Names and details of some of the 23 deaths during or after police custody in 2017-18

Twenty-three people died either in police custody or after being released from custody in 2017-18, the highest number in 10 years, according to the police watchdog.

Among the deaths were high-profile cases such as Rashan Charles and Edson Da Costa in London, both of which led to tensions between police and local communities.

Here are details of some of the cases.

Leroy Junior Medford, 43

Leroy Junior Medford.

Medford was arrested near Reading at about 1.30pm on Saturday 1 April 2017 by Thames Valley police. When officers noticed he was unwell he was transported to Royal Berkshire hospital. He was later discharged and returned to custody at Loddon Valley police station. He was found unresponsive in his cell at about 4am on Sunday and was pronounced dead at Royal Berkshire hospital at 5am.

Douglas Oak, 35

Police came into contact with Oak in Poole at around 4.20pm on Tuesday 11 April 2017. He was detained, became unwell and was taken to Poole hospital, where he died the following morning.

Marc Cole, 30

Marc Cole. Photograph: Dan Cole

Police were called to Langton Road in Falmouth at around 9pm on Tuesday 23 May 2017 after reports of a man wielding a knife. A Taser was discharged during officers’ interaction with Cole, and reports said Cole also harmed himself. He was taken to hospital where he died.

Edson Da Costa, 25

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Edson Da Costa. Photograph: Facebook

Metropolitan police officers carried out a stop on a car in Newham, east London, at around 10pm on 15 June 2017. Da Costa, one of three men in the car, was detained and subsequently became unwell. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance and died on 21 June.

Mark Tildsley, age unknown

Police forced entry into Tildsley’s home in Stockport on 22 June 2017 where he was found to be harming himself with a knife. Paramedics attended the scene and medical help was given but he later died in hospital. A coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide.

Darren Brown, 50

Brown was arrested in a park in Mansfield on the evening of Friday 23 June 2017 and was taken to Mansfield police station. During a routine check at around 4.30am, he was found unresponsive in his cell. An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead by a paramedic.

Jon James, 28

James lost consciousness while officers attempted to detain him at around 1.25am on Saturday 24 June 2017 in south Wales. He was taken to the Royal Glamorgan hospital where he died on 27 June.

Darren Cumberbatch, 32

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Darren Cumberbatch. Composite: Facebook

Police arrived at a residence in Nuneaton in the early hours of Monday 10 July 2017 and found Cumberbatch there. Shortly after their arrival, Cumberbatch was taken to hospital, and he died there on 19 July.

Shane Bryant, 29

Shane Bryant. Photograph: Facebook

Bryant was arrested by Leicestershire police after a robbery at a shop in Ashby-de-la-Zouch on 13 July 2017. He required treatment and was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where he died on 15 July.

Rashan Charles, 20

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rashan Charles. Composite: Facebook

Charles was detained after an incident in Dalston, east London, at around 1.45am on Saturday 22 July 2017. He became unwell and received first aid from officers, medics and paramedics. An object was removed from his throat at the scene. He was taken to Royal London hospital where he died just before 3am.

Luigi Basile, 48

Luigi Basile. Photograph: Facebook

Basile was arrested just before 2am on Thursday 14 September 2017 in St Albans and was taken to Stevenage custody suite. There he became unwell and he died after an ambulance was called.

Christopher Morgan, 38

Morgan, from Walsall, was arrested by West Midlands police on 20 September 2017. He was taken to Oldbury custody suite where he was found unresponsive in his cell at around 2am. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and a heart attack was established as the cause of death.

Nuno Cardoso, 25

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nuno Cardoso. Photograph: GoFundMe

Cardoso, who was studying at a college near Headington, Oxford, was arrested in the early hours of Friday 24 November 2017. During his arrest he was restrained. At around 5.30am Cardoso became unwell and officers performed CPR on him in a police van. He was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital where he died the same day.

Unidentified male, 55

A man from Grays, Essex, died in police custody on Sunday 19 November 2017. He was arrested at around 8pm and taken to Grays police station. While in custody he became unwell. He was taken by ambulance to Basildon hospital where he died.

Cain Hargreaves, 21

Hargreaves became unwell in the back of a police vehicle in Nottingham after 10pm on Friday 5 January 2018. He was transferred to an ambulance at around 10.30pm and pronounced dead in hospital that evening.

Claire Harper, 41

Harper was detained in Bradford on the morning of 7 January 2018 and was found unconscious in her cell at around 12.30pm. She was taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal infirmary but could not be revived.

Shaun Aherne, 42

Aherne arrived at Chesterfield custody suite at 1.30pm on Sunday 7 January 2018. He soon became unwell and was taken by ambulance to the Chesterfield royal hospital where he died on the night of 10 January.

Kevin Clarke, 35

Kevin Clarke. Photograph: Family handout

Police were called to an address in Lewisham, south London, on Friday 9 March 2018. Officers said Clarke was agitated and appeared to be having a mental health crisis. He was restrained. Paramedics arrived and the man became unwell while they were present. He was transferred by ambulance to Lewisham hospital and later died.

Oghene Abboh, 26

Abboh was arrested at around 11.30am on Friday 30 March 2018 in Southwark, south London, and taken to the Walworth custody suite. Officers believed he may have swallowed something and an ambulance arrived a short time later. His condition deteriorated in hospital and he died the following morning.

Unidentified woman in her 50s

This death was in Cheshire.