Report of the Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard ...

Mr Lodge then turned and swung his left arm toward Sonny’s face and he saw “Mr
Collier” seem to strike Mr Lodge, who was on the floor and whom he heard screaming.
The evidence of Mr Davies
10.28 A prisoner, Mr Davies, told the Prison Service investigation that he was walking
upstairs to the right of cell G3-24 when he heard a commotion and looked down and saw
Mr Lodge standing in the middle of the cell, smiling. Mr Gray was opposite the cell.
There were a couple of officers. One walked into the cell and was rubbing his face then
threw a blow. He described him as a youngish-looking officer with mousey hair and blue
eyes. Then the other officer went into the cell. Mr Davies said he could see Sonny Lodge
on the floor. The officer was crouching over him and looking worried. Then the door was
kicked shut.
10.29 In his statements for the Prison Service investigation and the Coroner, Mr Davies
said that there were two prison officers in the cells, both moving towards the door. The
officer who was ahead was standing almost outside the cell. The other officer turned
back to face Sonny. He said that that this officer swung his keys then put them in his
pocket, raised his hands and rubbed his face, then brought his right hand in a clenched
fist and punched Sonny in the forehead causing him to fall backwards. Mr Davies told
the Prison Service investigators he did not know the officers’ names. In his statement to
the Coroner’s officer he said that Mr Gray had told him later that the officer whose
appearance he described was called Collier.
Evidence of the Healthcare staff
10.30 Other officers took over from Officer Downs and Officer Bowcock, who left the
cell. Healthcare Officer (HCO) Williams went to G wing in response to the alarm. He told
the inquest Sonny seemed to have stopped breathing. The restraints were removed and
he checked for a pulse. Sonny started to breathe again as if he had been holding his
breath. He then began to show signs of a fit for 5 to10 seconds. When this ended he
was placed in the recovery position and his pulse checked. He was transferred to the
healthcare centre. On the way he was angry and shouting at the officers, which HCO
Williams thought unusual in someone recovering from a fit.
10.31 Healthcare Officer Harrison also went to the cell. He told the Prison Service
investigators it was about 7.50 pm. When he arrived, Sonny Lodge was on the floor
being restrained by discipline staff. He had stopped breathing once or twice and the
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