Footage shows man’s final hours in police custody

A JURY in the case of a police officer accused of manslaughter following the death of a man in custody has been shown footage of the deceased’s last hours.

David McGowan was pronounced dead just over two and a half hours after arriving at Lisburn PSNI station in May 2014.

Footage of a clearly intoxicated Mr McGowan being booked into the custody suite was played at Belfast Crown Court yesterday.

It shows both staff members and a doctor checking Mr McGowan (28) in his cell, before the alarm was raised that he had vomited and wasn’t breathing.

As the trial entered its fourth day, Sergeant Brian McKenna — who was in charge of the custo- dy suite on the evening of May 29, 2014 and into the following morning — watched the footage from the dock.

Sgt McKenna, whose address was given care of PSNI Lisburn station, has been charged with both causing Mr McGowan’s manslaughter and misconduct in a public office. He denies both.

Mr McGowan was arrested along with his girlfriend Kirsty Pinkerton on the evening of May 29. He arrived at the custody suite just after 11pm.

Within minutes he asked to see a doctor, claiming his foot had been broken by a police officer.

Minutes after Mr McGowan was put in his cell, a civilian custody officer told Sgt McKenna “he has taken something else as well. He has white powder in his mouth and he said he had taken 40 tablets”. McKenna replied: “Well he’ll sleep well.”

The footage showed a doctor arriving at 11.47pm and at 12.06am he went into Mr McGowan’s cell. At this point, it appears from the footage that Mr McGowan is asleep.

Sgt McKenna said: “There is no doubt he had taken something he was not meant to.”

The jury has already heard that after McGowan’s arrival at the custody suite, Sgt McKenna found several tablets lying on the floor.

Following checks, concerns were raised about Mr McGowan’s breathing. An ambulance was called at 1.07am and, despite CPR being administered, he was pronounced dead at 1.47am.

At hearing.