Adverse incident in custody - North Wales Police, February 2018

On 17 February 2018 North Wales Police officers arrested a man on a failure to appear at court warrant and transported him to a custody suite. Following an examination by a healthcare professional (HCP), the man was taken to hospital, where he remained overnight. The man then spent the following day in the custody suite before being transported once again to hospital after complaining of chest pains.

Upon arrival at hospital the man appears to have collapsed and, while first aid was being administered, a white plastic bag became visible, clenched between his buttocks. This package and another were removed by a doctor; it is believed both packages contained controlled drugs.

Our investigation considered the circumstances surrounding how the man had drugs concealed during a period of detention by North Wales Police.

We obtained accounts from a number of officers who had dealings with the man, including the arresting and custody officer. We examined body-worn video taken by the arresting officer together with CCTV from the custody suite. We reviewed other documents, such as the custody record, and considered the actions of the officers in line with policy and procedures.

The evidence indicates the decision making of the officers appears to be in line with the information and intelligence available to them at the time. The man was searched upon arrest and he stripped voluntarily when he arrived at the custody suite. The intelligence that existed in relation to the man was used to inform this decision making. Measures put in place while the man was in custody appear to be adequate based upon the information known at the time.

The investigation found there was no evidence to indicate the police may have caused or contributed to the man suffering an injury by losing consciousness in hospital.