By Charlotte Webster-
The family of a man found dead in a Havering Council hostel are questioning the circumstances of his death, after it was ruled there would be no inquest into the cause of his death, which they allege has suddenly changed from initial reports.
Ken Hill, 45, was found in a room at Abercrombie House, Harold Hill, on January 11, and had originally been said to have had excessive amounts of heroine and cocaine in his system, only for that claim to turn out to be false. He was admitted to the accomodation following a mental health crises he was experiencing.
The family had been told by a coroner’s officer that he appeared to have died from ”a massive heroine oversose”, but further examination by specialists revealed he had only small amounts of the class A drug in his system, raising the suspicions of his surviving family members. They want to know what other factors may have contributed to Ken’s death. They are not ruling out that their relative may have dabbled in drugs at the time, but insist he had no drug habit when he moved into Abercrombe House.
His family are now reeling with the news that Ken’s death certificate says he died of clogged clotteries, highlighting what they consider a contradiction in accounts given to them about how Ken died. Nothing has been said about whether a heroine overdose can cause blocked arteries.
Needles were also said to have been strewn around Ken at the time of his death, something his family cannot picture.
Inquiries in the area revealed there were suspicions of drug dealing in the premises, given the number of people in and out of the property, and the frequent attendance of police there.
The father-of-two is believed to have been dead for two days before police found him. Cops told the family they had no idea how he died.
His agonising brother Rob, and sister-in-law Katie, claim they were initially told by a coroner’s officer that Ken appeared to have died of a “massive heroin overdose”. They are heart broken by the news, and are being consoled by a few friends and family , while mourning the strange death of their close relative under mysterious circumstances.
A friend of the family , Kirsty told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”They are particularly distubed by the fact they were misinformed that he died form a heroine overdose, but then change it and talk of clogged arteries. The heroine they say was in his system would not have been enough to kill him, so they want to know what killed him, and why there are so many indications of a cover up. Why was his sim missing, why wa shis phone wiped out? Did Havering Council and Abercrombie due their duty?
A spokesperson from Havering Council said Abercrombie House remains a “vital shelter” for the borough’s most vulnerable people and it is “committed to ensuring the safety of residents” by working with police.
Ken’s family has now been given a death certificate saying he died due to clogged arteries.
Because his death now falls under the category of natural causes, the promised inquest has been abandoned
In a letter to the family, senior coroner Graeme Irvine wrote: “Mr Hill was under the effect of cocaine and morphine at the time of his death.
“Critically, however, both of these substances were at such low levels that the independent experts instructed by the court did not find that they were at concentrations to make them contributory factors to the death.”
“I don’t know if it’s a cover-up or whether someone has just made a terrible mistake by saying in the first instance that it was a drug overdose,” said Ken’s mother, Marlene.
Tampered Belongings
Ken’s family say his belongings which were given to his parents by police, were tampered with. They comprised his phone, a belt, some medication, and a letter.
They claim The Met Police opened a bag containing the Ken’s mobile phone, seized the sim card and wiped the phone. They say they don’t understand why it happened.
The coroner told the family: “Mr Hill resided in a hostel, not a hospital ward. The duty owed to Mr Hill was not to observe him with sufficient frequency to act upon a heart attack.”
A Havering Council spokesperson said: “We offer our deepest sympathies to Mr Hill’s family and hope the coroner’s findings finally bring some much-needed closure for them.
“Abercrombie House remains a vital shelter for some of the borough’s most vulnerable people, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of residents by continuing to work closely with the police to tackle any reports of drug use swiftly and effectively.”
The shelter needs to properly address the concerns of the family.