The court ruled that the inquest could only be reopened if new evidence came to light.A Mombasa court has concluded the inquest into the death of British national Harry Roy Veevers, ending an 11-year legal process that did not establish the cause of death.
In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo said the court was unable to determine how Veevers died, citing conflicting forensic evidence and the advanced state of decomposition of the body.
“Due to the level of decomposition and the differing reports from pathologists, the government chemist, and other experts, the cause of death remains unknown, and as such, no one can be called to answer any charge,” the magistrate ruled.
Veevers was buried in a Muslim cemetery within days of his death, without a post-mortem examination or police inquiry.
The swift burial prompted concerns from his sons, who questioned whether the process was rushed and sought clarity on the circumstances surrounding their father's death.
They petitioned for the exhumation of the body in 2013.
The inquest was subsequently opened and passed through several magistrates over more than a decade.
Sixteen witnesses, including relatives, investigators, and forensic experts from both Kenya and the UK, testified.
Some laboratory tests detected traces of cyhalothrin, a pesticide, in the remains, while others did not.
Court experts noted that decomposition and possible contamination affected the reliability of the test results.
At the close of the inquest, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions highlighted procedural shortcomings, including inadequate documentation of the chain of custody for evidence.
Magistrate Odhiambo ordered that Veevers’ remains, which had been stored at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary for 11 years, six months, one week, and five days, be released to the family for reburial at a location of their choosing, subject to payment of mortuary fees.
He commended the patience of the family, the efforts of judicial officers, prosecutors, and investigators, and acknowledged the media’s role in following the case.
However, the magistrate stressed that without conclusive evidence, the law could not attribute responsibility for Veevers’ death to any party.
The court ruled that the inquest may be reopened if new evidence emerges.
