Neglect contributed to death of epileptic man restrained by Sussex Police officers

Duncan Tomlin was 32 when he died after being arrested by officers in Haywards Heath in July 2014.

Following a lengthy inquest a jury has concluded that Mr Tomlin died from cardiac arrest following the use of a combination of drugs together with police prone restraint.

What happened to Duncan Tomlin?

During the inquest the jury heard how on the evening of July 26, 2014 Mr Tomlin's behaviour became irrational and erratic after taking a mixture of drugs and alcohol.

The loud disturbance at the house led neighbours to believe a domestic assault was taking place and they called 999.

When police arrived Mr Tomlin ran away but was chased and eventually restrained face down in the road, the inquest heard.

Mr Tomlin was 'screaming in pain'

Witness Jack Fulger told the inquest how he saw three to four police officers restrain Mr Tomlin on the floor.

He said: “He was screaming in pain. I’m not sure how you are supposed to restrain people so I wouldn’t be sure what to look for.

"But he was quite a thin guy, so he couldn’t have been hard to restrain. I thought it was a bit over the top.”

Jury finds neglect contributed to Mr Tomlin's death

Yesterday the jury concluded that neglect contributed to the death of Mr Tomlin.

They said: "There was an insufficient sense of urgency to move Duncan onto his side to address the risks of positional asphyxia from prone restraint couple with the use of handcuffs, limb restraints, the effects of Captor spray and the susp