21 Oct 2019

Detox centre could have saved Taitoko's life - inquest

From Checkpoint, 5:45 pm on 21 October 2019

An inquest into the death of a young man in a police cell has heard he may have survived if a detox centre was available at the time.

Twenty-one-year-old Sentry Taitoko was high on drugs and displaying erratic behaviour when he was placed inside a suicide prevention cell at Counties-Manukau Police station in 2014.

He later died after hitting his head dozens of times against the floor and walls.

Katie Scotcher reports.