UK: Charges to follow inquest?
01 September 2000
Five police officers who faced minor charges in relation to the agonising death of Christopher Alder in Queen's Gardens police station in Hull during April 1988 may face more serious charges following a jury's unanimous unlawful killing verdict at one of the longest and most far reaching inquests in British legal history. The policemen - PCs Nigel Dawson, Neil Blakey, Mark Ellerington and Matthew Barr and Sargeant John Dunn - have been charged with misconduct in public office and suspended from duty. However, a spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that in light of the inquest verdict they will be reviewing the charges against them, although this process is expected to take some months. The Alder family solicitor, Ruth Bundy, has urged the CPS to consider serious charges against the police officers, who have said that they intend to challenge the inquest verdict.
All five policemen refused to answer questions at the inquest, which heard how investigating officers had allowed Christopher's clothing to be destroyed before any forensic examination had taken place. All of the police officers' uniforms had been cleaned preventing scientific analysis. Police representatives told the inquiry that the black former soldier was found motionless in the back of the police van after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary following a minor altercation outside a nightclub. However, the inquest jury saw video evidence which revealed that Christopher died after being dragged from the van and dumped unconscious on the floor of the police station. As he lay face-down for over ten minutes, with his trousers around his knees, doubly incontinent and blood and vomit pooled around his mouth, the policemen cracked jokes and speculated on whether he was play acting. When the officers eventually checked they were unable to resuscitate him (see Statewatch vol 8 no 6, vol 9 no 5).
The jury's finding on Christopher Alder is the sixth unlawful killing verdict relating to a death in police custody that an inquest has handed down in the last decade. Five of these deaths, including that of Alder, involved the death of black men; the other fatalities were Oliver Price in 1990, Leon Patterson 1992, Shiji Lapite 1994 and Ibrahima Sey in 1996 (see Statewatch vol 6, nos 1 & 6, vol 7 no 6); the sixth unlawful death was of an Irish man, Richard O'Brien. The deaths of O'Brien and Lapite led to a CPS investigation by Judge Gerald Butler which was critical of the "procedure under which it is the police who investigate and report to the CPS on a death in [police] custody."
At the conclusion to the inquest Christopher's sister, Janet, said that she was delighted by the verdict but "this is not the end. We still have a long way to go." She added "we now want to see the officers brought to book". The Alder's solicitor, Ruth Bundy, said that as "as soon as the inquest concluded we wrote to the CPS, on behalf of Janet, to review the level of current charges and offered to provide any and all of the information that they might require." However, four of the police officers have sought a judicial review of the proceedings. Helen Shaw, the co-director of INQUEST, which monitors deaths in custody throughout Britain, expressed her gratitude to the jury for "their brave and courageous decision". She also called for the CPS to review the charges against the police officers to reflect the verdict.
INQUEST press releases 30.6.00, 18 & 24.8.00; National Civil Rights Movement press release 28.7.00.