10 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Police lose immunity plea in Azelle gun death inquiry

originally by: BBC News
published: 9th February 2012

Scotland Yard has lost a court bid for firearms officers to be allowed to give evidence from behind a screen at an inquiry into a fatal police shooting.

Police lawyers had asked the High Court to quash the inquiry chairman’s refusal to allow them to be screened from view. Azelle Rodney, 24, was in a car when an officer fired in Edgeware, north London, in April 2005.

The High Court ruled only the officer who fired the shots could be screened, not the 13 other officers involved. Police said the officers were fearful of potential “revenge attacks”.

1 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Unproven science used to ‘explain’ custody deaths

originally by: TBIJ
published: 31st January 2012

A controversial unproven syndrome with roots in the US is being used in British coroners’ courts to explain why people die after police restraint.

‘Excited delirium’ or ‘sudden-in-custody-death-syndrome’ is a niche diagnosis not yet recognised by the World Health Organisation or any international authority. A number of leading pathologists have expressed concern about the use of the term in inquests.

Listen to Programme >

Individuals in the throes of ‘excited delirium’ are described as aggressive, agitated, displaying bizarre behaviour, insensitive to pain and with superhuman strength until they collapse and die

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.