Matthew is a leading inquest junior, with experience far beyond his level of call. 

He regularly represents families in significant and high-profile inquests, and has an exceptional record of uncovering serious failures by state institutions and private corporations. He has secured rare ‘neglect’ verdicts in 10 different inquests since December 2021 and his cases are regularly reported in the news. 

What to expect 

• Matthew takes a collegiate approach to working with instructing solicitors (and finds it useful to be involved from an early stage). 
• He is sensitive and empathetic with grieving families. 
• He is regularly successful in arguing that Article 2 ECHR applies, including in unusual circumstances.   
• He engages well with coroners and is a natural jury advocate. 
• He consistently establishes findings of possibly / probably causative failings.
• He repeatedly secures rare verdicts of ‘neglect’. 
• His cases often result on ‘Prevention of Future Deaths’ reports, including to national bodies and Secretaries of State. 

Hospital / medical deaths 

Matthew is regularly instructed in inquests involving deaths in hospitals or deaths following negligent medical treatment.

Recent examples of mental health inquests: 

• IW (2024) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of IW, a TikTok influencer, who died by suicide in a mental health hospital. During her short admission, she repeatedly self-harmed but her risk management plan was never changed. Following Matthew’s questions, the independent expert changed her view that the care was adequate, and agreed it was less than adequate. See here and here. Reporting by the Daily Mail and Portsmouth News. 
• SV (2024) – inquest into the death of SV, a second year university student, who died by suicide after serious failures by the community mental health services. The Coroner ruled that SV’s death was contributed to by neglect by the NHS trust. 
• JR (2023) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of JR, a 20-year-old university student, who died after escaping from a mental health hospital. The jury identified multiple causative failings, including understaffing and a inadequate risk assessment, and concluded that JR’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here. Reporting by the BBC. 
• RJ (2023) – Article 2 inquest into the death of RJ, a voluntary mental health inpatient, who walked out of the hospital and took her own life. Staff did not realise she had not returned and failed to trigger the AWOL procedure. The Senior Coroner identified multiple causative failings and concluded that RJ’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here and here. Reporting by the BBC, The Argus, and SussexWorld.
• RB (2023) – three-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of RB, a mental health inpatient, who died from a PE caused by a DVT in her leg in circumstances where nursing staff failed to respond to her obviously deteriorating physical condition. The jury found that RB died as result of multiple causative failings and her death was contributed to by neglect. See here and here. This case was featured in an investigation by the Independent (“The mental health patients dying on NHS wards from starvation and neglect”).
• PL (2021) – three-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of PL, a mental health inpatient who took his own life on the ward. The jury identified 14 causative failings and found that PL’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here and here.

Recent examples of negligent physical healthcare: 

• AS (ongoing) – inquest into the death of AS, a 20-month-old baby, who died in hospital. Reporting by the BBC. 
• MS (2024) – Article 2 inquest into the death of MS, a six-year-old girl who died from sepsis in the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQMH) in Margate. The Coroner found multiple failures in her care and treatment, culminating in a failure to contact the South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS). See here and here. Reporting by the BBC, Guardian, Times, Daily Mail, Metro, Standard, Kent Online. 
• SC (2023) – inquest into the death of SC, a mother and grandmother, who died from a renal bleed following a voluntary biopsy which was never identified by the hospital. The Senior Coroner concluded that she died as a result of a series of failings by hospital staff which, taken together, were amounted to neglect. See here and here. The case was reported by the London Evening Standard and Walthamstow Echo. The Coroner issued a PFD report to Barts Health NHS Foundation Trust and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care. 
• AK (2023) – inquest into the death of AK, a retired Detective Inspector, who died from a massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage caused by anticoagulation therapy, not Covid-19 as the family had originally been told. See here and here. The case was widely reported: BBC, ITV News, Hull Daily Mail, The Scarborough News. 
• BW (2022) – inquest into the of BW, a one-day old baby who died in hospital following a delayed caesarean section. The Senior Coroner found that the obstetrician did not make clear to the family the seriousness of the situation and the need for an urgent caesarean section. The case was reported by Eastern Daily Press and Dereham Times. The Senior Coroner issued a PFD report to the hospital – see here.
• RB (2022) – inquest into the death of RB, who died because the ambulance service miscategorised a 999 call and failed to send an emergency response for over three hours. The Senior Coroner concluded this was a gross failing and RB’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here.
• JB (2022) – inquest into the death of JB, a young man who died in hospital of hyperkalaemia caused by acute pancreatitis. The coroner found that he was provided with sub-optimal care with multiple missed opportunities to escalate his treatment which probably contributed to his death. 
• FB (2020) – inquest into the death of an elderly man who died in hospital from a traumatic penile injury when his indwelling catheter was accidentally pulled by a healthcare assistant.

