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

Thomas Orchard died a week after a mental health crisis in which police put an ‘emergency response belt’ over his face

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.