a supermarket in Colima on May 24 2022. Cornwall Coroner's Court heard Mr Corser was taken to hospital unconscious but pronounced dead on arrival there. A post-mortem examination found he had received a fatal shot wound to his chest. Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall, concluded that Mr Corser had been unlawfully killed. During an inquest in Truro on Wednesday, Mrs Hillson said: 'Ben had been travelling in Mexico since January 2022. 'He had been very happy and enjoying a sociable time. 'He had lived in different parts of Mexico, becoming part of the community. 'He was living with an American-Mexican family, with two other young men, Claudio and Alfredo, in Colima. 'They were skateboarders and Ben joined them in skateboarding. 'On the evening of May 24, Ben and Claudio returned to the area on a bus and Alfredo picked them up in the car. 'They travelled along the main boulevard and stopped at a supermarket. 'While the three were in the car, outside the supermarket, all three of them, including Ben who was sat in the back seat, were shot dead.' Mrs Hillson said police reports included one witness statement, from a woman who described hearing gunshots and dropped down to the floor before seeing a white van with the driver's door open. Police obtained evidence from video cameras around the scene which showed a grey vehicle with no identifying features. The coroner added: 'Three years have now passed since this death. 'I am satisfied it is unlikely that further information will be forthcoming.' She reached a finding of unlawful act manslaughter, recording that Mr Corser died from a wound produced by a penetrating gun projectile to the thorax. Concluding the hearing, she thanked Mr Corser's family – father Andrew Corser, mother Lorraine Downes and brother Tom Corser – and friends for their attendance and for bringing a picture of him to court. A statement read to the hearing by Andrew Corser described how his son was healthy and had been enjoying a 'very happy and sociable time' while travelling in Mexico in 2022. He said his son and the two friends he had been living with had gone to the supermarket to get some food for Claudio's mother when they were killed. Mr Corser told the court: 'We have had no explanation or reason given, no suggestion of robbery, kidnapping or anything else. 'Police have not passed to us any information apart from the cause of death. 'Apparently there has been a dramatic upsurge of violence in Colima. 'It is most likely this was a question of Ben, Claudio and Alfredo being tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Mr Corser asked for information from the Mexican police on their investigation and what lines of inquiry they were pursuing in relation to the case. A police report read to the inquest said a homicide investigation had been launched following the deaths, with evidence gathered at the scene. It referred to the witness statement of a local woman who heard gunshots and threw herself to the ground before seeing a van with the driver's door open but could not give any details on those responsible. Video surveillance from the area showed a grey vehicle with no make or licence plate visible, Mrs Hillson said. 'Investigations are continuing to be carried out,' she read. During the post-mortem examination, a projectile was recovered from Mr Corser's body and stored as evidence, the court heard. Earlier this month, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provided a statement to the coroner's court that 'it was unlikely further information would be forthcoming due to the time passed since the death'. In a tribute issued after Mr Corser's death, his family described him as having a 'breadth that is rare today'. They said: 'He held first class degrees in both fine art and mathematics, he was an artist, a poet, a computer user, maker, coder and programmer, a skateboarder, a sea swimmer, wild camper, a festival goer, an actor, a yoga lover, a photographer, a music maker, a dancer.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
British man shot while travelling in Mexico was unlawfully killed, coroner finds
A British man shot dead alongside two friends while travelling in Mexico was 'tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time', his inquest has heard. Ben Marshall Corser, 36, from St Just in Cornwall, was killed while sitting in the back of a car outside a supermarket in Colima on May 24 2022. Cornwall Coroner's Court heard Mr Corser was taken to hospital unconscious but pronounced dead on arrival there. A post-mortem examination found he had received a fatal shot wound to his chest. Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall, concluded that Mr Corser had been unlawfully killed. During an inquest in Truro on Wednesday, Mrs Hillson said: 'Ben had been travelling in Mexico since January 2022. 'He had been very happy and enjoying a sociable time. 'He had lived in different parts of Mexico, becoming part of the community. 'He was living with an American-Mexican family, with two other young men, Claudio and Alfredo, in Colima. 'They were skateboarders and Ben joined them in skateboarding. 'On the evening of May 24, Ben and Claudio returned to the area on a bus and Alfredo picked them up in the car. 'They travelled along the main boulevard and stopped at a supermarket. 'While the three were in the car, outside the supermarket, all three of them, including Ben who was sat in the back seat, were shot dead.' Mrs Hillson said police reports included one witness statement, from a woman who described hearing gunshots and dropped down to the floor before seeing a white van with the driver's door open. Police obtained evidence from video cameras around the scene which showed a grey vehicle with no identifying features. The coroner added: 'Three years have now passed since this death. 'I am satisfied it is unlikely that further information will be forthcoming.' She reached a finding of unlawful act manslaughter, recording that Mr Corser died from a wound produced by a penetrating gun projectile to the thorax. Concluding the hearing, she thanked Mr Corser's family – father Andrew Corser, mother Lorraine Downes and brother Tom Corser – and friends for their attendance and for bringing a picture of him to court. A statement read to the hearing by Andrew Corser described how his son was healthy and had been enjoying a 'very happy and sociable time' while travelling in Mexico in 2022. He said his son and the two friends he had been living with had gone to the supermarket to get some food for Claudio's mother when they were killed. Mr Corser told the court: 'We have had no explanation or reason given, no suggestion of robbery, kidnapping or anything else. 'Police have not passed to us any information apart from the cause of death. 'Apparently there has been a dramatic upsurge of violence in Colima. 'It is most likely this was a question of Ben, Claudio and Alfredo being tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Mr Corser asked for information from the Mexican police on their investigation and what lines of inquiry they were pursuing in relation to the case. A police report read to the inquest said a homicide investigation had been launched following the deaths, with evidence gathered at the scene. It referred to the witness statement of a local woman who heard gunshots and threw herself to the ground before seeing a van with the driver's door open but could not give any details on those responsible. Video surveillance from the area showed a grey vehicle with no make or licence plate visible, Mrs Hillson said. 'Investigations are continuing to be carried out,' she read. During the post-mortem examination, a projectile was recovered from Mr Corser's body and stored as evidence, the court heard. Earlier this month, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provided a statement to the coroner's court that 'it was unlikely further information would be forthcoming due to the time passed since the death'. In a tribute issued after Mr Corser's death, his family described him as having a 'breadth that is rare today'. They said: 'He held first class degrees in both fine art and mathematics, he was an artist, a poet, a computer user, maker, coder and programmer, a skateboarder, a sea swimmer, wild camper, a festival goer, an actor, a yoga lover, a photographer, a music maker, a dancer.'
