Police 'deal appropriately' after drunk man's Lancaster custody death

Police 'deal appropriately' with drunk man found unconcious in his cell

Published Date: 20 October 2008
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Police-39deal-appropriately39-with-drunk.4609000.jp

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has concluded that police dealt appropriately with drunk man found unconscious in his cell.
A separate issue in relation to a custody sergeant being absent from the cell area while he dealt with a maintenance engineer was identified as a technical breach of protocols and, as a result, the officer has received words of advice.

It had no bearing on the welfare of Philip Legg, 43, of Morecambe.
The IPCC managed a Lancashire Police investigation into the death of Mr Legg who was found unconscious in his cell at Lancaster Police Station on September 16, 2006.

Mr Legg was arrested on Friday, September 15, 2006 after being found collapsed and drunk in a garden in Lancaster. He was wanted for making hoax calls to the fire service and police.

Mr Legg was taken to Lancaster Police Station and placed on half hourly visits. At 12.40am on September 16 a doctor examined him due to concerns about his welfare.

At 7.40am he was found unconscious and was pronounced dead on arrival at Lancaster Royal Infirmary.

Naseem Malik, IPCC Commissioner for the North West, said: "It is evident that Mr Legg's lifestyle had become increasingly chaotic in the months leading up to his death. He was using alcohol and drugs and was a very vulnerable person."

An inquest determined he died due to sudden cardiac dysrhythmia caused by alcohol toxicity and methadone toxicity, compounded by alcoholic liver disease.