The inquest into the death of Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack has been adjourned again to an unspecified date, nearly three years after she died on 20 September 2023 at age 27. The hearing, which began on 29 June and has heard eight full days of evidence, was scheduled to conclude on Friday before the coroner would deliver her conclusions on 27 July. However, on Thursday it was confirmed the proceedings have been delayed due to additional documents being lodged.
Second Adjournment in 2026
This marks the second time in 2026 that the inquest has been adjourned. It was originally scheduled to start on 5 January but was pushed back to 29 June after the family received 699 pages of new evidence from Sheffield United 10 days before Christmas. The family's lawyers described that disclosure as “totally unacceptable”. In January, United's lawyers said the club “rejects wholeheartedly any suggestion of non-compliance”, and the coroner agreed that the club had complied chronologically. The case had also been delayed multiple times in 2025, partly due to legal debate around the scope of the inquest.
New Documents Lead to Further Delays
The coroner told the court there is a need to recall Dr. Basu, the former club doctor, and Frankie Carr, the former club physio, to give further evidence in light of the additional disclosure received. The exact nature of the new documents has not been publicly detailed.
Evidence Heard So Far
Since 29 June, the court has heard evidence that Cusack was regarded as “Miss Sheffield United” and the “poster girl” of the club's women's team, described as a “bubbly, lovely person”. Testimony has been heard from her parents, four former teammates, her GP, the club's doctor, and several other club staff. The club's head of HR, Vicki Anderson, and the Football Association's head of integrity, David Matthews, had been scheduled to give evidence on Thursday. The FA launched an investigation after Cusack's death; its findings have not been made public but have been provided to the coroner.
Support Resources
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
