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The 27-year-old died in hospital following contact with police three years ago
HUNDREDS OF people took to the streets of Birmingham to support a family still waiting for answers more than three years after their son and brother Kingsley Burrell died in hospital following contact with police.
Protestors staged a peaceful march, walking three miles from Handsworth to Birmingham city centre where they held a rally outside Lloyd House, the headquarters of West Midlands Police.
But the words ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ was the phrase heard above all others as they made the three-hour walk.
The Burrell-Brown family were supported by other families from across the UK who have lost loved ones in unresolved circumstances and are still waiting for answers.
They included relatives of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings and Leon Briggs, who died in police custody in Luton six months ago.
Trainee security guard Kingsley, 29, from Hockley in Birmingham, was out walking with his young son on March 27, 2011 when he called police for help, claiming he was being threatened in the street by a gang.
Officers who responded to his 999 call detailed him under the Mental Health Act, despite him having to record of mental illness. He was sectioned and taken to the Mary Seacole mental health unit in Birmingham.
Three days later, police were called to the unit following an incident and Kingsley was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he died on March 31, 2011.
Kingsley’s sister Kadisha Brown-Burrell told the rally: “The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been given ten reports containing complex information on ten people who potentially could be prosecuted. These include four police officers and six NHS staff. We are still waiting for the outcome of these reports.”
PRAISED: Burrell's sister Kadisha Brown-Burrell gave an impassioned speech at the rally
And she urged anyone who is stopped by police to make sure they record the event on mobile phones to ensure they have a proper record of the event.
Community activist Maxie Hayles, who organised speakers at the rally, paid tribute to Kadisha for working so hard over the past three years leading the campaign.
Canon the Rev Eve Pitts, said: “As a community we are afraid and we need to lose that fear. We need to be proactive, not reactive otherwise if we do not wake up we will be walking into a nightmare.”
Desmond Jaddoo, founder of Birmingham Empowerment Forum, said: “The Kingsley Burrell case highlights a clear example of a two-tier justice system.
“There is no real explanation as to why it has taken the CPS so long to make a decision. While this is happening the other victims in this matter – the family – are still seeking answers.”
A CPS spokesperson said: “Our review of the evidence relating to the tragic death of Kingsley Burrell is nearing completion. We will finish the review as soon as is practicable.”