This is a media release by Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors, reshared by INQUEST.
A homelessness campaigner died because of neglect following a catalogue of errors by healthcare professionals, a coroner has concluded.
Hearing was conducted by Alexander Frodsham, Assistant Coroner for Warrington between 11 November-22 November 2025
Wayne Lammond, 36, died after his brain was starved of oxygen following a cardiac arrest, but an inquest jury heard that medical staff failed to carry out a series of medical checks and actions that could have saved his life.
A jury at the 12 day inquest found that neglect contributed to his death – an extremely rare conclusion which can only be used where there has been a gross failure to provide basic medical attention and that this caused an individual’s death.
Wayne, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital’s accident and emergency department on 20 November 2021, after his sister called an ambulance on the 19 due to concerns following a deterioration in his mental health.
Wayne, who was agitated and confused, was restrained and taken to the ground by police and security staff at the hospital four times in 25 minutes before he was admitted.
The jury at the Cheshire Coroner’s Court was shown a Body Worn Video (BWV) of the moments before Wayne died in which he made a strange rattling noise and stopped breathing.
A police officer from Cheshire Constabulary admitted he had noticed Wayne had stopped breathing, but did not call a nurse as he assumed they were watching.
To compound matters, a nurse who attended his bedside also initially failed to notice that Wayne had stopped breathing. It was only when she returned to deliver a sedative injection that staff reacted, and he was taken to the resuscitation area.
The inquest heard expert medical evidence from Dr Jasmeet Soar, an emergency care doctor, who reviewed the BWV of the resuscitation attempts and said that basic checks such as blood pressure and other vital signs were not carried out while he was in the resuscitation area.
Wayne was connected to an automatic defibrillator and the footage revealed that it prompted medical staff to give Wayne an electric shock to restart his heart, but none was given.
Dr Soar said Wayne was left without treatment for 14 minutes, starving his brain of oxygen and resulting in a fatal brain injury.
Wayne’s younger sister Ann Mawdsley said: “I miss Wayne more than anyone could ever understand. He was more than just a brother; he was my best friend.
Wayne deserved to be treated with respect and receive the medical assistance that could have saved his life. This could not have been further from the reality that our brother endured in his final hours. Instead of competent medical care Wayne was restrained four times, which would have been extremely distressing for him in his mental state, and then failed to receive even the basic care and attention he needed.”
Wayne’s sister Natasha Walker added: “While nothing will bring Wayne back, we are grateful to the jury and the coroner for their finding that neglect contributed towards his death and hope no other families are forced to endure the trauma that we have.
The fact we have not received an apology from anyone involved continues to add to the trauma, as well as the difficulties we had in finding out the truth over the last three years.”
Nicola Miller, a solicitor from Broudie Jackson Canter who represents Wayne’s family, said: “Wayne’s family is understandably devastated to have heard that his life could have been saved if it wasn’t for the failures of those responsible for his care.
While we are pleased that the inquest has found neglect contributed towards his death, the family are intent on getting some semblance of justice for Wayne’s death and will do so in the civil courts.”
Wayne became the unofficial spokesperson of the homeless in Chester after he led a series of ‘protest squats’ in empty commercial premises in 2019, alleging inadequate support and accommodation by the council.
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS
The family were represented by INQUEST Lawyers members Nicola Miller and Phoebe Pratt from Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors and Stephen Cragg KC from Doughty Street Chambers and Lily Lewis from Garden Court North Chambers. They were supported by Senior Caseworker Selen Cavcav from INQUEST
For further information, please contact:
Justin Penrose, Black Letter Communications: 020 3567 1208 / 07399 816597 / [email protected]
About Broudie Jackson Canter
Broudie Jackson Canter is part of the Jackson Lees Group, a forward-thinking law firm in the North West with a mission to make a positive difference through the law.
The Group provides a full-service legal solution to personal and commercial clients and has more than 280 committed employees spanning four offices in Liverpool, Southport, Heswall and Hoylake.
