The ongoing inquest which began on the 14th May into the death of Mr Jimmy Mubenga highlights the need for stricter regulations regarding the deportation of detainees and the dangers of restraint techniques used.
Jimmy Mubenga 46, died in October 2010 after becoming ill whilst being escorted by staff from the private security firm G4S onto a plane for deportation. He had been restrained by G4S security guards.
A previous court ruling regarding this case heard that Jimmy Mubenga was being deported from the UK after serving a two-year prison sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was allowed to go to the toilet and use a mobile phone but shortly afterwards, a struggle began between him and the guards.
In the previous court ruling Assistant deputy coroner for Hammersmith Karon Monaghan QC said Mubenga was handcuffed using rigid bar cuffs, restrained and put in a seat. Monaghan said it appeared he was shouting out as this was going on but “fell silent” sometime after the plane began to taxi on the runway. “At some point he fell silent and unresponsive and it was clear something was wrong,” she said. The guards raised the alarm and the plane taxied back to the stand, where emergency teams were called.
A paramedic told the current inquest that Mr Mubenga had “no pulse” when he arrived. Believing he had suffered a cardiac arrest, CPR was administered to Mr Mubenga for about an hour before he was transferred from Heathrow to Hillingdon Hospital.
The coroner said the inquest – which is set to last eight weeks – would be a “full, fair and fearless investigation” that dealt not only with the immediate circumstances surrounding Mubenga’s death but also constitute a broader inquiry into the actions of all the parties involved including the government and G4S.
Farleys has a team of solicitors specialising in inquests and claims against the police. For more information or to obtain legal advice in relation to an inquest or police complaint, please don’t hesitate to contact us.