Police failed to frequently monitor a prisoner who killed himself in a police cell after being arrested for a domestic incident last May, an inquest was told yesterday.
Anthony McGuire, 33, was found dead, hanging from his cell door by his shoelaces which should have been taken off
him.
Evidence was heard on the second day of the inquest from Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Anderson, who investigated Mr McGuire's death.
He said Mr McGuire was taken to his police cell about 5.30pm on May 26 and was found dead just before 9pm.
Mr Anderson found that Rotorua police did not follow the standard operating procedures when dealing with the prisoner.
He said Mr McGuire was given a pat down search, two risk assessments were not completed and neither was a prisoner management assessment form, which was required if there was a risk.
He told the court that Mr McGuire's property was not recorded or secured and he had not signed a Bill of Rights form.
Mr McGuire was also not able to speak with a lawyer and was not strip searched, which happened to prisoners who did not get police bail.
He entered a police cell wearing his shoelaces in his shoes, drawstrings on his hooded sweatshirt and shorts, a pounamu necklace, a bracelet, cigarettes and a lighter. All of those items should have been taken from him.
Mr Anderson said Mr McGuire's name was incorrectly put on the watchhouse whiteboard, his movements were not recorded, he was not frequently monitored - despite a note to do so - he was not fingerprinted or photographed and was not given a meal.
Mr Anderson said he had not been able to find out who wrote "frequent monitoring" under Mr McGuire's name on the watchhouse whiteboard.
However, he admitted it could have been meant for another prisoner.
"I found that Rotorua police did not adhere to the appropriate standard," Mr Anderson said.
But he also found that no one was criminally responsible for Mr McGuire's death.
Rotorua Coroner Wallace Bain adjourned the inquest until February 27 for written submissions, saying he would release his preliminary findings after that date.
- NZPA
