INQUEST | Statistics | Unlawful Killing Verdicts

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	Prison		Police		Police Shootings		Unlawful Killing Verdicts

Unlawful Killing Verdicts and Prosecutions

The data below represents the number of unlawful killing verdicts and manslaughter prosecutions in prison and police custody or pursuits since 1990 that INQUEST is aware of. The data is shown by the year the verdict was returned at an inquest or trial. Where no year is shown there were no unlawful killing verdicts returned. *

2006
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Mikey Powell	Police Custody	Yes - ten officers tried for various offences - charges dropped for four officers at trial in June 2006, remainder acquitted August 2006	No	N/A	UK Black
Robin Goodenough	Police Custody	Yes - three officers tried for manslaughter in 2005 - jury failed to reach verdict; retried for assault in 2006- acquitted	No	N/A	UK White

2004
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Harry Stanley	Police Shooting	No	Yes	Unlawful killing; overturned at Judicial Review, May 2005	UK White

2003
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Roger Sylvester	Police Custody	No	Yes	Unlawful killing; quashed on a technicality	UK Black

2002
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Christopher Alder	Police Custody	5 officers charged with manslaughter - trial collapsed 2002	Yes	Unlawful killing	Black

2001
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
James Ashley	Police Shooting	Yes - trial halted 2001	No	N/A	UK White

1998
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Alton Manning	Prison	No	yes	Unlawful killing	Black

1997
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Ibrahima Sey	Police Custody	No	Yes	Unlawful killing	Black
David Ewin	Police Shooting	Yes– acquitted at retrial 1997	No	N/A	UK White

1996
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Shiji Lapite	Police Custody	No	Yes	Unlawful killing	Black

1995
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Richard O'Brien	Police Custody	Yes – acquitted at trial 1999	Yes	Unlawful killing	Irish
Joy Gardner	Police / Immigration	Yes – acquitted 1995	No	N/A	Black

1993
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Leon Patterson	Police Custody	No	Yes	a) Unlawful killing quashed b) new inquest 1996: "misadventure contributed to by neglect"	Black
Omasase Lumumba	Prison	No	Yes	Unlawful killing	Black

1991
Name	Type	Prosecution	Inquest	Verdict	Ethnicity
Oliver Pryce	Police Custody	No	Yes	Unlawful killing	Black

Last updated 5th February 2007

* There has been a recent increase in polce officers being charged with lesser offences following deaths in police custody. When more reliable information is available we will update the website.

There were also verdicts of Unlawful Killing returned at the inquest in 2003 into the deaths of two teenagers who died following a police pursuit in the Mersey Tunnel.