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UK: "Lack of care" death

01 May 1997

In June an inquest jury at Hammersmith Coroner's Court, investigating the death of a 30-year old black man, Peter Austin, decided that a "lack of care" contributed to his death. The decision prompted the pressure group, Inquest, who arranged legal representation for Mr Austin's family, to call for a review of private security firms responsible for prisoners.

The inquest was told how Mr Austin, who was charged with burglary, had been taken from Chiswick police station to Brentford Magistrate's Court, where he was held in a cell for a bail hearing. There he met with his barrister, Stuart Armstrong, who described him as "clearly distressed and bewildered". He checked him half an hour later and found him hanging from a light fitting by his T-shirt. He alerted the Securicor guards who looked into the cell, one of them telling him: "It's ok, his feet are on the ground: he's faking it." They went on to explain that his face would be a different colour if he was trying to hang himself and added that he had moved. When the guards' supervisor, Roger Clarke, arrived he looked into the cell and remarked that the "cheeky bugger just winked at me". A bail hearing was then convened outside Austin's cell as he lay dying.

Deborah Coles, director of Inquest, condemned the "cruel and callous indifference a man in desperate need of care and humanity [received] from those staff responsible for his care and welfare". She added:

"The inquest has exposed grossly inadequate training of Securicor staff both in basic first aid and in suicide prevention. Staff displayed a lack of professionalism and humanity in their dealings with Mr Austin with the result that he died in these most appalling circumstances. We remain disgusted by the complacent attitude of Securicor over this death. They have had no inquiry into this death whatsoever and no action has been taken to ensure that such a tragedy could not be repeated."

Inquest can be contacted on 0181 802 7430. Inquest press release 4 & 25.6.97; Voice 16.6.97.