Inquest hears police officer used extreme language

Footage of a man being punched and sworn at by police while being restrained hours before his death has been shown at an inquest.

Robert Gracey, 39, of Morton Terrace, Gainsborough, died in the early hours of 29 September 2021 at Lincoln County Hospital.

The jury at the inquest, being held in Lincoln, heard Mr Gracey had become unresponsive in a Lincolnshire Police van having been discharged from hospital hours earlier after concerns about his mental health.

PC Warren Beardall said he feared being bitten during the incident. "I could feel him try and bite into my skin," he told the hearing on Thursday.

"My worst fear along with getting spat at is being bit."

Body-worn video captured PC Beardall using an extreme expletive as he sat on Mr Gracey.

Asked by Raj Desai, counsel for the family, whether it was inappropriate, Beardall replied: "If you're asking me now if I regret calling him that word, absolutely."

He added: "The language I've used is something out of the ordinary to try and get his attention."

When asked about PC Beardall's language, Sgt Paul Wilson said: "I don't think it's an unnatural thing to come out of someone's mouth."

"We are human beings as well," he added.

The inquest previously heard Mr Gracey was in a "paranoid and anxious state" and police had been called on 27 September when Mr Gracey was detained under the Mental Health Act.

On Wednesday, the inquest heard PC Garry Firth and PC Nicky Briscoe were sent to Mr Gracey's home in the early hours of 29 September after he called 999 twice. But they left after Mr Gracey refused to speak to them.

The jury was shown more footage of officers running after Mr Gracey after he had banged on the window of Gainsborough Police Station a short while later.

In the footage, Mr Gracey, who has two children, can be heard shouting "they're not the police, call the police", while being restrained.

The video showed officers trying to restrain Mr Gracey using Pava spray, handcuffs and leg restraints.

Mr Gracey can be heard shouting "they're going to kill me" while being put in the van.

The footage then showed PC Beardall with his hand on the back of Mr Gracey's neck while attempting to put him in the van. PC Firth could then be seen punching Mr Gracey in the stomach twice while trying to get him in the van.

Mr Wilson, who has retired from the force since the incident, told the inquest: "My first impression was he was under the influence of drugs."

When in Mr Gracey's neighbour's garden, Mr Wilson said he was trying to get hold of Mr Gracey's arm but he was kicking out.

He said he then struck Mr Gracey's left thigh to stop him kicking and biting.

He said it was "apparent" Mr Gracey would need some medical attention, but added he considered custody to be the "safest and most appropriate place to take him given his behaviour at the time".

The court heard Mr Gracey became unresponsive in the police van and officers started performing CPR. He was taken to hospital via ambulance where he was pronounced dead.

The inquest heard suggestions he was suffering from acute behavioural disturbance - an umbrella term for the presentation of a number of conditions, according to the College of Policing guidelines.

The court was given a transcript of Mr Wilson calling Mr Gracey "an absolute idiot" to his colleagues whenMr Gracey had banged on the window of the police station.

When asked by Mr Desai whether he thought this was an appropriate way to be speaking about someone, Mr Wilson said: "No, it's not."

In another radio transcript from the same incident, Mr Wilson called Mr Gracey an "idiot" again and told him to "clear off".

In court, Mr Wilson said: "That was wrong and I shouldn't have done that."

Speaking about the case as a whole, Mr Wilson said: "This is quite literally the worst possible thing that could happen to a police officer."

The inquest continues.

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