6th September 2012

The Crown Prosecution Service announced today that it would prosecute two police officers following the death of Colin Holt, who died while under police restraint on 30 August 2010.

Mr Holt suffered from mental health problems and had absconded from the hospital where he had been sectioned.  Police went to his flat where he was restrained.  He subsequently died from positional asphyxia.

The officers have been charged with misconduct in a public office.

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST said:

“INQUEST is deeply concerned at the high number of police related deaths of people with mental illness in circumstances involving the use of restraint.

“Charges in these cases are rare.  We hope that there will be proper effective scrutiny of the police actions in this tragic death and that they are properly held to account.”

Ends

Notes to editor:

1. The IPCC’s recently published statisticson deaths in police custody for 2011/12  revealed that nearly half (7 out 15) of those who died in or following police custody were identified as having mental health problems
2. INQUEST is working the family of Colin Holt.  The family is being represented by Mark Scott of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors.