04/10/2006

New inquest to be held into Rachel death

A fresh inquest is to be held into the death of Rachel Whitear, whose body was featured in a hard-hitting anti-drugs campaign.

The 21-year-old was found dead in a bedsit in Exmouth in Devon in May 2000. She was clutching a needle and appeared to have taken a drug overdose.

In December 2000, a coroner recorded an open verdict on her death.

Wiltshire Police conducted a fresh inquiry into Ms Whitear's death, following an earlier investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police.

In 2004, Wiltshire Police said that they had found no evidence of foul play in her death, but said that toxicological tests indicated that the death was heroin-related.

However, last year Exeter and Greater Devon District Coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland decided not to re-open the case.

The High Court overturned that decision on Wednesday.

Rachel's mother and stepfather, Pauline and Mick Holcroft welcomed the decision, telling reporters that the decision was "a fair and just result for Rachel and ourselves". Mrs Holcroft said: "Even from the very day that Rachel's body was discovered, we were never entirely happy that everything possible was being done to try and discover exactly why and how she had died. There was always a nagging suspicion that her death had been regarded as just one more inconsequential drugs statistic and that she was a bit of a nuisance."

(KMcA)

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