Two Met Police officers accused of ‘dishonesty’ over death of man in custody
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Two Metropolitan Police officers who denied having heard a restrained man say “I can’t breathe” before he died in custody lied under oath at the inquest into his death, a misconduct panel has heard. Pc Danielle Barnes and Pc Elizabeth McAleenan are accused of having failed to ensure the welfare of a member of the public after Kevin Clarke, a relapsing paranoid schizophrenic, died in police custody at Lewisham Hospital in 2018.
It is alleged Pc Barnes and Pc McAleenan gave evidence that “was both dishonest and lacked integrity” at an inquest into Mr Clarke’s death, which in October 9 2020 found the decision by police to use restraints on Mr Clarke “escalated the situation to a medical emergency” and contributed to his death.
The inquest jury at the time had reviewed body-worn camera footage and found that it was “highly likely” that at least one officer heard Mr Clarke say “I can’t breathe” on more than one occasion. Both Pc Barnes and Pc McAleenan deny the allegations.
Amy Clarke, solicitor on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, told a misconduct panel sitting in central London on Monday: “Whilst these two officers are on the scene and interacting with Mr Clarke, at that point in the footage we can hear Mr Clarke say ‘I can’t breathe’.
“These officers, we say, did not take any positive action in order to ensure his welfare. “These officers were in close proximity with Mr Clarke at the time. “Following on from his death, there was an inquest, and at that inquest both officers were questioned about the allegation that Mr Clarke had said ‘I can’t breathe’ and that, effectively, these two officers had not done anything.”.
