Mr Philmore Leonard Mills · Prevention of Future Deaths report

I conducted an Inquest into the death of Mr Philmore Leonard Mills that was heard at Reading Town Hall between the 8th February 2016 and 8th March 2016. The conclusion of the Inquest was in the terms of a Narrative Conclusion attached to this report.

Mr Mills was a 55 year old gentleman who was a patient on the Respiratory Ward at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough with significant comorbidities including terminal Lung Cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pneumonia, Pulmonary Emboli and Ischaemic Heart Disease. As a result of Hypoxia he became confused and aggressive and, after nursing and security staff were unable to control him, Police Officers attended and in the course of restraining him, Mr Mills collapsed and died. This occurred on 27th December 2011. Evidence from three Pathologists described Mr Mills as being at risk of Death at any time but they were unable to exclude the temporal association of restraint and death.

(1) In the course of the evidence, the Jury heard from two independent experts on restraint techniques and Police training. They both had the opportunity to review the existing Thames Valley Police and ACPO Training in place at the time of Mr Mills’ death. This included training for Police Officers when dealing with a subject who may be suffering from excited delirium. Both Officers highlighted the fact that there is no reference to the option of containment as a tactic taught to Police Officers as part of their training in dealing with subjects with suspected excited delirium. In the evidence, containment was identified as one of the tactical options that Officers should carefully consider in any situation.

(2) The Jury heard from one of the two expert witnesses, ████████ that, while Police Officers are trained as to the medical consequences of the take down procedure in restraining a subject, those consequences do not include reference to the risk of death. While they described the risk of bruising, broken bones etc, they do not suggest that such an manoeuvre could, in certain circumstances, prove fatal to the subject involved.

(3) The evidence surrounding the circumstances of the death of Philmore Mills suggests that this is a potential outcome of which Officers should be made aware.