News

The family of a mentally-ill man who died after being restrained by police officers has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for deciding not to prosecute anyone for his death because of "insufficient evidence".

Roger Sylvester's family said the decision had been "shaped by a desire to avoid any prosecution of the officers responsible for Roger's death".

Sylvester, who suffered from manic depression, died in January 1999 after he was held down by eight officers for 20 minutes when he was taken to a psychiatric hospital.


An inquest verdict that he was unlawfully killed was overturned in the High Court last November after the judge criticised the coroner's summing up.

Deborah Coles, co-director of campaign group Inquest, which has worked with the family, said: "This sends out a clear message that police officers are above the law."