The family of a Lebanese man found dead in the Manchester Ship Canal gave police a list of names for people who may have harmed him, a court has heard. Haydar Alzokra's body was found in the canal last July 25 by a member of the public.
The 28-year-old had spent time in Forest Bank, Liverpool and Altcourse prisons during the year he had spent in the UK but was 'on bail' when he was found dead, South Manchester Coroners Court heard on Wednesday (March 22). DCI Nicola Walton told the pre-inquest review that police were continuing to make enquiries following Mr Alzokra's death, and had made checks after a dossier was handed over by relatives.
"We received a document from the family with the names of some people that they have concerns about," she said. "We've made enquiries into those names but we can't find any trace of them on our systems.
"There are a number of outstanding enquiries, including some phone enquiries. If any names are identified as a result of the phone enquiries then we are making further enquiries in relation to those."
Last August, the court heard Mr Alzokra had been 'intercepted' in the English Channel in June 2021. He was born in Lebanon and had previously lived in Sweden and Denmark, before periods spent living in Salford and Liverpool.
Joanna Crichton, representing Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, told the pre-inquest review there had been 'incidents of self-harm' involving Mr Alzokra at Forest Bank Prison. Assistant coroner Adrian Farrow confirmed that the involvement of mental health services from December 2021 until Mr Alzokra's death will be considered in the inquest.
The inquest will cover the background to his arrival in the UK in 2021 and the events that followed prior to his death. Mr Farrow said the inquest will also focus on the involvement of the Home Office and its contractors, police and the probation service.
Mr Alzokra's wife, Laial Maanaki, and his sister, Elena Zikra, both watched the one-hour hearing via video link from Sweden. Mr Farrow ruled that a jury would not be needed for Mr Alzokra's inquest but it could be held as an 'Article 2 inquest', meaning it would have a wider scope to consider whether or not the state failed to protect his life.
He said: "Given that Mr Alzokra was a person liable to be detained - but on bail - and subject at least for part of the period to probation supervision, and there were identifiable risks that he may harm himself, my preliminary view is that Article 2 does appear to be engaged." Mr Farrow added that this would be 'kept under review' prior to Mr Alzokra's inquest on June 26.
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