Pleasley man died after being restrained at police station following assault on officer, inquest hears

Shaun Aherne, of Newboundmill Lane, Pleasley, was arrested by Derbyshire Police for assault and possession of cannabis on January 7 2018.

In his conclusion at Chesterfield Coroners’ Court, coroner Peter Nieto said the 42-year-old was taken to Chesterfield Police Station, where he was restrained after assaulting a police officer.

Mr Nieto said Mr Aherne was taken to the ground and restrained with barred handcuffs, velcro leg straps and a spit hood.

He was carried face-down by five officers, directly to a cell, which Mr Nieto said was “in order to reduce the time spent in restraints and disruption to the rest of the custody suite and other detainees”.

He said: “Mr Aherne was restrained in the police cell due to continued forceful resistance and noncompliance. Cell extraction then began by the cutting off of his clothes, followed by removal of the restraints.

“Police custody staff re-entered the cell when Mr Aherne appeared unresponsive and it was confirmed he was unresponsive.

“The healthcare professional assessed Mr Aherne's condition and started resuscitation. An ambulance was called and on arrival paramedics continued offering additional medical support until Mr Aherne was in a stable enough condition to be transported to hospital.”

On arrival at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Mr Aherne was admitted to intensive care and put on life support. He was monitored for three days before being pronounced dead on January 10, 2018.

The coroner listed Mr Aherne’s cause of death as hypoxic/ischaemic brain injury. He added cardiac arrest due to the physically and psychologically stressful incident, and ischaemic heart disease, also contributed to Mr Aherne’s death.

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Mr Nieto said: “The combination of Mr Aherne's coronary artery disease, intoxication, poor mental health, use of restraints, and the accumulated stress of the whole experience contributed to his death.

“It is apparent police custody staff did not purposefully assess Mr Aherne's level of consciousness and vital signs before leaving him in the cell.

“It is believed that had they done so, it is possible his deteriorating condition would have been recognised and it is possible interventions could have been provided to avoid his death.”

He said: “The following significant issues, although not found to be directly contributory, are noted by the jury.

“The healthcare professional was not consulted for assessment or advice from arrival at custody until Mr Aherne was found unresponsive in his cell. The removal of Mr Aherne's clothing was unnecessary and unjustified.

“The custody sergeant did not specifically task a member of staff with constant and close observation.

“An inadequate level of checks were made on Mr Aherne's condition and level of consciousness after closure of the cell door.”

Outlining a narrative conclusion, Mr Nieto said: “Mr Aherne died due to the physical and psychological stress of being restrained in police custody because he had significant ischemic heart disease, which was not known at the time.

He was also under the influence of cannabis and likely poor mental health, which added to his level of physical and psychological stress. He went into cardiac arrest which interrupted the supply of oxygen and blood to his brain which caused unsurvivable brain damage.”