IOPC investigating death of arrested man in St Austell

The 34 year old fell ill on the way to Newquay police station and died in hospital

Author: Simon McleanPublished 21st Jul 2023

The Independent Office For Police Conduct is investigating the death of a man who was arrested near St Austell earlier this month.

The 34-year-old man was arrested at 10.30am on the 13th of July after reports of a car being driven erratically in the area.

The IOPC says the man was handcuffed and taken in the rear of a police van on the 17-mile journey to Newquay police station, but became unwell.

When he arrived at the custody unit, officers administered first aid in the yard of the station, and he was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead at around 12.35 pm.

The IOPC says it has gathered accounts from the main police officers involved and is reviewing police body worn video footage, along with CCTV from the police station.

A post mortem held on Tuesday proved inconclusive and further tests are being carried out.

IOPC director David Ford said: “We have spoken to the man’s next of kin to express our sincere condolences and advise them of our investigation.

"As he was in the custody of Devon & Cornwall Police at the time he became unwell, it is important that we independently examine all the circumstances.

"Our investigation will consider the man’s arrest, the level of care provided to him during the journey to Newquay and on arrival at the police station, and whether officers acted in accordance with policies and procedures.”

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.