Hughes family walks out of inquest in disgust

Lucy Carter
Oct 14, 2016, updated Oct 14, 2016

The family of Phillip Hughes has stormed out of a coronial inquest into his 2014 death, as the lawyer for Cricket Australia made closing submissions including that player testimony had been honest.

Hughes died after being struck in the neck by a cricket ball in a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 25, 2014.

State coroner Michael Barnes is examining themanner and cause of Hughes’s death, and may make recommendations regarding public health and safety.

Earlier, counsel assisting the inquiry Kristina Stern SC advised the coroner to not make any recommendations about sledging, or the nature of play leading up to Hughes being fatally struck by a ball.

She said “the risks to Phillip were not exacerbated by any such matters” and declared the death an accident.

“It is abundantly clear that once the tragic accident had occurred, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent Phillip’s death,” Ms Stern advised Mr Barnes.

Members of Hughes’ family attending the hearing appeared distressed as Ms Stern made the comments.

Ms Stern also told the inquest that Cricket Australia should continue researching into neck protectors or stem guards for players.

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Bowling dangers should be investigated: lawyer

Greg and Virginia Hughes walked out after Cricket Australia’s lawyer Bruce Hodgkinson SC submitted that all player testimony had been honest.

And Hughes family barrister Greg Melick SC denied Ms Stern’s assertions the bowling style did not exacerbate the accident.

He said the Hughes family believed sustained short-pitched bowling had “increased the risk of injury to Phillip”.

He said the family also believed sledging still occurred, and the fact that every player who testified denied anything was said “must cast serious doubts over other evidence”.

Mr Melick said the family acknowledged that short-pitched bowling was a “legitimate tactic” but that nine short balls in a row went “too far”.

Expert umpires and players had earlier testified that the bowling directed towards Hughes that day had been competitive, but fair.

Family letters released by coroner

The state coroner released letters today submitted by Hughes’s family — his parents Greg and Virginia, and siblings Jason and Megan

In them, the family explains how they were all playing close attention to the game the day Hughes died, as he was hoping to make the Australian team again.

Hughes’ mother and sister wrote a joint letter — they attended the game at the SCG that day and saw the fatal ball strike.

Megan wrote:

I remember time passing; a lot of time.

I had no idea why we weren’t straight on our way to the hospital with Phillip.

Then I saw that Phillip was still on the field and hadn’t left yet.

At this point I was shocked.

Phillip’s brother, Jason Hughes, was working that day in Sydney, so could not make it to the game.

He hurried to the hospital when he heard the news.

“During our time at the hospital over the next two days, it was getting noted that there was plenty of short-pitched bowling after lunch which started to raise a concern were any of the batsman targeted,” the letter said.

After Phillip’s death, he attended a drinks at the SCG in honour of his brother and became concerned when he heard chatter among the players about heavy sledging and the short-ball pitching during the fatal cricket match.

Greg Hughes, Phillip’s father, flew down from their hometown Macksville. He wrote:

I hope that the incidents that occurred that day did not contribute to Phillip’s serious injuries that afternoon.

Within saying that, through this letter, I would like to express my concerns on following issues that happened that afternoon.

The week-long inquest ends today.