FAILINGS in the level of care given to a Newport man who died in police custody contributed to his death, a jury found yesterday.

Andrew Sheppard, 22, of Bristol Street, was found unconscious in his cell at Newport Central police station at 10.39am on October 1, 2006. He was pronounced dead at the Royal Gwent Hospital at 1pm.

Yesterday a jury at Gwent Coroner's Court returned a verdict of misuse of drugs with gross failings in the system and level of care being a contributing factor.

Gwent Coroner David Bowen said he would write to Chief Constable Carmel Napier raising issues arising from the inquest including the importance of updating the Police National Computer record for detainees, training officers in regards to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and Mental Health Act along with the need for refresher courses, the assessment of detainees in custody and staffing levels.

The two-week hearing in Newport previously heard Mr Sheppard was arrested under the Mental Health Act on September 30, 2006, after behaving irrationally and showing signs of paranoia after taking a number of drugs including cocaine and dihydrocodeine.

Custody sergeants Andrew Massaro and David Morgan, who were on duty when Mr Sheppard was initially detained, and Nigel Callard and Steven Woolway, the custody sergeants the following morning, accepted failing in their duties in the hours before Mr Sheppard's death.

The inquest heard intoxicated detainees should be roused every 30 minutes, but Mr Sheppard was only checked once an hour.

Other failings included not conducting a full risk assessment, failing to determine he was a suicide risk, failing to record he was a risk prisoner and failing to arrange for an appropriate adult to attend custody for him.

Jurors heard members of Mr Sheppard's family told officers of his previous self-harm attempts, but no record was made in the custody suite.

After deliberating for just over two hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict and stated the cause of death as drug overdose at Newport Central sometime between September 30 and October 1, 2006.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said the force had implemented safer detention guidance since Mr Sheppard's death and would consider the inquest's outcome to identify any further lessons to be learned.

A statement from Mr Sheppard's family after the verdict said: "We are relieved that the jury has seen how badly Andrew was failed by Gwent Police.

The police officers who let Andrew down should now face criminal prosecution on the basis of the new evidence heard at the inquest."