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The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has yesterday published its findings from an investigation into the death of Lloyd Butler in West Midlands Police custody in August 2010. Two officers were found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct due to their actions. A civilian member of staff was also found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct.

Lloyd Butler, 39, from Sheldon, Birmingham, was arrested after his family called the police for help after becoming concerned with his behaviour and his welfare. He died in custody just hours later on 4 August 2010. West Midlands Police referred the incident to the IPCC and Mr Butler’s family also made a complaint about his treatment.

The IPCC interviewed all the officers concerned, viewed CCTV images and took statements from medical staff who also dealt with Mr Butler. A coroner’s inquest yesterday found that Mr Butler died of cardiac arrest from an alcohol-related condition but also found that had he been in hospital he would have been more likely to survive.

The IPCC report highlights an alarming number of mistakes and ‘unacceptable’ behaviour by officers on duty in the custody suite including failures in an observation plan that required him to be regularly roused and his condition checked. Some of these visits were missed entirely while others failed to rouse Mr Butler sufficiently. Further criticisms from the investigation include:

• PC Woodcock surfed the internet and made personal calls rather than monitoring CCTV footage of Mr Butler’s cell;
• PS Albutt made improper entries in the custody record alleging that officers were checking more often and more thoroughly than actually occurred; and
• PC Woodcock and DEO Wall joked about Mr Butler’s condition and made insulting remarks about him, including when his trousers fell below his waist, instead of assisting him;

IPCC Associate Commissioner Guido Liguori said:

“My thoughts are with Lloyd Butler’s family and friends for their tragic loss. The indifferent treatment of Mr Butler by officers and staff of West Midlands Police showed a disregard for both the stated procedures of detention and also for human decency.

“The care given to Mr Butler fell well short of what was expected from when he was arrested to the moment he sadly died. Instead of taking Mr Butler to hospital officers kept him in a police cell and instead of helping him, PC Woodcock and DEO Wall mocked him. In addition to the failure to care properly for Mr Butler, this was a worrying case highlighted by the findings from our  investigation that PS Albutt deliberately recorded incorrect information in the custody record and failed to adequately monitor Mr Butler, PC Woodcock preferring instead to surf the internet and make personal calls.”

“Such actions are not what I would expect to see from the police officers and staff.”

The IPCC investigation concluded in December of 2011 although the publication of the findings has awaited the inquest. An internal review of the evidence was conducted in May 2012 following representations from Mr Butler’s family. The review found that in the cases of PC Woodcock and DEO Wall there was a case to answer for gross misconduct rather than misconduct.

The case was also referred by the IPCC to the Crown Prosecution Service but they decided the officers’ actions did not meet the threshold for prosecution.

At a misconduct hearing in January 2013, PS Albutt, who was the custody sergeant at the time, was found guilty of gross misconduct and subject to a final written warning. PC Woodcock, who arrested Mr Butler and was later tasked with monitoring him, was found guilty of misconduct and had to undergo further training and development. Detention Escort Officer Wall, the civilian staff member, was also found guilty of misconduct and received a written warning and management advice.

For media enquiries please contact the IPCC press office on 020 7166 3260