THE INQUEST of a teenager that was stabbed to death in Basingstoke last year has been suspended "pending police investigation".

Taylor Williams was 18 when he died after allegedly being attacked in Shooters Way on August 31, 2019.

His inquest, which was first scheduled for Good Friday (April 10), was suddenly suspended and the date "will not be set until we hear back from the police", Hampshire Coroner's Office told the Gazette.

It comes after the trial of three people in connection with his murder was also suspended amid the coronavirus crisis.

Olamide Soyege, 28, of Dagenham, and Terence Maccabee, 19, of Southwark, deny the murder of Mr Williams, as well as knife possession and robbery charges, whilst Paige Taylor, 23, of Basingstoke, also denies robbery and conspiracy to rob.

The announcement was made last month after the country was placed into lockdown, with people only allowed to venture outside their house under certain circumstances.

The jury, at Winchester Crown Court, was dismissed, and a pre-trial review is scheduled for May 4.

The court had previously heard that the teenager was "senselessly" killed after the trio attempted to rob the base of another gang.

A witness also told that court that Ms Taylor used a spoon to remove drugs from the bottom of a runner.

However, the defence believe that the story was made up, after Soyege humiliated the witness earlier that day.

Previously, an initial inquest heard that a post-mortem found the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, pending the result of a laboratory investigation.