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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Steven Morris

Police use of belt over Exeter man’s face may have contributed to death, inquest jury finds

Thomas Orchard
Thomas Orchard. The jury said the way police used the belt on him would have hampered his ability to breathe and increased his stress levels. Photograph: Family handout/PA

Prolonged use of a heavy webbing belt by police over the face of a vulnerable man during a mental health crisis may have contributed to his death, an inquest jury has concluded.

The way officers used the belt on church caretaker Thomas Orchard would have hampered his ability to breathe and increased his stress levels, the jury said.

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