Which is it? 'Gentle giant' or violent aggressive drunk?
Yesterday afternoon the inquest heard from Mr Kentish's fiancee, Kerry Jay, who said she had spoken to him several times on the phone during that fateful day.
He had called her about the meal he was preparing for his dad, then about holiday plans they were making, and later to say he was annoyed with his father for something he had said, said Ms Jay. At about 10.30pm that night, she said, he called her and said he intended to drive home instead of spending the night at his father's as planned.
"I told him not to," she said. "He did sound quite drunk. He was still feeling angry about what his dad had said.
"I told him to turn round and go back because his parents would wonder where he was.
"The phone went off. I was a bit worried because he had sounded frustrated and angry and annoyed about the comments his father had made earlier."We never find out what the father said. Pity.
At the time of Mr Kentish's death he was described as 'beloved fiancé of Kerry, devoted father of Jodie, Stuart, Vincent, Jesse, Macy and Deede, much loved son of Anne and brother of Julie and Michael'.No mention of dear old dad...? Lovely family...
He also insulted two women, calling them 'boring lesbians' when they refused to let him buy them a drink, the Gloucester inquest was told.During his time in the New Inn at Shortstanding his behaviour was 'unpredictable' and people sighed with relief when he left, jurors heard.
He had coronary artery disease and was obese, weighing nearly 17.5 stones, the inquest was told.It should really be a verdict of 'death by stupidity and lack of self-control', shouldn't it? But you won't be surprised to find it wasn't:
A "failure of care" led to the death of plastering contractor Mark Kentish when he was tackled and restrained by a security guard and caretaker at a Wye Valley business park two years ago, an inquest jury concluded today.
Jurors said the restraint used by the two park staff was 'inappropriate in both method and duration'.I wonder how much restraint would be deemed inappropriate if this 'gentle giant' was harassing a member of the jury or trying to tear down their garden fence while shouting obscenities?
After receiving the jury's conclusion, the assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Caroline Saunders made recommendations under Section 28 of the Coroners Regulations in a bid to prevent a similar tragedy happening in future.
She said she would write to the SIA (Security Industry Authority) to ask why there is no programme of refresher training or education as to the risks of restraint and positional asphyxia.Maybe there should instead be a programme of refresher training for violent obese drug-taking drunks on the danger of being killed if they start throwing their weight around?
8 comments:
Uh oh... looks like another case of English Teacher On Jury Syndrome.
Another articulate middle class ponce who hasn't been punched nearly enough and thinks minimum wage security guards should just, like, use their *special ninja training* to bring down a violent thug without any injury.
Meanwhile, if their Head of Department ever sends them a nasty e-mail they want six months off with stress.
Police cleared of any wrongdoing again? 'Good riddance', you say?
What a pleasant blogger you are!
Only someone who has never tried to restrain a heavier built, drunken, male who is thrashing about (and possibly biting and gouging) can criticise the people whose job it is to protect other people and property by trying to restrain them. From experience it's as easy as knitting with jelly. Obese, heart condition, drunk, angry. A walking time bomb, but let's blame someone so that compensation can be claimed.
Penseivat
"restraint used by the two park staff was 'inappropriate in both method and duration'."
There is no way that 2 men could have safely restrained a fat nasty drunk going 'raj' (as they say in Scotland). Just the stress of being restrained could trigger a heart attack, even if the restrainers wore padded kid gloves with Mr.Men on them and used inclusive language.
As I have said previously more people will be 'restrained to death' by police/security/members of the public in a year than will be shot by police.
I wonder what practical alternatives to manual restraint will be proposed?
Restraint and going hands on NEVER looks good and I can say from my time in the police that the public hate seeing it, no matter what the person being restrained has done. It's a true 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation for police, security guards and members of the public. I'm assuming verbal commands failed because that was always my first option (if time and circumstances permitted). I see he was trying to enter an electricity sub station as well. I can see the headlines already if security and police stood by:'Police/Security failed to stop man electrocuting himself'.
Unlike the blogocracy the security and police involved in this incident do not have the benefit of knowing that the deceased was drunk, drugged and had a heart condition.
Retired
There is no gentle way to physically restrain an adult male who does not want to be restrained.
"Uh oh... looks like another case of English Teacher On Jury Syndrome. "
*chuckles* Seriously, I'd have LOVED to be on this jury.
"What a pleasant blogger you are!"
You think this chap was a benefit to society?
"Obese, heart condition, drunk, angry. A walking time bomb, but let's blame someone so that compensation can be claimed."
It's inevitable, isn't it? :/
"There is no way that 2 men could have safely restrained a fat nasty drunk going 'raj' (as they say in Scotland)."
From the moment this situation unfolded, it was clear that a) it was going to go wrong, b) the guards had no choice to do nothing and c) the angry obese drug-addled drunkard wasn't going to be blamed for the consequences.
What a ghastly world we're building.
"I wonder what practical alternatives to manual restraint will be proposed? "
'Stop right there! Or I'll have to shout 'Stop right there!' again...'
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