Latest news with #SouthLondonCoroner'sCourt
Daily Mirror
09-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
British combat medic found dead in Ukraine bed with murder probe 'ongoing'
Katherine Mielniczuk, 26, died from opioid intoxication and Ukrainian police say an investigation of "homicide" into her death is 'ongoing" - but a coroner has questioned if she was given a fatal dose without her consent The death of a British combat medic who served in some of Ukraine's most fierce battles with Russia is the subject of a murder probe - with fears she could have been pumped with a fatal dose of drugs. Questions have been raised if Katherine Mielniczuk's death involved "foul play" before she was found dead in her bed. And a coroner has demanded to know if someone "administered something without her consent" before her colleagues discovered her lifeless body. Cops initially said they did not believe the 26-year-old's death was suspicious. But the Mirror can today reveal that police in the battle-scarred city of Sloviansk launched a murder investigation that is "ongoing". It comes after Vladimir Putin warned of an impending nuclear war. Katherine's death comes amid a flurry of suspicious deaths involving British citizens who had joined the bid to stop Vladimir Putin's bloodthirsty advance on Ukraine. At a pre-inquest review hearing, South London Coroner's Court heard Katherine died of "opioid intoxication" but that vital evidence had not yet been passed to British authorities. She had been in Ukraine for 18 months with the humanitarian group Stay Safe UA and was attached to the 151st unit of the Special Operations Forces. After travelling to the most volatile stretches of the frontline, Katherine earned herself the nickname 'Apache'. Assistant coroner Ivor Collett told the court in Croydon: 'We know that the police authorities in Sloviansk did initiate an investigation into Katherine's death under article 115 of their criminal code dealing with homicide. The latest from them is that the investigation is ongoing.' And speaking to the Mielniczuk family's solicitors, he added: 'Has there been foul play? Has someone administered something without Katherine's consent? Has someone put them into her system without her being willing? What we are really concerned with is what happened while she was a combat medic in Ukraine.' Katherine's body was discovered by colleagues in the early hours of Christmas Eve in 2023. She went to Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022 after feeling compelled to use her medical knowledge to help those caught up in the war. Mr Collett told the University of Bristol graduate's family's solicitors at the hearing that he would write to the authorities in Sloviansk to request they provide further information on the death. He said he would formally request copies of relevant statements, sketches or photos of the scene, reports of fingerprints and other forensic evidence and data from Katherine's phone. The hearing was told her family have still not been provided with the phone she was using at the time of her death. Mr Collett said Ukrainian police had offered to show evidence from it if a representative travelled to Ukraine, but Mr Collett said that was unreasonable considering it was a warzone. He said he would request it be sent to the UK, adding: 'I think there is a fair chance we will be given the cold shoulder.' Ms Mielniczuk isn't the first Brit whose death in Ukraine has been suspicious. Former Scots Guard Jordan Chadwick, 31, a volunteer from Burnley, Lancashire, travelled to Ukraine as a volunteer fighter in 2022. But he was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June the following year. Meanwhile Daniel Burke, from Manchester, was shot by a comrade miles from the front line in August 2023. Although the shooter claimed it was an accident, that was rejected by Manchester Area Coroner Zak Golombeck at an inquest in December. In a Facebook post a day before her death, Ms Mielniczuk asked her followers to remember Ukrainian volunteers, saying 'many of us cannot return home or celebrate Christmas'. She added: 'The mental, physical, financial consequences of war are catastrophic and a kind word can hold tremendous power for us when we are losing hope and seeing tragedies daily. We prioritise fighting for a free Ukraine, for a prosperous and fruitful future for Ukrainian children.' Katherine's family, from Westerham in Kent, released a heartfelt statement about their beloved daughter after her death. They said: "She devoted her life to helping others, as a medic, as a scientist and researcher, and as a friend. She volunteered her last 18 months in Ukraine, working in logistical aid and as a combat medic all over the country. They added: "It is impossible to truly convey what an incredible woman Katherine was or how deeply and widely she was loved and will be missed. Kasia is gone, but the endless warmth, love and grace she brought to the world will never be lost." Ukrainian volunteer organisation Project Konstantin, which she had worked with, said on Facebook of her death: 'It is with deep regret that we announce the passing away of Katherine Mielniczuk. "We learned of this dreadful news a couple of hours ago and after talks with her family, we have offered to help. "All we know is that she was discovered in her bed this morning (24 December 2023), the cause of her death at this stage is not being treated as suspicious. Further information will be released later by the authorities. For now, we're focusing on the pain that her family is enduring and we're trying to appease their suffering by affording them the chance to fly out to Ukraine and we want to assist with repatriation costs.' Ms Mielniczuk's full inquest is yet to take place, but is unlikely to happen this year. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: 'We provided consular support to the family of a British woman who died in Ukraine.'
