Mother Demands Met Police Reopen Investigation into Gay Student's Hotel Death
The mother of a gay student who died in a London hotel just days after starting university has launched a powerful condemnation of the Metropolitan Police, demanding they reopen their investigation into his death. Miriam Blythe has accused officers of displaying obvious homophobia and failing to treat the case with appropriate seriousness.
Tragic Circumstances of Edward Cornes's Death
Edward Cornes, a 19-year-old aspiring barrister who had just begun studying at University College London, was found dead at a hotel in King's Cross in October 2021. The young man was discovered in the company of two men in their 50s, with a subsequent post-mortem examination revealing dangerously high levels of alcohol, GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), and crystal meth in his system.
During an emotional appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Miriam Blythe detailed multiple failures in the police investigation. She revealed that officers had made inappropriate references to her son being a rent boy and focused excessively on man-on-man sex, while simultaneously neglecting crucial investigative steps.
Critical Evidence Lost and Witnesses Not Interviewed
The family's solicitor, Neil Hudgell, who previously represented families of victims of serial killer Stephen Port, highlighted disturbing parallels between the cases. He noted that during the original investigation, police lost vital evidence including CCTV footage and a blood sample from one of the men present.
Miriam Blythe described how officers failed to investigate a pocket-dial phone call Edward accidentally made to his grandmother's phone in the early hours of the morning, during which another man's voice could be heard. She also revealed that one of the men present had left the scene with a bag of syringes that was never secured as evidence.
They took blood samples and DNA, but days later one of the guy's blood samples goes missing from the forensic fridge, Miriam explained. Then, everything taken from the crime scene – such as cups, towels, sheets, condoms – goes missing from a locked evidence room.
Changing Stories and Delayed Emergency Response
At the inquest into Edward's death, it emerged that the two men present gave conflicting accounts of their meeting with the student. One claimed they were meeting for a spiritual reading, while the other said they were gathering to party. The hearing also revealed that Edward's body was found wearing boxer shorts the wrong way around, with the men claiming they had redressed him while attempting revival before eventually calling an ambulance.
Neil Hudgell expressed particular concern about the delayed emergency response, stating: The next morning, poor Edward ends up dead and he is redressed by the men. They panic, they don't ring an ambulance straight away, they redress him.
Metropolitan Police Response and Family's Demands
Commander Stephen Clayman, speaking on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, acknowledged that aspects of the case handling did not meet expected standards. While maintaining that the investigation ruled out third-party involvement in Edward's death, he offered an apology to the family for any additional distress caused by procedural shortcomings.
However, Miriam Blythe and her legal team are demanding more than an apology. They are calling for a completely independent review conducted by a police force not connected to the original investigation. We need an independent review by a force that's not marking its own homework, Mr Hudgell insisted during the television interview.
The family continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding Edward's death, particularly concerning issues of consent given his severely intoxicated state. Their campaign highlights ongoing concerns about how police handle cases involving LGBTQ+ individuals and whether institutional biases may affect investigative rigor.
