Taser had minimal impact on man's death - inquest

A police officer's use of a Taser had a minimal impact on the subsequent death of a father-of-three, an inquest heard.

Sali Byberi, 29, was Tasered during an altercation with police at his home in Braintree, Essex, in November 2022.

Police said previously the incident occurred after Mr Byberi resisted arrest after allegedly assaulting an officer.

The provisional cause of death after a forensic post-mortem examination was given as "complications resulting from acute cocaine toxicity".

The coroner was previously told Mr Byberi had 811 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood when his body was examined.

On the day of the incident, officers from Essex Police were called to a disturbance in Clockhouse Way at about 11:30 GMT on 21 November 2022.

After confrontations with police, Mr Byberi was seen running out of the flat and down a corridor. As his behaviour escalated, a single Taser was discharged multiple times.

The inquest heard that Mr Byberi became unwell and died about 23 minutes after a Taser was deployed.

Speaking to the inquest at Essex coroner's court in Chelmsford, Dr Jeffrey Douglas Ho, a specialist in emergency medicine, said it was possible that Mr Byberi was already in a slow decline to death prior to restraint.

He told the inquest the officer's use of the Taser "did not make things worse".

Ben Swift, a Home Office pathologist, gave evidence previously that supported this opinion.

Dr Ho added that the taser was an "ideal tool to control Sali" because it would quickly "incapacitate" the person.

He said the device was used when people were experiencing a medical episode to prevent their condition from getting worse before medical professionals arrived.

"Unfortunately, in this case it did not have the desired outcome so the struggle went on for a little longer.

"I didn't get the sense that the Taser was effective."

Charles Deakin, a consultant in cardiac anaesthesia and critical care, said that the Taser being a factor in Mr Byberi's death was "possible".

"It can't be ruled out with the degree of certainty that Dr Ho expressed," he said.

But he added: "My opinion is that [the Taser] did not make anything worse."

The inquest, which is being heard before a jury, continues.

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