British Transport Police officers (BTP) left a homeless man to freeze to death outside Euston station in -4C, a court heard. Mohammed Akramuzzaman, 39, died from an alcohol-related condition and hypothermia after he was found in cardiac arrest by the North London railway station at around 7am on December 8, 2023, having spent the night on the street.
At an inquest at St Pancras Coroner’s Court this June, coroner Mary Hassell heard evidence that concerns had been flagged to officers by a member of the public, but after he refused treatment the officers did not return or arrange help. Ms Hassell concluded medical care and a warmer environment ‘would have saved his life’ had they intervened.
Though she noted ‘elements of good practice’, like taking people directly to hospital in a wheelchair, Ms Hassell highlighted a series of failures by the police force in the lead-up to Mohammed’s death. These included not getting a verbal response, not standing him up, cancelling an ambulance, and not returning to check on him in the course of a ‘very cold’ night.
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The court heard the officers attended quickly after concerns were raised by a member of the public, and asked Mohammed if he wanted medical help. But, the officers left after Mohammed nodded to say he was okay and shook his head to refuse treatment, without hearing him speak. They also made no attempt to stand him up to see if he could support himself.
“I appreciate that if Mr Akramuzzaman had mental capacity then he could not be forced to go to hospital, but it is difficult to see how he could have been assessed properly following just a nod and a shake of the head,” Ms Hassell said, in a prevention of future deaths report sent to Lucy D’Orsi, the Chief Constable of British Transport Police.
Ms Hassell also noted evidence from the PC and two PCSOs, who attended Mohammed, that they ‘placed great reliance’ on the opinion of another officer who had said he was ‘coming round’ after taking drugs and alcohol.
“The station officers were themselves very experienced, and should have formed their own view,” said Ms Hassell.
At the inquest, those same officers accepted it was impossible to decide so quickly it was a drug comedown. The coroner also highlighted the officers’ failure to check on Mohammed with temperatures plummeting to -4C on ‘a very cold night’.
“I appreciate that a decision had to be made about what action to take there and then. But when I asked, BTP witnesses agreed that it would have been an easy matter for an officer on patrol later to check on a person in that situation,” said Ms Hassell. “No consideration was given to that by either of the PCSOs, by the PC, or by the sergeant who then took the decision to cancel the ambulance called earlier.”
Ms Hassell noted evidence from the officers that they had ‘reflected a lot’ about the incident and had ‘learnt a lot’, but she said they ‘struck me as defensive’ and were unable to point to specific learning or procedural changes. “I did not gain the impression of a culture of learning,” she added.
‘BTP officers don’t need to be doctors’
Ms Hassell also dismissed evidence from the sergeant who said police were not ‘healthcare professionals’. She said the officers ‘did not need to be doctors’ for Mohammed to survive. In response, the sergeant said learning should be done by BTP at an ‘organisational level’.
“The sergeant told me that before the inquest, he had not known about the existence of ketoacidosis. The officers reminded me that they are not healthcare professionals. However, as I explained in court, I was not suggesting that they should have a particular understanding of ketoacidosis,” Ms Hassell said.
“Mr Akramuzzaman could have been suffering from any number of medical conditions. He could have sustained a subtle head injury. He could have had diabetes (which, as it happens, can also result in ketoacidosis). He could have had epilepsy. The list goes on.
“Mr Akramuzzaman did not need the BTP officers to be doctors in order to survive this episode, but he was probably already confused when officers dealt with him, and he needed them to make an appropriate assessment and to take appropriate action as BTP officers.”
‘Tragic incident’
A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Following the death of Mohammed Akramuzzaman in December at Euston Station, BTP referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Following their full investigation, it was agreed the officers and sergeant involved would undergo reflective practice.
“BTP will now consider the Prevention of Future Deaths report which has only recently been concluded and look for further opportunities to learn and reflect from this tragic incident.”
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