A pre-inquest review into the death of Donald Burgess took place on Wednesday 23 September 2026.
Donald Burgess, 93, died in hospital having contracted Covid-19 three weeks after an incident on 21 June 2022 involving two police officers’ use of force on him at his care home in East Sussex. Donald was an amputee, used a wheelchair, and had a number of health vulnerabilities. At the time of the use of the officers’ force of force he was in his wheelchair, holding a rounded kitchen knife. The officers used Taser, PAVA spray and a baton strike, and handcuffed Donald after he had been tasered.
In 2025, the officers were found not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At the hearing before HM Assistant Coroner Michael Spencer, the family requested that the inquest into Donald’s death be resumed. The Coroner indicated that he would rule at a later date whether to resume the inquest.
Jesse Nicholls acts for the family of Donald Burgess, instructed by Michael Oswald and Mavi Salvatori of Bhatt Murphy.