Overdose led to prisoner’s death
A dad who became ill after being arrested died from a cocaine overdose, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.
Police officers who struggled to take Steven Chesney from their van into a police station should have realised he was in need of hospital treatment, a senior colleague admitted.
The 33-year-old appeared to be having a seizure, but CCTV at the police station in Motherwell showed officers telling him repeatedly to “calm down”. He was still in handcuffs.
After he became unresponsive Mr Chesney’s pulse was checked and he was given CPR. He was eventually taken to Wishaw General Hospital where he died.
An inquiry into his death in May 2016 is being held at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
Mr Chesney was arrested after allegedly brandishing a machete in the street near his home in Biggar Road, Cleland.
Officers claimed he was fine until they arrived at the police station five miles away.
However, Kareen Pattenden, an investigator with the Police Inv e s t i gations and Review Commissioner, who viewed the police station CCTV, said she believed PC David Williamson had given a different version of events on the film.
Ms Pattenden told the inquiry she had transcribed what had been said while officers were with Mr Chesney in a holding area of the police station.
According to her transcript, PC Williamson had told a colleague: “He was all right until we put him in the cell van then he started with all this.”
PC Williamson denied this and insisted what he’d actually said was that the prisoner was fine “until we got him out of the van”.
Questioned by solicitor advocate Urfan Dar, representing Mr Chesney’s family, Ms Pattenden stood by her transcript.
She told the court: “I’m quite clear what was said.”
Ms Pattenden also claimed to hear Mr Chesney telling officers “I’m ill” as he was being taken into the police station.
In the CCTV footage an officer could be heard repeatedly telling Mr Chesney to “calm yourself down” and asking “what are you up to?” Officers could also be heard discussing the circumstances of his arrest.
The inquiry heard that the custody sergeant then decided Mr Chesney was in such a state he should be taken to hospital.
Chief Inspector Mark Paterson, who reviewed the footage, stressed he did not believe the officers who had arrested Mr Chesney had acted “inappropriately”, but added: “The view taken by the custody staff that Mr Chesney was not in a fit state to come into custody was one the officers should have been able to take themselves.”
Gordon Williams, solicitor for PC Paul Steel, one of the officers who transported Mr Chesney to the police station, insisted the prisoner’s behaviour in the back of the police van had given no cause for concern.
Addressing Chief Inspector Paterson, Mr Williams said: “He was handcuffed in the rear of the van, whispering, tapping his feet and winking at Constable Steel. But when the van doors opened at the police station there was a sudden and dramatic change in his demeanour. That might lead an experienced police officer to assume he was at it, feigning some kind of illness, possibly a seizure.”
The officer replied: “I could not argue with that.”
Mr Williams added: “In fact he was seriously ill, but we know that now with the benefit of hindsight.”
Philip Briggs, a Police Scotland first aid instructor, who also viewed the footage, said Mr Chesney was struggling to “maintain his balance” and could be seen “twitching” as he was being helped towards the police station from the car park.
The inquiry, before Sheriff Douglas Brown continues and he is due to give written findings later.