Latest news with #KaineFletcher
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Police considered taking Nottingham dad in crisis in to custody
Officers who restrained a man while he was having a mental health crisis considered arresting him "for assault" while he resisted being detained, an inquest has Fletcher died at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on 3 July 2022 after being detained under the Mental Health were called to the 26-year-old's accommodation, at young people's charity YMCA, to carry out a welfare check following concerns he was Dylan Scally, who assisted in the restraint of Mr Fletcher, told Nottingham Coroner's Court it was discussed with a supervisor that he could be taken to a custody suite, but added that would not have been a decision he would have made. Police issued a Section 136 order - an emergency police power under the Mental Health Act - to detain Mr Fletcher after he became paranoid and withdrew his consent to be taken to a hospital by officers. Support was called for and Mr Fletcher was restrained by multiple officers using force, the court heard. During the incident, Mr Fletcher was struck by three officers as a "distraction tactic" to stop him biting down hard on his fingers, the inquest was told. PC Scally, who struck him on the jaw during the incident, told the jury: "All I can say is that I needed to do what I had to do to release his fingers from his mouth. "I never wanted to be punching or striking anyone. I felt I did what I had to just to save his limbs." Mr Fletcher shouted "help" several times, kicked his legs around, and spat at officers during the incident, the inquest heard. 'Unaware of policy' The court heard that under police policy, the "appropriate mode of transport" for a person detained under Section 136 was an ambulance, and that according to a "service level agreement" it should have attended the incident within 30 minutes. However, an ambulance was not called once the emergency power was actioned. In their evidence, PC Scally, PC Steven Thompson and PC Hannah Bodle said they were unaware of the policy.A fourth officer, PC Simnett, told the court he had not seen such a policy but was aware of what he understood to be "guidance" around calling an ambulance for a Section 136 patient. He said: "I was satisfied that calling an ambulance at that time was not appropriate."At the point at which I identified it was a medical emergency, I called an ambulance." PC Simnett added there was "careful consideration" for the position Mr Fletcher was placed in during the incident and that any restraint was "purely for the safety of him and officers". Mr Fletcher had been diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder in 2020 and also struggled with a drug addiction for several years. The inquest, which began on 30 June, heard Mr Fletcher's medical cause of death was recorded as the "physiological effects of physical exertion combined with the toxic effects of cocaine and other substances".The inquest continues. If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- BBC News
PC said force used during mental health crisis was proportionate
An officer involved in the detainment and restraint of a 26-year-old man during a mental health crisis has told an inquest the force used was "proportionate". Kaine Fletcher died at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on the morning of 3 July 2022, hours after he was detained under the Mental Health Act. Nottingham Coroner's Court heard how the father of two, who had not been accused of a crime, was placed in handcuffs, leg restraints and a spit guard, and restrained on a pavement during the Hannah Bodle, who used emergency powers to detain him, told the inquest "every decision that was made at that time was made in the best interests" of Mr Fletcher. The jury inquest began on 30 June and has heard Mr Fletcher had been diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder in 2020. He had also struggled with a drug addiction for several years. Nottinghamshire Police officers attended the young people's charity YMCA, where Mr Fletcher was staying on 3 July, after a family member called 999 over concerns he might be at risk of court heard there was an eight-hour wait for an ambulance that night, so police were asked to attend to carry out a welfare check. In her evidence, PC Bodle said the 26-year-old's room was "in disarray" and described him as "erratic, difficult to understand" and said he "appeared distressed". After initially agreeing to go with the two officers to hospital for a mental assessment, he left the accommodation and got into their police car. However, moments later, Mr Fletcher no longer believed the pair were police officers and became more distressed, the court heard. Her colleague's body-worn camera footage showed PC Bodle used her warrant card to prove her identity, but 23 seconds later, while Mr Fletcher was still unconvinced, she detained him under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Section 136 gives police emergency powers that allow them to remove a person to a place of safety if they believe it is necessary. Mr Fletcher resisted being detained, and the inquest heard how a number of other officers attended shortly after. Mr Fletcher was restrained in the police car for 10 minutes with handcuffs and leg restraints. After hitting his head on the inside of the police car, he was removed and further restrained on the pavement, the court heard. Mr Fletcher was eventually lifted into a police van by officers but began hitting his head against the inside of the was then decided he could not be transported to hospital "in that manner".The court heard Mr Fletcher said he was struggling to breathe on two occasions and at one point asked to be taken to Bodle told the inquest Mr Fletcher's physical condition was monitored "throughout" the period of restraint. When asked by coroner Alexandra Pountey whether she would agree the involvement of more officers was likely to "escalate the situation", PC Bodle said "you could argue that". PC Bodle said she believed trying to "contain" Mr Fletcher, who she said was "clearly in a mental health crisis", was the right thing to do to ensure he did not abscond and potentially bring harm to himself."The force that was used was proportionate, I believe," she said. The court heard PC Bodle did not put on her body-worn camera until after the incident had escalated. At one point during his detainment outside the accommodation, the court heard PC Bodle "struck him on the legs" which she did not include in her initial "use of force report", a form used to document physical force used by police against an individual. She told the court: "It was done after a very tiresome, emotional incident - if it wasn't on there it wasn't done deliberately."The inquest you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nottingham man called police during 'episode' day before death
