source: The Voice Online
published: 6 May 2016
The senior coroner in the investigation into the death Olaseni Lewis has flagged up concerns over the impartiality of staff at the mental health facility where the 23-year-old was restrained by police officers.
Selena Lynch, senior coroner for south London, said staff at Bethlem Royal Hospital could feel unable to speak openly about the death of Lewis because their legal representation is being paid for by their employer, reported the Croydon Advertiser.
IT graduate, Lewis, was restrained face down for a total of 40 minutes, in two prolonged periods, by up to 11 officers in 2010 at the Kent facility run by South London and Maudsley (SLaM).
Lewis never regained consciousness due to a brain stem injury and his life-support machine was switched off four days later on September 3, 2010.Police had been called to the hospital after Lewis became agitated when he was sectioned and his family were told to leave.
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