Inquest into the Death of Joseph Frederick WOODS

Inquest into the Death of Joseph Frederick WOODS

Delivered on :12 December 2018

Delivered at : Perth

Finding of : Coroner King

Recommendations :N/A

Orders/Rules : N/A

Suppression Order : N/A

Summary : The deceased and another man entered a carport beside a house when the resident of the house returned home from walking his dogs. The other man jumped over the back wall of the carport and ran off. The deceased approached the owner of the house, who took the deceased to the ground and restrained him face-up while calling out to his neighbour for help to contact police.

The neighbour attended and called police. The householder turned the deceased onto his stomach and continued to restrain him. Two police officers attended. One officer took over the restraint of the deceased and attached handcuffs to his wrists. The police officer then realised that the deceased was unresponsive and not breathing so commenced CPR while the other officer called for an ambulance. Ambulance paramedics attended and took the deceased to Swan District Hospital, but he could not be revived.

Toxicological analysis later revealed that the deceased had a very high blood methylamphetamine level.

The Coroner relied on the opinion of a forensic pathologist and found that the cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest during struggle and restrain in a man with methylamphetamine effect and focal coronary artery atherosclerosis.

The Coroner found that the force used during the arrest of the deceased was reasonable and that it did not, of itself, cause or contribute to the death.

Catch Words : Methylamphetamine : Citizen’s Arrest : Restraint : Misadventure.

Last updated: 7-Nov-2024

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