Coroner to examine drug dealer's death - 18 months after charges against two Sheffield men were dropped

Darren Broadbent, 35, was found dead at a flat in Chesterfield on August 1, 2016 with a stab wound to his chest.

Two Sheffield men - Jaiden Browne-Evans, 18, of Beaver Hill Road, Sheffield, and a 15-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons - were subsequently charged with his murder.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service later dropped the charges against them - saying there was no realistic chance of securing a conviction.

A pre-inquest review into Mr Broadbent's death took place at Chesterfield coroners' court today.

During the hearing, coroner Kathryn Hayes said the full inquest will take at least four days. A date is yet to be fixed.

Ms Hayes said: "The identity of who stabbed Mr Broadbent is unknown.

"During the course of the inquest, I will have to decide if he was stabbed lawfully or unlawfully.

"I will try to ascertain who stabbed him and why."

She added that she would not be able to name 'any particular person' suspected of being involved in his death because of the law - no civil or criminal liability may be apportioned in a coroners' court.

But Ms Hayes said: "If, during the proceedings, police decide to bring charges, the inquest will be adjourned."

Chesterfield woman Susan Shaw, 45, is so far the only person to have been convicted of any crime in relation to the incident.

She was sentenced to six years for conspiracy to commit robbery in October 2016.