Other Custody Deaths

Larry Fedja

New injustice in Christopher Alder case as no cops will face inquiry for using his body for training

Christopher Aldersource: Socialist Worker
published: 29 July 2014

Police have admitted they may have used the body of Christopher Alder for “training purposes” for years after his family believed they had buried him.

And now the cops’ watchdog has said it will not investigate the revelations.

Christopher died in custody at Hull’s Queen’s Gardens Police Station in April 1998. In 2011 it was revealed that his body had gone unburied for over a decade and was lying in the mortuary of Hull Royal Infirmary.

An exhumation revealed that the body of 77 year old Grace Kamara had been given to the Alder family instead. During a police investigation into the scandal one officer said she had seen the body of Christopher after his supposed funeral.

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Tippa Naphtali

Kingsley Burrell police officers won’t be charged

Kingsley Burrellsource: The Voice Online
published: 1 July 2014

Four police officers at the centre of a probe into the death of father-of-two Kingsley Burrell will not be prosecuted.

Burrell, a 29-year-old trainee security guard, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, four days after being arrested by police on March 27, 2011.

His family said he dialled 999 for help because he felt he was being intimidated by a group of men while out walking with his five-year-old son. However, officers detained him under the Mental Health Act. He was later admitted to the Mary Seacole Mental Health Unit before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth.

It took more than four months to suspend the officers involved, sparking outrage from Burrell’s family.

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Tippa Naphtali

Inquest Jury watched moment Birmingham dad collapsed in cell as officers laughed and joked outside

Jan Butler, mother of Lloyd Butler - pic by Linda Chapman
Jan Butler, mother of Lloyd Butler – pic by Linda Chapman

source: Birmingham Mail 
published: 18 June 2014

A jury watched the horrific moment a Birmingham dad collapsed face down in his police cell and went into cardiac arrest – after ‘distracted’ officers had been laughing and joking outside. CCTV showed officers browsing the force Facebook page and chatting about the Blues before Lloyd Butler, 39, staggered around his cell and later hit his head on the wall.

The dad-of-two was supposed to be on “constant watch” but PC Dean Woodcock, giving evidence, admitted officers had failed to check on his condition every 30 minutes, and later every 15 minutes. He confessed there had been “distractions” from colleagues.

Mr Butler, from Tile Cross, was taken to Stechford police station on August 4, 2010, after reportedly becoming aggressive towards his family when he returned from drinking with friends and appeared drunk.

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