Katie Ayres

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Katie regularly appears in Inquests and is keen to maintain and grow this area of her practice. She is most regularly instructed by NHS Trusts, local authorities, prisons and private companies but has appeared for families too. Katie is often instructed in Inquests where Article 2 ECHR is engaged and in inquests where there is a risk of a neglect finding or a Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

Recent Inquests include:

• A three week inquest representing the Ministry of Justice following the death of an inmate where Conclusions open to the coroner are suicide and unlawful killing.
• Representing an NHS Trust in the inquest into the death of an elderly lady as a result of sepsis. There were difficult causation questions around whether the sepsis had been caused by a UTI or by an infected pressure sore.
• Representing a local authority in the inquest into the death of a mentally ill man who committed suicide by jumping in front of a tram. The inquest covered wide ranging issues surrounding the mental health support that had been provided.
• Representing a local authority in the inquest into the death of a 22 year old woman who took her own life during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The inquest explored to what extent it was reasonable to move mental health services online and whether this had an impact in her death.
• A two week inquest representing a local authority following a bicycle crash as a result of alleged disrepair in the road.
• A 4 day inquest into the death of a newborn baby following caesarean section.

Selected Cases

News

• Court of Appeal decides that an application to set aside default judgment is an application for relief from sanction to which Denton applies.
• Katie Ayres appears in Court of Appeal

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Articles

• Court of Appeal decides that an application to set aside default judgment is an application for relief from sanction to which Denton applies.
• Katie Ayres considers the Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in AB v Worcestershire County Council & Anor (Rev1) [2023] EWCA Civ 529.

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