Police deaths 

Matthew regularly represents the families of people who have died in police custody or following contact with the police. 

For example: 

• TD (ongoing) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of WB who died due to cocaine toxicity after contact with the police. 
• AB (ongoing) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of AB who took his own life immediately after being released from custody.
• DP (2023) – two-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of DP, a mother-of-four, who died from a bilateral kidney infection whilst detained for more than 16 hours in a police cell. The jury identified multiple failures by the police, and concluded that her death was contributed to by a lack of medical intervention. See here and here. Reporting by the BBC, ITV, The Independent, Kent Live, Kent Online.
• MW (2023) – two-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of MW, a 15-year-old boy who jumped into a river and drowned after police tried to arrest him on a pontoon. The jury concluded that the police took insufficient immediate action to rescue MW, and that this probably contributed to his death. The jury considered that this was a gross failure, and MW’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here.Reporting by the BBC, Daily Echo, Telegraph, Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express. The coroner issued a PFD report to the police force.
• MC (2023) – three-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of MC, a mother-of-two who took her own life in a hotel room whilst suffering from various mental health illnesses. The police carried out a high-risk missing person search but inappropriately sent an urgent request to a neighbouring force by email, rather than by phone. See here and here. Reporting by Surrey Live. 

Prison deaths 

Matthew regularly represents the families of those who have died in prison. 

Recent examples: 

• ES (ongoing) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of ES, a female prisoner at HMP Foston Hall, who died from drug toxicity from medications given in hospital and prison. 
• SB (ongoing) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of SB, a prisoner at HMP Altcourse, who died by suicide after being transferred to the medical wing. 
• SH (2024) – two-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of SH, a female prisoner at HMP Foston Hall, who died by suicide whilst on an open ACCT. The jury found that multiple serious failures by prison staff contributed to her death. See here, here and here. Reporting by the BBC and the Mirror.
• LB (2023) – two-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of LB, a female prisoner at HMP Foston Hall, who died from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The jury found that failures by prison healthcare staff contributed to her death. 
• FC (2022) – two-week Article 2 jury inquest into the death of FC, a prisoner at HMP Birmingham, who died from an infected pacemaker. The jury found that the prison staff failed to take sufficient steps to safeguard FC. There was a serious failure to make a referral to healthcare which amounted to neglect. See here and here.Reporting by Birmingham Mail. The Coroner issued a PFD report to the Minister of State for Prisons and the Director General Chief Executive of the Prison Service.
• SH (2022) – Article 2 jury inquest into the death of SH, a prisoner at HMP Highpoint who died of heart failure when he refused to take life-saving heart medication for over six months in protest at his pain medication being withdrawn. During Matthew’s questions, the prison healthcare staff admitted that they failed to refer him to the mental health or substance misuse teams, and failed to try to contact his family.

Social care deaths 

Matthew has experience of deaths involving social care. 

He represented Balikis Adoye in the inquest of Mazeedat Adeoye (2024), which made national headlines. Mazeedat was a two-year-old girl who died in a garden bin after being refused temporary foster care by Newham Council children’s services. The Senior Coroner found that Mazeedat’s death was contributed to by neglect. See here and here. The story was broken by the Guardian and made headline news. 

Road and rail deaths 

Metthew has extensive experience of fatal road traffic accidents (see ‘Personal Injury ‘ section below) and deaths on the railways. 

