Brother bemoans cell probe delay

Garry Reynolds was arrested during a taxi journey after a party

The brother of a man found in a coma in a Brighton police cell has said he is disappointed that a full inquiry into what happened in March has not started.

Garry Reynolds, 39, was found with severe head injuries after his arrest.

Graeme Reynolds says there has been no progress since the High Court told the Independent Police Complaints Commission to lead the investigation.

In response, the IPCC said it could not move forward until it had studied the work by Sussex Police on the case.

Mr Reynolds, from Southwick, was arrested in central Brighton in the early hours of 2 March.

He remains seriously ill in hospital with severe brain injuries after he was later found in a coma in his cell at Brighton Custody Centre.

Judicial review

Last Friday, a High Court judge ruled that the IPCC had to investigate everything that happened to Mr Reynolds both before and after his arrest.

It came after his family, who had called for Sussex Police to be removed from the inquiry, being granted a judicial review of the case.

Previously, the inquiry into what happened to Mr Reynolds had been split between the IPCC and Sussex Police.

Mr Justice Collins ruled the IPCC should take full control of the inquiry but could ask the force to help if it wished.

Mr Reynolds' brother welcomed the move, and said the police watchdog should start work in Brighton immediately.

However, the IPCC have said they cannot move forward until they have received the written judgment from the court, and studied what work Sussex Police has already done on the case.

Graeme Reynolds said he believed the delay was damaging the chances of the truth of what happened to his brother being discovered.