An inquest has been opened into the death of an off-duty police officer who was found dead at Luton Airport alongside a police gun and two bullets.
The body of Sergeant Sean Duignan, 44, was discovered on the floor of the gym in the police unit in the airport at twenty five to ten in the morning on Bank Holiday Monday, May 31.
Peter Smith, the Bedfordshire coroner’s officer, told a hearing in Ampthill today/Tuesday that concerns had been raised about Sergeant Duignan, from Meppershall, Beds at 9.15 that morning.
He said: “He was found unresponsive on the gym floor.
“There was a police side arm hand gun and two bullets on the floor.”
A paramedic pronounced him dead at twenty five to ten.
A post-mortem examination by Pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head.
Bedfordshire’s Assistant Coroner Dr Sean Cummings adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.
He told Sergeant’s Duignan’s family and friends, who had viewed the hearing on line: “I am terribly sorry to be opening the inquest and you have my condolences.”
In a statement at the time, Bedfordshire Police said: “It is not believed that anybody else was involved. The thoughts of everyone in the force are with the officer’s family, friends and colleagues at this devastating time.”
The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct “due to prior police contact while the officer was off-duty.”
The IOPC said investigators were sent to the scene.
“Our investigation will look at contact police had with the officer while he was off duty in the days prior to his death.”
