Connor Sparrowhawk was a funny 18-year-old who loved London buses. He was autistic and had epilepsy and learning disabilities. He died after drowning in a bath at an NHS care unit whilst the staff meant to be looking after him were doing a Tesco order.

Lucy and Lee speak to Connor’s mum, Sara Ryan, about who Connor was and her family’s longstanding campaign for justice, within and beyond the law.

Lee and Sara draw parallels between their experiences of caring for their loved ones in life, continuing that care in death through campaigning and finding strength in the communities that rose up to support them.

Unlawful Killing is made in partnership with INQUEST and Aunt Nell. Produced by Leila Hagmann and Naomi Oppenheim.

Thanks for the continued support of Aunt Nell.

This podcast is part funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hodge Jones & Allen.

Oral histories supported by OnTheRecord. Music by Dave Okumu.

More information and sources of support: www.inquest.org.uk/podcast

Support this show by donating at: www.inquest.org.uk/donate

Find out more about the Justice for Laughing Boy campaign: http://justiceforlb.org/

Sara Ryan is a Patron of My Life My Choice: https://mylifemychoice.org.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the forty years since INQUEST was founded by families bereaved by deaths in police and prison custody, the ways in which these deaths are investigated has changed significantly. These changes were fought for by bereaved families, their lawyers, activists and organisations like INQUEST.

Yet despite these changes, people continue to die preventable deaths at the hands of the state.

In this episode, Lucy and Lee delve back into our archive to look at what’s changed, how the state continues to defend itself, and why bereaved families are still having to fight for the truth.

Unlawful Killing is made in partnership with INQUEST and Aunt Nell. Produced by Leila Hagmann and Naomi Oppenheim.

Thanks for the continued support of Aunt Nell.

This podcast is part funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hodge Jones & Allen.

Oral histories supported by OnTheRecord. Music by Dave Okumu.

More information and sources of support: www.inquest.org.uk/podcast

Support this show by donating at: www.inquest.org.uk/donate

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a member of the public dies in suspicious circumstances, there’s a criminal investigation. But what happens when it’s the state that’s the suspect?

Lucy and Lee are back and this time, they’re looking at what happens after someone has died at the hands of the state and how families are often left in the dark fighting for answers.

Shot in 1985 by police in Brixton, Cherry Groce died 26 years later. In 2011, an inquest found that Cherry died as a result of the bullet lodged in her spine. Lee tells us what happened after his mum’s death, the inquest process and his families’ long journey to the truth.

Unlawful Killing is made in partnership with INQUEST and Aunt Nell. Produced by Leila Hagmann and Naomi Oppenheim.

Thanks for the continued support of Aunt Nell.

This podcast is part funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hodge Jones & Allen.

Oral histories supported by OnTheRecord. Music by Dave Okumu.

More information and sources of support: www.inquest.org.uk/podcast

Support this show by donating at: www.inquest.org.uk/donate

Find out more about the Cherry Groce Foundation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.