An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three people who died in London police custody over the past few years will be conducted by the region’s coroner.
Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke said Tuesday in a statement that she will carry out inquests into the deaths of Amanda Bolt, Christopher Campbell and Fabian Hart.
Inquests are held before a jury of five community members and are mandatory for people who die in police custody.
Amanda Bolt was 28 when she was taken into police custody on Nov. 2, 2019. She went into medical distress while incarcerated, was taken to hospital but died 10 days later.
Sgt. Kevin Lui was charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life, following a probe by Ontario’s police watchdog, but the charges were later withdrawn by the Crown.
Bolt’s brother, Christopher Bolt, said the news of the inquest comes as a relief to him and he hopes it brings changes to the police service and how they handle people in custody.
“Hopefully there will be some positive change implemented so this stops happening,” said Bolt. “This is more about positive change moving forward and protecting people while they are in custody, because at that point they are in the care of the individuals who apprehended them and there needs to be more care taken in that regard.”
Fabien Hart, 36, died on Feb. 2, 2021, in hospital. He had been arrested the day before for breaking a court order when police responded to a domestic disturbance call. Hart was taken to a cell at London police headquarters, where he reported feeling unwell the next day.
Fabian Hart, 34, died February 2, 2021. (Fabian Hart/Facebook.com)
An investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) found that “Hart began to shake and his condition deteriorated, purportedly due to alcohol withdrawal … and he appeared to need immediate medical attention.” The SUI said officers administered life-saving measures but advised they should have started earlier.
Director Joseph Martino found no sufficient evidence to say the officer failed to offer a reasonable standard of care.
Upon learning of the inquest, Hart’s mother, Stephanie Gajewski, also told that more needs to change within the policing system to ensure the safety of those in police custody.
“Absolutely there needs to be change,” said Gajewski. “These cops can’t go on treating people even though these kids are down and out, and they’re suffering from drugs, overdose and mental illness. They need to teach the cops to be more humane.”
Gajewski said she still doesn’t know what exactly happened to her son while he was in custody and hopes the inquest will provide her with more answers.
Christopher Campbell died on Oct. 11, 2018. There is little information available about the circumstances of his death, including whether the SIU investigated. has requested this information and will update the story if it’s made available.
The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths. The coroner said Tuesday that the date and venue for the inquests will be decided at a later date.
