Guard denies fake suicide claim

A Securicor guard who saw a burglary suspect hanging in his cell denied yesterday that she had claimed he was faking a suicide attempt. Camille Elliott-Kamara told an inquest in Hammersmith, West London, that the Securicor staff on duty in the cells below Brentford Magistrates' Court had treated the incident as an emergency and reacted swiftly.

Peter Austin, 30, died at the courthouse on 29 January this year while awaiting a bail hearing. Miss Elliott-Kamara rejected the version of events given by Mr Austin's barrister, Stuart Armstrong, who has alleged that guards did not enter his cell for up to 10 minutes. The case continues.