Kaine Fletcher died aged 26 on 3 July 2022 after a period of prolonged restraint by officers from Nottinghamshire Police. The four-week inquest into Kaine’s death recently concluded on 25 July 2025.
The inquest jury concluded that a number of “gross failures” by the police contributed to Kaine’s death, including that:
- “There was a gross failure in dissemination of information and training across all agencies. In particular, the police with regards to vital information from the policy of section 136 and training in ABD and how to spot it.
- No awareness of policy and correct conveyance amongst any police for a section 136 which is a gross failure
- Clear leadership was needed on scene for serious police incidents. Supervisor needed at scene and not police control centre. There was ineffective communication between the scene and the control centre.
- Clear lack of management of detaining and restraint of Kaine by offices and supervisor. Consideration of use of restraints and time in restraints was required, especially considering the resistance.”
On 28 July 2025, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) released the findings of its investigation into the officers involved in Kaine’s death. The IOPC found that “there was no evidence to suggest any officers behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings or that they committed a criminal offence.”
The family of Kaine Fletcher were disappointed to see that the IOPC failed to acknowledge the numerous critical findings made by the jury and calls for the IOPC to revisit the conclusion of its flawed investigation.
Despite the suggestion by the IOPC in its press release that its investigators conducted a detailed examination of the evidence, including the officers’ training records, the IOPC failed to identify that all but one of the 9 police officers involved in the prolonged restraint were unaware of the requirement to call an ambulance immediately upon detaining someone under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. The officers remained unaware of this requirement until they were questioned during the inquest.
Further, the inquest heard from a Superintendent from Nottinghamshire Police, who stated that the way Kaine was spoken to by the officers (including being called an “idiot” in the midst of his mental health crisis) was “unacceptable, outside of training and should not have happened.” This was not addressed by the IOPC as part of its investigation.
Prompted by serious concerns about the quality and timeliness of the IOPC’s investigation into Kaine’s death – during which no police officer was interviewed – the family made a complaint on 29 July 2024. A response was not received until 14 April 2025.
The IOPC upheld a number of the family’s complaints, including in relation to the timeliness of the 21-month long investigation which was originally projected to be completed within 6-12 month. The IOPC recognised that “no acknowledgment for the delay, no acknowledgment of the impact (including to the inquest date), and no apology was offered” to the family.
The IOPC also acknowledged that its failure to obtain CCTV evidence from the hospital as part of its investigation “was an oversight”. The consequence of this is that there is no independent, corroborated evidence as to the length of time Kaine remained under restraint at the hospital, despite being in critical condition. These questions will now forever remain unanswered as a result of the IOPC’s shortcoming.
Nathaniel Ameyaw, Kaine’s father, said: “It is disappointing but not surprising that the IOPC continues to conduct itself in this way, without acknowledging the very critical findings of the jury that our family have fought hard for. Our family have felt let down by the IOPC at every juncture and this occasion is no different.”
NOTES TO EDITORSFor further information or request for comment please contact Erica San at Bhatt Murphy on 020 7729 1115 or [email protected]
Kaine’s family are represented by Erica San of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors instructing Stephen Simblet KC of Garden Court Chambers.
Kaine Fletcher
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Kaine Fletcher died aged 26 on 3 July 2022 after a period of prolonged restraint by officers from Nottinghamshire Police. The four-week inquest into Kaine’s death recently concluded on 25 July 2025.
The inquest jury concluded that a number of “gross failures” by the police contributed to Kaine’s death, including that:
On 28 July 2025, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) released the findings of its investigation into the officers involved in Kaine’s death. The IOPC found that “there was no evidence to suggest any officers behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings or that they committed a criminal offence.”
The family of Kaine Fletcher were disappointed to see that the IOPC failed to acknowledge the numerous critical findings made by the jury and calls for the IOPC to revisit the conclusion of its flawed investigation.
Despite the suggestion by the IOPC in its press release that its investigators conducted a detailed examination of the evidence, including the officers’ training records, the IOPC failed to identify that all but one of the 9 police officers involved in the prolonged restraint were unaware of the requirement to call an ambulance immediately upon detaining someone under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. The officers remained unaware of this requirement until they were questioned during the inquest.
Further, the inquest heard from a Superintendent from Nottinghamshire Police, who stated that the way Kaine was spoken to by the officers (including being called an “idiot” in the midst of his mental health crisis) was “unacceptable, outside of training and should not have happened.” This was not addressed by the IOPC as part of its investigation.
Prompted by serious concerns about the quality and timeliness of the IOPC’s investigation into Kaine’s death – during which no police officer was interviewed – the family made a complaint on 29 July 2024. A response was not received until 14 April 2025.
The IOPC upheld a number of the family’s complaints, including in relation to the timeliness of the 21-month long investigation which was originally projected to be completed within 6-12 month. The IOPC recognised that “no acknowledgment for the delay, no acknowledgment of the impact (including to the inquest date), and no apology was offered” to the family.
The IOPC also acknowledged that its failure to obtain CCTV evidence from the hospital as part of its investigation “was an oversight”. The consequence of this is that there is no independent, corroborated evidence as to the length of time Kaine remained under restraint at the hospital, despite being in critical condition. These questions will now forever remain unanswered as a result of the IOPC’s shortcoming.
Nathaniel Ameyaw, Kaine’s father, said: “It is disappointing but not surprising that the IOPC continues to conduct itself in this way, without acknowledging the very critical findings of the jury that our family have fought hard for. Our family have felt let down by the IOPC at every juncture and this occasion is no different.”
NOTES TO EDITORSFor further information or request for comment please contact Erica San at Bhatt Murphy on 020 7729 1115 or [email protected]
Kaine’s family are represented by Erica San of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors instructing Stephen Simblet KC of Garden Court Chambers.
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