Peterlee police failed in death of mentally ill man in cell

Jake Anderson had a history of mental health illnesses

Three police officers failed to properly monitor a man who died in a police cell, a watchdog has found.

Jake Anderson, 24, died while awaiting transport to a mental health unit from Peterlee Police Station in June 2019.

An inquest jury found his death was alcohol related. A coroner said there was "no evidence" different police actions would have saved his life.

His family said police "left him to die". Durham Police said it would "reflect on areas of improvement".

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Mr Anderson, from Chester-le-Street, was arrested at about 10:30 BST on 24 June and taken to Peterlee "where his mental health began to deteriorate".

A spokesman said: "He was seen by medical professionals who concluded he should be transferred to a mental health unit and he remained in custody until a bed could be found in a suitable facility."

Schizophrenia

He was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after midnight and pronounced dead a short time later.

The inquest concluded his death was caused by alcoholic ketoacidosis.

The IOPC said the detention sergeant "failed to adequately assess, review and record the appropriate levels of observation" for Mr Anderson and "failed to consider raising his observation level" once his mental health problems became known.

Mr Anderson's family said he was an alcoholic with a history of mental health issues including schizophrenia, a personality disorder and anxiety, which he told police about but officers failed to respond to properly.

His family also said police failed to give him food or drink.

'Obvious signs missed'

The IOPC said two detention officers "failed to conduct appropriate checks" and "failed to accurately record the result of the checks".

After misconduct meetings, the sergeant and one of the officers were given written warnings and the other officer received "formal management advice", the IOPC said.

Mr Anderson's mother Alison said: "We strongly believe Jake was left to die in those last hours of his life with no one caring for him at all."

Jodie Anderson from the charity Inquest said: "Custody staff missed obvious signs that Jake was in distress and agitated signs that a medical response was urgently required."

Jake Anderson was found unresponsive in a cell at Peterlee Police Station in the early hours of 25 June 2019

County Durham assistant coroner Oliver Longstaff said checks were not properly carried out and the "frequency at which refreshments were offered throughout his detention was unsatisfactory".

"There is no evidence to suggest that if the management of Mr Anderson had been different that this would have had an effect on the overall outcome," he said.

A spokesman for Durham Police said: "The death of Jake Anderson was a tragedy and we continue to offer our deepest sympathies to Mr Anderson's family and friends.

"We will now take time to reflect on areas of improvement in our detention procedures and custody regime arising from the conclusion of the inquest."