Recent examples:

• SL (2022) – inquest into the death of SL who died in a road traffic accident. Matthew successfully persuaded the coroner to disregard a toxicology report which recorded high blood alcohol levels on the basis that the laboratory had made a series of serious errors (including leaving the samples unrefrigerated for two weeks in high temperatures). 
• LB (2021) – inquest into the death of LB, a young man who died after being hit by a train whilst on lying on the tracks at a tram station. See reporting here and here.
• MG (2020) – inquest into the death of an elderly lady who died after being run over by a lorry whilst crossing the road at a pelican crossing.

Matthew is a leading clinical negligence junior, and is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 for clinical negligence. 

"Matthew is quick on his feet, friendly and personable with clients, and shows excellent attention to detail. His advocacy skills are a real strength, particularly in relation to inquest work." - Legal 500, 2025

Matthew is passionate about representing victims of medical negligence, and is regularly instructed in medical cases involving serious injuries.

What to expect 

• Matthew works closely with instructing solicitors and finds it useful to be involved at an early stage. 
• He is easily contactable and takes an active role in the management of the case. 
• He is empathic and approachable, and builds strong relationships with clients.   
• He regularly leads conferences with medical experts, and has a very strong grasp of medical concepts. 
• He regularly attends JSMs / RTMs and mediations.
• He produces detailed and robust pleadings that often lead to settlement shortly afterwards. 
• He regularly drafts schedules of loss over six figures. 
• Due to his vast inquest experience, Matthew has experience cross-examining medical experts far beyond his level of call. 

Selected Cases

Matthew has an extensive clinical negligence practice, and the below is merely a selection of recent cases.  

• Fatal cases. Matthew specialises in hospital deaths and deaths following negligent medical treatment. See ‘Inquests’ section above. 
• Birth injuries. Matthew has extensive experience of claims arising out of vaginal births, caesarean sections and hysterectomies e.g., he is currently representing the family of a one-day-old baby who died after a delayed emergency C-section. 
• Delayed diagnoses. Matthew is regularly instructed in cases concerning delayed diagnoses, often involving failures by GPs or radiologists e.g., he recently secured a six-figure settlement in a fatal claim where radiologists failed to identify a lung lesion on two separate occasions, leading to the development of stage 4 lung cancer.   
• Inadequate hospital care. Matthew has been involved in many cases involving the negligent management of patients on hospital wards. These cases often involve failures to act on abnormal NEWS scores or blood results. Matthew has represented claimants in cases involving failures to identify pulmonary embolisms, renal failure, ongoing bleeding etc.  
• Sepsis. Matthew has been instructed in many cases – including fatal claims – following failures to diagnose or adequately treat sepsis. He is very familiar with the Sepsis Six guidelines, and has represented families in multiple inquests where patients have died from sepsis, including children.  
• Nursing care. Matthew has extensive experience of claims involving negligent nursing care,  ranging from the insertion / removal of catheters, to the management of pressure sores. He has been involved in many cases where nursing staff failed to act on deteriorating NEWS scores.
• Surgery. Matthew has represented claimants in many cases involving negligent surgery, ranging from orthopaedic to neurological surgeries e.g.,  he recently acted as junior to Robin Oppenheim KC in a claim valued at over £13 million following negligent surgery which resulted in both a brain injury and a spinal injury. 
• Emergency medicine. Matthew has been instructed in many cases involving negligent emergency treatment or surgery e.g., he recently settled one claim where the deceased died from chronic blood loss after staff failed to monitor her falling haemoglobin levels, and another where  the claimant suffered an irreversible cardiac injury after emergency staff failed to recognise that he was having a heart attack.
• Mental health. Matthew has significant experience of claims related to community or inpatient mental health care and treatment. He specialises in deaths in mental health hospitals, either from suicide or the neglugent management of acute physical health conditions.  
• Primary care. Matthew has represented claimants in many claims against individual GPs and GP practices, often involving missed diagnoses and delayed referrals e.g., Matthew recently settled a claim involving a failure to chase a urology referral. 
• Ophthalmology. Matthew has experience of cases involving eye hospitals e.g., he recently settled a claim for the delayed identification of gonococcus, where the claimant suffered corneal melting and sight loss in one eye.
• Dental care. Matthew also has considerable experience of dental claims. 
• Prison healthcare. Matthew has extensive experience of claims against prison healthcare providers for injuries and death resulting from inadequate medical treatment in prison. 

