AN INQUEST has opened into the death of a 46-year-old man who became ill after being chased by police.

Leo Edwards of Alverton Street, Lewisham died in Lewisham Hospital on March 11 in 2007.

Southwark Crown Court heard that on March 8 that year at around 4pm police officers attended an address in Kerry Path, New Cross which was a suspected crack house.

PC Sacha O'Brien told the court she had been covering the rear of the premises when a man (Mr Edwards) and a woman came through the gate.

She said: “I asked him 'what are you doing?', and I went to reach out to him.

“He said 'just visiting'. I went to reach out because I thought he might be in possession of drugs. He just ran off.”

Officers gave chase and Mr Edwards was detained by PC Scott Syvrett, PC David Hills and PC Dan Rankine.

PC Stuart Jones told the court: “As I came round the corner the gentleman was being held by PC Syvrett.

“PC Syvrett was now behind the gentleman, PC Hills and PC Rankine were at his side.”

He added: “PC Syvrett had a bear hug grip, they were struggling with him.”

A jury of seven women and three men were told that as PC Jones got closer to Mr Edwards he could see something sticking out in front of his teeth.

PC Jones said: “At some point I realised it was a bank of England note. I informed the other officers he had something sticking out of his mouth.”

The court heard Mr Edwards went down onto his knees and then fell forwards onto the floor, banging his head. He was then handcuffed and laid down slightly on his side.

PC Jones said: “I could see a bank of England note either a £10 or £20 note. His teeth were gritted - I gave clear direction to spit it out.”

PC Jones then applied the C-clamp manoeuvre to try and get Mr Edwards to open his mouth. The manoeuvre involved putting his thumb behind the small of the ear and fingers across the bridge of the nose applying pressure.

He did this twice but it did not work.

PC Jones said: “He was still determined not to open his mouth. There was sheer grit not to open his mouth, so you couldn't get the items out.”

PC Colin Bellchambers who was positioned by Mr Edwards' head told the court he could see a yellow object inside Mr Edwards' mouth.

PC Jones said: “Mr Edwards appeared to take two sort of swallows. At that point I suspected he had swallowed it. At that point he opened his mouth and showed me his tongue. Whatever was there had gone.”

Officers then sat Mr Edwards upright and it was at this point that his condition deteriorated.

PC Jones said: “Up until that point he seemed alert, his eyes were open, he was breathing normally, but slightly out of breath because of the struggle.

“All of a sudden it was like a switch went off and Mr Edwards just stopped. He was sitting there, his eyes just went unfocussed and he went a grey colour. At that point I realised something was seriously wrong.”

The handcuffs were removed from Mr Edwards and he was put in the recovery position. When he stopped breathing PC Sue Riggs gave him some breath while PC Bellchambers checked to see if it went in.

PC Bellchambers said: “We came to the conclusion the breaths weren't going in, we took the mask off, I looked into his mouth and I could see an object in his mouth.”

He added: “It seemed to come from the roof of his mouth, I managed to get a pen and flick it out. I put the object and the pen in a bag, it looked like crack cocaine.”

The court heard that around this time the paramedics arrived.

Jurors were also told that paramedics recovered a second package from Mr Edwards' throat.

The inquest continues.