A magistrate has spoken of his anger following an inquest into the death of his foster son in prison.
East Sussex county councillor Godfrey Daniel, who stood as Labour’s candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner, spoke following an inquest into the death of 37-year-old James Best.
Mr Best, from Hastings, was in custody for stealing a gingerbread man from a bakery in Croydon during the London riots on August 8 2011.
He was being held in custody at Wandsworth Prison as he awaited sentence for stealing the biscuit when he collapsed following a heart attack.
An inquest was told that Mr Best had taken part in a “gruelling” gym session in the hours before he died.
The former chef suffered from a number of mental health problems and had been sectioned a month before the civil unrest.
The jury at the inquest ruled he died of natural causes but delivered a scathing verdict of the prison service’s response to his collapse.
The prison officer who initially tended to Mr Best was accused of failing to recognise the severity of the prisoner’s condition, causing a lengthy delay before an ambulance was called.
London Ambulance Service was also criticised for taking more than eight minutes to send paramedics, which the jury said contributed to Mr Best’s death.
Criticised system
Mr Daniel, who is also an associate manager for Sussex Partnership, which runs mental health services across the county, said: “He stole a biscuit during the riots and when he was taken to prison he was not assessed properly before entering the gym.”
His son Owen Daniel, 31, from Brighton, speaking on behalf of the family, criticised the judicial system and the prison service.
He said: “We feel a bigger debate is required surrounding the British legal system. How does society benefit from locking people away for such minor issues?
“We would like an honest, open and informed debate regarding the introduction of draconian emergency laws which can have lethal consequences.
“The threats of youth unemployment, social unrest are all still there and we should debate what would happen to future vulnerable individuals who need hospital treatment as opposed to jail time.”
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