Michaela Hague
by Richard Belbin

Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at the end of the inquest into the death of Michaela Hague, of Lopham Street, Pitsmoor. Medical negligence played no role, he said.

Despite this, her family are considering legal action against the hospital over ‘neglectful care’. They believe her life could still have been saved.

25 year old Michaela was found on Bonfire Night 2001 in a pool of blood in Spital Fields, where she was working as a prostitute. Taken quickly to the Northern General Hospital, she was operated on, but died soon after, already having been revived twice.

The inquest heard of a number of incidents where there were individual failings, but did not find evidence of ‘systematic failings’. The pathologist who examined Michaela’s body, Dr Peter Cooper, said that they didn’t believe her wounds were necessarily fatal, and that patients with worse injuries had survived.

Chris Welch, Medical Director for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said that his team had conducted a thorough review of Michaela’s case, which has led them to strengthen their procedures and protocols. The failures that did occur did not “amount individually or collectively to a gross failure to provide basic medical attention.”

Michaela was stabbed 19 times, and her body left in a car park. Police interviewed over 10,00 people in a nationwide investigation, searching for a dark blue Ford Sierra which was seen driving away from the murder scene. They continue with efforts to find her killer.
“We will never give up until we track him down,” said Detective Superintendent Paul Broadbent.

Michaela leaves 7-year-old son, Kane. Anyone with information about his mum’s murder should contact the incident room at West Bar police station on 220 2020.