A JURY today (Friday, October 26) silently watched CCTV footage of the final moments of a grandfather as paramedics and police officers tried to save his life as he lay on the floor of a police station garage.

Lenny McCourt, who had been pepper sprayed twice at the scene of a disturbance in Seaham, County Durham, was certified dead about half an hour after he arrived at Peterlee Police Station on September 11, 2010.

PC Richard Clark told an inquest that the unresponsive 44-year-old was still breathing when he took him out of the secure cage. But it was five minutes before Mr McCourt’s handcuffs were removed. |Paramedics could later be seen battling for 20 minutes to resuscitate him.

At an earlier hearing, the inquest was told Mr McCourt was shouting and banging on the van after his arrest in Ash Crescent, Seaham.

But a short while into the 10-minute journey to Peterlee, PC Clark became aware of him falling silent.

PC Clark today (Friday, October 26) said when he opened the cage door Mr McCourt was lying on the van floor with his eyes closed.

He said: “I thought he was in a drunken sleep. That was my immediate perception, as he was still breathing.”

He added, after he took Mr McCourt’s out of the van and put him in the recovery position he detected a pulse in his neck.

Mr McCourt’s sister-in-law Tracey McCourt, who is representing the family, said: “He had no way to support himself. You dropped him from the van to the floor, at which point he obviously bangs his head.”

She added: “Perhaps it’s fair to say that if you had done as you were trained he may not have died.”

PC Clark replied: “I have saved a few lives over the years and put my life on the line to do it. If I thought there was something wrong with him I would have done something.”

Special Constable Jeanette Horlock said she had placed her hand under Mr McCourt’s head to ensure it did not bang the ground when he was taken out.

She added she had not seen Mr McCourt breathing, but assumed he was. Ms McCourt said: “He had his head back. I remember saying “come on Lenny open your eyes”.”

Breaking into tears, she added: “I was feeling for a pulse on his arm, but never found one. My thoughts were that I didn’t know whether I was doing it right.”

The hearing in Crook continues on Monday.