Our Expertise
St Pauls Chambers provides legal services throughout the UK and worldwide. We are known for providing excellence in our areas of focus.
As a leading barristers chambers in Leeds, our expertise span the depth and breadth of a number of key areas of law.
Our People
St Pauls Chambers have an excellent team of Barristers, Clerks & Administration, with our barristers including KC’s, Members and Pupils.
View our teams in full detail, or browse by expertise to find a barrister.
Two Cumbria Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Sergii Kuzmenko in December 2022 are requesting anonymity for an upcoming inquest, citing concerns over their safety and the potential impact on their personal and professional lives.
Sergii Kuzmenko, a 40-year-old Ukrainian national, was shot and killed by the officers—identified only as Officer C and Officer L—on Borland Avenue in Carlisle’s Botcherby area. Police were responding to reports of threats to kill while a young child was present in the house. Mr. Kuzmenko died from multiple gunshot wounds during the incident.
At a pre-inquest review held in Cockermouth, counsel for the officers applied for anonymity orders to prevent their identities from being disclosed during the full hearing. They also requested to give evidence from behind a screen.
Samuel Green KC, representing Officer C, argued that revealing the officer’s identity could lead to “serious distress” and “stigma” for him and his family. He noted that public identification could compromise Officer C’s covert role, hinder his career prospects, and deter others from joining firearms units. Hugh Davies KC, representing Officer L, echoed these concerns, emphasising the potential disproportionate impact on the officer’s private life and family.
The anonymity requests highlight broader concerns about the challenges faced by firearms officers. Green suggested that publicising the identities of officers involved in such incidents might discourage others from volunteering for these high-stakes roles, potentially affecting the recruitment and retention of firearms specialists.
Coroner Kirsty Gomersal will decide on the anonymity applications and whether to allow the officers to testify from behind a screen. She will also determine whether to preside over the inquest herself or convene a jury.
Miss Gomersal stated that body camera footage from Officer C and two colleagues will be crucial evidence. If anonymity is granted, the footage will require some pixelation to protect the officers’ identities. She described the recordings as “the best evidence of what happened.”
The review also explored whether a more detailed conclusion, beyond a jury verdict, might benefit Mr. Kuzmenko’s family. The case has been adjourned, and Coroner Gomersal’s ruling on the anonymity and other procedural matters will be issued at a later date.
The inquest will seek to provide clarity and transparency regarding the circumstances that led to Mr. Kuzmenko’s death, balancing the public interest with the officers’ safety and privacy concerns.
Chambers is centrally located within walking distance of the train station, secure car parks and the Courts.
St Pauls Chambers
Park Row House
19-20 Park Row
Leeds
LS1 5JF
For out of hours assistance please call the senior clerk on 07854170429.
The switchboard will open from 08:30 until 17:30
Phone: +44 (0)1132 455 866
Email: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
