Kelly Hartigan-Burns death: Officer loses custody death misconduct appeal

Kelly Hartigan-Burns, from Darwen, died in hospital in December 2016

An appeal against a gross misconduct ruling, which found a former police sergeant had "lost control" while dealing with an arrested woman who later died, has been dismissed.

Jason Marsden was working as a Lancashire Police custody sergeant when Kelly Hartigan-Burns, 35, was brought into a Blackburn police station.

She was later found unresponsive in a cell and died in December 2016.

A misconduct panel found he had failed to properly assess Ms Hartigan-Burns.

Mr Marsden, who retired before the hearing took place, appealed against the decision at a hearing at County Hall in Preston.

Kelly Hartigan-Burns was taken to Greenbank Police Station in Blackburn

Ms Hartigan-Burns, from Darwen, had been arrested over an alleged assault but had earlier tried to take her own life.

A jury at an inquest into her death found if police "had shown more compassion" over her detention "there may have been a different outcome", adding that police failings had contributed to her death.

Ms Hartigan-Burns' death was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who examined the conduct of five officers and two custody detention officers.

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