Inquests into the deaths of four men killed in a crash in Huyton were formally opened on Wednesday morning at Bootle Town Hall, then suspended pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
Jack Diggle, 23, Ben Dooley, 23, Andrew Roberts, 24, and Craig Shackleton-Brady, 26, died when the black Cupra Formentor they were travelling in came off East Prescot Road, where it meets Liverpool Road, Huyton, and crashed into a lamppost in the early hours of July 24.
Cause of death and identification
Post-mortem examinations determined the four men's cause of death as "multiple injuries". They were identified by their dental records, as well as by clothing they were seen to be wearing on CCTV footage earlier in the evening.
Anita Bhardwaj, senior coroner for Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens, opened the investigation and inquests but then suspended them. This is because there is a separate criminal investigation and proceedings after a fifth man in the car, 27-year-old James Diggle, was charged with four counts of aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving.
Why the inquests are suspended
Ms Bhardwaj confirmed the inquests would not resume until the outcome of the criminal proceedings, to ensure the potential risks of prejudicing the active criminal proceedings are avoided.
An inquest's job is not to determine or attribute blame. It is tasked with answering four basic questions: who died; where they died; when they died; and how they died.
Criminal proceedings and next steps
James Diggle appeared at magistrates' court for his first appearance last weekend. He will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on September 7, when he might be asked to enter a plea to the charges he faces.
The resumption of the inquest will follow the completion of the criminal proceedings. The exact time when it will be back before the coroner can vary depending on how long the criminal proceedings take, how long the coronial investigation lasts, and court availability.