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Woman, 21, killed in 90mph horror crash on way back from Winter Wonderland as her boyfriend begged drink-driver to stop
A WOMAN was killed in a 90mph crash on her way back from Winter Wonderland by her drink-driving pal, an inquest heard. Lillie Clack, 21, was squeezed into Charlie Hilton's Mercedes with four other passengers as they drove home on Christmas Day 2021. 4 Lillie Clark was killed on her way home from Winter Wonderland Credit: PA The friends had been at Winter Wonderland and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton. Hilton, 25, was chased by police before he smashed into a tree and flipped the car in Carshalton, South London. The Mercedes erupted into flames as horrified locals rushed out their homes in the early hours with fire extinguishers. South London Coroner's Court heard Lillie suffered catastrophic injuries in the horror and was declared dead three days later. Read more news Her boyfriend Jack Watson was among those who were badly hurt. He told the inquest how he had begged Hilton to slow down and let him and Lillie out of the car but was just told the shut up. Jack said: "I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. "I think the girls were in shock." Most read in The Sun Jack said he could not recall the details of the chase but remembered Hilton running a red light before the crash. He said he remembered then being pulled from the car on a stretcher and bleeding from his lip. Jack added: "I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from. "My clothing was cut off from me - and I knew then that it was bad." Lillie's best friend Delia Casey, who was also injured in the crash, said "at no point did Charlie appear drunk to me". She continued: "Everyone was shouting inside the car. There was a lot going on and I was just feeling very fearful for everyone in the car. The speed we were going at made me feel terrified. "It feels like I was only in there for a few seconds. It feels like a blur . "Even after I visited Lillie's tree I still have no memory of the accident." Hilton was jailed for ten years and six months in February 2023 after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving . He also admitted three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit. Hilton had 11 previous convictions, including for motoring offences, and had previously been jailed for 10 months for possession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance. Lillie's family are now campaigning for 'Lillie's Law ' that will ban killer drivers from getting behind the wheel again. It comes after Hilton kept his driving licence before he was eventually charged with causing Lillie's death a year after the crash. Her mum Debbie "I have now spent the second year in total disbelief of the justice system. "I am angry now. I am very angry at Lillie's killer. Lillie didn't have to die. All he had to do was stop that car." The inquest into Lillie's death continues. 4 Lillie was one of five passengers crammed into the car 4 Her boyfriend had begged the driver to slow down 4 Lillie died in hospital three days after the horror Credit: SWNS
Leader Live
19-06-2025
- Leader Live
Boyfriend of woman who died asked driver to stop speeding car, inquest hears
Kitchen designer Lillie Clack, 21, of Morden, south London, was injured and died days after the crash in the early hours of December 25 2021. On Thursday, the inquest into the death heard that drink driver Charlie Hilton, 25, was chased by police before his Mercedes hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames. Residents in Beeches Avenue, Carshalton, south London, grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to help. Miss Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and best friend Delia Casey were among those who were badly hurt. The car was overcrowded, with six people squeezed inside, South London Coroner's Court sitting at Croydon Town Hall heard. The friends had been enjoying a Winter Wonderland attraction in the West End and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton. In a statement Mr Watson, who was in the back seat wearing a seatbelt, said he was 'shocked and I remember thinking why is he going so fast' when the car sped away so quickly. Mr Watson later recalled: 'I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. I think the girls were in shock.' He remembered seeing police blue lights and sirens and described Hilton's driving as 'dangerous and quick'. During the journey, he said: 'I thought Charlie could easily lose control. I did not want to be in the car. I felt scared because I had been in a crash before on my bike.' Mr Watson said 'it felt too fast' and he wanted to get out saying 'it just felt unsafe'. He remembered saying 'Charlie, slow down. What are you doing? Let me and Lillie out.' He recalled Hilton telling him to shut up. Mr Watson cannot recall all the details of the chase, the inquest heard, but he remembered Hilton running a red light at some point before the crash. Hilton did an illegal U-turn and was undertaking and overtaking vehicles. Mr Watson added: 'I do not remember hitting a tree. The only memory I have is being pulled out on a stretcher and bleeding from my lip.' He added: 'I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from. 'My clothing was cut off from me – and I knew then that it was bad.' The passengers have gaps in their recall of the crash but remember feeling 'shocked' as the car raced away, continuing to build speed, it was said. Hilton was told by his passengers that a police vehicle had turned its blue lights on behind them and was indicating for him to stop. Instead, he sped up and was driving so fast that the passengers bumped their head on the roof of the car as they were chased by police, the inquest heard. In a statement, Miss Casey who was sitting on the front seat said: 'Everyone was shouting inside the car. There was a lot going on and I was just feeling very fearful for everyone in the car. The speed we were going at made me feel terrified. 'It feels like I was only in there for a few seconds. It feels like a blur. 