BRADFORD’S coroner has dismissed a call for him to stand down from an inquest into the death of an 11 year-old schoolboy despite hearing that the family involved had “lost faith” in him.

Asad Khan was found hanging by his mother, Farheen Khan, after she forced her way into his locked bedroom at their home in Tile Street, off Whetley Lane, on September 28 last year.

His father, Mahmood Asif, told a pre-inquest review at Bradford Coroner’s Court today that he and his wife no longer had any “belief” in Martin Fleming’s actions, and their legal representative, Ruth Bundey, asked the coroner to recuse himself from the case.

But after considering the submission, Mr Fleming told the family he would not adhere to their request, stating that while he was “saddened” at their concerns over bias, there were “no grounds” for him to step aside.

At the start of the hearing, Mr Asif addressed Mr Fleming directly, saying: “I have seen in the past six or seven months that you and your team haven’t performed badly, but very badly.

“I have been questioning why, how, what, but there are no answers as yet.

“I have no belief in your actions further on from today. My wife and I have decided that my son’s case should be dealt with by someone else.”

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Ms Bundey said it was “very sad” to see that the family had “lost faith” in Mr Fleming.

She said: “My application has to be therefore that you recuse yourself from the conduct of this inquest. The family are entitled to a fair and public hearing and they fear you have a pre-disposed view of the evidence in this case.

“You have to consider whether a fair-minded observer would believe there was a real possibility or danger of apparent bias.”

When asked by Mr Fleming on what basis the family had come to their conclusions, Ms Bundey cited reasons such as a disagreements over CCTV evidence and the calling of child witnesses.

The family claim that Asad, who started at Beckfoot Upper Heaton School just three weeks before his death, was being bullied in the days beforehand, and said they had witnesses who had said that on the record but no action had been taken.

A previous inquest review, which took place last month, was adjourned after new evidence emerged suggesting a “choking game” had been rife at the school around the time of Asad’s death.

Ms Bundey said Mr Fleming had ruled the inquest should continue and that all inquiries to child witnesses had been “exhausted”, despite the family’s argument that the game may have explained the reluctance of those witnesses to come forward and give evidence.

The family also said they were “stressed” after receiving a summons from the court stating that electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops would be “seized” from their possession to be analysed, an action Ms Bundey labelled a “draconian step against a bereaved family”.

In response to the family’s concerns, Mr Fleming said: “I am very sad to hear that the family have such feelings as a consequence of these proceedings. The information provided by them has been very gratefully received.

“It is without question that the family are heartbroken, and I recognise how important it is to establish the facts of this tragic death.

“I look to the family, as I still do, to assist in establishing those facts. I have taken on board your heartfelt concerns, and it is vitally important I have the family involved in proceedings.”

Mr Fleming said the summons for material from the family’s electronic devices had been a “last resort” as he wanted to ascertain whether Asad had viewed any websites linked to the choking game prior to his death.

He said: “Did Asad have access to the internet which peddles in this poison referred to as the choking game? It is now a very important part of my coronial inquiry. I need to know whether or not he was accessing these websites and whether self-asphyxiation played a part in his sad death.”

Mr Fleming said all current CCTV evidence had now been served on Asad’s family, who provisionally agreed a timetable for evidence from their electronic devices to be downloaded by police.

The hearing was adjourned to August 16, with a full five-day inquest scheduled to begin on October 16.