Mouayed Bashir, 29, died in February 2021 after being restrained by police at his home in Maesglas, Newport. The inquest jury in Newport returned a narrative conclusion after nearly three weeks of evidence, with a coroner stating that the actions of the police did not affect the outcome.
The inquest heard that Mr Bashir had acute behavioural disturbance (ABD) as a result of years of cocaine use. ABD results in a person becoming extremely agitated or distressed, and can be worsened by restraint and the presence of police officers. The jury found that the police had “insufficient knowledge and understanding of identifying some of the signs of ABD”.
A pathologist said that Mr Bashir had a mix of drugs in his blood, including cocaine and diazepam. The pathologist believed that Mr Bashir was suffering from ABD as a result of his cocaine use. The jury concluded that “the death was caused by cocaine intoxication. This was contributed to by ABD following a period of restraint.”
Gwent Senior Coroner Caroline Saunders offered her condolences to the family and said she would be writing to the chief constable of Gwent Police about recognizing the signs of ABD. The jury previously heard that Mr Bashir became unwell after taking drugs and barricaded himself in his bedroom. His parents called an ambulance and police, who forced their way into the room and then restrained Mr Bashir
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