Matthew is a specialist personal injury barrister, with extensive experience complex and catastrophic injuries.  

Catastrophic injuries 

Matthew has experience of cases involving spinal injuries, brain injuries, and quadriplegia / tetraplegia. 

He recently acted as junior to Robin Oppenheim KC in a claim valued at over £13 million involving a brain injury and a spinal injury. 

Industrial Disease

Matthew has extensive experience of industrial disease litigation, in particular noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), asbestos-related vibration white finger (VWF) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).   

He is very regularly instructed in NIHL claims, and has developed a particular specialism in military NIHL (M-NIHL) claims against the Ministry of Defence. He is familiar with the specific issues involved in M-NIHL cases. 

Employers’ Liability 

Matthew regularly acts for employees who have been injured in the workplace.

Recent cases include everything from accidents in warehouses / factories / construction sites, to animal attacks or assaults by patients. 

Matthew is a specialist in employers’ liability claims in the healthcare industry, and regularly represents nurses in claims against their employers. Matthew was instructed to represent the family of Gareth Roberts, a nurse who died from Covid-19 whilst working at a hospital during the pandemic. The Senior Coroner recorded a short-form conclusion of ‘Industrial Disease’. See here and here. The case was widely reported in the media: BBC (here and here), Guardian, Mirror, WalesOnline, Evening Standard, Law Society Gazette, Nursing Times, Independent Nurse. Gareth was featured as one of the ‘forgotten victims of the pandemic’ in the Telegraph.

Public Liability / Occupiers’ Liability 

Matthew regularly acts in public liability and occupiers’ liability cases. 

Recent cases range from minor accidents at supermarkets to catastrophic injuries occurring at swimming pools and gyms. He has been involved in numerous cases involving children who have been injured at schools, colleges and on work-experience placements. 

Road Traffic Accidents 

Matthew is regularly instructed in RTA cases, including fatal cases and those involving catastrophic injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injuries). 

Having previously trained and practised at a large defendant set, Matthew has vast experience in this area - including cases where fundamental dishonesty is alleged - and is able to offer useful tactical advice to claimants. 

Fundamental Dishonesty 

Matthew is experienced in managing cases where fundamental dishonesty is alleged. 

For example, he recently successfully defended multiple allegations of fundamental dishonesty in a three-day multi-track trial in Central London County Court, which involved detailed written submissions on FD. 

Product Liability 

Matthew has experience of product liability cases – including medical products – dating back to when he worked as a solicitor. For example, he acted for the Claimant in Oliver v Acia Bathrooms Limited (2021) – Matthew successfully represented an actor who was injured by a defective bathroom shower screen. See here.

Matthew specialises in civil claims against the police and other public authorities, including prisons. He regularly represents claimants in claims for trespass to the person (assault / battery), false imprisonment, trespass to property, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. He  specialises in tort claims and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. 

Due to his vast inquest experience, Matthew is a specialist in claims following deaths in custody, including police stations, prisons or mental health hospitals. 

As a personal injury barrister, Matthew especially sought after for cases involving complex or catastrophic injuries.

Fatal claims 

Matthew is an expert in claims following deaths in custody. See ‘Inquests’ section above. After most inquests, Matthew will go on to successfully represent the deceased’s family in wrongful death claims against the relevant institution(s) under the Fatal Accidents Act 1974, the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934, and the Human Rights Act 1998 (for breaches of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights).

Wrongful arrests

Matthew regularly represents claimants in claims against the police following wrongful arrests. He is very familiar with the powers of officers to carry out stop and searches or arrests, and will carefully analyse the circumstances of a particular arrest to determine whether or not it was lawful. Matthew is especially sought after for cases where claimants have been injured during an arrest. 

Where claimants have been subsequently charged and prosecuted, Matthew has brought claims for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. 

Excessive force 

Matthew is regularly instructed in cases where police officers have used excessive force against suspects or detainees, either in the course of an arrest or in police custody. For example, in one recent case he represented a claimant who was ‘rugby tackled’ to the ground during an arrest, and suffered a catastrophic knee injury. In another, he is representing a claimant who was left with a fractured eye socket and permanent visual impairment after being assaulted by officers in police custody.  

