Man died after prison restraint, inquest hears

Josh Tarrant arrived at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey on 31 October

A man died hours after being restrained by prison officers on his first night in custody, an inquest has heard.

Josh Tarrant, 34, arrived at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on 31 October. He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in the early hours of 1 November.

On Thursday, jurors at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court were told Mr Tarrant had a psychotic episode related to cocaine intoxication, which led to him being restrained and moved between cells.

He was restrained multiple times over two hours as officers moved him from a standard cell to a "safe cell" and then to another, the court heard.

Forensic pathologist Dr Ginni Fitzpatrick-Swallow said "exertion during restraint" made Mr Tarrant "more vulnerable" to death from cocaine intoxication.

She told the court the restraint had "more than a minimal contribution because it was prolonged", but could not say whether he would have died from the cocaine intoxication alone.

"It's the duration of it and the nature of it and having to walk a long way up and down stairs, falling to the floor and getting back up again," said Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow.

On the evening of 31 October, six officers attended Mr Tarrant's cell and brought him out, holding him around his upper body, then walked a short distance before he fell, the court heard.

"Several officers surround him at floor level, there's a struggle on the ground," the report read.

Eventually he was brought back to his feet with arm restraints over his shoulders and walked and then carried to a "safe cell".

At various points, Mr Tarrant was noted to be breathing very heavily and his head hit the side of his cell as prison officers carried him to it, the court heard.

Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow said Mr Tarrant died from cocaine intoxication with a background of exertion during restraint and cardiac hypertrophy.

Mr Tarrant was charged with criminal damage, dangerous driving, assault causing actual bodily harm, and robbery after crashing a Nissan Qashqai in Sittingbourne on 28 October.

The inquest continues.