Alice Springs watch-house death of Kwementyaye Briscoe 'preventable', says NT coroner
- From: AAP
- September 17, 2012
NORTHERN Territory Coroner Greg Cavanagh has slammed police and called for a shake-up of how they treat people in watch-houses, after the death in custody of an Aboriginal man earlier this year.
The man, known since his death as Kwementyaye Briscoe, died at the Alice Springs watch-house hours after being arrested on January 4 for being excessively drunk.
"I find that the care, supervision and treatment of the deceased while being held in custody by the Northern Territory police was completely inadequate and unsatisfactory, and not sufficient to meet his medical needs," Mr Cavanagh said on Monday.
Some officers were utterly derelict in their duties and immature in the way they behaved, he said.
"This lack of care resulted in his death. That is to say this death was preventable and it should not have occurred," he said in his findings on Mr Briscoe's death.
After the death of Mr Briscoe protests were held as far away as Sydney, with allegations raised that he was bashed by police while in custody.
The coroner said the probable cause of Mr Briscoe's death was a combination of being very drunk, positional asphyxia and aspiration, which obstructed his airways.
Up to 10 police officers had been formally disciplined over errors and failures in relation to Mr Briscoe on the night he died.
Constable Gareth Evans dragged Mr Briscoe into a reception area and used "undue vigour" to sling him towards a counter, but the coroner did not believe he committed any offence.
While in the back of a police van, Mr Briscoe had drunk most of a 700ml bottle of rum carried by another prisoner who had not been searched properly.
That may have raised Mr Briscoe's blood alcohol to a potentially fatal level, the coroner found.
At the watch-house, despite being unable to answer a single question in a risk assessment procedure, Mr Briscoe was judged "fit for custody".
Two probationary constables on duty at the time, David O'Keefe and Janice Kershaw, came in for special criticism by the coroner.
He said despite a "clear direction" from watch-house commander Sergeant Andrew Barram, Constables O'Keefe and Kershaw failed to keep Mr Briscoe under close observations.
"In doing so they were utterly derelict in their duty of care to him," Mr Cavanagh said.
"They were distracted apparently by various things including an iPhone, iPod and the internet."
Mr Cavanagh recommended police be instructed not to drag prisoners around and consider obtaining a wheelchair, stretcher or other device to transport prisoners who were unable to walk.
He said police should operate watch-house rosters to ensure the role of watch-house keeper was maintained.
The NT government should provide nurses on a daily basis to watch-houses in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek, he said.
He urged an urgent meeting including Alice Springs police, government agencies and the People's Alcohol Action Coalition to tackle alcohol problems.
"I acknowledge the significant efforts taken by the Northern Territory government to address problem drinking, but something more must be done," he said.
AAP
