Met Police officers testify at Amarnih Lewis-Daniel inquest

The incident necessitated the call-out of riot police, paramedics, firefighters and a professional negotiator, East London Coroner’s Court was told yesterday (November 22).

But officers have testified that they saw no reason to suspect Amarnih Lewis-Daniel’s mental health was deteriorating, despite the stand-off kicking off a pattern of unexplained “erratic” behaviour, prompting repeated police call-outs.

PS Alex Norrington told jurors he had attended three incidents involving Amarnih in seven weeks, but failed to realise they each involved the same person.

The third and final incident, on March 17, 2021, was the discovery of her body in the car park at Highview House in Chadwell Heath, where she lived and PS Norrington had first encountered her.

PS Norrington told the court, in Walthamstow, that police were called to Highview House on January 29, 2021, due to “someone throwing a TV from a seventh-floor window”.

When they arrived, Amarnih had “barricaded” herself inside and was continuing to throw “heavy items” out of the window.

PC Josh O’Sullivan, who also attended, wrote in a statement: “The items had fallen close to people below and landed on a number of parked vehicles… Officers had attempted to engage with Ms Lewis-Daniel, however she had threatened them with violence and armed herself with broken glass.”

Police made a hole in Amarnih’s front door, both officers testified, at which point she began throwing bottles at them.

An inquest into Amarnih’s death began on Monday, November 20, at East London Coroners’ Court in Walthamstow. It is being heard by a jury of 11 (Image: Google Streetview)

PS Norrington called the Territorial Support Group (riot police with helmets and shields) and a negotiator, as well as the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and London Ambulance Service (LAS).

Jurors have heard evidence that during a later conversation with police, Amarnih’s mother said she had threatened to jump out of the window during the incident.

But both PS Norrington and PC O’Sullivan said Amarnih had spoken with the negotiator, not them, so they could not corroborate that. They testified that no such comments had been relayed by the negotiator to them.

The negotiator has thus far not appeared in court.

Barrister Sophie Walker, of One Pump Court chambers, representing Amarnih’s family, pointed out that officers had repeatedly noted a possible risk to her own health and that she might fall or jump from the window.

PS Norrington said that was a general possibility, not based on any intelligence.

But Mrs Walker pointed out that his handwritten notes said: “Mental health crisis in place. Medical concern. LAS attending.”

“I can’t give you an answer about what I meant to say,” PS Norrington responded.

Amarnih eventually surrendered four hours after police arrived and two hours after the arrival of the negotiator, the court was told.

Both officers said no explanation was ever provided for her strange behaviour, but they saw no reason to suspect it was mental health related.

“There was nothing that I saw that made me concerned for any kind of vulnerabilities or concern for her mental health,” said PC O’Sullivan.

The court heard neither created a police record known as a “MERLIN”, noting vulnerabilities or safeguarding issues about people, to be flagged up if they are involved in future incidents.

Coroner Nadia Persaud, presiding over the inquest, has told jurors they must consider whether Amarnih deliberately brought about her own death and whether the actions or inactions of certain authorities may have contributed (Image: Charles Thomson)

Police were called five weeks later, on March 6, by Amarnih’s mother, who reported that Amarnih was refusing to leave her address.

PS Norrington was again among those responding but said he did not recognise her as the same person he had dealt with on January 29.

Amarnih had committed no offence but officers felt her behaviour was threatening, so arrested her to prevent a breach of the peace, at which point she began kicking them.

After she had been handcuffed, a kitchen knife was found in the room where she had been arrested, the court heard.

Police were told on that occasion that Amarnih had mental health diagnoses and had previously attempted to take her own life.

But the incident was again not flagged as potentially mental health related. No MERLIN was created.

“I didn’t witness any behaviour which gave me concern that she was suicidal or at risk of self-harm,” PC Jade Bellew, who attended the incident, wrote in a statement.

“Just because there’s a previous attempt at suicide, it doesn’t mean you’re always vulnerable,” said PS Norrington.

Nine days later, PS Norrington was called out to the fire at Amarnih’s block of flats.

As the fire raged inside her flat above, her body was found “at the foot of the building, having apparently fallen from a height.”

The inquest continues.