Aston McLean Williams death: Dad may have lived '35 minutes'

Aston McLean Williams was chased by police who were responding to a burglary in Reading

A man crushed to death by a police car could have been trapped alive for up to 35 minutes, an inquest heard.

Aston McLean Williams, 27, died after he was chased by officers responding to a burglary and hit by an armed response vehicle (ARV) in Reading in 2014.

Police tried to lift the vehicle off him but stopped to prevent further injury, Reading Coroner's Court heard.

PC Ian McCarthy told the hearing: "We couldn't do anything first aid wise whilst he was trapped."

Neuropathologist Dr Safa Al-Sarraj told the jury-led inquest an examination of Mr McLean William's brain suggested he could have been alive for between 30 to 35 minutes.

Dr Al-Sarraj said the presence of a small amount of protein Beta APP meant a "minimum of cardiac output must have been present" because circulation was needed for the protein to leak into his brain.

The court also heard the fire brigade had been called two minutes from the incident happening.

PC McCarthy was later asked by Raj Desai, representing Mr McLean William's former partner, if he felt it was his responsibility to urgently call for the fire brigade.

The officer replied the ambulance had been called and it had not "jumped" to his head to call the fire brigade.

Senior Coroner Heidi Connor previously said the jury should consider whether officers at the scene should have responded differently to the situation facing them.

The inquest is ongoing.