Christopher Alder was a trainee computer programmer and former British Army paratrooper who had served in the Falklands War and was commended for his service with the Army in Northern Ireland. He died in police custody at Queen's Gardens Police Station, Kingston upon Hull, in April 1998. The case became a cause célèbre for civil rights campaigners in the United Kingdom. He had earlier been the victim of an assault outside a nightclub and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where, possibly as a result of his head injury, staff said his behaviour was "extremely troublesome." He was escorted from the hospital by two police officers who arrested him to prevent a breach of the peace.

On arrival at the police station Alder was "partially dragged and partially carried," handcuffed and unconscious, from a police van and placed on the floor of the custody suite. A conversation took place, during which custody sergeant, PS Dunn, initially told the escorting constables to take Alder to hospital. They pointed out that they had just come from hospital and that the hospital had discharged Alder. The officers speculated that Alder was faking illness, a view which PS Dunn accepted. Alder's handcuffs were removed before all the officers went behind the front counter of the custody suite. At this point, the officers were off camera, but the custody CCTV system continued to capture the audio of their conversation. The officers laughed and joked with one another, and there was a discussion about what Alder should be charged with. During one conversation, an officer can be heard making multiple rhythmic noises, which some subsequent examiners alleged were monkey noises, a form of racist abuse against black people. However, this interpretation has been disputed.

Twelve minutes later one of the officers present noticed that Alder was not making any breathing noises and although resuscitation was attempted, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A post mortem indicated that the head injury alone would not have killed him. The incident was captured on the police station's closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

A coroner's jury in 2000 returned a verdict that Alder was unlawfully killed. In 2002, five police officers went on trial charged with Alder's manslaughter and misconduct in public office, but were acquitted on the orders of the judge. In 2006, an Independent Police Complaints Commission report concluded that four of the officers present in the custody suite when Alder died were guilty of the "most serious neglect of duty" and "unwitting racism". In November 2011 the government formally apologised to Alder's family in the European Court of Human Rights, admitting that it had breached its obligations with regard to "preserving life and ensuring no one is subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment". They also admitted that they had failed to carry out an effective and independent inquiry into the case.

Christopher Alder Christopher Ibikunle Alder (25 June 1960 – 1 April 1998) was a black British man of Nigerian descent, born in Hull in 1960. He joined the British Army aged 16 and served in the Parachute Regiment for six years. After leaving the Army, he first settled in Andover, Hampshire, before relocating to Dagger Lane, Hull in 1990. In 1998 he was taking a college course in computer skills in Hull. He had two sons, who had remained with their mother in the Andover area when their parents separated.

Events leading to death

The Waterfront Club At around 7 pm on 31 March 1998, Alder went out for the evening in Hull with two friends, visiting several local bars and a fast food restaurant before Alder suggested going on to The Waterfront Club (later renamed The Sugar Mill), a nightclub on Prince's Dock Street in the Old Town area of the city.IPCC. pp.53–54 Statements given to police by John Holdsworth, Benjamin Walkup and Marc Atkinson between 27 April – 8 May 1998. His companions, who testified that at this stage of the evening Alder had drunk only two pints of lager and two bottles of Beck's beer and "seemed sober", declined the invitation. Alder went on alone to the club at around 10.30 pm.IPCC. p.54 Statement given to police by Benjamin Walkup, 8 May 1998. While there he drank a further two or three pints of lager.IPCC. p.58 Statement given to police by Sarah Williams, 9 April 1998. At approximately 1.30 am Alder became involved in a disagreement with another customer, Jason Ramm, which led to Ramm being ejected from the club.IPCC. p.56 Statement given to police by Jason Ramm, 3 May 1998.IPCC. p.58 Statement given to police by Adrian Broadhead, 14 April 1998. Ramm waited in the vicinity of Prince's Dock Street until Alder left the club at 2.15 am and another confrontation occurred which was captured on the club's exterior CCTV.IPCC. p.64IPCC. p.65 Statement given to police by David Okwesia, 9 April 1998. A third person, Jason Paul, attempted to break up the fight and was struck by Alder.IPCC. p.67 Statement given to police by Aimun Friegoun, 2 April 1998. Paul retaliated by punching Alder in the face, which caused him to fall backwards, strike his head on the pavement, and lose consciousness.IPCC. p.69 Statement given to police by Joanne Knapp, 3 April 1998. Staff at the nightclub telephoned the emergency services and an ambulance took Alder – who had by this time regained consciousness – to the Hull Royal Infirmary.IPCC. p.72 Statement given to police by Paul Myatt, 1 April 1998.

