Man asked for medical help before cell death

A man who was found dead in a police cell had told officers he had taken cocaine and heroin and felt like he was going to die, an inquest jury has heard.

Father-of-one Simeon Francis, 35, was arrested in the early hours of 20 May 2020 in Exeter and taken to Torquay police station for questioning over a stolen vehicle.

During his arrest he pleaded for medical attention and was placed in a cell where he was later found unresponsive.

He was declared dead at 18:07 GMT, and the inquest at Exeter Coroner's court ruled Mr Francis died of natural causes and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

The jury heard that when Mr Francis was arrested and placed in a police vehicle, he told officers: "I have taken loads of cocaine and heroin. I am feeling like my heart's pounding. I am passing out.

"I feel like I am going to die. Take me to hospital."

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Deborah Cook attributed his death to SUDEP, noting his history of alcohol and drug misuse.

The inquest ruled the authorities had acted appropriately and reasonably in the circumstances.

According to the Epilepsy Action charity, SUDEP is a rare condition which affects about one in every 1,000 adults with epilepsy each year.

The risk of SUDEP was higher for people experiencing frequent uncontrolled seizures, sleep seizures, or for people not taking their medication regularly, the charity said.

Mr Francis's father described his son as a "funny, very popular, kind" man from a large family who struggled after his mother's death.

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