The death of Dr. Mark Deakin, the consultant paediatrician who was described during Lucy Letby’s trial as her “boyfriend,” has prompted a new inquest after he was found seriously unwell inside his car and d#ied nine days later.

DR. MARK DEAKIN WAS FOUND IN HIS CAR

Dr. Deakin, 53, from Winsford, Cheshire, was found collapsed in his vehicle on June 24, after Cheshire Police had received concerns about his welfare the previous day.

He was taken to Whiston Hospital for treatment but d#ied on July 3, nine days after he was found.

At a hearing on September 23, Cheshire senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish formally opened the inquest. A coroner’s officer said there was reason to suspect that the circumstances surrounding Dr. Deakin’s d#ath were unnatural.

The full inquest is currently scheduled for February 23 and 24, 2027, with a pre-inquest review due to take place in January.

HIS CONNECTION TO LUCY LETBY

Dr. Deakin became known publicly because of his connection to Letby during her trial.

Letby denied that the two were romantically involved, describing him instead as a trusted friend. Deakin himself was not asked during the trial or the Thirlwall Inquiry whether they had been in a relationship.

Evidence presented to the public inquiry showed that Deakin exchanged more than 1,300 Facebook messages with Letby during 2016 and supported her after she was removed from clinical duties.

The recent Thirlwall Inquiry report concluded that he had blurred professional boundaries and put his desire to support Letby ahead of his duties to patients. Deakin later told the inquiry that he believed he had been “misled and maybe manipulated.”

NEW QUESTIONS AFTER HIS D#ATH

The timing of Dr. Deakin’s final days has attracted attention because he was reportedly dismissed from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for gross misconduct on June 23, one day before he was found seriously unwell in his car.

The circumstances surrounding that dismissal and his subsequent d#ath are now part of the wider public record, but the opening of an inquest does not establish that anyone caused his d#ath or that a crime occurred.

The coroner has simply determined that the circumstances warrant further examination.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The upcoming inquest is expected to examine the evidence surrounding Dr. Deakin’s final days and establish, as far as possible, what happened before he was found in his vehicle.

For now, many questions remain unanswered.

Dr. Deakin’s d#ath also comes shortly after the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry’s findings into the Letby case, which examined serious failures at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the actions of staff who interacted with Letby.

The new inquest is a separate proceeding. It does not itself alter the convictions against Letby, who remains in prison serving 15 whole-life sentences.

Source: The Independent — Mark Deakin inquest report | LBC — Mark Deakin inquest update | ITV News — Thirlwall Inquiry findings