Christopher Alder's brother dies exactly 24 years after custody death

Christopher Alder died in police custody in Hull on 1 April 1998

A man died in a Hull psychiatric home exactly 24 years after the death of his older brother in police custody.

Christopher Alder, 37, choked to death while handcuffed on the floor of a Hull police station on 1 April 1998.

His younger brother Stephen Alder, who had schizophrenia, died of natural causes at Windermere House on 1 April 2022, a coroner has ruled.

Speaking after the ruling, his sister Janet said learning of the date of her younger brother's death was "a shock".

An inquest in Hull heard there were "no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement associated with his death".

"How did it happen on the first of April? That's one that I'll never be able to fathom," said Ms Alder, from Halifax.

"Most people would say it's a coincidence but to me I just think it's bizarre, and it just goes along with all the catalogue of events that's happened within the Alder family since 1998."

Janet Alder has been campaigning for justice since the death of her brother Christopher 25 years ago

Stephen Alder was the second sibling to die in psychiatric care after another brother, Emmanuelle, died in a facility the previous year. Their mother was admitted to hospital with a mental illness in the 1960s, Ms Alder said.

"I just feel sorry for my whole family. Just everything that's happened."

• 'I want truth over stranger in my brother's grave'

During the inquest, coroner Professor Paul Marks heard Stephen had "significant" health conditions including a benign salivary gland tumour, type II diabetes, heart failure and hypertensive heart disease.

The 56-year-old was "too weak to stand up" and had asked staff to take him to the toilet. As he stood up, he suddenly collapsed from his chair onto the floor. He died shortly after midday, the inquest was told.

Home Office pathologist Dr Christopher Johnson said: "There was no history of violence or that he'd been restrained.

"None of the drugs he was taking contributed to his death".

Mr Marks said a "valid do not attempt resuscitation" (DNR) order was in place and no attempt was made to resuscitate him as a result.

Susan Worrall, lead nurse at Windermere House, told the inquest Stephen "didn't like receiving medical treatment" and before his death, was refusing to eat.

But his mental health needs were reviewed by a GP and his care at the independent facility was "commensurate" with that received in the community," Mr Marks said.

Stephen Alder had been detained under the Mental Health Act at Windermere House on Birkdale Way, Hull, for 11 years before his death

Ms Alder said her younger brother suffered "psychiatric problems" after growing up in care.

An inquest in 2000 found Christopher was unlawfully killed and two years later, five Humberside Police officers were acquitted of misconduct and manslaughter charges, despite a report in 2006 saying four of the officers were guilty of the "most serious neglect of duty" and "unwitting racism".

More than a decade after his death, Christopher was discovered lying in a mortuary and in his grave was the body of a 77-year-old woman.

No-one has ever been held responsible for either incident.