The husband of a woman killed by a falling tree in Knightsbridge hopes an inquest will end his two-year wait for answers.
Teresita Sison, 58, was walking to her work as a housekeeper in 2014 when the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo brought down the tree and a 10ft stone pillar. She suffered fatal head injuries.
A five-day inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice starts on Monday. Police officers who cordoned off the road to traffic are due to give evidence about the failure to stop pedestrians entering the area, which had been hit by the storm.
At the time, Mrs Sison was described by a relative as “an amazingly hard-working woman” who sent money home to her family in the Philippines.
She lived with her husband Roberto, 62, in Ladbroke Grove. Speaking for the first time about his wife’s death, Mr Sison, who has returned for the hearing from the Philippines, said: “It has been devastating to lose my wife of 30 years in such a violent way.
“I miss her terribly and hope I finally get some answers from the inquest.”
Mrs Sison had walked under the part-fallen tree, opposite Hyde Park Barracks, when it fell further at about 11.30am on October 21. She died at the scene. The tree was in a privately owned garden in Rutland Gate, near the junction with Kensington Road.
Vidisha Joshi, managing partner at law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, said: “My client has had to wait a long time for this inquest, all the time mourning the loss of his wife. There are many unanswered questions into the circumstances surrounding Mrs Sison’s untimely and tragic death.”
At the time, the Met said: “We were called just after 11am to reports that several large branches were blocking the road. Officers attended and a vehicle block was put in place but a pedestrian cordon had not been established.”
An official for Westminster council, which has responsibility for maintaining the road, is also due to give evidence. The council said: “As this is a live inquest we’re unable to comment.”
The Met said five officers were served with misconduct notices in an internal investigation. It said: “The five police officers involved had misconduct meetings in February 2016. These focused on any breach of duties and responsibilities. No misconduct matters were found to be proven.”
