Rail worker's COVID-19 inquest will not investigate a spit incident

An inquest into the death of a railway worker will not examine if she was infected with COVID-19 by a passenger who allegedly spat at her.

Belly Mujina died from COVID-19 in April 2020

Belly Mujina, 47, died in 2020 after she was coughed on and spat at by a man known as AB.

The coroner on Friday said the inquest will not look at how she caught COVID-19.

AB assessed negative days after the incident and a police investigation concluded there was not enough evidence to show a crime had been committed.

Barnet Coroner's Court previously heard the inquest would be unlikely to find out how the infection occurred, but it may cover where Ms Mujina was infected.

AB allegedly told Ms Mujina he was infected at the time of the confrontation but later returned a negative COVID-19 test.

Ms Mujina’s death prompted an outpouring of grief and demand for answers

The inquest will focus on whether she should have been shielded at the time, the coroner said.

Ms Mujina, a married mother of one, had underlying health issues which her family said placed her in the "vulnerable" category.

Elaine Banton, for Ms Mujina’s family, said: "Belly Mujina was a disabled employee - there may have been missed opportunities to protect her."

At a pre-inquest review hearing on Friday, senior coroner Andrew Walker dismissed an application from the family to delay the inquest until the conclusion of the COVID-19 public inquiry.

He claimed it was unlikely the inquiry would offer any information useful to decide the circumstances of Ms Mujina’s death.

The full inquest is scheduled to begin on 27th June.