Man Dies After Choking in Police Custody – Shocking Failings Exposed
Terry Cassidy, 45, from Barking, tragically died from a brain injury at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, on April 9. The father-of-two choked during a tense confrontation with police on March 30, raising fresh questions about officer inaction.
Last Moments Caught on Phone and Video
Just minutes before collapsing, Terry called his partner, fearful he was being followed by unmarked police cars. Officers spotted him drinking from a bottle as he left a car park off Ivyhouse Lane, Dagenham. A packet of drugs previously seen near his vehicle had vanished by the time police approached, a court heard. Terry seemed unsteady and silent, only nodding or shaking his head in response. Moments later, he collapsed, clutching his chest and rapidly deteriorating.
Paramedics pulled a packet of drugs from his airway during CPR, but it was too late to save him.
Coroner Slams Police Over ‘Inaction’
Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine blasted police for failing to check if Terry could breathe or if something was blocking his airway. “A great deal of things are going on around him, but no one seemed to assess his condition properly,” he said.
Despite an emergency medicine expert concluding Terry was already choking when he left the car and that neither police nor paramedics could have prevented his death, Mr Irvine remains deeply concerned. “I have to consider the next person detained by police. Could swifter action save lives?” he questioned.
Tragic Life Cut Short
Terry, once involved in TV adverts and music videos, lived in Barking working as a self-employed computer repairman after a serious foot injury left him disabled. His partner called him “an angel” with a clean record except for a minor driving offence.
On the day of his death, Terry admitted holding drugs for a friend. After police stopped his car over drug use concerns, he is believed to have ingested something that caused him to choke. Witnesses spotted red bruises and scratches around his neck. His partner discovered him unresponsive in the car park, with clear signs of distress.
Police Watchdog Steps In But Declines Full Probe
The Met referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which declined a full investigation, leaving the Met to handle it internally. The coroner has made the IOPC an interested party ahead of the inquest.
Terry Cassidy’s official cause of death was hypoxic ischemic brain injury caused by suspected choking on a foreign body. A full inquest is scheduled for next spring.
