POLICE restraint and a delay in critical medical care contributed to the death of a man suffering drug-related behavioural problems, an inquest has ruled.

Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard that Krystian Kilkowski, who died on his 32nd birthday on August 11 2020, was a fit and healthy Polish man who had been living in England for nine years. 

On August 10 2020, police officers visiting his home thought he was behaving strangely and were told he had taken drugs.

Video shown to the inquest jury showed Mr Kilkowski being restrained for over an hour with officers repeatedly pushing his head towards the ground.

He was handcuffed and leg restraints were put on him, and while restrained he began biting his own arms and his tongue.

Police said they detained him because they had concerns about his mental health and proposed to take him to a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983.

The inquest found that Mr Kilkowski’s drug-related death was “complicated by serious failures in the methods of restraint.”

It also found that there were “delays in Mr Kilkowski receiving timely critical care.”

Jodie Anderson of the lawyers’ group Inquest, which supports families of people who die in custody, said: “Krystian’s death is another shocking example of the lethal consequences of police officers dealing with people in mental health crises.”

She said unless there was “widespread structural and cultural change” in the way people suffering mental health crises were dealt with, there would be “further unnecessary deaths following disproportionate use of force at the hands of police forces.”