Overview
- A pre-inquest review on 17 March heard that a charging e-bike battery, believed to have been modified, was the probable ignition source of the June 30, 2023 fire that killed Gemma Germeney, 31, and her children, Lilly, 8, and Oliver, 4.
- Coroner Elizabeth Gray adjourned to a two-day full inquest expected from August onwards after granting more time to explore evidence around the e-bike’s purchase, a reported theft of the battery, and any alterations.
- Family counsel Miles Bennett named a man identified as Mr Severinov as possibly involved in a ‘quick fix’ to the lithium battery and asked that he be called to give evidence and considered for interested person status.
- Fire investigator Steve Fleming said smoke alarms were present but too damaged for full examination and indicated they were unlikely to have affected outcomes because the escape route was blocked by the fire.
- The Office for Product Safety and Standards participated in the hearing, with two OPSS witnesses to be called at the inquest, while no decision has been announced on any prosecution or civil proceedings; survivors’ father Scott Peden, who spent a month in a coma, is also due to give evidence.