The family of retired Humberside Police Detective Inspector Andy Kirby have paid tribute to him after a Inquest concluded the cause of death.
Hull Coroners Court heard Mr Kirby did not die of Covid-19 as Hull Royal Infirmary told them, but of a “massive” internal bleed after being prescribed medication he had previously had an adverse reaction to. Following the hearing his family issued this tribute:
“Andrew Kirby died unexpectedly on 24th December 2020 aged 69. An Inquest into the circumstances which led to his death were the subject of a three-day hearing held on 25th, 26th and 30th May 2023, the outcome of which was given to us today.
“At 17, Andy left his home in Fleetwood to become a Police Cadet in London and started his Police career with the Metropolitan Police, moving to join Humberside Police in the late 1970s. Andy served in both Scunthorpe and Bridlington before finally ending his career as the Detective Inspector with responsibility for Scientific Support.
“During this time, he was called out to numerous sudden deaths and provided the forensic and scientific assistance to ensure that families received answers as to why their loved ones had died and justice where there were victims of murder or manslaughter.
“His expertise in this area led to him being asked to accompany the late Professor Michael Green, Home Office Pathologist and Professor Christopher Maguire of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Wetherby to go to Russia, at John Prescott MPs initiative, to exhume bodies that were thought to be crew from the ill -fated Gaul trawler which had been lost with all hands in 1974.
“This took place in August 1999 but unfortunately the bodies were proved not to be of the crew.
“A second expedition, this time to the Gaul itself, took place in 2002 in an attempt to recover any remains of the crew of the Gaul. Andy was, by this time, the Civilian Scientific Support Manager for another Police Area. However, when asked to accompany the expedition as the Coroner’s Officer and, with the co-operation of Humberside Police, Andy agreed as he was committed to finding answers for the Gaul families. Despite difficult conditions in the Barents Sea, a number of remains were recovered and Andy ensured their respectful treatment and subsequent identification where this was possible.
“It was Andy’s relentless pursuit of the truth, when a death occurred, and his desire to bring families the answers they needed, that has led his family to today’s outcome.
“When Andy died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, 2020, we could not accept the hospital recording his death as from COVID 19. We knew that couldn’t be the case and as his family were not prepared to do less for him than he had done for others in his professional life but were compelled to find out precisely why and how he had died.
“Therefore, our thanks today go to our solicitor Caroline Murgatroyd of Hudgell Solicitors, our Barrister Matthew Turner and the Coroner for enabling us to get the answers we needed in order to finally say our goodbyes to the kind, humorous, loving man that was Andy Kirby.”
The family also wished to thank the Macmillan Cancer Support nurses based at Castle Hill Hospital for their support following Mr Kirby’s cancer diagnosis.
