Ceredigion County Council website

Coroners record and investigate sudden, unexpected and violent deaths.

• Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for Ceredigion is Mr Peter L Brunton
• Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroners for Ceredigion are Mrs Louisa Corcoran and Mr Mark Layton

Not all deaths are reported to the Coroner, in most cases, a GP or hospital doctor can issue a Medical Certificate of the cause of death so that it can be registered by the registrar.

When is a Coroner involved?

A death should be reported to the Coroner when a doctor knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that the death:

• Occurred as a result of poisoning, the use of a controlled drug, medicinal product, or toxic chemical;
• Occurred as a result of trauma, violence or physical injury, whether inflicted intentionally or otherwise;
• Is related to any treatment or procedure of a medical or similar nature;
• Occurred as a result of self-harm, (including a failure by the deceased person to preserve their own life) whether intentional or otherwise;
• Occurred as a result of injury or disease received during, or attributable to, the course of the deceased person’s work;
• Occurred as a result of a notifiable accident, poisoning, or disease;
• Occurred as a result of neglect or failure of care by another person;
• Was otherwise unnatural

          (This list is not exhaustive)

What does the Coroner do?

Coroners will look to establish the medical cause of death. If the cause remains in doubt after a post mortem, an inquest will be held. If the examination shows death to have been a natural one, there may be no need for an inquest and the Coroner will send a form to the registrar of deaths so that the death can be registered by the relatives and a certificate of burial issued by the registrar.

Inquests

An inquest is held to record:

• Who the deceased was
• When, where and how he or she came by the medical cause of death

When a conclusion is reached, the Coroner records the details needed for the registration of the death.

An inquest does not determine any question of civil liability or criminal liability on the part of a named person.

Usually Inquests for Ceredigion are held at:
Aberystwyth Justice Centre
Y Lanfa
Trefechan
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 1AS

Registration of Deaths

If the Coroner decides that it is necessary for an inquest to be held, then the death will not be registered until the inquest has been completed, however an Interim Death Certificate will be issued by the Coroner pending full registration if required to administer the affairs of the deceased.

At the conclusion of the inquest the Coroner will forward details of the deceased to the registrar for the area where the death occurred. The Register Office for Ceredigion is at:

Canolfan Rheidol
Rhodfa Padarn
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
SY23 3UE

Tel: 01970 633580

Contact 

The Coroner's Office

You can contact the Coroner's Office using the details below:

HM Senior Coroner: Peter Brunton
6 Upper Portland Street
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 2DU

Email: peter.brunton@bruntonandco.co.uk
Telephone number: 01970 612567 (Work) 01654 702248 (Home)
Fax: 01970 615572

HM Assistant Coroner: Louisa Corcoran
Canolfan Rheidol
Rhodfa Padarn
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3UE

Email: louisacorcoran.ext@ceredigion.gov.uk
Telephone number: 07866 885291

HM Assistant Coroner: Mark Layton
Canolfan Rheidol
Rhodfa Padarn
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3UE

Email: mark.layton@ejudiciary.net

Coroner’s Officer for Ceredigion:

Coroner’s Officer: Steve Lloyd
Police Station
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 1PH

Office hours Monday to Thursday, 07.00a.m. - 2.30p.m.

Mobile: 07966 648812
Email: steve.lloyd@dyfed-powys.police.uk