'Even after I visited Lillie's tree, I still have no memory of the accident.' Miss Casey said she 'was not my usual self' but was not drunk when she got into the car and was not wearing a seatbelt. She added that 'at no point did Charlie appear drunk to me. He did not seem to be drunk as he was not talking loud and he was not stumbling'. Miss Casey was among a group of friends who had been to the pub and had accepted a lift from Hilton to drop them off at her home a few minutes away. Her boyfriend had won a 6ft inflatable banana at Winter Wonderland earlier that day which blocked the view of the friends who got in to the back seat. Nadia Avent, who was in an taxi when she saw the car explode in the early hours, said: 'The car overtook a taxi at great speed. It looked like a video game because of the speed he went past us.' She added that she saw 'the car exploding in front of us' and then dialled 999 to inform the emergency services. The court heard that at some point Hilton was thought to have been driving at over 100mph and was pulling away from police who called off the chase after losing sight of the Mercedes. At one point in the chase Sergeant Alexander Gill said his police car was doing 90mph in a 40mph zone and Hilton's Mercedes was 'greatly getting away'. He did not have a record of Hilton's speed but accepted an observation from that the Assistant Coroner for London South Sebastian Naughton that 'when you are driving at 100mph and you think he was going upwards of 100mph.' In February 2023, Hilton was jailed at the Old Bailey for 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to causing Ms Clack's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit. He was also disqualified from driving for five years after his release from prison.
South Wales Guardian
19-06-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Boyfriend of woman who died asked driver to stop speeding car, inquest hears
Kitchen designer Lillie Clack, 21, of Morden, south London, was injured and died days after the crash in the early hours of December 25 2021. On Thursday, the inquest into the death heard that drink driver Charlie Hilton, 25, was chased by police before his Mercedes hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames. Residents in Beeches Avenue, Carshalton, south London, grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to help. Miss Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and best friend Delia Casey were among those who were badly hurt. The car was overcrowded, with six people squeezed inside, South London Coroner's Court sitting at Croydon Town Hall heard. The friends had been enjoying a Winter Wonderland attraction in the West End and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton. In a statement Mr Watson, who was in the back seat wearing a seatbelt, said he was 'shocked and I remember thinking why is he going so fast' when the car sped away so quickly. Mr Watson later recalled: 'I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. I think the girls were in shock.' He remembered seeing police blue lights and sirens and described Hilton's driving as 'dangerous and quick'. During the journey, he said: 'I thought Charlie could easily lose control. I did not want to be in the car. I felt scared because I had been in a crash before on my bike.' Mr Watson said 'it felt too fast' and he wanted to get out saying 'it just felt unsafe'. He remembered saying 'Charlie, slow down. What are you doing? Let me and Lillie out.' He recalled Hilton telling him to shut up. Mr Watson cannot recall all the details of the chase, the inquest heard, but he remembered Hilton running a red light at some point before the crash. Hilton did an illegal U-turn and was undertaking and overtaking vehicles. Mr Watson added: 'I do not remember hitting a tree. The only memory I have is being pulled out on a stretcher and bleeding from my lip.' He added: 'I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from. 'My clothing was cut off from me – and I knew then that it was bad.' The passengers have gaps in their recall of the crash but remember feeling 'shocked' as the car raced away, continuing to build speed, it was said. Hilton was told by his passengers that a police vehicle had turned its blue lights on behind them and was indicating for him to stop. Instead, he sped up and was driving so fast that the passengers bumped their head on the roof of the car as they were chased by police, the inquest heard. In a statement, Miss Casey who was sitting on the front seat said: 'Everyone was shouting inside the car. There was a lot going on and I was just feeling very fearful for everyone in the car. The speed we were going at made me feel terrified. 'It feels like I was only in there for a few seconds. It feels like a blur. 'Even after I visited Lillie's tree, I still have no memory of the accident.' Miss Casey said she 'was not my usual self' but was not drunk when she got into the car and was not wearing a seatbelt. She added that 'at no point did Charlie appear drunk to me. He did not seem to be drunk as he was not talking loud and he was not stumbling'. Miss Casey was among a group of friends who had been to the pub and had accepted a lift from Hilton to drop them off at her home a few minutes away. Her boyfriend had won a 6ft inflatable banana at Winter Wonderland earlier that day which blocked the view of the friends who got in to the back seat. Nadia Avent, who was in an taxi when she saw the car explode in the early hours, said: 'The car overtook a taxi at great speed. It looked like a video game because of the speed he went past us.' She added that she saw 'the car exploding in front of us' and then dialled 999 to inform the emergency services. The court heard that at some point Hilton was thought to have been driving at over 100mph and was pulling away from police who called off the chase after losing sight of the Mercedes. At one point in the chase Sergeant Alexander Gill said his police car was doing 90mph in a 40mph zone and Hilton's Mercedes was 'greatly getting away'. He did not have a record of Hilton's speed but accepted an observation from that the Assistant Coroner for London South Sebastian Naughton that 'when you are driving at 100mph and you think he was going upwards of 100mph.' In February 2023, Hilton was jailed at the Old Bailey for 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to causing Ms Clack's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit. He was also disqualified from driving for five years after his release from prison.
