SOME police staff were unaware a man who died in custody had discharged himself from hospital that day after taking an overdose, an inquest heard.

Andrew David Sheppard, 22, was found unconscious in his cell at Newport Central Police Station on October 1, 2006 and later pronounced dead.

Gwent Coroners Court, sitting in Newport, heard he was detained by police the night before under the Mental Health Act. He discharged himself from the Royal Gwent Hospital after taking an overdose.

Sgt Matthew Havard was on patrol and took him to the station after finding him in Ringland.

Sgt Havard said Mr Sheppard was paranoid, upset, and difficult to understand. There was some debate during the inquest about whether Mr Sheppard’s girlfriend Danielle Bergstrom and her mother, who were at the scene, told PC Havard he had taken an overdose that day. He said no-one had told him.

PC Havard said he remembered Miss Bergstrom saying to Mr Sheppard: “It’s the cocaine and steroids”.

Paul Bowen, representing Mr Sheppard’s family, said a custody record at the station had no mention of steroid or cocaine abuse.

Custody nurse Donna Hilton, who carried out an assessment of Mr Sheppard at the police station and deemed him fit to be detained, said he told her he had used cocaine that night.

He also said he abused steroids and diazepam, but denied he had made any suicide attempts.

She said detainees under the influence of drink and drugs have to be observed every 30 minutes, but did not think it necessary to put this on the custody report as she expected officers to know.

Mr Bowen said Mrs Hilton should have recommended an appropriate adult be called for Mr Sheppard under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act code of practice, as he was mentally vulnerable.

Mrs Hilton said she did not think it was relevant at that time.

Proceeding.