A man who died after being detained under the Mental Health Act had called police the day before while having an "episode" but was not sectioned, an inquest has Fletcher, who had been diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder, died at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on 3 July 2022 after being restrained while in a state of "distress".The day before, the 26-year-old had called police from his mother's house saying he would "kill somebody" if they did not attend and said he had taken Coroner's Court heard on Tuesday that, despite showing symptoms of a mental health disorder, he was taken back to his accommodation by officers. Under the Mental Health Act, Section 136 gives police emergency powers to remove an individual who appears to be having a mental health disorder to a place of jury inquest into Mr Fletcher's death, led by assistant coroner Alexandra Pountey, began on Fletcher's medical cause of death was recorded as the "physiological effects of physical exertion combined with the toxic effects of cocaine and other substances". The father of two was at his mother's house on 2 July when he called the police, but had been staying at the young people's charity body-worn video footage played in court showed that on officers' arrival to the house, Mr Fletcher was shirtless, sweating profusely and not making sense when speaking to them. He told officers he had been "made to believe" he was "crazy" and made reference to blood-stained clothing which was not real.A street triage team - made up of mental health practitioners and police officers - attended as well as an footage showed Mr Fletcher was physically assessed by ambulance workers, with his blood pressure and heart rate checked. 'No formal assessment' Community mental health nurse David Todd attended as part of the street triage was responsible for assessing Mr Fletcher's mental health and helping to determine what actions should be taken. Mr Todd told the court: "Initially I thought Kaine might have had symptoms of ABD [acute behavioural disorder] but later didn't." He said Mr Fletcher had "got his shirt back on" and "slowed down" and therefore did not believe a Section 136 was Todd added: "I considered that after his ambulance assessment he wanted to go back to his accommodation." However, the court heard no "formal assessment" took place. The inquest also heard that Mr Fletcher had been referred by his GP to Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust due to his mental health in February 2022, but never received any treatment. Mr Fletcher did receive help for substance abuse but the coroner said there "seemed to be a gap" between treatment for substance abuse and mental health issued. Stephen Simblet KC, representing Mr Fletcher's family, said he fell into that gap. The inquest continues.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Dad detained under Mental Health Act before death
A man died in hospital after being detained by police while under "acute mental distress", an inquest has heard. Kaine Fletcher died at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on 3 July 2022 after police were called by a family member over concerns for his wellbeing. On Monday, a jury inquest into the circumstances of the 26-year-old's death began at Nottingham Coroner's Court. The father-of-two had struggled with addiction and had also been diagnosed with the paranoid personality disorder in the years prior to his death, the court heard. The inquest was told Mr Fletcher had been retrained by police and detained under the Mental Health Act in the early hours on the day he died. Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Biggs said he was told by police Mr Fletcher had been restrained for his own protection. His medical cause of death was recorded as "the physiological effects of physical exertion combined with the toxic effects of cocaine and other substances". Mr Biggs said he was told by Nottinghamshire Police that officers had been contacted by a family member "concerned for [Mr Fletcher's] mental health" the day before he died. He was seen by a nurse that day, and it was concluded that he would get an appointment at a later date. The family contacted police in the early hours of the following morning saying he "may have taken drugs" and was displaying symptoms of a mental health "disturbance", Mr Biggs told the inquest. The pathologist said he was told Mr Fletcher became "more agitated" once outside the house leading to officers trying to restrain him. He was told by police that Mr Fletcher was "headbutting the inside of the police vehicle and attempting to bite his own fingers". He was taken to hospital where he "continued to be distressed" and that required police to remain at the hospital with him, the inquest heard. Over the course of the morning, Mr Fletcher "deteriorated" and was said to have gone into cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 11:49 BST. The pathologist said Mr Fletcher had more than 20 separate injuries including bruising to his arms and wrists, a split lip and head injuries that he said were "consistent with the scenario" he was given. A toxicology report showed Mr Fletcher had cocaine and a number of medications in his system at the time of his death, including medication prescribed for mental health issues. Mr Biggs said on the balance of probabilities, he could not say either physical restraint or the effects of the substances found would be enough alone to cause Kaine's death but agreed that restraining somebody under the influence of drugs and mentally unwell "could be dangerous". Mr Fletcher had been diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder in 2020 and had spent time at a rehabilitation clinic on two occasions, according to family statements read out in court. He was the eldest of eight children to his mum Leah Fletcher and grew up in a "big and close-knit family" with his aunt and grandparents living on the same street in Strelley. In a statement read on Ms Fletcher's behalf, she said he was "the funny one in the family and