Gareth Myatt Inquest Re-opens

10.00am Tuesday 26 June 2007 (Coroners summation to begin)

Before HH Richard Pollard, retired circuit court judge sitting as a coroner

Rushden and Diamond Conference Centre, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, NN9 5QF

The inquest into the restraint- related death of 15 year old Gareth Myatt, who died in the privately run Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC) in April 2004, will reconvene on 26 June.

The inquest has heard disturbing evidence about the failure of the Youth Justice Board to review the safety of restraint methods used against children despite increasing evidence emerging about health and safety risks at Rainsbrook.

INQUEST has particular concerns about:

• the type and prevalence of physical restraint used against children in custody;
• the appropriateness of the force used on Gareth and whether it was lawful;
• how the type of restraint used was originally approved and medically assessed;
• the monitoring, auditing and reviewing of the restraint technique and if potential risks were identified;
• how the staff who used it were trained;
• whether lessons from other restraint related deaths in custody were learned.

The family is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Dexter Dias and Brenda Campbell from Garden Court Chambers and Mark Scott from Bhatt Murphy solicitors.