Inquest held into Eastbourne police officer’s death

Wendy Dowman, who went to Cavendish School and had been a police officer with Sussex Police for more than 10 years, died at the Hospice in the Weald in January last year.

An inquest into her death was held yesterday (Thursday) at Eastbourne Town Hall and was attended by Miss Dowman’s family.

A verdict that Miss Downman’s death was as a result of a road accident was recorded by East Sussex coroner Alan Craze.

The inquest, which is open to the public, was told Miss Dowman had been a resident in hospitals and nursing homes since the accident on the A267 just north of Wellshurst Golf and Country Club at Hellingly, north of Hailsham, on September 5 2010.

The crash occurred after a trailer which Land Rover driver Jonathan Hobden was towing, broke free and ploughed into Sergeant Dowman’s yellow convertible Saab.

The inquest heard the trailer had not been attached properly and six months after the accident Mr Hobden, who was then living at Bagham Lane in Herstmonceux, received a nine-month suspended sentence after admitting dangerous driving and banned from the road.

Miss Dowman was rushed to hospital and spent time in a major trauma unit in London with severe brain injuries before being moved to Eastbourne DGH, a rehabilitation unit in Salisbury, Chaseley Trust and the Raphael Centre in Kent.

She was admitted to the Hospice in the Weald in January last year with pneumonia but staff said her condition deteriorated and she died peacefully. Friends and colleagues have raised money for the charities which helped Miss Dowman and say she was a vivacious, funny and caring person who brightened their lives.