very boisterous". Ms Fletcher said her son had an interest in mechanics, a passion for rap music – which was "how he expressed his feelings" – and "loved dogs". She added that in Year 10 of secondary school, her son "got into the wrong crowd" and believed it was then he began to "experiment to cannabis". Mr Fletcher and his partner Shannon Wright moved in together and had a son in 2016, followed by the birth of their daughter in 2020. In her statement, Ms Fletcher said "upsets within the family were very hard" for her son – including the death of his grandmother when he was 19, his daughter contracting meningitis as a newborn, and Ms Fletcher herself suffering a "traumatic brain injury" in 2021. Mr Fletcher began to "self-medicate with cocaine and alcohol" with his mum describing "episodes" when he would become "hard to recognise". His dad, Nathaniel Ameyaw, arranged for him to go to a residential rehabilitation service which had helped Mr Fletcher, but he went on to relapse. Mr Fletcher eventually went to stay with his mum, then moved to the young people's charity YMCA before he died. In a statement read out my Mr Ameyaw, on behalf of Mr Fletcher's partner Ms Wright, she said: "Despite his struggles with addiction and his mental health, Kaine did try his best and he was a really good dad. "It's heartbreaking to know that [he] won't be there for the big milestones: he didn't get to see [our daughter] start nursery, he will never see them start secondary school, go to prom, graduate from university, get married. "He will never be able to be a granddad. I'm sure that will stay with the children for the rest of their lives." If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Inquest set into death of man after police detention HM Courts & Tribunals Service
BBC News
30-06-2025
- BBC News
Nottingham dad detained under Mental Health Act before death
A man died in hospital after being detained by police while under "acute mental distress", an inquest has Fletcher died at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on 3 July 2022 after police were called by a family member over concerns for his Monday, a jury inquest into the circumstances of the 26-year-old's death began at Nottingham Coroner's father-of-two had struggled with addiction and had also been diagnosed with the paranoid personality disorder in the years prior to his death, the court heard. The inquest was told Mr Fletcher had been retrained by police and detained under the Mental Health Act in the early hours on the day he pathologist Dr Michael Biggs said he was told by police Mr Fletcher had been restrained for his own medical cause of death was recorded as "the physiological effects of physical exertion combined with the toxic effects of cocaine and other substances". Mr Biggs said he was told by Nottinghamshire Police that officers had been contacted by a family member "concerned for [Mr Fletcher's] mental health" the day before he was seen by a nurse that day, and it was concluded that he would get an appointment at a later family contacted police in the early hours of the following morning saying he "may have taken drugs" and was displaying symptoms of a mental health "disturbance", Mr Biggs told the pathologist said he was told Mr Fletcher became "more agitated" once outside the house leading to officers trying to restrain was told by police that Mr Fletcher was "headbutting the inside of the police vehicle and attempting to bite his own fingers".He was taken to hospital where he "continued to be distressed" and that required police to remain at the hospital with him, the inquest the course of the morning, Mr Fletcher "deteriorated" and was said to have gone into cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 11:49 pathologist said Mr Fletcher had more than 20 separate injuries including bruising to his arms and wrists, a split lip and head injuries that he said were "consistent with the scenario" he was given.A toxicology report showed Mr Fletcher had cocaine and a number of medications in his system at the time of his death, including medication prescribed for mental health Biggs said on the balance of probabilities, he could not say either physical restraint or the effects of the substances found would be enough alone to cause Kaine's death but agreed that restraining somebody under the influence of drugs and mentally unwell "could be dangerous". Mr Fletcher had been diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder in 2020 and had spent time at a rehabilitation clinic on two occasions, according to family statements read out in was the eldest of eight children to his mum Leah Fletcher and grew up in a "big and close-knit family" with his aunt and grandparents living on the same street in a statement read on Ms Fletcher's behalf, she said he was "the funny one in the family and very boisterous".Ms Fletcher said her son had an interest in mechanics, a passion for rap music – which was "how he expressed his feelings" – and "loved dogs".She added that in Year 10 of secondary school, her son "got into the wrong crowd" and believed it was then he began to "experiment to cannabis". Mr Fletcher and his partner Shannon Wright moved in together and had a son in 2016, followed by the birth of their daughter in 2020. 'Really good dad' In her statement, Ms Fletcher said "upsets within the family were very hard" for her son – including the death of his grandmother when he was 19, his daughter contracting meningitis as a newborn, and Ms Fletcher herself suffering a "traumatic brain injury" in Fletcher began to "self-medicate with cocaine and alcohol" with his mum describing "episodes" when he would become "hard to recognise".His dad, Nathaniel Ameyaw, arranged for him to go to a residential rehabilitation service which had helped Mr Fletcher, but he went on to Fletcher eventually went to stay with his mum, then moved to the young people's charity YMCA before he a statement read out my Mr Ameyaw, on behalf of Mr Fletcher's partner Ms Wright, she said: "Despite his struggles with addiction and his mental health, Kaine did try his best and he was a really good dad."It's heartbreaking to know that [he] won't be there for the big milestones: he didn't get to see [our daughter] start nursery, he will never see them start secondary school, go to prom, graduate from university, get married. "He will never be able to be a granddad. I'm sure that will stay with the children for the rest of their lives." If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
