Thames Valley Police (TVP) have apologised after the jury at an inquest ruled neglect by a former officer lead to the death of a man in Milton Keynes.
The jury delivered a verdict regarding the death of Brian Ringrose, who passed away in early 2021.
Mr Ringrose, who was aged 24 at the time, was medically discharged into the custody of TVP officers at Milton Keynes hospital on 27 January 2021.
Officers then attempted to take Mr Ringrose back to custody but had to restrain him in the middle of the hospital’s A&E department in the view of medical professionals and the public.
After a prolonged period of restraint, officers took him to a custody vehicle, before the officers then realised he required immediate medical attention. He was taken back into the hospital and placed in an induced coma. He sadly died on 2 February 2021.
The inquest concluded the act constituted an unlawful killing as an act of manslaughter by a former Thames Valley Police officer. This was contributed to by neglect by one officer who was involved in the restraint.
Two other officers and medical staff who were also present contributed by neglect, as they did not intervene to ensure the welfare of Mr Ringrose.
Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt said: “This was a tragic incident and our thoughts remain with Brian Ringrose’s family and friends.
“We are deeply sorry, and truly saddened, for what happened to Mr Ringrose.
“It is apparent that Mr Ringrose was still suffering from the effects of drugs toxicity and had been discharged by the hospital to be taken back to custody by officers.
“It is clear that how our officers dealt with Mr Ringrose was not acceptable and did not follow approved training.
“Mr Ringrose was subjected to excessive force through restraint by a former officer, which was completely unacceptable. The technique used, was and is not, an approved restraint technique and did not follow the force’s operational guidance or approved practices.
“Additionally, the care and monitoring of Mr Ringrose during the prolonged restraint was wholly inadequate and again did not follow operational training and guidance.
“Following a gross misconduct hearing with an independent chair, the officer who restrained Mr Ringrose, was dismissed without notice, another officer involved was given a final written warning for five years.
“There is nothing that can bring Mr Ringrose back, and we offer our sincerest apologies to his family after he died in these circumstances.
“Whenever a significant incident happens within the force we will always look to review our policies and training. We have reviewed our current practices alongside the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who have made a number of recommendations, which have been implemented fully.
“We are aware that His Majesty’s Coroner is likely to give further direction to the force and we will of course take any actions required of us”.
TVP have confirmed that following a gross misconduct hearing on 27 July 2024, in front of a legally qualified independent chair, two officers were proven to have committed gross misconduct.
A now-former police officer was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour with regards to Use of Force and Duties and Responsibilities, in that he restrained Mr Ringrose with his arms above his shoulder, which was not necessary or proportionate. Additionally, he failed to monitor Mr Ringrose properly throughout the restraint. This amounted to gross misconduct. TVP confirmed that he was dismissed without notice.
A PC was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour with regards to Duties and Responsibilities, in that he failed in his duty of care to Mr Ringrose. This amounted to gross misconduct. He was given a final written warning to last for five years.
Three other officers were given reflective practice in relation to this incident.
The Milton Keynes Rose in Campbell Park will be hosting commemorative events for the upcoming 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
Events will be held on Thursday 8th May 2025 to mark the 80 year anniversary since the day in 1945 when the European front of the Second World War concluded.
The Parks Trust, which looks after the MK Rose, have said that local residents are invited to join the city’s celebration at the Milton Keynes Rose.
The celebration begins from 8pm on Thursday 8 May to enjoy music, dancing and singing, plus refreshments before processing to the Light Pyramid. At 9.30pm, the beacon will be lit along with over a thousand other Beacons and hundreds of Lamp Lights of Peace to shine throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The flames and light will represent the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of war.
Sarah Clarke DL, Chair of the Milton Keynes Rose Trust said, “This is a unique moment in our history. The purpose of the Milton Keynes Rose is to bring our diverse communities together to reflect and celebrate special moments such as VE Day 80, and to give thanks for all those who played their part in securing peace in Europe.”
Victoria Miles MBE, Chief Executive of The Parks Trust, added, “We’re delighted to support Milton Keynes Rose in the significant VE Day 80 anniversary. An evening of joy, reflection, and celebration right in the heart of the city will bring communities together in the park, to join the procession, see the light pyramid illumination, and enjoy some music – with song sheets for those who like to singalong.”
To find out more about the event, visit theparkstrust.com/VE80
Brackley Town have been promoted to the National League for the first time in their history after winning the National League North on the final day of the season.
A 5-0 win over Farsley Celtic at St James Park saw them leapfrog Kidderminster Harriers, who had been in top spot on the final day only to lose 2-1 away at Southport.
The combination opened the door for the Saints, who after years of play-off heartache have now managed to reach the fifth tier of English football for the first time.
Gavin Cowan’s side were able to take the promotion Brackley had been close to for several years, with the Saints having been beaten in the play-offs in the last 5 completed National League North seasons, including being losing finalists in each of the last two play-off finals.
Brackley entered the final day on the back of a run of 5 straight games, having bounced back from a home defeat by Kidderminster to begin the final day level on points with Harriers.
Against a Farsley Celtic team that had already been relegated, Brackley set about their task with gusto. Danny Newton put them in front in the opening five minutes, before goals by Tyler Little, Connor Hall and Tommy O’Sullivan gave them a 4-0 half-time lead.
