Change language
Actions
Displays
Remove from selection
Add to selection
Abstract

THE family of a trainee plasterer who died after he was restrained by police while having a mental breakdown has said the body set up to investigate police is biased towards officers.

Darren Neville, 28, suffered a cardiac arrest after he was held down by police outside the halfway house for ex-offenders in Highbury where he was living on March 12, 2013. He died two months later in hospital.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which investigates deaths following police contact, concluded that officers acted lawfully and did not breach professional standards. But an inquest jury last year ruled that the “prolonged restraint” contributed to Darren’s death.

Speaking from their Finsbury home this week, Darren’s mother Carol, 53, and brother Louis, 28, said they felt “let down” by the IPCC but would fight on for justice for Darren.

“You’re thrust into this situation and you believe that they [the IPCC] are going to do their best for you and you put your trust in them,” Ms Neville said. “But then you read the full report and you find that they’ve missed things, and it’s too late because they’re not going to change it.” Darren’s family believe that, if officers had assessed his mental state first and allowed him to calm down, he might still be alive.

Ms Neville said it took the IPCC far too long – three months – to question the officers involved. She added: “They were not robust enough in their questioning. They didn’t probe at all.” Louis added: “A lot of them [IPCC investigators] come from that [police] background so they’re biased.”

Ms Neville complained that trainee investigators worked on the case and said that the IPCC failed to take into consideration the “cares approach”. This suggests that, where possible, officers should allow a distressed individual to calm down.

The inquest found that Darren’s long-term cocaine use had led to increased strain on his heart, and had triggered an “acute behavioural disturbance” (ABD). His cardiac arrest, the jury concluded, was caused by those factors, combined with the “prolonged” restraint and struggle against the police.

Officers had been called to the scene in Aberdeen Park because Darren was throwing himself into walls and through a window. He was covered in blood and had a recycling container on his head when police arrived.

The decision of two PCs to charge up to and restrain Darren rather than contain him is subject to a new complaint by his family. This is with the watchdog awaiting a decision.

The inquest jury concluded officers did not give sufficient consideration to the risk of death following prolonged restraint, but added it was unclear the extent to which this single factor caused death.

Darren’s family have launched a civil claim against the force and are seeking a declaration accepting a degree of responsibility for the death from the Met, as well as compensation.

Ms Neville added: “The fight goes on until we can do no more because we can’t rest until we get some justice for Darren. We want the truth and answers. I just want the police to hold their hands up and say sorry.”

A spokesman for the IPCC said: “We did not find evidence officers acted in a way that was unlawful or breached professional standards.

“We found the use of force and decision to handcuff Darren was reasonable and no officers had a case to answer for misconduct.

“While we value the expertise former police officers bring to our work, they now only make up around one in 10 of our investigators.

“By law our commissioners, who oversee the most serious and sensitive cases, can never have worked for the police.”