Policemen cleared of lying to inquest about Kingsley Burrell’s death

Three policemen have been cleared of lying to an inquest following the death of a patient at a mental health unit.

Paul Adey, Mark Fannon and Paul Greenfield were acquitted by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday after they were charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice.

It was alleged that they had repeatedly lied about a cloth being placed over the head of Kingsley Burrell, 29, who died following a heart attack in March 2011.

The officers had detained Mr Burrell after they were called to a disturbance.

The court was told numerous witnesses had seen head or face covered with either a towel, sheet or blanket when he was put into a seclusion room at the Oleaster mental health unit in Birmingham.

The West Midlands Police constables were accused of lying during an initial inquiry into Mr Burrell’s death, and at a coroner’s hearing that followed.

Jurors deliberated for almost 10 hours before clearing the officers, who had denied all of the charges against them during the three-week trial.

West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said: "Our officers had a number of interactions with Mr Burrell in the four days prior to his death so we voluntarily referred the case to the IPCC – we have fully co-operated with all requests made by their investigators.

"The role these three officers played in the detention of Mr Burrell has now been thoroughly examined by independent investigators – and there has never been any suggestion they were criminally responsible for Mr Burrell’s death.

"We do not underestimate the impact this investigation has had on Kingsley’s family, the wider community and the officers; we share concerns that this investigation has taken such a length of time."

Ms Rolfe said lessons had been learned following the case on how to deal with people with mental health needs.

She added: "In 2013 we launched a mental health triage scheme which sees officers teamed with paramedics and psychiatric nurses on a specialist vehicle to respond to calls involving people thought to be experiencing mental ill health.

"The team provides on-the-spot assessments, often in the street or in private property, which has led to a dramatic drop in the number of people deemed necessary to detain under the Mental Health Act."

Mr Burrell’s family has since spoken out against the decision and his sister Kadisha Brown-Burrell has vowed to continue fighting for justice.

Family spokesman Desmond Jaddoo has called for a fresh review of all the evidence surrounding Mr Burrell’s death – as well as a full public inquiry into the circumstances of the father-of-three’s treatment.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which concluded the officers had cases to answer for gross misconduct following two investigations, has said it will be in contact with West Midlands Police "regarding the outstanding issue of disciplinary proceedings".

(c) Sky News 2017: Policemen cleared of lying to inquest about Kingsley Burrell’s death