Choking man was handcuffed by cops

ANDY DONE-JOHNSON

POLICE handcuffed a Burton man who was choking to death in a medical room because they 'thought he might be faking it', an inquest has heard.

Painter and decorator Sean Beard swallowed a tennis ball-sized wrap of amphetamines as police conducted a strip search at Burton Police Station on November 21, 2005.

The 39-year-old had been arrested at 1am by police after he was spotted driving his red Renault Megane car suspiciously.

He was taken to the police station where a basic search was conducted of his clothing before he was taken into the station's medical room for a full body search.

PC Richard Kimberley, who arrested Mr Beard, of Orchard Park, said that the married father had reached into his underwear pulled out the bag of drugs and stuffed it into his mouth.

He was then restrained by two other officers, Sergeant Christopher Douglas and PC John Edwards, while PC Kimerbley placed his hand 'in a blade like motion' under Mr Beard's Adams apple.

PC Kimberley said that he had done this in a bid to stop Mr Beard from swallowing the package, although he admitted under cross examination that this was not text book procedure and had done it as an instinctive reaction to stop Mr Beard from swallowing the drugs.

During the struggle, which could have lasted up to 20 seconds, the lights were accidentally knocked off and when they were turned back on Mr Beard appeared to be in difficulty, the inquest heard.

Denying that he had not taken Mr Beard's apparent choking seriously PC Kimberley said: "I looked at his face and his eyes were bulging and his face was red and I thought that he might be choking. I immediately took my hand away from his throat but he was still struggling and kicking out."

Mr Beard was then forced into handcuffs by PC Kimberley and the other officers who forced him to the floor.

PC Kimberley then placed his finger inside Mr Beard's mouth to retrieve the package but was unable to do so."

Officers then slapped Mr Beard hard on the back several times before using the Heinrich manouevre in a last ditch bid to try to clear his airways.

But as police monitored Mr Beard as he lay on the floor of the medical room his breathing stopped and they could no longer detect a pulse, PC Kimberley said.

Representing Mr Beard's widow, Maria, Sean Horstead said that PC Kimberley was aware that the tradesman had a history of mental illness and had been sectioned under the mental health act just two months before his death.

He also accused PC Kimberley of thinking that Mr Beard was pretending to choke.

"Thrusting your hand into his throat was a very silly thing to do; I would go as far as to say it was dangerous.

"Mr Beard was moved to the floor area after he was handcuffed but you thought he may be faking it and this remained a consideration."

According to toxicology reports Mr Beard had consumed a large quantity of alcohol and amphetamines prior to his death. There was also evidence that he had taken cannabis, although it was uncertain whether the substance was active in his system at the time of his death.

When paramedics arrived they used long forceps to remove the package which contained six individual wraps of amphetamine from Mr Beard's throat. He was taken to Burton's Queen's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

(Proceeding).