An inquest into the death of a grandmother who contracted rabies overseas has been unexpectedly adjourned after a crucial witness found themselves stranded abroad amid the turmoil in the Middle East.
A jury had been selected on Monday morning to hear the proceedings, which concern the death of Yvonne Ford.
The 59-year-old, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was scratched by a puppy during a visit to Morocco in February 2025.
She died four months later when back in the UK, after being diagnosed with rabies at Barnsley Hospital.
On Monday, assistant coroner Marilyn Whittle informed the 11-person jury panel that the inquest would be delayed, and potentially halted, due to the witness’s predicament.
The individual, identified as a hospital consultant, is currently stuck in the Indonesian tourist hotspot of Bali but is hopeful of securing a flight back to the UK via an alternative route, the coroner explained.
She said she is hopeful that the witness will be available to give evidence at the inquest, which is taking place in Sheffield, by Wednesday.
The inquest is set to resume on Tuesday morning, when the coroner will make a decision on whether it can proceed or must be re-listed, depending on the travel progress made by the witness.
“Fingers crossed they are on that flight and can get back,” Ms Whittle said.
The inquest, held at Sheffield’s Medico-Legal Centre, was originally scheduled to run from Monday until Thursday.
Ms Ford’s family earlier appealed to holidaymakers to protect themselves against rabies, asking them to take animal bites seriously and to vaccinate their pets.
They said she only became ill two weeks before her death, first developing a headache before being left unable to walk, talk, sleep or swallow.
§Her daughter Robyn Thomson described Ms Ford as “the heart of our family – strong, loving and endlessly supportive”.
She added: “No words can fully capture the depth of our loss or the impact she had on all of us. We are heartbroken, but also grateful for every moment we had with her.”
Flights to and from the Middle East were suspended after a US-Israel airstrike on Iran over the weekend.
The attack prompted Iran to retaliate with strikes on multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
