Sean Rigg: Met police 'cover-up' over custody death

Sean Rigg died while in police custody in 2008

Met Police officers instigated a "cover-up" following the death of a musician who was taken to Brixton Police station, a misconduct hearing has been told.

Sean Rigg, who had schizophrenia, died in custody in August 2008 after he was restrained.

PCs Andrew Birks, Richard Glasson, Matthew Forward and Mark Harratt and custody Sgt Paul White are facing misconduct charges.

All five deny the charges.

Apart from Birks, they are all accused of lying about the events in order to mask their behaviour to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) or the jury at Mr Rigg's inquest.

Gerard Boyle QC, representing the Met, said multiple witnesses reported Mr Rigg acting as if in the grips of a mental crisis, and if officers searched the police computer for the name on his passport they would have found his medical history.

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Instead, Mr Riggs was unjustifiably arrested on suspicion of stealing the passport, handcuffed and held face-down in the prone position for an "excessive" period, Mr Boyle said.

He added: "Mr Rigg should have been treated by the officers as a medical emergency.

"It's simply staggering that the officers did not consider the role of mental health issues."

The 40-year-old musician died after being held in the prone position by officers for eight minutes

White, the custody sergeant, expressed a "cavalier and lackadaisical" attitude to Rigg and even falsely assumed he was under the influence of drugs or "feigning" his condition, Mr Boyle said.

Mr Boyle added: "In an attempt to cover up their behaviour, Glasson, Harratt, Forward and White have lied to investigating officers and/or a jury."

Mr Rigg was arrested in Balham in August 2008 after he was aiming karate kicks at members of the public for no apparent reason.

He was restrained in the prone position by three officers for more than seven minutes and later died after suffering a heart attack.

All five officers are accused of misconduct over Mr Rigg's arrest and treatment in custody.

Glasson, Forward, Harratt and White are further accused of giving dishonest accounts of what happened.

Lawyers acting for the five failed to get misconduct charges dismissed last week after they argued proceedings should be dropped because it had taken too long to bring the case against them.

A Met Police panel ruled the men could still face a fair hearing.

The hearing continues.