News was then brightened for the Saints when it came through that Kidderminster had fallen behind at Southport, with spirits further lifted when Southport made it 2-0 just after half-time.
Kidderminster would strike a goal back, but an equaliser would ultimately prove elusive for the side managed by Phil Brown as they slipped to defeat on Merseyside.
A late goal by Scott Pollock wrapped up the 5-0 win for the hosts, as they managed a thumping win to confirm their elevation.
Luton Town have confirmed their match against Coventry City will go ahead despite a small fire at their Kenilworth Road stadium.
A small fire had broken out in a laundry room at around 8pm last night (25/04). Crews from multiple fire stations were summoned to extinguish the blaze.
Footage of crews dealing with the blaze and closing adjacent roads had been picked up on social media.
Luton are scheduled to host Coventry in a match at 12:30pm today (26/04), but in a statement, the Championship club confirmed the fire had been dealt with by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue.
The club said, “We would like to advise supporters that following reports of an incident at Kenilworth Road this evening, there is no disruption to tomorrow’s fixture with Coventry City taking place.
“Smoke was found to be coming from a small appliance that had caught fire in the stadium’s laundry room, which was contained within that area and has been dealt with swiftly to prevent any substantial damage.
“We would like to offer a huge thank you to Beds Fire & Rescue for their quick intervention, along with club partners and staff who are also on site to help resolve the issue and ensure that everything is now safe.”
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue confirmed they had been summoned, but that their work had been successful in containing the blaze.
Their statement read, “At 8.08pm on Friday (25) crews from Luton, Stopsley, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard were called a fire in a laundry room at Luton Town Football Club.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire from an aerial platform and a 9m ladder using two hose reels. A thermal imaging camera was also used to check for hotspots.
“The fire has now been extinguished.”
The match between Luton and Coventry is the Hatters’ final home game of the season. Luton host 6th place Coventry needing points in order to help themselves climb out of the Championship relegation zone, ahead of a final day trip to West Bromwich Albion next weekend.
Luton Town will begin the final day of the Championship season out of the relegation zone after a 1-0 win over Coventry City at Kenilworth Road.
A dramatic game saw both sides have a player sent off before Shandon Baptiste’s 90th minute goal won the day for the Hatters, who have now won three games in a row.
Victory took Matt Bloomfield’s side out of the relegation zone ahead of the 3pm games, and they ultimately stayed outside the dropzone as a consequence of those results. With one more game to go, Luton sit 21st in the table, ahead of Hull City by one point.
A busy final day beckons, with Luton one of six teams aiming to avoid joining Cardiff City in being relegated. Plymouth’s goal difference means they are all-but down, while just one point splits Hull from Luton, Preston and Derby all in the places immediately above the bottom three.
Having maintained their survival hopes with Easter wins over Derby and Bristol City, Luton now faced a big test in the form of Coventry City, two years on from playing the Sky Blues at Wembley in the play-off final that sent them to the Premier League.
Coventry arrived chasing points in pursuit of a play-off place, while Luton needed the results to keep hopes alive that they would avoid a second successive relegation.
The game had a tricky build-up, however, with first choice keeper Thomas Kaminski granted absence after the death of his father, although the Belgian would play as intended.
Luton also had a fire break out in a washing machine at their ground on Friday night, although the issue was deemed dealt with by the fire department and the game went ahead as planned.
The hosts had begun on the front foot, with Carlton Morris having an early strike blocked. But the game seemed to tilt in Luton’s favour when Coventry were reduced to ten players with 13 minutes on the clock. Wing back Jay DaSilva, who had been in Luton’s academy as a youngster, was deemed to have tripped Millenic Alli and denied the Hatters man a goalscoring opportunity, earning himself a dismissal.
With a man advantage, Luton began to press. Morris would miss the target from six yards, Mark McGuinness had an effort blocked and Thelo Aasgaard’s strike was well saved by Brad Collins.
For the most part, however, Coventry were able to keep the Hatters out, and the game would be played even more in the Coventry half after the break as Luton had multiple chances to open the scoring.
Isaiah Jones had a strike denied by Collins, Aasgaard’s shot was deflected wide, Liam Walsh saw a firm strike tipped onto the bar by Collins, the Coventry keeper made a fine stop to deny Lamine Fanne, and Alli saw a deflected drive strike the post.
Just when it seemed like it was a question of time before Luton broke Coventry’s resistance, however, the game went to ten-a-side. Luton had won a free-kick when Walsh had an altercation with Liam Binks, which saw the Luton midfielder shove over the Coventry defender and earn a red card.
The Walsh red was the prelude for things becoming scrappy, with a flurry of yellow cards shown and chances beginning to dry up.
Just when it looked like a goal might not come, however, there was a dramatic twist in the final minute of the 90. A long ball forward by Jones lead to Collins colliding with Liam Kitching in trying to deal with it. The loose ball bobbled to Baptiste, whose shots went in despite Binks’ attempts on the line to block.
Pandemonium was duly induced amid the Luton fans, while Coventry City were unable to recover, allowing the Hatters to squeeze out what could be a vital victory.
Results elsewhere mean that Luton’s fate is in their own hands, where the Hatters know that victory in the final game away at West Bromwich Albion next Saturday will confirm their survival.
