Belly Mujinga: Expert to investigate 'virus cough attack' death

Belly Mujinga died on 5 April last year

An expert will be employed to help look into the death of a transport worker who died with Covid-19 after allegedly being spat on, a court has heard.

Belly Mujinga, 47, died last year soon after she was reportedly coughed on by a customer at London Victoria station.

Barnet Coroner's Court was told "causation" would be a starting point in helping to plot what areas may need to be covered by an inquest looking into Mrs Mujinga's death.

An inquest date has yet to be set.

Mrs Mujinga had been working as a sales clerk at the time of the confrontation on the station concourse on 21 March.

She died on 5 April after contracting Covid-19.

• Belly Mujinga's death: Searching for the truth

• Inquest to be held into 'virus cough attack' death

• 'No evidence' rail worker was spat on

In May it was announced an inquest into the 47-year-old's death would be held as it may have been "unnatural".

The court previously heard two other other employees also became unwell while working at the station, one of whom died from a Covid-19 infection.

At a preliminary hearing at Barnet Coroner's Court, North London coroner Andrew Walker said an expert would be required to look into the possible causes of the Mrs Mujinga's Covid infection.

He said it would be the first phase of his "step-by-step" approach to setting up the inquest, with the expert due to be selected next month.

Ms Mujinga had worked as a sales clerk at Victoria station for Govia Thameslink Railway since 2010

The court also heard the amount of traffic and passengers going through the station could be an area that is useful for the hearing, and the coroner would seek to find any CCTV footage of the scene.

Mr Walker also said that no passengers who were at the station at the time of the incident could currently be identified.

British Transport Police previously interviewed a 57-year-old man over what happened but said there was not enough evidence that a crime had taken place.