Death of man pinned down by police was 'complex'
The death of a man who was pinned face down by police officers was not caused because he could not breathe but by a "complex" combination of reasons including a heart attack, an inquest heard today.
Malcolm James Cash, 29, died after he was restrained by police in the back garden of a home he shared with his girlfriend in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, on July 5 2002.
Mr Cash was held down by officers after he had cut his arm with a razor blade and threatened to kill himself.
During his restraint he experienced breathing difficulties.
He lost consciousness within minutes of his arrest and died a short time later at Kettering General Hospital.
A fresh inquest was opened into Mr Cash's death yesterday at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club in Irthlingborough, Northants.
A first inquest was held in 2005.
Professor Guy Rutty, head of the East Midlands forensic pathology unit, told the inquest today that Mr Cash had died of a heart attack while under the influence of alcohol and sleeping tablets.
He said Mr Cash may have suffered a lack of oxygen while he was on the ground, but he dismissed smothering or strangling as a cause of death.
He said: "I am not of the opinion that the whole cause of death is related to one of a lack of oxygen but that the findings are such that a degree of lack of oxygen occurred while he was face down.
"Strangulation should be completely ignored and I am of the opinion that smothering is not the cause or sole cause of this death."
Prof Rutty said Mr Cash had suffered bruising and grazes when he was knocked to the ground by officers, and also had cuts on his arm where he had slashed it with a razor blade - but these had not contributed to his death.
He said no mud had been found in any of Mr Cash's airways.
He told the inquest: "I felt that the grazing, and the bruising that is present to the front and to the nose area is entirely in keeping with the deceased going headfirst to the ground during the arrest procedure.
"But these injuries by themselves have neither caused nor contributed to death.
"This is a very complex death and not one that's straightforward so I put forward a cause that involved drugs, the arrest and in essence a terminal heart attack."
Prof Rutty said Mr Cash had a history of self-harm and had apparently seemed emotional and agitated when officers arrived.
He said reports of Mr Cash's head seeming "wobbly" could be attributed to the combination of sleeping tablets and alcohol he had taken.
The inquest heard a post mortem found Mr Cash's blood alcohol level was 23mg/100ml - well below the legal limit.
But Prof Rutty said this, combined with the presence of the sedative chloral hydrate in the sleeping tablets he had taken would have made its effects stronger.
The jury heard the sleeping pills Mr Cash had taken may have affected his blood pressure and breathing rate, and include side-effects of slowing down the heart and causing irregular rhythms.
Prof Rutty said this might explain why attempts by paramedics to resuscitate Mr Cash failed.
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