Rhyl Journal
19-06-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Boyfriend of woman who died asked driver to stop speeding car, inquest hears
Kitchen designer Lillie Clack, 21, of Morden, south London, was injured and died days after the crash in the early hours of December 25 2021. On Thursday, the inquest into the death heard that drink driver Charlie Hilton, 25, was chased by police before his Mercedes hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames. Residents in Beeches Avenue, Carshalton, south London, grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to help. Miss Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and best friend Delia Casey were among those who were badly hurt. The car was overcrowded, with six people squeezed inside, South London Coroner's Court sitting at Croydon Town Hall heard. The friends had been enjoying a Winter Wonderland attraction in the West End and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton. In a statement Mr Watson, who was in the back seat wearing a seatbelt, said he was 'shocked and I remember thinking why is he going so fast' when the car sped away so quickly. Mr Watson later recalled: 'I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. I think the girls were in shock.' He remembered seeing police blue lights and sirens and described Hilton's driving as 'dangerous and quick'. During the journey, he said: 'I thought Charlie could easily lose control. I did not want to be in the car. I felt scared because I had been in a crash before on my bike.' Mr Watson said 'it felt too fast' and he wanted to get out saying 'it just felt unsafe'. He remembered saying 'Charlie, slow down. What are you doing? Let me and Lillie out.' He recalled Hilton telling him to shut up. Mr Watson cannot recall all the details of the chase, the inquest heard, but he remembered Hilton running a red light at some point before the crash. Hilton did an illegal U-turn and was undertaking and overtaking vehicles. Mr Watson added: 'I do not remember hitting a tree. The only memory I have is being pulled out on a stretcher and bleeding from my lip.' He added: 'I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from. 'My clothing was cut off from me – and I knew then that it was bad.' The passengers have gaps in their recall of the crash but remember feeling 'shocked' as the car raced away, continuing to build speed, it was said. Hilton was told by his passengers that a police vehicle had turned its blue lights on behind them and was indicating for him to stop. Instead, he sped up and was driving so fast that the passengers bumped their head on the roof of the car as they were chased by police, the inquest heard. In a statement, Miss Casey who was sitting on the front seat said: 'Everyone was shouting inside the car. There was a lot going on and I was just feeling very fearful for everyone in the car. The speed we were going at made me feel terrified. 'It feels like I was only in there for a few seconds. It feels like a blur. 'Even after I visited Lillie's tree, I still have no memory of the accident.' Miss Casey said she 'was not my usual self' but was not drunk when she got into the car and was not wearing a seatbelt. She added that 'at no point did Charlie appear drunk to me. He did not seem to be drunk as he was not talking loud and he was not stumbling'. Miss Casey was among a group of friends who had been to the pub and had accepted a lift from Hilton to drop them off at her home a few minutes away. Her boyfriend had won a 6ft inflatable banana at Winter Wonderland earlier that day which blocked the view of the friends who got in to the back seat. Nadia Avent, who was in an taxi when she saw the car explode in the early hours, said: 'The car overtook a taxi at great speed. It looked like a video game because of the speed he went past us.' She added that she saw 'the car exploding in front of us' and then dialled 999 to inform the emergency services. The court heard that at some point Hilton was thought to have been driving at over 100mph and was pulling away from police who called off the chase after losing sight of the Mercedes. At one point in the chase Sergeant Alexander Gill said his police car was doing 90mph in a 40mph zone and Hilton's Mercedes was 'greatly getting away'. He did not have a record of Hilton's speed but accepted an observation from that the Assistant Coroner for London South Sebastian Naughton that 'when you are driving at 100mph and you think he was going upwards of 100mph.' In February 2023, Hilton was jailed at the Old Bailey for 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to causing Ms Clack's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit. He was also disqualified from driving for five years after his release from prison.
