Mark Duggan inquest jury 'on quest for truth'

Jurors at the inquest into the death of Mark Duggan have been told by a coroner they are on a "quest to find the truth".

The father-of-four was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in August 2011, sparking widespread rioting in a number of English cities.

The coroner said the jury must examine whether Mr Duggan was lawfully killed.

Mr Duggan's mother, Pam Duggan, said she hoped "the truth will finally come out" at the inquest.

The coroner, Judge Keith Cutler, asked for some moments of silence as a mark of respect for Mr Duggan's family, which left Pam Duggan in tears. She was then led out of the court by her solicitor.

Judge Cutler told the jury of six women and five men that an inquest was a "quest for the truth" and would look into the circumstances under which Mr Duggan died.

"At the centre of the hearing is the tragedy of the regrettable loss of a young life," he said.

"At the heart of your deliberations it may be that you decide whether Mark Duggan was killed lawfully or unlawfully."

'Loss of young life'

Firearms officers and Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, a man convicted of supplying a gun to Mr Duggan on the day he was shot, will give evidence as witnesses at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Jurors will visit the scene of his killing on Thursday, the coroner said.

Earlier Mr Duggan's mother, Pam Duggan, said she hoped "the truth will finally come out" at the inquest, which is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

Speaking ahead of the inquest, she said: "We hope that the truth will finally come out for the sake of all his family, not least his young children."

Deborah Coles, co-director of the charity Inquest, said the hearing was "long overdue".

She added: "Where citizens are killed by the state there must be a robust and fearless inquiry to ascertain whether the use of lethal force was lawful and necessary."

The jury has been sent home for the day. The inquest will begin on Tuesday with an opening statement from Ashley Underwood QC.