Tragic dad in hotel ‘tussle’
A VULNERABLE dad-of-two was locked in a ‘tussle’ before police discovered him deeply unconscious, an inquest has heard.
Gavin Brown, who had paranoid schizophrenia, died at Salford Royal Hospital eight days after an altercation outside The Melville Hotel in Stretford.
An inquest into the 29-year-old’s death is taking place at South Manchester Coroners’ Court, in Stockport, where a jury has heard that police arrested Mr Brown before discovering he was unconscious and with a plastic bin bag over his face.
That followed an altercation which started between Mr Brown and Alain Kamga, a doorman at The Melville who claimed Mr Brown punched him twice before pressing onto his eyes, causing one of them to bleed.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage from the hours leading up to the altercation outside The Melville.
DCI Dave Jones, from Greater Manchester Police, described the footage via video link and answered questions at the hearing.
After drinking at the Head Bar on Chester Road on April 12, 2019, Mr Brown went to the Stretford Local shop on Barton Road. DCI Jones told jurors Mr Brown bought a pair of ‘magic gloves’ for £1.50 and asked if he could buy a single bin bag, but the store did not sell them individually, so the shopkeeper handed one to him from behind the counter. He then went to The Melville.
CCTV footage from inside the pub and to the side of the main entrance showed the altercation beginning at 8.21pm. A member of bar staff makes a 999 call at 8.22pm, which was played out to the jurors. “I think we’ve had an acid attack and someone has been stabbed in the eye,” he said. “He’s outside. The man who has done it has been detained by members of the public.
“He’s under citizen’s arrest – he’s not going anywhere. It would be best if an ambulance comes as soon as possible.”
The court heard that a struggle involving Mr Brown and others lasted for around seven minutes before police arrived.
Footage from an officer’s bodycam was shown to the court, which showed one man – Stefan O’Donnell – restraining Mr Brown as police arrived. Both men could be seen lying on their sides, with Mr O’Donnell behind Mr Brown and with his arm close to his face, where the plastic bin bag could also be seen.
The court heard that police began to arrest Mr Brown – but sound from the bodycam footage played to jurors described the chilling moment the officer realised Mr Brown was not well. Andrew Bridgman, assistant coroner for Manchester South, asked DCI Jones why the officer making the arrest did not notice the plastic bag over Mr Brown’s face at the time – insisting it was ‘clear’ in the video. He said: “With respect, we are now looking for that because we know about it.” He added: “But I accept that, looking at that now, it sticks out like a sore thumb.”
Describing the moment he first went outside, Mr O’Donnell said: “There was some tussling going on. Tussling is the best word to describe it.” Mr O’Donnell described his technique as a ‘chokehold,’ a ‘choker’ and a ‘wraparound’ during evidence he gave to police – and told jurors he had his forearm against Mr Brown’s chin, which was against his chest.
Mr Bridgman asked Mr O’Donnell on several occasions if he felt this could have caused Mr Brown to lose consciousness, or if he noticed Mr Brown losing consciousness, but Mr O’Donnell chose not to answer the questions.
He said Mr Brown ‘only became quiet when we heard the police sirens,’ and said there were 90 seconds between Mr Brown struggling to lose his grip before he was finally released for officers to arrest him.
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