Chug and Lordflasheart
If I could butt in and say I think you are both correct. Messrs Masters and Walker (Wilts & Oxon) showed their mettle. Both were apoplectic at being lied to by MoD, and were happy to take evidence (MoD documents, downloaded from the internet) from the public that MoD denied the existence of. In the case of L/Cpl Matty Hull, Mr Walker said **** you to the US Government and revealed to the family that they had been lied to by MoD - that there was indeed a cockpit video of the attack.
On the other hand, the Coroner who presided over the Sea King ASaC Inquest in 2007 should only be given one choice. He condoned outright lies and told the father of one pilot to sit down and shut up when he tried to offer the truth. It is easier to say which of the Coroner's Rules he complied with. The families were then quoted over £3k + VAT each for a copy of the transcript. Bluff called and his behaviour is there on tape for all to hear. So much so, he actually drowns out witnesses giving evidence, as he isn't interested and is chatting to others in the court.
In the Flt Lt Cunningham case, the Lincolnshire Coroner didn't perform particularly well at the Inquest itself in 2014. Or perhaps it is fairer to say his Officers and Investigators didn't, because unlike Oxon and Wilts they refused to take evidence from the public that MoD, again, denied having. However, on 6 February last year, before sentencing of Martin-Baker, he forwarded MoD papers to the Judge (again, provided by the public) which wholly refuted the HSE allegation and proved both it and MoD had misled the court. The Judge didn't read them, simply accepting the HSE's word they were irrelevant. My view is that both she and the HSE should have heard alarm bells at the public providing key information that both MoD and Philip Dunne MP (Def Min) had denied the existence of. So, having been misled in 2014, when advised of the truth Mr Fisher did the right thing.
When MoD denies all knowledge of (e.g.) Explosion Suppressant Foam, and a family QC stands up and hands the Coroner two MoD ESF specifications, a competent Coroner is only going to believe one of them. In such circumstances there is no room for interpretation. Unless MoD claims the evidence is somehow forged. In the Chinook ZD576 case it continued to deny the content of a report by the Director of Flight Safety, even briefing Liam Fox (Secy of State) to issue a denial to the House. That was after the author had given evidence to Lord Philip that he had written the report. At least Fox had the decency to retract; although in a letter to another Minister, not to the House. But MoD carried on denying. That's the level of deranged stupidity we're dealing with here. All this has been published and MoD hasn't thought to offer a challenge.
PS I understand the proceeds of that book above go to Medecins sans Frontieres. Help for Heroes benefits from Vol.2. I think the forthcoming Vol.3 will be St Richard's Hospice in Worcester. Nice one Lima.