A MAN who died while locked up in a police cell at Oldbury’s custody suite suffered a drug related death, an inquest has concluded.

Christopher Morgan, aged 38, was found unresponsive on the floor of a cell at the Bromford Road station in the early hours of September 21 last year, after falling from his bunk bed.

Despite the efforts of medical staff at the suite and paramedics who had been called to the scene, Mr Morgan, of Walsall, was pronounced dead at 2.25am.

A two day inquest at Black Country Coroner’s Court heard unemployed Mr Morgan was arrested just before 2pm on September 20, on suspicion of shoplifting and possession of cocaine.

The heroin and crack cocaine addict was initially placed on 30 minute observations due to being at a risk of drug withdrawal, but after a medical assessment, officers were told to check on him every hour.

However, the court was told there was “confusion” over the monitoring of his supervision levels.

During the checks which took place overnight, Mr Morgan was said to not look unwell and “responded well” when spoken to by officers.

Pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar said CCTV footage of the cell shows Mr Morgan moving under his blanket at 1.25am.

This was followed by him falling from his bunk and onto the floor, where he continued to move – making ‘epileptiform movements’ – before he stopped.

During the next round of routine checks, shortly before 2am, Mr Morgan was found unresponsive on the floor.

The court heard an ambulance was called and he was placed in the recovery position.

He was subsequently moved onto his back so CPR could be commenced, while a defibrillator was also used to help resuscitate him.

The pathologist – who recorded Mr Morgan’s cause of death as coronary artery atheroma, influenced by cocaine usage – also told jurors there were 10 injuries on the man’s body but said these were not as a result of his time in custody.

The jury of five men and four women gave a conclusion of a drug related death.