Archie Spriggs murder: Killer mother unlikely to attend seven-year-old's inquest
A mother who murdered her seven-year-old son at their Shropshire home is unlikely to attend the inquest into his death later this year.
A pre-inquest review into Archie Spriggs, who was killed by his mother Lesley Speed at their home near Church Stretton in 2017, reopened today at Shirehall in Shrewsbury.
Senior coroner for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, John Ellery, said that despite Speed's criminal conviction, she is still classed as an interested party.
However, the 44-year-old has not expressed an interest in attending, he said.
"Should Mrs Speed request interested person status that would be considered regardless of the criminal conviction," he said. "It's up to her to seek it and she has not sought it.
"I have not received any indication that Mrs Speed will attend the inquest, nor have I had any expression of interest from her directly or indirectly, nor her solicitors acting for her."
At the time of the murder Speed was involved in a custody battle with Archie's father.
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She was convicted of the schoolboy's murder and jailed for 18 years in March last year.
Mr Ellery set out a timetable for the full inquest which is due to take place at the old crown court in Shrewsbury on November 11, and is expected to last two weeks.
There will be live evidence and written statements from staff at Rushbury Primary School where Archie attended, Shropshire Community Health Trust, GPs and West Mercia Police.
Frederick Powell, solicitor representing Archie's father, Matthew Spriggs, has asked Rushbury School to provide information on whether there was a safeguarding policy in place when Archie was a pupil, a record of any specific concerns raised about Archie's welfare in 2017 and his attendance record in 2015/16.
He has also requested a record of communication between himself and West Mercia Police between June and September 2017.
