Manchester coroner complains about inconsistencies in evidence of officers, who held down John Ahmed three times in mistaken belief he had taken drugs

A prisoner died after he was unlawfully restrained by prison officers in Manchester, an inquest has found.

John Ahmed, a remand inmate and father of four, died in hospital after being restrained three times by guards who believed he had swallowed drugs.

Ahmed had been exercising in the prison yard when a fellow prisoner was seen to pick an item off the floor and hand it to him. Ahmed was subsequently led into a corridor to be searched.

A jury, at Manchester coroner’s court, heard that Ahmed was then restrained over the next few minutes. Prison officers told the hearing that Ahmed had violently resisted attempts to search him. But the jury concluded he had not been violent or aggressive towards staff. No drugs were found on Ahmed.

After the inquest, the coroner, Nigel Meadows, called for Greater Manchester police to investigate concerns about “significant inconsistencies” in the evidence of two prison officers.

The jury found that officers had acted disproportionately and unlawfully in using restraint. They referred in particular to staff moving Ahmed in a bent-over position with his hands behind his back and keeping him handcuffed while lying face down on the ground. Both procedures were in contravention of Prison Service guidance and policy.

The court heard that during the third period of restraint, Ahmed began foaming at the mouth and made gurgling noises before becoming unresponsive. Staff, however, kept him in wrist locks, which the jury ruled was unlawful. An ambulance was called and Ahmed was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on 29 July 2015.

The jury also concluded that a prison healthcare worker at the scene failed to carry out appropriate checks on Ahmed’s physical wellbeing during the three periods of restraint.

Following the inquest, the coroner said he would make a Prevention of Future Deaths report to draw attention to the lack of guidance in place for healthcare staff regarding their role in restraint. Calling this situation “untenable”, Meadows raised concerns about the lack of CCTV coverage of the areas in the jail where the restraint took place.

Ahmed’s parents, John and Margaret, said they were pleased with the outcome of the inquest, in particular with the conclusion that their son had not taken any drugs and was not violent towards staff. “We hope the prison service will address the concerns raised by the coroner and can be prevented,” they said in a statement.

Charles Myers of Minton Morrill solicitors, who represented the family, called it a tragic case. “It is also unfortunate that some prison officers appear to tailored their evidence to fit a particular narrative about John that the jury have unanimously rejected,” he said.

Deborah Coles, the director of Inquest, which supports bereaved people and others, said it was deplorable that Ahmed died as a result of unlawful force by prison officers who should have been protecting him.

The jury heard “disturbing evidence” about staff failing to adhere to guidance that restraint should be the last resort, Coles added. “Given the ongoing concern about drugs in prison and the potential for restraint to be used, it is essential these issues are addressed urgently or it is likely this kind of death will become less rare.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family and friends of John Ahmed. We will now carefully consider the findings of the inquest.”