AN investigation into the death of a man at Oldbury’s custody suite has revealed he was not checked on as regularly as he should have been.

Christopher Morgan, aged 38, was found dead in a police cell at the Bromford Road suite in the early hours of September 20.

A previous inquest at Black Country Coroner’s Court heard Mr Morgan was arrested during the afternoon of September 19, on suspicion of shoplifting and drugs possession.

After being seen by a doctor at the block on the Wednesday evening he was given medication, before being placed in a cell.

Officers were said to have checked on Mr Morgan at both midnight and 1am on the Thursday where he was described as “fine”, but when they went to see him at 2am he was unresponsive.

Paramedics were called and confirmed Mr Morgan was dead at the scene.

Following the death, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) were called to the custody suite to launch an investigation – which is currently ongoing.

During a pre-inquest hearing on Tuesday (November 21), Victoria Ackroyd, from the IPCC, raised concerns regarding the timing of checks which police should have carried out.

Mrs Ackroyd said: “Since the last hearing, the main development is that we have identified a subject, PS Sergeant Smith, who was custody sergeant at the time Mr Morgan became unwell and subsequently died.

“When Mr Morgan came into custody, he was placed on level one observations and 30 minute checks to prevent drugs use.

“Looking at CCTV footage and the custody suite log, half hourly checks weren’t carried out, but hourly checks were.”

The court was told that due to potential misconduct, PS Smith will be required to provide a written statement, while a further statement is needed from the doctor who prescribed medication to Mr Morgan.

A cause of death has not yet been reached, and while initial examinations of his brain have been unremarkable, the results of Mr Morgan’s heart analysis are still unknown.

Senior Black Country Coroner Zafar Siddique adjourned the inquest to January 11.