Oldham man died in Dominican police station, inquest hears

Craig Reed, who lived on Robson Street, Oldham, travelled to the Caribbean nation in November 2022 on his own for a two week holiday.

At Rochdale Coroners' Court on Monday (July 1), an inquest into his death was held by coroner Joanne Kearsley.

The inquest heard that Mr Reed, who was a promising footballer in his youth, had battled with mental health problems and alcohol dependency during his life and up until his death at the age of 40.

Both Mr Reed's father, Steven, and his ex-partner, Georgie Jones, had said the father-of-one would have periods where he was "up and down" due to the issues he faced.

Ms Jones described Mr Reed as "very outgoing and very lovely", as well as being "intelligent" and "a great person".

Craig Reed had gone to the Dominican Republic on holiday by himself (Image: Canva)

In 2022, Mr Reed inherited a sum of money and used it to go on trips abroad, including one to the Dominican Republic in November, despite his family and friends feeling it was best for him not to go as he would be far away if anything bad were to happen.

He was staying at a hotel, and although Mr Reed's holiday was understood to have started well, he was said to have started drinking heavily again during the trip.

He was evicted from the hotel midway through his holiday after he was said to have caused $1,100 worth of damage to the hotel room, before moving to a different hotel.

During his trip, Mr Reed tried to contact Kelly Royales, of Pennine Care Trust, who worked with Mr Reed on his mental health problems and alcohol dependency, however, the pair missed each other's calls.

Ms Royales then received a message from an unknown man with a picture of Mr Reed in the back of an ambulance.

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Detective Inspector Victoria Duncan of Greater Manchester Police told the court that she had been told Mr Reed had been found intoxicated on a street and was treated by paramedics before being transferred to hospital.

She said Dominican officials said Mr Reed was treated at the hospital, although she could not be totally sure of this.

From there, Mr Reed was understood to have been taken to a police station, where he was found dead at around 9pm that night, November 9, 2022.

A post-mortem examination was carried out in the Dominican Republic, which concluded that Mr Reed had died of hanging, before a second one was carried out by forensic pathologist Dr Charlie Wilson in the UK.

Dr Wilson said he found no major external injuries on Mr Reed's body and that the toxicology report from the Dominican Republic was "not really that helpful" as it did not have evidence of his alcohol levels from a blood sample.

Instead, an analysis of a urine sample was mentioned, which Dr Wilson said had a "very, very high" level of alcohol, but a blood sample would have given him a better understanding.

He concluded that on the balance of probabilities hanging was most likely the cause of Mr Reed's death.

Rochdale Coroners' Court (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Reed's father and ex-partner expressed their concerns and uncertainty over Mr Reed's death, with Ms Jones saying "it just doesn't sit right", while Steven Reed said he had his own conclusions and did not believe his son would have ended his own life.

Ms Kearsley agreed with Dr Wilson that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Reed died of hanging, however she stated that she could not say for certain that Mr Reed had intentionally taken his own life.

She gave the cause of death as hanging and alcohol use, but ruled an open conclusion, refusing to rule that Mr Reed had died by suicide.

Speaking to Mr Reed's family and ex-partner, Ms Kearsley said: "I'm aware of how frustrating it must be for you."

She added that what happened between Mr Reed getting medical attention and his death in the police station "is really unknown", saying it was possible Mr Reed had killed himself but that there was not enough evidence to say that he had intended to end his own life.

Ms Kearlsey concluded by saying: "I can't imagine not only losing Craig in this way but still having all these questions."

If you're struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, you can call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123 – they are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You can also visit www.samaritans.org.