BRADFORD, UK (5 Oct 2005) -- A second inquest on a Bradford diver who went missing off the north Wales coast has been ordered. Richard Hartley, 43, failed to resurface after a dive near a shipwreck off Anglesey in July 2003. On Thursday, High Court judges ruled the original inquest verdict, which was held before the father-of-two's body was found, should be quashed. They said new evidence had come to light which "could be of importance to the diving community". Mr Hartley had been exploring the wreck of the SS Cambank with his brother Graham and five others members of the Bradford Sub Aqua Club. Rescue teams combed the area but the search was called off the following day as Mr Hartley was not expected to survive longer than eight hours in the water. | | An original inquest, held in March 2004 by coroner for North West Wales, Dewi Pritchard-Jones, returned an open verdict. As Mr Hartley's body had not been found the coroner had to apply to the Home Secretary for jurisdiction to go ahead. A month later Mr Hartley's body was found by divers. The coroner ordered a fresh hearing and asked Lord Justice Keene and Mr Justice Poole to quash the verdict. Lord Justice Keene said: "I accept there is a real possibility of a different verdict being returned. "Added to that, there is further consideration that new evidence may raise questions of more general importance to the diving community in terms of safety and diving procedures." |
