Mum needs to raise £10,000 to find answers around her son’s death

A Tyrone woman is appealing for help as she tries to find ‘some sort of closure’ around her son’s death.

Darryl Thompson died on November 10, 2018, after being struck by a vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M1 motorway between Dungannon and Tamnamore.

The 22-year-old Beragh man had been travelling in a car which had pulled over on to the hard shoulder while travelling back from a car-drifting event in Tamnamore.

Six years on, his family have been told an inquest into his death is to be held this month.

However, his mother, Edwina, says they have been told they face a legal bill of around £10,000 for the inquest.

She has launched an online fundraising appeal, which has already received more than £4,000.

Edwina said they were ‘depending’ on the inquest to ‘get some or any answers’ to what happened on the night her son died.

She said the inquest is set to last for two full days at present but could run for longer.

“The bill for the two days in the coroners court Belfast is currently £10,060 and I have 14 days of the inquest date to have it paid,” she said.

“I have only been made aware of the legal bill in recent months and to be completely honest I am both horrified, disgusted and angry.

“I sought legal advice and applied for legal aid and received a reply in mid-November that my application was refused, stating no legal aid funding for the hearing.

“However, I am eligible for advice and assistance with respect to the preparation of the case before the hearing, which is to help with the cost of e-mails, telephone calls, and letters in respect of the hearing.

“Legal aid does not fund a coroner’s court only in very exceptional circumstances, they proceeded to give their reason as, “their (sic) not being a wider public interest”.

“I hope and I like to think their (sic) would be a large public interest, no parent would/could even want to imagine this or anything happening to their child.”

Edwina said she had never heard of a parent getting a legal bill in respect of their child’s inquest.

“I need to know what happened to my son to be able to grieve him properly and maybe even find some sort of closure, whatever that is.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am reaching out to all of you family, friends, acquaintances and caring, kind strangers in helping me to find out what happened in Darryl’s final moments.

“I understand the financial pressure we are all under, but I really do need your help.”