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Sarah Taylor appeared on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service at the inquest touching the death of Mr Phillip Ben.
On 21 May 2024, a jury, sitting with Assistant Coroner Edmund Gritt at South London Coroner’s Court, returned the conclusion of accident.
The Inquest examined the circumstances in which 97-year-old Mr Ben was found deceased on railway lines outside South Croydon Station on 11 September 2021. Mr Ben had recently been diagnosed with dementia and had a history of getting lost. He was reported to the MPS as missing from his home in East London on 10 September 2021 and was assessed as a high risk missing person. Mr Ben was later seen in South Croydon Station near the end of the platform and reported to British Transport Police and Network Rail by station staff. Tragically, Mr Ben was not found alive. The Inquest examined decisions taken in respect of the operation of the train lines and search after the report from station staff. The jury concluded that it was probable that Mr Ben was deceased by the time searching officers attended the scene.
Having heard the evidence, the Coroner directed the Jury that there was no evidence to support a finding that the handling of the MPS missing person investigation could have made any difference in respect of avoiding Mr Ben’s death.
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