A 43-year-old woman who died in the cells at Wellington Central Police Station had complained of chest pain and disclosed a heart condition while in custody, a Coroner has found.
Amber-Leigh Hunwick died in the early hours of January 29, 2024, nearly two days after being taken into Police custody on an outstanding arrest warrant.
Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave has since identified shortcomings in Police communication, record keeping and the monitoring of Hunwick while she was in custody.
Hunwick had undergone heart surgery and told Police she had a heart condition. She also complained of chest pain while in the cells and was given Panadol on two occasions.
However, information about her medical history was not adequately recorded and passed on to staff responsible for her care in the custody unit.
The Coroner found that having the correct information about Hunwick’s heart condition available for assessment may have led to specialist medical attention and the identification that she was unwell.
She could not conclude, however, that medical intervention would have prevented Hunwick’s death.
Hunwick was found unresponsive in her cell at about 2.40am on January 29. Police carried out CPR and used a defibrillator, but she was pronounced dead by ambulance staff at 3.19am.
A post-mortem examination found a combination of factors was likely responsible for her death.
Pathologist Dr Mark Tullett found narcotics in Hunwick’s system, along with chronic lung disease, an acute respiratory infection associated with previous Covid-19 damage and underlying cardiovascular disease.
The Coroner also considered Police checks on Hunwick while she was in the cells.
A review of CCTV footage found three occasions when the required two-hourly cell-check interval had been exceeded.
However, the Coroner found those delays did not contribute to Hunwick’s death. A check 1 hour and 37 minutes before she was found unresponsive had raised no concerns for her welfare.
Police have made changes to their custody procedures since Hunwick’s death.
Health assessment questions for people in custody have been expanded to include recent health events, hospitalisations and medications.
Police have also made it mandatory for information and comments from arresting officers to be entered into the custody unit’s computerised records.
The Coroner recommended that recent surgery or hospitalisation should also be specifically listed as a reason for custody staff to consider obtaining medical attention.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said Police took the safety of people in custody seriously.
He said the Police investigation into Hunwick’s death found the care and assessment she received were appropriate, and Police were progressing the Coroner’s recommendations.
Hunwick’s mother, Cherree Hunwick, told RNZ she believed her daughter should have received medical attention after complaining of chest pain.
She said her daughter had visible surgical scars and paperwork relating to her hospital treatment.
Hunwick’s death was originally reported in January 2024, when Police confirmed a woman had been found unresponsive in the Wellington Central Police Station cells.
The subsequent coronial findings provide a fuller picture of what happened and have resulted in changes to the way Police assess and record the health needs of people held in custody.
