The inquest into the death of Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack has been adjourned again, nearly three years after her death on 20 September 2023 at age 27. The coroner announced the proceedings would restart on 7 December and apologised to the family.
Hearing Delayed After New Documents Lodged
The hearing, which began on 29 June and has heard eight full days of evidence, had been scheduled to conclude on Friday before the coroner delivered her conclusions on 27 July. However, on Thursday it was confirmed that additional documents had been lodged, causing a delay. The coroner stated that in light of the new documents, Dr Subhasis Basu, the former club doctor, and Francesca Carr, the former club physio, must be recalled to give further evidence. The coroner may also hear more from Cusack's GP, Dr Mobeen Bhatti, though this was not confirmed.
Second Adjournment in 2026
This is the second time in 2026 the inquest has been adjourned. It was originally scheduled for 5 January but was pushed back to 29 June after Cusack's family received 699 pages of new evidence from Sheffield United just before Christmas, which their lawyers called “totally unacceptable”. Sheffield United's lawyers rejected any suggestion of non-compliance, and the coroner agreed the club had complied chronologically. The case had also been delayed multiple times in 2025 amid legal debates about the inquest's scope.
Evidence Heard So Far
Since 29 June, the court has heard that Cusack was regarded as “Miss Sheffield United” and the “poster girl” of the club's women's team, described as a “bubbly, lovely person”. Evidence has come from her parents, four former teammates, her GP, Basu, Carr, Sheffield United chief executive Stephen Bettis, and several other club staff. The club's head of HR, Vicki Anderson, and the Football Association's head of integrity, David Matthews, had been scheduled to give evidence on Thursday. The FA launched an investigation after Cusack's death, but its findings have not been made public; they have been provided to the coroner.
Future Proceedings
When the inquest resumes on 7 December, the court will hear from Carr, who may seek legal representation, Basu, and Bowskill, before returning to the unfinished schedule from July, including Anderson, the FA, and evidence on preventing future deaths. Deborah Cusack, Maddy's mother, may give further evidence if she wishes. The coroner asked Sheffield United's legal team to conduct a “forensic audit of the system” for medical records of the women's team to check for additional entries or deletions. Earlier, the court heard that large sections of Cusack's medical records have not been found. The coroner will also write to Sheffield University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to request Cusack's medical records from August 2022 until her death and an audit of who accessed them.
Coroner's Apology
The coroner concluded: “I'm very sorry to the family in particular, Miss Riglar [Cusack's girlfriend] and all the interested persons. I'm genuinely sorry we've got another period before we can conclude this inquest in December.” She added that her thoughts would be with them on the anniversary of Cusack's death in September and on her birthday in October.
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