Kelly Hartigan-Burns: Probe into police evidence over custody death
A complaint about evidence given by officers in the case of an arrested woman who later died is being investigated by the police watchdog.
Kelly Hartigan-Burns, 35, was found unresponsive in a cell in Blackburn, Lancashire, and died in December 2016.
An inquest later found if police “had shown more compassion” there may have been “a different outcome”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the complaint referred to two officers.
A spokesman said: “We are independently investigating a complaint, referred to us by Lancashire Police in March 2022, regarding some of the evidence heard from police witnesses during the inquest.
“At this stage we’re investigating a complaint as opposed to individuals.”
Ms Hartigan-Burns, from Darwen, had been arrested over an alleged assault but had earlier tried to take her own life.
Her death was previously referred to the IOPC, who examined the conduct of five officers and two custody detention officers.
Following the inquest’s conclusion, which was heavily critical of officers, Lancashire Police said it was “truly sorry” it had failed in its “duty of care”.
Ms Hartigan-Burns’ mother June Hartigan said questions remained about the circumstances of her daughter’s death.
“Other lives can be saved and not put at risk like Kelly’s was because she shouldn’t even have been arrested in the first place,” she said.
“The police are there to deal with criminals and Kelly wasn’t a criminal. That changes their mindset.
“But if someone’s in crisis, why do we need to call the police?”
The inquest, held at County Hall in Preston, heard Ms Hartigan-Burns was under the care of a psychiatrist and was carrying prescribed medication when she was arrested.
She had left her home in Barley Bank Street on 3 December following an argument with her wife, dressed only in her pyjamas and dressing gown.
Lancashire Police received a 999 call to say she was walking in front of cars and saying “I need to die”.
The inquest heard she was later found by two police officers in the car park of a church and taken home where her wife made an allegation of assault against her and she was arrested and taken to Greenbank station in Blackburn.
The jury said the failure of the senior attending officer to inform the transporting officer or the custody staff that Ms Hartigan-Burns was a suicide-risk “contributed” to her death.
An appeal against a gross misconduct ruling, which found one former police sergeant had “lost control” while dealing Ms Hartigan-Burns, was later dismissed.
Source: (BBC)