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Mikey Powell: died in police custody

Sister of Mikey Powell rebuffs police defence claims

The spectres of drug use and mental illness have raised their heads in the trial of ten West Midlands Police officers in connection with the custody death of a Birmingham man in September 2003.

The prosecution allege that Mikey Powell, a 37-year-old factory worker, was assaulted and restrained with excessive force before being taken under arrest from his mother’s home to nearby Thornhill Road Police Station. He was later rushed to City Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

During the trial at Leicester Crown Court, a recording was played of a frantic emergency call from his mother, Clarissa, to the police when she pleaded with the police: “My son is chopping everything up in the house. He has a hammer. Please hurry.”

The court was told that Mikey had a history of mental illness and illegal drug use.

Testimony was heard from his GP Prema Iyengar who explained that she had seen him just days before his death when he exhibited behaviour that was reminiscent of an earlier mental breakdown. But she denied that his condition required treatment although it reminded her of his condition in 1997 when he experienced mental health problems, suffered hallucinations and displayed aggression as a result of using cocaine.

JUMPED

It emerged that two years earlier Mikey jumped out of the ambulance that was taking him for a psychiatric assessment and according to a police officer’s testimony – Gerrard McManus, who is not on trial – Mikey was “slightly strange” and “didn’t make a lot of sense” after being apprehended in an alleged routine stop and search operation hours before his death.

Powell’s sister Judith also gave evidence, tearfully explaining how her boyfriend managed to subdue Mikey as the officers arrived on the scene in Wilton Street, Lozells. She denied that her brother was violent with the officers or displayed any behaviour indicative of mental illness.

During cross examination, David Mason, defending one of the officers, asked: “Because of his mental illness he was being unusually and unnecessarily violent, wasn’t he?” She denied this.

SCARING

“He was scaring the living daylights out of you and your mum?” questioned Mason. She answered: “No. As I said he just wasn’t well.”

All ten officers – including an inspector and a sergeant – pleaded not guilty to the charges of misconduct in public office in connection with Mikey’s death. Two of the policemen have also been charged with dangerous driving and assaulting Powell.

The trial continues.

Published: 24 May 2006
Issue: 1219

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