Death that triggered riots was ‘accidental’

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 6

Death that triggered riots was ‘accidental’

NZPA-Reuter London A black woman’s death during a police search of her home in October, sparking some of Britains .worst inner-city violence, was accidental, an inquest jury ruled yesterday. In the five-day inquest the London court heard allegations from the family of Cynthia Jarrett, aged 49, that she had suffered a heart attack after the police pushed her to the floor. Two people, including a policeman, were fatally wounded in the violence that resulted from the news of Mrs Jarrett’s death, in the north London suburb of Tottenham.

The Coroner said that the jury should return a verdict of accidental death if it felt the alleged push was not deliberate, but. the result of “going through a narrow, place and ' ,brushing her aside.” ; The police had entered Mrs Jarrett’s?home with ari arrest warrant , for her son. After the verdict the Jarrett family members said in a statement through thenlawyer: “It turns out that our mother: had heart trouble and maybe would have died earlier than normal, but that;does not alter the fact that her death was triggered off by police misbehaviour.”