Inquest opened over asylum seeker found dead outside Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield

Irakli Kapanadze’s body was found outside the Cedar Court Hotel, on Denby Dale Road, Calder Grove, on September 14 this year.

Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard Mr Kapanadze was an asylum seeker who had been provided with accommodation at the premises.

His death was confirmed by paramedics in the hotel grounds just after 3pm.

The 37-year-old was born in Georgia and legally entered the UK in July 2022.

Senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin said a pathologist had given a provisional cause of death as hanging.

A coroner’s officer told the court that Mr Kapanadze spoke little English and had few friends.

He had received hospital treatment on July 11 after cutting his wrists.

Mr McLoughlin said: “The gentleman was housed by the authorities in that hotel and has then been found in the grounds of that hotel.

“Without a doubt this is an unnatural death, so it is self-evident I must open an inquest.

“I will adjourn the matter to a date to be fixed once we have been able to assemble evidence from his family and anyone who knew him in this country.”

The coroner said Mr Kapanadze’s family wished for his body to be repatriated so a funeral could take place.

In June, the Home Office informed Wakefield Council of its intention to double the number of asylum seeker spaces at Cedar Court.

The local authority was told that the number would increase from 148 to 306.

The move came days after it was announced that St Pierre Hotel, in Newmillerdam, would be used to temporarily accommodate asylum seekers.

A number of the district’s hotels are already being used to accommodate asylum seekers.