AN INQUEST halted amid claims of jury intimidation would not have been stopped had it been held in a proper court room, a coroner has insisted.

Andre Rebello made the claim after adjourning the hearing into the death of John Gardiner, 40, of Hozier Street, Blackburn.

Mr Gardiner died after being arrested by police on Glenluce Crescent, Blackburn, on May 10.

But the inquest into his death, in the council chamber at Accrington Town Hall, was stopped on the second day after claims that the jury members were being intimidated.

Mr Rebello, who has insisted Mr Gardiner's family were not to blame, is now writing to Lancashire Police Chief Pauline Clare asking for a senior officer to investigate the incident. He said that any attempts to affect a jury's deliberations would not be tolerated but conceded that the layout of the council chamber had added to the problems.

Mr Rebello said: "If this had been in a proper court room there would not have been this problem.

"The courts in the area are very busy and I could not expect to be given the appropriate time in any of them to deal with what would have been a lengthy hearing.

"I am normally quite happy using town halls but on this occasion it has proved difficult."

Purpose-build court rooms keep the jury separate from the public galleries.

Preston coroner Howard McCann has his own court in the town's new court building.

Unless a more suitable venue can be found, Mr Rebello is planning to alter the seating arrangements at Accrington town hall when the inquest again begins early next year.

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