Sheffield United's Inquest into Maddy Cusack's Death Postponed Again, Coroner Apologises to Family
A Sheffield United inquest into midfielder Maddy Cusack's death has been adjourned once more, with the case now set to begin at least by June 29. The family of the 27-year-old, who tragically died last September, had faced further distress as a result of this latest delay.
Initially scheduled to start on Monday, the inquest was called off just hours later after the Cusack family received an unexpected 699 pages of new evidence from the club just before Christmas. The family's lawyers described the revelation as "totally unacceptable" and "for a hearing due to start on January 5", highlighting the potential for further delays.
However, the coroner has since apologised to the family, stating that she has had Maddy Cusack in her thoughts particularly over the festive season. The case now sits at least until June 29, with up to two weeks allocated for completion of the inquest.
One key witness in the upcoming proceedings is expected to be Jonathan Morgan, Maddy's former manager at Sheffield United. Morgan was scheduled to provide evidence via video link from Chesterfield town hall but claimed he needed time to clarify his holiday dates, which might conflict with some proposed dates in the inquest.
The family has repeatedly expressed frustration and disappointment with the delays, with one lawyer calling the situation "extremely disappointing". Dean Armstrong KC had stated that the family were eager to progress matters as soon as possible, adding that the recent events have been a "hugely difficult time" for them.
In response to the criticism, Sheffield United maintained that they had complied with all required requests and timelines. Their lawyer, Joseph O'Brien KC, rejected claims of non-compliance, stating that their actions were in line with the club's spirit.
A Sheffield United inquest into midfielder Maddy Cusack's death has been adjourned once more, with the case now set to begin at least by June 29. The family of the 27-year-old, who tragically died last September, had faced further distress as a result of this latest delay.
Initially scheduled to start on Monday, the inquest was called off just hours later after the Cusack family received an unexpected 699 pages of new evidence from the club just before Christmas. The family's lawyers described the revelation as "totally unacceptable" and "for a hearing due to start on January 5", highlighting the potential for further delays.
However, the coroner has since apologised to the family, stating that she has had Maddy Cusack in her thoughts particularly over the festive season. The case now sits at least until June 29, with up to two weeks allocated for completion of the inquest.
One key witness in the upcoming proceedings is expected to be Jonathan Morgan, Maddy's former manager at Sheffield United. Morgan was scheduled to provide evidence via video link from Chesterfield town hall but claimed he needed time to clarify his holiday dates, which might conflict with some proposed dates in the inquest.
The family has repeatedly expressed frustration and disappointment with the delays, with one lawyer calling the situation "extremely disappointing". Dean Armstrong KC had stated that the family were eager to progress matters as soon as possible, adding that the recent events have been a "hugely difficult time" for them.
In response to the criticism, Sheffield United maintained that they had complied with all required requests and timelines. Their lawyer, Joseph O'Brien KC, rejected claims of non-compliance, stating that their actions were in line with the club's spirit.
like what if they just talked it out or somethin? i mean, 699 pages of new evidence is a lot but can they really afford not to share that info? and whats the hold up on jons momans video call? cant he just be honest about his schedule instead of makin a big deal outta it 
& im sorry for maddy cusacks family, i hope they get some answers soon 
is it even possible for a football team to keep messing up like this?? 
maddy cusack's fam has been through enough already and now they have to deal with more delays?!?! 
and dean armstrong kc is literally on point with his words, the family deserves better than this from a football club 
its just so frustrating for her fam to keep getting delayed and postponed 
like they really need more time but at what cost tho? my heart goes out to them 
i wish the inquest could just get on with it already 
. It's not exactly rocket science, but apparently, it needs a team of lawyers and investigators to sift through all that... Meanwhile, the family is left in limbo again 
That's just excessive.
It's not like Maddy was some high-profile player who died on the pitch. She was just a normal person who loved football and died way too soon.
You've got to do better than this. Get your act together and let's get this inquest moving already! 
This whole thing is just so frustrating for Maddy's family... I can only imagine how stressful it must be to have all this uncertainty still hanging over them after losing her last year. 
The family's lawyers are right, these delays have been "totally unacceptable" and it's not okay to add more hurt during such an already difficult time 
. I hope the coroner can get everything sorted out soon and that Jonathan Morgan is able to provide the necessary evidence without further delay 
anyway, i think we need to be careful not to throw too much shade at sheffield united here. maybe they didn't have the best process in place but can we assume bad intentions? idk 
coroner's apology is a step in the right direction, at least 
which is basically just code for 'we're still finding stuff we didn't know about' 
and I can see why the Cusack fam is losing it 
... Can't they just own up to their mistakes and move on?
. It's like they're trying to drag this out as long as possible and my heart goes out to them. One thing that really got me is how much work Sheffield United has put into this inquest, 699 pages of new evidence? What are we even talking about here? 
I don't get why it's taking so long for them to sort this mess out. At least the coroner apologized and all, but that's just a bandaid on a bullet wound... we need some real answers 