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Judge mistress storms from court Judge's death 'was not accident'
(about 1 hour later)
The mistress of a judge who died in a fireball in a garden shed walked out of an inquest as she gave evidence. The mistress of a judge who died in an explosion in his garden shed told an inquest he did not die by accident.
Kerry Sparrow, 38, refused to read a statement she gave to the police about the death of Andrew Chubb, 58, in 2001. Kerry Sparrow, 38, was giving evidence at Glastonbury Town Hall at the inquest into the death of Judge Andrew Chubb at his home in Chard, Somerset, in 2001.
Miss Sparrow, who won a court battle to get a second inquest into the judge's death heard, said she could not read the statement as it was untrue. Miss Sparrow, who stormed out of the inquest during her evidence but later returned, said the judge had told his wife of the affair just before he died.
"I did sign it," she told the Somerset inquest. "But I didn't read it because I was so heavily tranquillised." She said: "I do not believe Andrew died accidentally or by his own hand."
She also claimed she had been "bullied" by officers into giving the statement, just a week after his death. He said he would call me later that night - he did not call Kerry Sparrow
Miss Sparrow then walked out of the courtroom, saying: "I can't do this." Before the weekend of his death, Ms Sparrow claimed her lover was feeling "apprehensive" about returning to his home.
Forensic pathologist Recalling the night of his death, she said: "He phoned me to say he was about 10 minutes from the house.
Earlier on Wednesday the hearing was told the doctor who held a post-mortem examination on the judge could not say whether he was dead or not before the fire in the shed. "He said he would talk to her. He said he would not do anything to hurt me.
Judge Chubb died in Somerset in July 2001, with the cause of death put as burning following the post-mortem test. The first inquest found it was accidental. "He said he would call me later that night. He did not call."
Heavily drugged
Ms Sparrow explained how a phone call she had made to his house triggered Mr Chubb to admit the relationship.
Miss Sparrow said: "Andrew told me that as a result of my call he had told her. Later on he said he was in his car and had to get away from the house quickly."
The inquest is likely to end on FridayThe inquest is likely to end on Friday
At the latest inquest, a forensic pathologist criticised the results of the post-mortem examination. Earlier she had stormed from the inquest when asked to read a statement she gave to police a week after the judge's death.
She said she could not read the statement as it was not true and she had been bullied by officers into giving it.
"I did sign it," she told the coroner. "But I didn't read it because I was so heavily tranquillised."
It is the second inquest into Mr Chubb's death after the judge's mistress won a High Court battle to reopen the case.
It also heard from a forensic pathologist who criticised the results of the original post-mortem examination.
Dr Hugh White told the inquest at Glastonbury Town Hall on Wednesday that they were "insufficient", "confusing" and "did not make sense".Dr Hugh White told the inquest at Glastonbury Town Hall on Wednesday that they were "insufficient", "confusing" and "did not make sense".
The Home Office forensic pathologist said it would be impossible, from the evidence in the findings, to come to the conclusion that Mr Chubb had burned to death.The Home Office forensic pathologist said it would be impossible, from the evidence in the findings, to come to the conclusion that Mr Chubb had burned to death.
The hospital post-mortem examination carried out after the death was conducted by Dr Charlotte Fisher, in 2001.
Dr White said: "While it is possible that [Chubb] has, as Dr Fisher concluded, died of burning, I feel there is insufficient information in her post-mortem report to find this conclusion.
"I would therefore disagree with her cause of death and find that her conclusion should have been unascertained."
'Burned areas'
Dr Fisher told the inquest that she could not rule out another cause of death or that Mr Chubb was dead beforehand.
She said it was impossible to draw definitive conclusions, claiming the body was too badly burned and that she would not have carried out the examination had she been told there were suspicious circumstances.
"When I saw the body I noted the most extensively burned areas were the feet and lower legs," she said.
"I puzzled, however, over the hands for some time and saw that they had been burned at the same time. I concluded that they had been clasped together during an explosion.
"I was therefore comfortable with the findings that the death was accidental and as a result of burning.
"I cannot rule out another cause of death or that he was dead prior to the fire."
She argued there was "a lack of sufficient inquiry" into the death at the first hearing and claimed the police investigation was flawed.
The case continues.The case continues.