James Davey

James Davey died following a struggle in Little Park Street Police Station in Coventry on 11 March 1983.

He had been arrested earlier in the day by London murder squad detectives as a suspect in a £5,000 gangland contract killing.

His inquest returned a verdict of accidental death, but his family said that they would be appealing the verdict.

It was heard that the jury's first verdcit that James Davey had died following unreasonable force had been rejected by the Coroner who told them that he could not accept the verdcit that he had died accidentally bu that unreasonable force had been used. He told them that they had to decide between reasonable force having been used, which would mean an accidental vercit or unreasonable force, which would mean a  verdict of unlawful killing.

THey then returned a verdict of accidental death.

THe inquest heard that James Davey's death had been caused by pressure on his neck.

James Davey's relatives claimed that the jury had been pressured into making a decision.

James Davey died following a struggle at the police station following a struggle with the police on 11 March 1983. Following the struggle he was taken to Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital where he died 11 days later whch his life support machine was switched off.

The court heard that James Davey had been held in a neckhold for at least two minutes by an acting police sergeant.

It was heard that whilst at the police statement that he had made a call to his moter inb which he hd said he would rather die than be taken to London for questioning over the murder.

It was aso noted that he had told his mother not to worry as he had an alibi.