Detention centre failures led to death of asylum seeker

originally by: The Guardian
published: 25 May 2012

Neglect by immigration detention centre staff contributed to the death of a Pakistani asylum seeker after he suffered a heart attack, an inquest jury has found.

Staff at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, near Heathrow airport, failed to call 999 soon enough, to administer CPR or have a working defibrillator available, an inquest at West London coroner’s court, found.

Muhammad Shukat, 47, a driver from Islamabad, died following a cardiac arrest last July. His 19-year-old roommate Abdul Khan pressed the emergency buzzer 10 times over a period of almost two hours, trying but failing to get Shukat, a man he called “uncle”, help.

28 January 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Boy found unconscious at HM Prison Cookham Wood dies

originally by: BBC News
published: 26th January 2012

A 15-year-old boy has died after being found unconscious in his cell at a young offenders institution in Kent. The Prison Service said Alex Kelly had been identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm, but did not give details of the boy’s condition when he was found. Kelly was taken to hospital from HMP Cookham Wood, near Rochester, but he later died, a spokeswoman said.

He had been serving a 10-month sentence for burglary and theft from a vehicle. The teenager was found in his cell at about 20:30 GMT on Tuesday.

Staff tried to resuscitate him and paramedics attended before he was taken to hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 19:30 GMT on Wednesday.

29 November 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Anger at Met Police tactics on demo

Police Line - by Stephen Gent 2011 — by Stephen Gent

all credits: Socialist Worker
published: 23rd November 2011

Campaigners challenged Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan‑Howe last Thursday over “aggressive and degrading treatment” at a recent demonstration against deaths in custody. The activists from the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC) demanded answers at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

The UFFC’s annual march for justice took place last month. The 500-strong demonstration ended with a noisy, but peaceful protest on the road outside Downing Street.