THE inquest into the death of Cameron Hamilton will not be resumed after his killer was jailed.

Area coroner for Dorset, Rachael Griffin, ruled that the inquest would not be resumed at a hearing at the coroner’s court on Tuesday, April 16.

The inquest was suspended on August 10, 2023, pending the outcome of criminal investigations and proceedings.

Ms Griffin confirmed that she had received details of the conviction of Thomas Betteridge, who was sentenced to a Young Offenders’ Institute.

She said she must consider whether to reopen the inquest, adding that all interested parties had been approached.

“I have received confirmation there is no application to resume the inquest,” Ms Griffin said.

“I am satisfied that the duty that I am required to undertake, to answer the four statutory questions [who, where, when and how Mr Hamilton came by his death] have been suitably answered and considered during the course of the criminal proceedings.”

Ms Griffin concluded that there was insufficient reason to resume the inquest and concluded the inquest by not resuming it.

She passed on her condolences to the family of Mr Hamilton for his ‘tragic’ death.

As reported, Mr Hamilton was stabbed to death by teenager Thomas Betteridge in Bournemouth Square in the early hours of Saturday, August 5, 2023.

Following a trial, Betteridge was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced at a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on April 5.

Bournemouth Echo: Thomas Betteridge was found guilty of manslaughter

At the hearing, Judge William Mousley KC summed up the facts of the case.

Mr Hamilton decided to confront Betteridge in the square, with a ‘struggle’ breaking out, with Mr Hamilton’s friends attacking Betteridge’s co-defendant Lennie Hansen.

The pair broke apart briefly, before Betteridge grabbed a knife that had been placed in the Square by Hansen earlier on the night.

After being chase through the Square by Mr Hamilton, Betteridge used the knife to stab him.

Mr Hamilton died shortly after being stabbed.

His family paid tribute to him following the trial’s verdict, saying: “We as a family still remain and always will be, truly devastated by the loss of our beautiful Cam, we will never get over his life being so horribly taken from him.

“Our lives are changed forever.”

Betteridge was sentenced to 12 years in a Young Offenders’ Institute, with a custodial period of nine years and an extension period of three years.