The Metropolitan Police has announced it will re-examine the death of 19-year-old student Edward Cornes, who was found dead in a King's Cross hotel room in October 2021, after acknowledging that aspects of its initial investigation were “not handled correctly”.
Circumstances of Death
Edward Cornes, a history student at University College London, was discovered in a basement room of the two-star Goodwood Hotel on Tavistock Place, just two days after his parents dropped him off for university. A post-mortem examination revealed large amounts of alcohol, crystal meth, and the date-rape drug GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) in his system.
Two men, aged 55 and 57, were arrested on suspicion of murder but were never charged after the Met concluded the death was non-suspicious. However, a coroner later ruled the death as drug-related. The men delayed calling an ambulance while moving Edward's body and putting some of his clothes back on; both deny any wrongdoing.
Family Allegations and Apology
Edward's family accused the Met Police of extensive misconduct, including a senior officer baselessly labelling Edward a drug dealer at his October 2025 inquest. They also alleged a homophobic approach, with officers reportedly telling them “with man on man sex anything can happen”. Edward's mother, Miriam Blythe, told ITV: “They treated us appallingly. They had no cause of death and they refused to interview his friends so they had no idea who Ed was. They focused in on him being gay and whether he took drugs. His lifestyle and sexuality.”
In a statement, a Met spokesperson said: “We apologise for the pain caused to Edward’s family through the handling of our investigation. We acknowledge that aspects of the initial investigation were not handled correctly and did not meet the high standards we expect. We have since met with Edward’s family to apologise in person and recognise the distress our actions have caused.”
Review and IOPC Investigation
Specialist officers are now reviewing the original investigation to determine if there are any further lines of enquiry. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has also launched an investigation into the handling of the case. An IOPC spokesperson said: “We can confirm the IOPC has started an investigation into a number of complaints about the Met Police regarding its handling of the tragic death of 19-year-old Edward Cornes... Those complaints include alleged failures in the investigation into Edward’s death, its handling of the subsequent coronial proceedings and inquest, including evidence provided by an officer at the inquest and its communication with Edward’s family throughout.”
The IOPC investigation is at an early stage, and the family will be kept updated as enquiries progress.
