A full inquest may never be held into the death of Mark Duggan because “sensitive information” could jeopardise the police investigation, it was revealed today.
The family of the 29-year-old, whose fatal shooting by Scotland Yard triggered the London riots last summer, today accused the authorities of withholding information.
A coroner holding a pre-inquest review into the death in Tottenham on August 4 said that sensitive material relating to police “decision making” meant the probe may not take place.
Instead a judge could hold an inquiry that would allow for “closed sessions” where details are kept private.
Duggan’s aunt, Carole, who was accompanied to the hearing at North London coroner’s court by his fiancée Semone Wilson and his brother Marlon, said they believed the news was “delaying tactics”.
She said: “We believe the IPCC are withholding information from us which is delay tactics. Maybe they think we will go away, come to terms with what has happened, but we are a grieving family and we will always grieve for Mark.”
Duggan was being followed by officers from Operation Trident in a covert operation when armed officers stopped the taxi he was travelling and shot him dead.
But at a pre-inquest review today it was revealed that the IPCC may have information that they are legally obliged to withhold even from a coroner and therefore an inquest may not be possible. Even if one does take place it will now be pushed back to January next year to allow for a criminal trial to take place into the circumstances in which Duggan got the gun.
But the news has prompted fears for the family that his case may echo that of Azelle Rodney who was shot dead in 2005 by police and whose family are still waiting for a public inquiry seven years later.