The group was formed in May 2016 after Liverpool solicitors Jackson Canter acquired Wirral-based law firm, Lees Solicitors. Lees joined Jackson Canter and Broudie Jackson Canter, with the three forming the Jackson Lees Group.
All have a long and well-respected history, with Lees Solicitors being founded in 1889.
Broudie Jackson Canter is now one the country’s leading inquests and inquiries solicitors, having represented families at the Hillsborough Inquests, the Birmingham pub bombings inquests, the Covid-19 Inquiry and the Manchester Arena Inquiry, amongst others. It is the lead solicitor campaigning to bring in a Hillsborough Law Now, which would bring in a duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries. The Labour Government included as part of the 2024 King’s Speech.
The Group Managing Director is Esther Leach, who joined Broudie Jackson Canter in 2000 as a duty solicitor and became a director at in 2001.
About MAPD
MAPD stands for ‘Making a Positive Difference’. The MAPD Group was founded by CEO Brian Cullen and COO Joanna Kingston-Davies in 2020 to power the growth of local law firms nationally through acquisition.
MAPD acquired the Jackson Lees Group (Jackson Lees and Broudie Jackson Canter) in March 2020, Myers & Co in 2021, Bermans in 2022 and Thomson Hayton Winkley and The Rural Law Practice, and Bromleys in 2023.
MAPD is backed by Shard Credit Partners and is looking to invest in aligned businesses within the legal sector via a nationwide acquisition strategy.
MAPD is building a group of successful law firms, propelled by a single shared purpose; Making a Positive Difference. This ethos fuels business performance, motivates people, leads MAPD to deliver high quality work for their clients and roots firms more deeply in the communities, focusing on sustainable growth.
Wayne Lammond
CONTENT WARNING: Please read with care as this page may involve information on death, suicide, mental illness, disability, state neglect, and police and prison violence that some people may find upsetting. If you need support, please visit our support page.
This is a media release by Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors, reshared by INQUEST.
A homelessness campaigner died because of neglect following a catalogue of errors by healthcare professionals, a coroner has concluded.
Hearing was conducted by Alexander Frodsham, Assistant Coroner for Warrington between 11 November-22 November 2025
Wayne Lammond, 36, died after his brain was starved of oxygen following a cardiac arrest, but an inquest jury heard that medical staff failed to carry out a series of medical checks and actions that could have saved his life.
A jury at the 12 day inquest found that neglect contributed to his death – an extremely rare conclusion which can only be used where there has been a gross failure to provide basic medical attention and that this caused an individual’s death.
Wayne, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital’s accident and emergency department on 20 November 2021, after his sister called an ambulance on the 19 due to concerns following a deterioration in his mental health.
Wayne, who was agitated and confused, was restrained and taken to the ground by police and security staff at the hospital four times in 25 minutes before he was admitted.
The jury at the Cheshire Coroner’s Court was shown a Body Worn Video (BWV) of the moments before Wayne died in which he made a strange rattling noise and stopped breathing.
A police officer from Cheshire Constabulary admitted he had noticed Wayne had stopped breathing, but did not call a nurse as he assumed they were watching.
To compound matters, a nurse who attended his bedside also initially failed to notice that Wayne had stopped breathing. It was only when she returned to deliver a sedative injection that staff reacted, and he was taken to the resuscitation area.
The inquest heard expert medical evidence from Dr Jasmeet Soar, an emergency care doctor, who reviewed the BWV of the resuscitation attempts and said that basic checks such as blood pressure and other vital signs were not carried out while he was in the resuscitation area.
Wayne was connected to an automatic defibrillator and the footage revealed that it prompted medical staff to give Wayne an electric shock to restart his heart, but none was given.
Dr Soar said Wayne was left without treatment for 14 minutes, starving his brain of oxygen and resulting in a fatal brain injury.
Wayne’s younger sister Ann Mawdsley said: “I miss Wayne more than anyone could ever understand. He was more than just a brother; he was my best friend.
