Concern over police probe into businessman's death

The family of a businessman who died after being hit by a car while running have concerns about the police investigation into his death, an inquest heard.

Stephen Chamberlain, an associate of tech tycoon Mike Lynch, died in hospital three days after a collision with a car on 17 August last year.

The 52-year-old died from a "traumatic head injury" at Addenbrooke's Hospital following the incident on the A1123 in Cambridgeshire.

At a pre-inquest review, lawyers representing Mr Chamberlain's family claimed key information was missing from the police collision investigation report.

A previous hearing heard a car had been travelling between Stretham and Wicken when it crested a humpback bridge and hit him as he crossed the road.

The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and assisted with inquiries.

At Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Coroner's Court lawyers said the incident report provided by the police was incomplete and did not contain details of what was said at the scene.

Sally Hobson, representing Mr Chamberlain's family, said: "I make it very clear, that we are not for one moment involved in this inquest with a view to it being a blame game.

"It is simply so that the family can be aware of the full details of what took place prior to the collision and in the immediate aftermath before Mr Chamberlain was taken to the hospital."

She continued it did not properly address all the responsibilities of a driver, although it set out the responsibilities of a pedestrian.

The barrister urged the coroner to order an independent report to "look fully at the issues we have set out".

Area Coroner, Caroline Jones, said she would direct the police to produce further information but would not order an independent report.

"As much as I would love to have the time and resources to thoroughly investigate each and every case that comes before the court, we simply have to be proportionate in the evidence we gather in cases so that we may answer those statutory questions," she said.

"I note that the officers involved in the collision investigation have outlined what additional information they have obtained.

"They might also be able to assuage some of the family's concerns."

The coroner adjourned the hearing for a full inquest to take place later this year.

Mr Lynch was the former colleague of the technology tycoon Mike Lynch, who died after the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in August last year.

The pair had been defendants in a fraud trial in the United States earlier last year.

American prosecutors made fraud allegations over the $11bn (£8.6bn) sale of Mr Lynch's software firm, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Both men were found not guilty of the charge in June last year, following a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.

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