Maddy Cusack's family accuse Sheffield United of causing an 'unacceptable' delay to inquest into her death

Cusack's family have launched a stinging attack on the football club, accusing them of being responsible for an "unacceptable" delay to the inquest into her death.

Cusack, who was the first female player to reach 100 appearances for the Blades, tragically took her own life in September 2023. The long-awaited inquest, which is intended to establish the official circumstances surrounding her passing, was finally scheduled to take place this week. However, in a devastating blow to her parents and siblings, the proceedings have been vacated and pushed back by another five months.

During a tense pre-inquest review hearing at Chesterfield Crown Court on Monday, the emotional toll of the postponement was laid bare. The family’s legal representative, Dean Armstrong KC, did not hold back in his assessment of why the adjournment was necessary, pointing the finger squarely at Sheffield United.

Mr Armstrong described the situation as "extremely disappointing" and argued that the club’s late submission of evidence had left the family in an impossible position. He told the court that it was "unacceptable" that, just a week before Christmas, Cusack’s grieving relatives found themselves "having to get to grips with a 699-page document" which the club had submitted on December 15.

The sheer volume of the documentation, combined with the timing over the festive period, meant that the legal team and the family had insufficient time to review the material properly before the scheduled hearing date. Mr Armstrong emphasised the human cost of these procedural delays, stating that the extended wait for answers and the stress of the sudden document dump has had a detrimental impact on the family’s health.

However, the accusations were met with a robust defence from United’s legal team. Joseph O’Brien KC, representing the club, told the court that they "strongly reject" Mr Armstrong’s characterisation of events.

Mr O'Brien insisted that any suggestion the club had deliberately contributed to the adjournment was "wholly without merit." He argued that United had acted with integrity throughout the process, stating it was very clear that the club had "complied with everything that was required within the spirit of trying to ensure the inquest went ahead this month."

The club’s stance is that they provided the necessary information as requested and should not be held liable for the logistical issues that followed.

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In a significant intervention, Coroner Sophie Cartwright appeared to side with the club regarding the procedural timeline, despite the family's frustrations. Ms Cartwright noted that "in fairness to Sheffield United," their submission had technically been made in "good time" relative to the court's adjusted timetable.

The coroner clarified that the bottleneck was not solely due to the date the club submitted the files, but rather the administrative proceedings at the court itself. She explained that the delay in the family actually receiving the documents was partly down to the court's need to process the files, which included a number of necessary redactions before they could be released to the interested parties.

This explanation, however, does little to mitigate the pain of a family who must now wait until the summer for the conclusion of a process that began in 2023.

The hearing was attended by Cusack’s parents, Deborah and David, along with her brother Richard and sister Felicity, who have remained dignified but determined in their pursuit of answers. They were joined in the proceedings by former Sheffield United manager Jonathan Morgan, who attended via video link.

The presence of Morgan adds another layer of complexity and tension to the proceedings. Following Maddy’s death, her family made an official complaint regarding Morgan’s alleged behaviour towards their daughter during his tenure as manager. The nature of the relationship between the player and the manager is expected to be a key area of scrutiny, alongside the broader duty of care provided by the club.

The Football Association formally opened an investigation into Cusack’s death in January 2024, and a report from that investigation was shared with the coroner last year to assist with the inquest.

Acknowledging the distress caused by the latest postponement, Coroner Cartwright offered a personal apology to the Cusack family.

"You’ve been in my thoughts over this Christmas period," she told them. "Can I apologise to you for the delay in bringing this inquest to a conclusion. I hope the directions made today ensure that there will be an ability for you to have proper time to prepare. I also apologise for the miscommunications around this inquest."

The full inquest has now been provisionally rescheduled to commence on June 29. However, even this date appeared to be subject to logistical hurdles, with Mr Morgan indicating to the court that he would need to confirm with his wife that they are not due to be on holiday during that week—a final administrative note in a hearing dominated by the difficulties of scheduling and procedure.