13 April 2022

Before HM Senior Coroner Rachael Griffin and a jury
Coroner's Court, Town Hall, 
Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY 

Opening 26 April 2022 (Sitting Mon to Thurs)
Scheduled for three months (to 8 July 2022)

Gaia Kima Pope-Sutherland, 19, was reported missing on 7 November 2017 in Swanage, Dorset. Following a police investigation and a public search for Gaia in which thousands of people participated, her body was found 11 days later, less than a mile from where she was last seen.

Gaia had a history of mental ill health and was a survivor of rape. Her family have concerns about the response of relevant authorities to this, as well as the police response to her subsequently going missing.

Over four years later, following various investigations by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and others, the final hearing of the inquest into her death will open on Tuesday 26 April 2022 before HM Senior Coroner Rachael Griffin and a jury. This will follow a final pre-inquest review hearing the day before.

The hearing is scheduled over the following three months, with evidence scheduled to take place until 28 June 2022, followed by the coroner’s summing up of evidence, and the jury deliberations which are scheduled to conclude in mid-July. 

More information will be shared in the days before the inquest. Journalists may wish to contact the coroner’s court to request access in advance.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, interview requests and to note your interest, please contact Lucy McKay on 020 7263 1111 or [email protected] 

Journalists may wish to contact the coroner’s court to request remote access during the hearing.

INQUEST has been working with the family of Gaia Pope since January 2018. They are supported by INQUEST caseworker Jodie Anderson.

The family is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Sarah Kellas and Harriet Wistrich of Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, and Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Sophy Miles of Doughty Street Chambers.

Other Interested persons represented are Dorset Police, the IOPC, National Police Air Service (NPAS), DORSAR, HM Coastguard, Dorset Healthcare University Trust (DHUFT), Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset County Council.

Gaia’s family have led the campaign Justice for Gaia since her death. See their Facebook and Twitter.

See previous press releases on the case here.

Schedule: A final pre inquest review hearing will be held on 25 April 2022. The following day, the full inquest hearing will begin and the jury will be sworn in. Day one is due to include evidence from family members, a visual pen portrait and reflective evidence, and evidence from Gaia’s father.

The hearing is scheduled over the following three months. It will sit Monday to Thursday each week, with evidence scheduled to take place until 28 June 2022, followed by the coroner’s summing up of evidence, and the jury deliberations which are scheduled to conclude around 8 July 2022.