Two police officers, PC Nigel Dawson and PC Neil Blakey, who had arrived shortly after the ambulance in a marked patrol car, made no attempt to speak to Alder. They consulted with the club manager, who took them inside to review the club's CCTV footage of the incident. A message they sent to their control room at this time indicates that they had already assumed Alder was very drunk, despite not having spoken to him or having been told this by any of the witnesses they spoke with. A third police officer, Acting Police Sergeant (A/PS) Mark Ellerington, arrived at about 2.50 am, after the ambulance left, and spoke with the club manager and the officers already present.IPCC. pp.81–83 He was told by Dawson and Blakey that Alder was drunk. The IPCC report criticised the police, saying: "This judgement, based upon very little evidence, tends to suggest that the two officers were making assumptions about Mr. Alder's behaviour, and choosing to attribute it to alcohol taken rather than the injury sustained, from an early stage in their dealings with him."IPCC. p.84

Hull Royal Infirmary

The ambulance arrived at the hospital at 2.44 am, where Alder was described by one witness who dealt with him as "confused and dazed" and "generally abusive."IPCC. p.85 Statement given to police by David Frankland, 8 April 1998. One of the paramedics from the ambulance crew who had transported him there stated that Alder asked: "Where am I? What's happened?"IPCC. p.85 Statement given to police by Stephen Krebs, 4 April 1998. A nurse who treated him stated that, in addition to being abusive and swearing at her, he was asking: "Where am I, what am I doing?"IPCC. p.86 Statement given to police by Jacqueline Smith, 8 April 1998. Two police officers present in the emergency department on an unrelated matter intervened and asked him to cooperate with the nursing staff. They recalled that he calmed down but remained "confused."IPCC. p.88 Statement given to police by PC Danielle Rogers, 1 April 1998. PC Dawson and PC Blakey arrived at the hospital at approximately 3.05 am. Alder again became uncooperative, and the police control room were informed by the officers at 3.19 am: "Our complainant is being a wee bit troublesome. Probably the reason why he got smacked in the first place."IPCC. p.95 Transcript of message logged by Humberside Communications Room 0319hrs 1 April 1998. The doctor who examined Alder listed his injuries as: haematoma at the rear of his head caused by impact but not consistent with a direct blow localised swelling to the area of the left side of his upper lip two wounds to the left side of his upper lip which were not bleeding front left canine tooth knocked out and the tooth adjacent to it upon the left upper side loosened and pushed into his mouth minimal bleeding from the tooth that was knocked out Medical staff tried to take an x-ray of Alder's head injury but he would not remain still and they abandoned the effort. PC Dawson wrote in his note book at this time that Alder was "heavily in drink" and "typical of people I've seen in the past on amphetamine."IPCC. p.96 Extract from PC Dawson's note book. Staff decided they could not treat Alder without his cooperation, and the police officers asked if he was well enough to be detained in police custody. The attending doctor agreed that he was.IPCC. p.98 Statement given to police by Dr. Aamer Khan, 6 April 1998. A 2005 Healthcare Commission report into the medical treatment Alder received described this decision as "flawed...[T]he doctor had yet to make a diagnosis. He was unable to carry out his plan of treatment for Christopher Alder, for example to admit him for observation, x-ray his skull and refer him to a maxillo-facial surgeon. Despite this he decided to discharge him without seeking advice from a senior colleague." This may have contributed to the police officers' assumption that Alder's condition was not serious. Alder was forcibly removed from the hospital by PCs Dawson and Blakey, with medical staff stating that he was dragged out by his arms, backwards and with his legs trailing on the floor.IPCC. p.103 Statements given to police by Dr. Aamer Khan, Carole Walker, Jacqueline Smith, Malcolm Rodgers and Helen Townend, 3–16 April 1998. The police officers, however, stated that Alder had walked out unaided although they had kept a gentle grip on him to guide him and prevent him falling.IPCC. p.104 Statement made during police interview by PC Nigel Dawson, 13 May 1998.

Once outside the hospital, the police officers told Alder to go home, but he argued with them, and he was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace. A/PS Ellerington drove to the hospital in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a caged section in the rear to collect Alder for transport to the police station and detention.IPCC. p.115 A witness recalled that, although handcuffed, Alder climbed into the back of the van unassisted.

Queen's Gardens Police Station

Following a journey of approximately six minutes the van doors were opened at the police station. The police described Alder as "asleep" and "snoring."IPCC. p.123 Statement made during Police interview by A/PS Ellerington, 1 April 1998.IPCC. p.129. Statements made by PC Dawson and PC Blakey during Police interviews, 13 May 1998. He was dragged from the van and into the custody suite at 3.46 am by PCs Dawson and Blakey, "unresponsive" and with his hands handcuffed behind his back, his legs and feet dragging along the floor and his face just above the ground.IPCC. p.124 His trousers and underpants had been pulled down to his knees, possibly by dragging on the floor surface, and one of his shoes had come off.IPCC. pp.124–125 A/PS Ellerington followed them in. Police Sergeant (PS) John Dunn and PC Matthew Barr were on duty in the custody suite as custody officer and cell warder respectively.IPCC. p.119