An inquest heard that a bakery thief hanged himself after police misidentified him as a paedophile due to ‘human error.’
Brian Temple, 34, died on December 31, 2017, just six months after being arrested on June 8 for allegedly stealing a pack of Greggs sausage rolls.
On the first day of his inquest, Monday, June 20, the jury heard that when Mr Temple returned home from custody, he gave his release papers to his then-girlfriend.
Unbeknownst to him, police had made a mistake and produced the incorrect information – the letter stating he had been detained for inciting sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl, which he had not.
Teesside Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Temple’s then-girlfriend began spreading false information, prompting people to lash out at the Redcar man. He was allegedly verbally abused on the street, assaulted in his own home, and struck in the head with a golf club.
To cope with the onslaught, Mr Temple began to drink heavily and use a combination of prescribed medication and recreational drugs, such as cocaine, according to the court.
Brian had 134mg of alcohol in his system, as well as a mixture of cocaine, Diazepam, Zopiclone, and Pregablin, according to Coroner Claire Bailey, but these did not contribute to his death.
Dr Cooper came to the conclusion that Mr Temple died as a result of a hanging. His brother Anthony discovered his body after his mother’s partner, Paul Daley, became concerned that they hadn’t heard from him all day.
His mother described him as “happy go lucky,” but the ordeal with the incorrect release papers caused him to become closed off and depressed.
The court heard that after the release papers became public, Mr Temple reported threats and assaults to the police, and that the force’s welfare checks allegedly exacerbated the situation and fueled the fire of the false rumours.
His brother Paul, who was present at the inquest at Teesside Magistrates Court, spoke of his brother’s closeness and how they’d grown up being ‘anti drug’ – explaining that Mr Temple began taking drugs to cope with the constant attacks and assaults he was experiencing in the months leading up to his death.
Despite his depression, Paul explained in his statement that his brother never expressed suicidal thoughts and that the error on the release sheet “would drive anyone insane.”
Mr Temple’s sister in law Crystal explained in her statement how the incorrect charge sheet was discovered in his pocket at the time of his death, and how she believed the police had a “duty of care” for vulnerable people like her brother in law, who was suffering from mental health issues at the time of his arrest.
Officer Owen read out numerous statements from police officers who had dealt with Mr Temple in the days leading up to his death, as well as during his arrest and the issuance of the incorrect papers.
Cleveland Police Detective Sergeant Agar stated in his statement that he dealt with Mr Temple’s complaint about the incorrect papers on November 28, 2017, and that the bail sheet was a “genuine human error.”
Following Mr Temple’s death, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation to ensure that such an error would never happen again at Cleveland Police.
They concluded that the main judgment of the papers was human error, and that this occurrence was ‘incredibly unusual.’
The investigation is still ongoing.