Adverse incident in custody - South Wales Police, November 2016

At 3.35pm on 7 November 2016, South Wales Police officers arrested a man for attempted burglary and took him to Swansea Central custody suite. When being booked into custody, the man told the custody sergeant that he had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and that he had harmed himself by cutting open his abdomen while in prison six months previously. During a routine search, the man said that he could not remove a ring he was wearing. He was therefore allowed to retain it when taken to a cell.

The custody sergeant recorded details of the man's medical conditions and decided that he should be subject to a ‘level 1’ care plan, requiring welfare checks every thirty minutes.

The next day, the man was interviewed. He was returned to his cell and began to harm himself using a sharpened zip-pull from his hooded top to re-open what appears to have been a previous surgical wound in the area of his abdomen, which had nearly healed. This behaviour was not identified by custody officers and staff. The CCTV did not indicate that this caused any significant bleeding.

Shortly before charging the man, the officer who had interviewed him told the custody sergeant that a ring which the man had been wearing in custody and during his interview needed to be seized as evidence. The man showed his hands to the custody sergeant and told officers that they would never find the ring. He was subsequently strip searched and his injuries were discovered.

He was transported to hospital, where his wound was stitched, and was then returned to custody with no apparent lasting ill effects.

During the investigation, our investigators reviewed the man's custody record and CCTV and interviewed the officers who were responsible for his welfare under misconduct caution.

The investigation found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

After reviewing our report, the force agreed with our findings.

Our investigation highlighted some issues with the CCTV system at Swansea Central custody suite. South Wales Police Custody Services agreed to review the current CCTV viewing provision.