Dover funfair death inquest delayed over evidence issues
- Published
The inquest into the death of Mackenzie Croxford-Crook was due to conclude on Monday
The conclusion of an inquest into the death of a teenager who died at a funfair has been delayed so a coroner can obtain more evidence.
Mackenzie Croxford-Cook, 14, died in August after entering a fairground in Dover before it was open.
Mackenzie, from Deal, was trapped and fatally injured on one of the rides.
An inquest into his death was due to conclude on Monday but the coroner, Katrina Hepburn, adjourned it in order to get "all of the information".
A Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report could be issued following the conclusion of the inquest.
The teenagers used trampolines and dodgems at the fairground site in Pencester Gardens before it opened to the public.
'Missing evidence'
Ms Hepburn said that Mackenzie and his friends had access to the ride outside operating hours with "such tragic consequences."
She said: "I believe there is missing evidence looking at the fencing of this ride and questions about access to this location for these teenagers on that morning.
"Mackenzie was trapped in a fairground ride but I don't have evidence about how that location was being fenced and monitored at that hour in the morning."
Ms Hepburn said she wanted "all the evidence" in order to address PFD issues should they arise. She said she would request a statement from the ride operator, Luke Shufflebottom, explaining how the ride was closed down, opened up, and left in the interim.
Further inquiries will also be made with Dover District Council, which owns the land.
Ms Hepburn said: "I want to make sure everything is ready before we proceed. It's not definitive that I will make a PFD report but I must make one where I think there's a risk of the same thing happening again, so I need to make sure there's sufficient evidence to make a decision about that."
The inquest has been adjourned to a later date.
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