Cell death verdict overturned

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens has won a High Court order overturning a jury verdict that "system neglect" by police contributed to the death of a prisoner.

Scott Robbins, 27, was being held at Croydon police station in south London following his arrest with a companion in September 2000.

He had been on a Brighton-to-London train and was accused of stealing two bicycles.

Originally from the West Country, he was being kept in a cell over the weekend to await transport back to Camborne, Cornwall.

Alert to self harm

Officers there already had a warrant for his arrest.

But Mr Robbins was found hanging in his cell, having used one of his own bootlaces as a ligature which was tied to a light fitting in the cell ceiling.

An inquest was later told custody sergeants involved in caring for him had not been fully trained on issues of prisoners self-harming.

The jury at Croydon Coroners' Court returned an 8-2 majority verdict of suicide "contributed to by system neglect".

Officers had not removed a belt, bootlaces and a lace from a sweat top from Mr Robbins.

But on Monday, Mr Justice Davis ruled there was "insufficient evidence" to support the verdict.

He ordered that it should be altered to read that Mr Robbins had killed himself.