Junkie died in cell as alarm buttons failed A DRUG addict lay dying in a Sheffield police station after a panic button in his cell was switched off, an inquest heard. When detention officer Lisa Ward found 42-year-old Edwin Ogden slumped in his city centre cell she tried to attract attention by pressing two staff panic buttons - but they did not work. Buzzers in Mr Ogden's cell and others were later found to have been switched off - though the red alarm lights were working. The inquest heard Mr Ogden died after suffering a sudden blood clot and would not have been saved had police officers found him earlier. An inquest jury heard unemployed Mr Ogden, of Walden Road, Arbourthorne, had a £70-a-day heroin and crack cocaine habit. Mr Ogden had been arrested for burglary and taken to Attercliffe police station for questioning and a police surgeon was called when he showed symptoms of heroin withdrawal and medication was prescribed. But a detention officer misunderstood the police surgeon's instructions and gave Mr Ogden a second dose of his medication four hours early. Mr Ogden was taken to the Central Charge Office on Bridge Street before appearing before city magistrates. But the next morning he was found slumped on the floor of his cell. Detention officer Stephen Brabham saw Mr Ogden ten minutes before he was found collapsed and said he showed no signs of difficulty. He was pronounced dead at the Northern General Hospital. Det Supt Kevin Hardy investigated the death. He said he found it strange none of the custody suite staff had noticed the buzzers weren't working. A policy stated custody sergeants should check buzzers at the beginning of each shift and report any defects. "It wasn't widely known and it wasn't being done. There was no mention of this particular policy on the training course and for that reason it wasn't carried out." The policy had been rewritten since Mr Ogden's death and alarms are now checked weekly. Forensic pathologist Christopher Milroy said Mr Ogden had no injuries to suggest he had been restrained or attacked. He had suffered a pulmonary embolism - a blood clot which formed in his groin and moved to his lung which quickly stopped his heart. Professor Milroy said Mr Ogden was unlikely to have had time to call for help and his life could not have been saved if he had. The hearing continues. 05 December 2005 « Previous PageNext »Page 1 of 1 More News
