An inquest in to the death of Mr Mouayed Bashir will open in Newport, Gwent on Monday 15th January 2024. Mr Bashir died in February 2021 after his family rang 999 due to a mental health crisis incident at their home address during which he barricaded himself in a room. Force was used to restrain and remove Mr Bashir amidst what Gwent Police called a “medical epsiode”.
We know from an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) press release in February 2021 that Mr Bashir was not arrested by the police after they attended. For that reason, and bearing in mind police officers have no legal powers under the Mental Health Act 1983 in a private dwelling, I was especially interested in the legal basis for his restraint and removal and I assume the IOPC have examined this during their investigation. That said, there is nothing further on the IOPC website about their investigation in to Mr Bashir’s death, after the initial press release, above.
For the absolute avoidance of doubt: there may well be an answer to this! – and no doubt an inquest will examine it amongst the other factors involved.
The inquest is due to last three weeks and you can read early coverage of the proceedings on the BBC News website.
Winner of the President’s Medal, the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Winner of the Mind Digital Media Award
All opinions expressed are my own – they do not represent the views of any organisation. (c) Michael Brown, 2024
I try to keep this blog up to date, but inevitably over time, amendments to the law as well as court rulings and other findings from inquests and complaints processes mean it is difficult to ensure all the articles and pages remain current. Please ensure you check all legal issues in particular and take appropriate professional advice where necessary.
Government legislation website – www.legislation.gov.uk
Mental Health Cop 