A Manchester City Centre’s Coroner Court, ruling has determined Daniel Burke was ‘unlawfully killed’ in Ukraine in September 2023.
Daniel, 36, from Wythenshawe left the UK in May 2023 to go to Ukraine to assist those wounded in conflict.
He was reported missing in August 2023 by both an individual in Ukraine and his family, who reside in Manchester, after they had not heard from Daniel for a few days.
A body was located near a training ground in Zaporizhzhya in Ukraine on September 16 2023, and later in December 2023, through DNA testing, the body was confirmed to be the remains of Daniel Burke. It is believed he suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Daniel’s family have been supported throughout the process by specially trained family liaison officers from Greater Manchester Police who were deployed to help guide Daniel’s family through the complexities of the criminal and coronial system and an international repatriation procedure that would follow.
His body was returned to the UK by Greater Manchester Police with assistance from the Foreign Office to allow a forensic postmortem to be conducted on British soil to determine a cause of death.
Daniel’s death continues to be treated as a homicide investigation by Ukrainian authorities.
The inquest was told that there is a man who has already confessed to Daniel’s murder, he was temporarily detained by Ukrainian police, his whereabouts are currently unknown to law enforcement agencies and attempts are ongoing to find him.
Ukrainian authorities have named a suspect, Abdelfetah ‘Adam’ Nourine, also known as ‘Jihadi Adam’. He is an Australian Algerian dual national.
Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, GMP’s force lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: “Our deepest condolences are with Daniel’s family and close friends who have been at the heart of our pursuit for answers as they navigate through the complexities of Daniel’s death.
“Their pain has been worsened by the lack of answers available in difficult and challenging circumstances that have unfolded over the past 17 months.
“We hope that today’s ruling of unlawful killing goes some way in reassuring Daniel’s family and loved ones that this wasn’t an accident. Daniel was killed, and his family deserve answers.
“Specialist family liaison officers were sent to support Daniel’s family from the outset after he was suspected to have been killed to offer support but also to answer any questions his family may have in relation to what will happen during an investigative process that would soon follow.
“We coordinated efforts with the UKDVI, Foreign Office, The British Embassy, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and also Daniel’s family to help repatriate his body and bring him home so his family and friends could finally place him to rest.
“The conclusion of this inquest has provided an important step forwards for Daniel’s family, but we are hopeful that the Ukraine authorities continue the investigate this case and bring the person responsible to justice.”
Daniel’s family prepared a statement which was read following the conclusion of the inquest by Detective Sergeant Danielle Bullivant, they said: “No family should ever have to go through the extreme depths of grief and confusion that we have endured and continue to suffer since Daniel was declared missing last year.
“We kept hope in all attempts to find him alive, but our hopes collapsed when we received a call that Daniel’s body was believed to have been found in Ukraine.
“Since then, our family has never and will never be the same.
“Daniel had the most infectious smile and he loved making others laugh, this is how we will remember him and keep his memory alive. Throughout his life, he has assisted those who needed it the most and defended what he believed in, and for this we are so very proud of the person that he became.
“Following the inquest today, we are still yearning for answers.
“As a family we cannot do this alone, we are grateful for the support we have received so far and we are hopeful that the Ukraine authorities will progress the investigation into Daniel’s death and we hope one day we will be able to say that we have justice for Daniel.”
