Family win right to new inquest

The O'Reilly family won a High Court ruling on March 8 quashing the inquest verdict and the ordering of a new inquest into the death of 64 year old Irishman John Leo O'Reilly who died in police custody in July 1994. This important judgement will give the family an opportunity to thoroughly question those police officers responsible for his care in Little Park police station in Coventry.

Mr O'Reilly was held in the police station for over 13 hours after being arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly when he fell near his home. On admission to Walsgrave hospital he was deemed to be deeply unconscious. He subsequently died from a serious head injury sustained before he was brought into police custody. His family believe the police were negligent in failing to spot his injury and that their behaviour was motivated by anti-Irish stereotypes in assuming his condition was due to drunkenness.

Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act code of practice standards of care of those in custody are lower when the detained person is thought to be drunk, leading to a disturbingly high number of deaths in such cases. Normally, if a detainee 'does not show signs of awareness or fails to respond normally to questions or conversation', the police are required to call a doctor immediately - unless this condition is 'through drunkenness alone'.

INQUEST has frequently expressed concern about these deaths which are due to inadequate training of police officers and surgeons; failure by officers to summon medical help promptly and to give adequate information to doctors when they are called; and failure by police surgeons to recognise existing medical conditions or injuries. As a result, lives are needlessly lost.

The new inquest on Mr O'Reilly is an opportunity for his family to learn the truth and for lessons to be learnt which may avert future tragedies.

previous article ·  April '96 index of LLB ·  write to LLB ·  LLB home page ·  next article