Gareth Williams

On 08 August 2024 I commenced an investigation into the death of Gareth Richard WILLIAMS aged 34.

A 2 week long Jury Inquest started on 30 June 2025.

The Jury decided the medical cause of death was:

1a[REDACTED] toxicity in a male with Acute Behavioural Disturbance.

The Jury gave a narrative conclusion:

“Prior to the 31st of July 2024, Gareth took an unknown quantity of [REDACTED]. This resulted in him developing symptoms in keeping with acute behavioural disturbance. On the 31st of July 2024, Gareth barricaded himself in his bedroom and started breaking glass. Gareth’s condition started to deteriorate. The ambulance service were updated and arrived at 04:24. The priority was to transfer Gareth to hospital. The ambulance departed at 04:58, at 05:11 whilst enroute to hospital Gareth went into cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was commenced and Gareth was conveyed to hospital where clinicians continued to attempt to revive Gareth. Sadly, they were unsuccessful and Gareth passed away at the The Grange University Hospital, Cwmbran at 06:14 hours on the 31st of July 2024.”

At approximately 00:15 hours on 31 July 2024, Gareth Richard Williams made a 999 call reporting that unknown individuals were attempting to force entry into the property where he lived with his grandmother.

Police  officers attended within 15 minutes and conducted searches of the  address. No evidence of attempted entry was found. During the 999 call, Gareth had also reported hearing fireworks being discharged within the property, although the call handler did not hear any such disturbance.

The attending  officers described Gareth as appearing paranoid. He was shirtless  and sweating, it was a warm summer evening. Gareth was able to communicate, follow instructions but remained concerned about people breaking in even after searches were conducted by officers and reassurance and safety advice given. Gareth informed  officers that he had taken [REDACTED]. The officers, did not consider that he was presenting with Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) and left the address.

From 02:47 hours, Gwent Police received further calls from Gareth reporting that individuals were attempting to break into the property and were within the property.  officers attended for a second time, arriving at approximately 03:34  hours.

On this occasion Gareth had barricaded himself inside a small box room within the property and had smashed a window and was agitated and distressed.

The attending  officers quickly recognised that Gareth was exhibiting symptoms  consistent with ABD and requested an ambulance. However, during the relatively short period before he could be transferred to definitive medical care, Gareth’s condition deteriorated rapidly.

Whilst being conveyed to hospital he suffered a cardiac arrest and despite  prolonged CPR died at hospital.

The jury decided that Gareth died as a result of cocaine toxicity in a male with Acute Behavioural Disturbance.

The Court was provided with evidence that:

        ABD appears to be more common when the weather is warm and humid and that deaths occur more commonly during the summer months; and

        Fatalities associated with ABD typically occur in men in their mid-thirties who have a history of stimulant drug misuse.

Both of those features were present in this case. However, the evidence at inquest was that the police officers who dealt with  Gareth on 31 July 2024 were unaware of these factors despite them being in a multi agency local pathway for dealing with suspected cases of ABD which Gwent Police had signed up to. The Court further heard evidence that these environmental and demographic factors do not form part of the College of Policing’s training relating to ABD.

In my opinion unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths and I believe each of you have the power to take such action.