BURNLEY MP Peter Pike is calling for the Crown Prosecution Service to "urgently review" what action is necessary following the death of ex-paratrooper Christopher Alder.
Mr Alder's sister Janet, 38, who lives in the Manchester Road area of Burnley, attended every day of the seven-week long inquest into her brother's death and was delighted when a jury returned a verdict of "unlawful killing" on the 37-year-old father-of-two who died in the custody suite of a Hull police station.
Mr Pike said: "I welcome the decision on the Christopher Alder case. It has certainly vindicated his sister Janet's fight for justice.
"The case has taken far too long to get to this stage and I know the family will welcome the fact that they can now organise his funeral.
"I am immediately raising issues again with Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, the Police Complaints Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service. "All need to address the handling of this case to date and why it has taken so long. The Crown Prosecution Service also need to urgently review what action it is taking on the case, taking into account fully the inquest verdict."
Mr Alder, from Dalgger Lane, Old Town, Hull, had been involved in a scuffle outside a night club in Hull and received a head injury.
He had refused to leave hospital grounds and was arrested for breach of the peace.
When he arrived at the police station he was left on the floor in the custody suite where he died 12 minutes later. A video of his last minutes was shown to the jury.
The Alder family solicitor Ruth Bundey said: "We obviously hope now with the verdict of unlawful killing that the CPS will review the case and will look at all the evidence that will be new to them including further expert evidence and will reconsider the nature of their forthcoming prosecution."
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