Wayne deserved to be treated with respect and receive the medical assistance that could have saved his life. This could not have been further from the reality that our brother endured in his final hours. Instead of competent medical care Wayne was restrained four times, which would have been extremely distressing for him in his mental state, and then failed to receive even the basic care and attention he needed.”
Wayne’s sister Natasha Walker added: “While nothing will bring Wayne back, we are grateful to the jury and the coroner for their finding that neglect contributed towards his death and hope no other families are forced to endure the trauma that we have.
The fact we have not received an apology from anyone involved continues to add to the trauma, as well as the difficulties we had in finding out the truth over the last three years.”
Nicola Miller, a solicitor from Broudie Jackson Canter who represents Wayne’s family, said: “Wayne’s family is understandably devastated to have heard that his life could have been saved if it wasn’t for the failures of those responsible for his care.
While we are pleased that the inquest has found neglect contributed towards his death, the family are intent on getting some semblance of justice for Wayne’s death and will do so in the civil courts.”
Wayne became the unofficial spokesperson of the homeless in Chester after he led a series of ‘protest squats’ in empty commercial premises in 2019, alleging inadequate support and accommodation by the council.
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS
The family were represented by INQUEST Lawyers members Nicola Miller and Phoebe Pratt from Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors and Stephen Cragg KC from Doughty Street Chambers and Lily Lewis from Garden Court North Chambers. They were supported by Senior Caseworker Selen Cavcav from INQUEST
For further information, please contact:
Justin Penrose, Black Letter Communications: 020 3567 1208 / 07399 816597 / [email protected]
About Broudie Jackson Canter
Broudie Jackson Canter is part of the Jackson Lees Group, a forward-thinking law firm in the North West with a mission to make a positive difference through the law.
The Group provides a full-service legal solution to personal and commercial clients and has more than 280 committed employees spanning four offices in Liverpool, Southport, Heswall and Hoylake.
The group was formed in May 2016 after Liverpool solicitors Jackson Canter acquired Wirral-based law firm, Lees Solicitors. Lees joined Jackson Canter and Broudie Jackson Canter, with the three forming the Jackson Lees Group.
All have a long and well-respected history, with Lees Solicitors being founded in 1889.
Broudie Jackson Canter is now one the country’s leading inquests and inquiries solicitors, having represented families at the Hillsborough Inquests, the Birmingham pub bombings inquests, the Covid-19 Inquiry and the Manchester Arena Inquiry, amongst others. It is the lead solicitor campaigning to bring in a Hillsborough Law Now, which would bring in a duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries. The Labour Government included as part of the 2024 King’s Speech.
The Group Managing Director is Esther Leach, who joined Broudie Jackson Canter in 2000 as a duty solicitor and became a director at in 2001.
About MAPD
MAPD stands for ‘Making a Positive Difference’. The MAPD Group was founded by CEO Brian Cullen and COO Joanna Kingston-Davies in 2020 to power the growth of local law firms nationally through acquisition.
MAPD acquired the Jackson Lees Group (Jackson Lees and Broudie Jackson Canter) in March 2020, Myers & Co in 2021, Bermans in 2022 and Thomson Hayton Winkley and The Rural Law Practice, and Bromleys in 2023.
MAPD is backed by Shard Credit Partners and is looking to invest in aligned businesses within the legal sector via a nationwide acquisition strategy.
MAPD is building a group of successful law firms, propelled by a single shared purpose; Making a Positive Difference. This ethos fuels business performance, motivates people, leads MAPD to deliver high quality work for their clients and roots firms more deeply in the communities, focusing on sustainable growth.
Make a Donation
Every year, INQUEST supports hundreds of families bereaved by deaths involving the state. We are independent of government and entirely reliant on grants and donations to continue our vital work.
Support us and bereaved families in the fight for truth, justice and accountability by becoming a regular donor today.
Donate now
Related items
We work to improve police accountability following the use of force and advocate for non-policing solutions
Subscribe to our newsletter
To receive the latest news from INQUEST straight into you inbox please subscribe. For examples of what you will receive, see our previous newsletters.