28 June 2018

[NOTE: This inquest concluded on 17 July 2018. See media coverage for more information.

(Media release by Bindmans) 

Dr Jeroen Ensink was killed a week after the birth of his daughter on 29 December 2015 after he was stabbed to death by a mentally ill stranger, Timchang Nandap.

Mr Nandap had previously had contact with the Metropolitan Police after it was reported that he was behaving in a strange manner and in possession of a knife.

Mr Nandap had been charged with possession of a bladed article and was reporting daily for bail between October and 23 December 2015. Five days before Jeroen was killed, the charges against Mr Nandap were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Coroner will be holding an Article 2 compliant inquest before a jury.

It is hoped that the inquest into Jeroen's death will explore the following issues:

1. The police's contact with Mr Nandap and his family between May and December 2015
2. What was known by police about Mr Nandap's mental health and what action was taken in response to this
3. Communication between the police and Crown Prosecution Service
4. The decision to grant bail to Mr Nandap
5. The decision to drop criminal charges against Mr Nandap

Jeroen's wife, Nadja Ensink-Teich said:

"We miss Jeroen more than words could ever express and are grieving every day. Over two and a half years after his death we hope that we will finally get answers. It is the least that our daughter deserves. We have been forced to ask our friends and strangers to help us pay for legal representation at this inquest because we were refused legal aid. I am hopeful that the Coroner will help us get the answers we need and that the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service, whose legal representation will be funded by the public purse, will also want to get to the truth of what happened".

Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST said:

"It is shameful that this family had to fundraise to be legally represented, in a process where all the other parties are publicly funded.  This inequality of arms, where the state have legitimate questions to answer is unacceptable. We hope the inquest will scrutinise the conduct of the Metropolitan Police and CPS over this deeply troubling death"

The family will not be speaking with the press during the course of the inquest and ask that all press enquiries be directed to Charlotte Haworth Hird of Bindmans LLP who represents Nadja Ensink-Teich ([email protected]).