A police force has apologised for failing its duty of care to a Bolton woman who died after being found unresponsive in a police cell. Kelly Hartigan-Burns, 35, died at Royal Blackburn Hospital in 2016 after being found in the cell at Greenbank Police Station in the early hours of Saturday December 4, Lancs Live reports.
After a five-week inquest, a jury concluded Lancashire Constabulary had significantly contributed to her death through various failings. It cited contributing factors including the absence of PNC warning markers on Kelly’s record, a lack of training, the failure of the senior attending officer to inform the transporting officer or the custody staff of the suicide or self harm risk, and the management of Kelly in the custody suite.
Failure to explain the custody process and the speed and manner in which Kelly was processed also increased the risk of self-harm or suicide, the jury concluded. Now, the force has apologised, saying it has failed to keep Kelly safe from harm.
