An inquest has been opened into the death of a graduate who died after being restrained by 11 police officers at a psychiatric hospital.

Olaseni Lewis, 23, never regained consciousness after being pinned down by officers when he became agitated in the care of staff at Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham on August 31, 2010.

The South Norwood IT graduate was taken to Croydon University Hospital in a coma but died four days later on September 3.

LAST YEAR: Father accuses authorities of delaying inquest into son Olaseni Lewis's police restraint death

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Olaseni Lewis pictured with his mother Abijola

Since his death, Mr Lewis’s family have endured more than five years of legal struggles to discover the truth about his death, including a successful High Court battle to overturn findings of the initial police enquiry.

The years since his death have been marked by delays in the course of protracted investigative processes involving the IPCC, the HSE and Devon & Cornwall Police.

Almost six and a half years later, the inquest into Mr Lewis’s death was opened on Monday, February 6, at South London Coroners’ Court and is expected to last for 10 weeks.

Mr Lewis’s mother, Ajibola Lewis, said: “The long road to this inquest has been nothing short of hell for our family: his parents, his sisters and his nephews.

“The multiple investigations into his death have given us few answers up to this point.

“We now place all our hope on this inquest for the truth about the painful and terrible circumstances in which our precious son, brother and uncle came to die.”

Senior Coroner for south London Selena Lynch will on the first day of evidence tomorrow hear statements from Mr Lewis's parents.

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