The Death of Callum McLean in Police Custody

Ashton-under-Lyne police station

On 10^th April 2008 at roughly 16:45, Callum McLean was arrested when found asleep at a bus stop and later became ill whilst in Police custody at Ashton-under-Lyne police station, he died in Tameside Hospital on the 11^th April at 15:35.

Callum was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear at Court. The IPCC say in their report that the Mr. McLean was drunk and injured at the time of his arrest, CCTV footage shows him holding his hand to his head as he was searched and checked-in at the station before being put into a cell.

At the inquest in to the death of Callum McLean Custody Sergeant Gordon Swann said he spoke to a doctor about Mr McLean’s injuries, but the GP did not arrive until 20:00. He added that he thought Callum had been drinking, but that he did not consider him drunk. This conflicted with his assessment at the time. Guidelines said an intoxicated person should be visited every 30 minutes in their cell. Mr McLean was found lying on the floor in the cell and according to Swann, was described by the doctor as being `half-dead’. Despite this, no one stayed with him until an ambulance arrived 21 minutes later.

The cause of death was given as bleeding on the brain.

The case was referred to the IPCC for an investigation in to the 3 hours he was in custody.

The Greater Manchester Police also launched an investigation to ascertain whether Callum had been assaulted in the days prior to being arrested, this investigation led to nothing.

At the end of May 2009, the IPCC released their findings.

1-Mr McLean was noted as being drunk and had visible injuries. He was placed on a regime of hourly visits. This was wrong. Mr McLean should have been visited every half hour.

2-Even though Mr McLean was placed on an hourly visit regime this was not adhered to.

3-The visit at 5:41pm lasted for one second and amounted to a glance through the spyhole in the cell door. This was inadequate

4-A custody detention officer entered misleading and inaccurate information on the custody record in relation to a cell visit. This information suggested a visit had been made when in fact it had not;

5-After a decision had been made to summon an ambulance, Mr McLean was left alone in his cell for 21 minutes. The investigation concluded this was a failure in the duty of care.
Three officers are facing disciplinary action, after the investigation found that ‘misleading’ information was added to the custody record.

Whilst held in Ashton-under-Lyne police station, CCTV showed he was visited once in the cell, prior to being found unresponsive. The IPCC found that GMP had failed in their duty of care. The usual platitudes have been proffered by GMP, to the family.

Callum was placed in a cell at 17:00 and at 17:41 an officer walked past and gave a perfunctory ‘spy hole’ check. It wasn’t until 20:00 that a doctor visited the cell and found Callum McLean unresponsive.  He was taken to Tameside Hospital at approximately 20:45, but died the following day.

The police officers facing disciplinary action, 2 custody sergeants and a custody detention officer, lied on the custody record, claiming that an additional cell visit had been made, though the IPCC prefer the softer wording of ‘misleading and inaccurate information’. Police guidelines require a cell visit every 30 minutes for those thought to be intoxicated.

After the decision to call an ambulance was made, once again he was left alone in the cell for a further 21 minutes.

Naseem Malik, the IPCC Commisioner for the North West, in her report commented ‘…the final indignity was leaving a man in need of medical care alone on the floor his cell for 21 minutes…’

The mantra of ‘lessons learned’ fell glibly from the lips of Chief Inspector John Brennan, who works in the Greater Manchester Police Professional Stands Branch, commenting: ‘…lessons had been learned from the tragedy, including a more robust risk assessment when booking people into custody…’