Charlotte Godber was junior counsel, instructed by Daniel Machover of Hickman and Rose, and led by Matthew Reeve of Quadrant Chambers in the Inquest into the death of Emiliano Raul Sala.
The jury concluded that the tragic death of Emiliano, a 28 year-old professional footballer from Argentina, was due to a high energy aircraft crash and that it was likely that Emiliano was deeply unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning at the time of the accident. The jury went on to make findings about the operation, ownership and maintenance of the aircraft.
In a statement the family said that the Inquest had “shone a bright light on many of the missed opportunities, in the worlds of football and aviation, to prevent [Emiliano’s] tragic death"
Daniel Machover said:
“Emiliano’s family would like to thank the coroner and the jury for their hard work on this case. They welcome the detailed investigation and the jury’s diligent questioning and are grateful for the opportunity for members of the family to attend the hearing remotely from Argentina. This inquest has exposed the complex facts leading to Emiliano’s untimely death. The family particularly note the jury’s findings that it is likely that both the pilot and Emiliano suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning and that Emiliano was deeply unconscious at the time of the accident, and that the poisoning was caused by a failure in the aircraft exhaust system. The family also welcome the coroner’s decision to communicate to the relevant authorities her concerns about the safety issues arising from this inquest in order to prevent similar future deaths. No family should have to go through grief from a similar avoidable accident.”
Charlotte Godber