A date for the inquest into the deaths of 11 men at the Shoreham air show is likely to be set at a hearing in July.
West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield told the families today (Monday 8 April): “I will do everything I can to get the inquest listed as soon as possible and find a suitable venue.”
At a pre-inquest review hearing today, held in Crawley, the families were also told that – now the criminal trial was over – Sussex Police would be expected to disclose documents that they held.
The coroner indicated that the first two days of the inquest would be set aside to allow the families to remember their loved ones and to share this with the inquest.
A further pre-inquest review would be held in July, she said, when it was hoped that the final inquest dates would be announced.
The progress comes after the trial of pilot Andrew Hill, 55, who was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence of the 11 men who died – six of them from Brighton and Hove – and endangering an aircraft.
Hill, of Sandon Road, Sandon, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, was acquitted at the Central Criminal Court – better known as the Old Bailey – in London last month.
Hill had been performing a loop during the Shoreham air show in August 2015 when his vintage Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 and exploded into a fireball.
Criminal trials take precedence over inquests so the coroner has had to wait until the criminal case ended before being able to continue with an inquest into the deaths.
The men who died on Saturday 22 August 2015 were
Maurice Abrahams, 76, of Brighton
Dylan Archer, 42, of Brighton
Tony Brightwell, 53, of Hove
Matt Grimstone, 23, of Brighton
Matt Jones, 24, of Littlehampton
Graham Mallinson, 72, of Newick
Daniele Polito, 23, of Goring
Mark Reeves, 53, of Seaford
Jacob Schilt, 23, of Brighton
Richard Smith, 26, of Hove
Mark Trussler, 54, of Worthing
