John McManus, the son of billionaire JP McManus, has filed a new appeal in Barbados in an attempt to quash a coroner’s finding that his wife’s December 2020 death was a result of cocaine use.
Emma McManus, a mother of three girls and daughter of former Irish tennis player and businessman Peter Ledbetter and his wife Paula, died at the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados following a party on December 30th, 2020.
Graveney Bannister, the coroner, issued findings in September 2024 that found Emma McManus’s death was cocaine-related.
John McManus is now appealing a ruling from last November that refused to quash Bannister’s finding. It is the third legal action McManus has taken since 2021 challenging Bannister or his verdict.
In a notice of appeal filed on December 28th, 2025, McManus’s attorney Satcha S Kissoon sets out 12 alleged errors of fact or law made by Judge Patrick Wells in his judgment issued last November. McManus’s latest case will be heard by the Barbados Court of Appeal.
He is seeking an order of certiorari, quashing Bannister’s verdict and orders that the coroner acted unlawfully and/or in breach of procedural fairness.
He wants any new inquest to be conducted “before a different coroner”. Alternatively, he wants a different High Court judge to hear his case in a retrial. He also seeks to set aside the High Court order that he must pay Bannister’s legal costs.
The appeal claims that Wells “erred in law” when he ruled that Bannister was not forbidden by the doctrine of “equitable forbearance” in publishing his ruling while McManus had an ongoing legal challenge against his handling of the case pending.
McManus says the judge “misdirected himself” on the legal test of “legitimate expectation”. He claims Bannister gave an “unambiguous and unqualified representation that the inquest would be paused pending appeal”.
He contends that Wells erred in finding there was no procedural unfairness. He also claims he was “denied a fair opportunity to challenge and/or test critical evidence, including by cross-examination” and had no chance to present contrary evidence.
McManus complains the judge failed to recognise that the coroner “omitted material considerations” or “took into account irrelevant matters”. He said the judge was wrong in concluding that Bannister’s verdict was reasonable, and that Bannister’s preference for one expert report over another was “irrational” and “unsupported by cogent reasons”. He also said the judge should have found that Bannister was possibly biased.
He complains the costs order against him was “excessive”, as his appeal raised issues of “significant public importance”.
The trial heard there were two pathology reports on Emma McManus – one by state pathologist Dr Corinthia Dupuis and the other by Dr Stephen Jones, which was commissioned by the McManus family. The private report concluded that Emma McManus’s cause of death was “natural”, arising from asphyxia caused by inhalation of food material.
Dupuis swore an affidavit setting how she interviewed John McManus before her autopsy. She said he told her that his wife “had a history of cocaine use”.
Dupuis informed McManus that she would take samples for a toxicology analysis.
She alleged that McManus asked if they could keep the results private. He is alleged to have told the pathologist that he was “willing to spend any amount of money” to keep the results “from being known by anyone else”. She told him this was not possible.
A toxicology analysis found “the main metabolites of cocaine” in blood and urine samples.
Depuis disagreed with the Jones finding. “It is my professional opinion that a person with no medical illness sitting propped up in bed would not normally aspirate,” she stated.
“Cocaine is a cause of death via cardiac arrhythmia, and may therefore cause someone to aspirate gastric contents.”
In his court submission, Bannister said he considered both pathology reports, but “preferred” that of Dupuis.
The McManus family were approached for comment, but did not respond.