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Inquest Reveals Police Classification and Equipment Delays in Alex Duce’s Death

Officer testimony about a medium-risk classification followed by a 30-minute hunt for a battering ram has led stations to boost kit stocks pending the coroner’s review.

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Overview

  • The inquest heard that PC Michael Lammert classified 18-year-old Alex Duce as medium risk after her mother’s video-call report and left when there was no response at her flat.
  • Officers returned around 4pm but took 52 minutes to reach the property and up to 30 minutes to locate the station’s sole method-of-entry kit before forcing entry shortly before 5pm.
  • PC Lauren Smith testified she was unaware of Duce’s prior self-harm history during her initial assessment and said earlier access to that information would have heightened her urgency.
  • After breaching the door with a battering ram, officers began CPR on Duce and PC Ethan O’Sullivan joined paramedics to deploy a defibrillator before she was taken to Prince Charles Hospital.
  • Assistant Coroner Sarah Le Fevre is examining whether risk assessment, equipment delays and communication gaps contributed to Duce’s death and has prompted more entry kits per Gwent station.