PAVA spray / tasers 

Matthew has been involved in multiple cases involving wrongful use of PAVA spray and tasers. 

For example, in one ongoing case he is representing an elderly man who suffered a traumatic brain injury after he was PAVA sprayed in the face by officers, handcuffed in the rear stack position, and then taken to the ground (during which, he hit his head on a radiator). In another, he is representing a homeowner who was PAVA sprayed in the face by the police whilst wearing a dressing gown and trying to retrain a burglar who had trespassed onto his property in the middle of the night. 

Complex or catastrophic injuries 

Matthew specialises in claims involving complex or catastrophic injuries. Due to his personal injury experience, he is able to provide invaluable expert advice on quantum. Matthew is regularly involved in claims involving complex orthopaedic, neurological and psychiatric injuries, in particular where the claimant had pre-existing medical conditions. 

Matthew regularly drafts schedules of loss in excess of six figures, and includes claims for aggravated and exemplary damages, where appropriate.  

Prison claims 

Matthew regularly represents prisoners in claims against prisons. These include: 

• Prison deaths. See ‘Inquests’ section above. 
• Inadequate medical treatment. Matthew regularly represents claimants who have suffered injuries as a result of inadequate medical treatment in prison. For example, he is currently representing a prisoner who suffered an epileptic seizure and a spinal injury in prison after not being given his prescribed epilepsy medication.
• Assaults by other prisoners. Matthew has extensive experience of claims on behalf of prisoners who have been assaulted in prison. For example, he recently successfully settled a claim against the MoJ on behalf of his client who had his throat slit by a dangerous prisoner – see here.
• Assaults by prison officers. Matthew regularly advises on claims where prisoners have alleged to have been assaulted by prison officers. 

Social care 

Matthew has experience of false imprisonment claims in the context of adult social care. For example, he is currently advising on a complex and high-value claim against a local council for false imprisonment where the claimant (a young adult with severe learning disability and autistic spectrum disorder) was detained without lawful authority and in circumstances that were not in his best interests for nearly four years. 

Matthew has a professional discipline practice and both presents and defends cases before the major healthcare regulators, including the General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), General Optical Council (GOC), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

He is regularly instructed by the GDC and has appeared before the Professional Conduct Committee, Registration Appeals Committee, Specialist List Appeal Panel, and Interim Orders Committee.

Matthew also represents registrants and has successfully defended nurses before the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee. 

Selected Cases 

• GDC v MG (2023) – presented a case in which the registrant had practised for prolonged periods on two separate occasions without indemnity insurance, and falsely declared to the GDC that he had insurance. All charges were proved (including dishonesty), current impairment was found and the registrant was suspended. 
• GDC v SO (2022) – presented a case where the registrant had been carrying out tooth whitening procedures without a prescription from a dentist. All charges were proved, current impairment found, and the registrant was suspended for nine months.   
• NMC v JG (2022) – defended a registrant in a seven-day FTP hearing involving serious clinical errors relating to a very ill child patient and (admitted) dishonesty. Matthew successfully resisted the NMC’s sanctions bid to the have the registrant struck-off. 
• NMC v NSL (2021) – represented a registrant in a review hearing and successfully persuaded the panel to revoke an interim conditions of practice order. 
• GPC v DCA (2021) – represented a registrant in a review hearing and successfully persuaded the FTP committee that his fitness to practise was no longer impaired. The registrant’s suspension order was allowed to lapse.   
• HCPC v CR (2019) – assisted Farrah Mauladad QC in representing a registrant in a case involving serious allegations arising out of her conduct in her personal life. All allegations were struck out at half time on the basis that they did not amount to serious professional misconduct.

Matthew is developing an international law practice. 

Sanctions

Matthew has advised human rights activists on the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanction regime with a view to securing sanctions on various individuals. 

Business and Human Rights 

Matthew previously advised the Labour Shadow Cabinet on Business and Human Rights issues, in particular the deficiencies of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the need for a new mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD) obligation on UK-based companies, consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.