Andrew Bloomfield's niece speaks out two years on from his death

Lisa Bloomfield, 37, is calling on Essex Police officers to relaunch the investigation into the death of 58-year-old Andrew Bloomfield.

The Jaywick resident, who has been described as a “loving and caring father”, was found dead in a bath in a bungalow in Hillman Avenue, in July 2019.

During an inquest held at Seax House last October, coroner Lincoln Brooks ruled Mr Bloomfield had “died of brain injuries sustained during a recent physical altercation with another man”.

Mr Bloomfield, who was found by police officers, suffered a traumatic haemorrhage with a brain stem injury.

After considering the evidence put forward by Essex Police, however, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded the legal test for prosecution was not met and there was insufficient grounds for prosecution.

Two years on from her uncle’s death, Lisa has launched a renewed appeal urging both the CPS and police officers to take a fresh look at the case.

She said: “It is now two years since my uncle was sadly taken away, yet still no one has been convicted for it.

“What sort of justice is this if someone can take a life, but then nothing comes of it?

“At some point there will be and has to be justice for my uncle, and I promise there will be.”

Mr Bloomfield’s death was initially treated as unexplained but police soon launched a murder investigation after a post-mortem examination revealed he had sustained a head injury.

A 42-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of the murder of Mr Bloomfield, but was subsequently released without charge.

Since then a police spokesman has said officers are not pursuing any other suspects in connection with Mr Bloomfield’s death.

They did, however, promise any new evidence would be reviewed.

Lisa added: “The more this gets out there, the more people may talk about it.

“I just do not want my uncle and what’s happened to be forgotten.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Our thoughts very much remain with Mr Bloomfield’s family and loved ones two years after his death and we continue to offer our deepest condolences.

"We carried out extensive enquiries and we retain an open mind about the circumstances leading to his death in July 2019.

"During our investigation, we carefully considered the reliability of accounts provided to us and a 42 year old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.  This person put forward a case of self-defence.

"We presented all our evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for review. It carefully considered the evidential material available in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and agreed with our assessment that the legal test for a prosecution was not met. 

"A coroner heard our evidence at the inquest into Mr Bloomfield’s death and heard from witnesses who were at the scene when he died.

"He concluded the evidence available was not to the required standard to record a verdict of unlawful killing.

"Following the earlier reviews of the evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service and the coroner’s ruling, we are not taking any further action at this time and are not looking for anyone else in connection with Mr Bloomfield’s death.

"However, we will always review new evidence and ask anyone with information to contact us."