A heartbroken mum from Bolton has spoken out for the first time since a jury ruled that “serious and significant” police failures contributed to her daughter's death in custody. Kelly Hartigan-Burns, 35, was found unresponsive at Blackburn's Greenbank Police Station in the early hours of December 4, 2016.
After an agonising wait of more than five years, Kelly's inquest was finally heard at Preston Coroner's Court last month. It was found that “if officers had shown more compassion, acted diligently, practiced common sense, followed guidance and procedure from the moment they found Kelly and throughout her detention there may have been a different outcome”.
An open conclusion was reached but a narrative detailed a litany of failures, including the failure to record previous incidents on the system, to obtain and relay the relevant information, and in the management of Kelly in the custody suite. Following the tragedy, seven officers were investigated; one was found guilty of gross misconduct and barred from working in the force and a second offer was disciplined.
