An inquest has resumed into the death of a father who died after suddenly collapsing while having his fingerprints taken by police.

Carl Maynard was pronounced dead at Tonbridge Police Station on Friday, October 13, 2017, following an arrest for assault at his home in Lincoln Road, Shepway, near Maidstone.

It prompted an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

An inquest which resumed today at Archbishop's Palace in Mill Street, Maidstone revealed that police attended the address the on Sunday, October 1 after a neighbour reported Mr Maynard punched his partner, Chrissie Colgate, knocking her to the floor.

However, Miss Colgate denies this ever happened. Police then returned to the address on October 13.

According to Miss Colgate's evidence, three police officers forced entry to the couple's home, after the pair did not open the door, where they found Mr Maynard sat in a bedroom.

She heard them asking "what have you swallowed, Carl? Have you swallowed any gear, Carl? Your airways sound obstructed."

"He could not speak to them and they kept asking 'have you put something in your mouth, Carl?'" she remembered.

Documents provided to a pathologist stated Mr Maynard had put his hand to his mouth and appeared to gag when officers arrived.

They then took him to Tonbridge Police Station where, after collapsing and attempted resuscitation by paramedics, he was pronounced dead at around 4.45pm.

Miss Colgate asked why officers had not taken her partner to seek medical help after believing he had swallowed drugs.

"He was creative and with an abundance of imagination...where others saw problems, he saw solutions" - Denise Kelly-Mills

"If they have that much suspicion why did they not take him to hospital?" she asked.

However, Stephen Morley, representing Kent Police has yet to respond to her evidence as the hearing was stopped for lunch.

A post mortem report revealed that the 29-year-old had a plastic bag in his stomach and a level of cocaine in his blood similar to that of drug smugglers who have had internal packages burst.

The exact amount was 23mg per litre of blood, an extremely high level compared to a normal recreational dose which would be a fraction of a milligram per litre.

The post-mortem examination concluded the death was due to cocaine toxicity.

Speaking at the hearing, Mr Maynard's mother Denise Kelly-Mills held back tears as she remembered her son.

"He was creative and with an abundance of imagination," she said.

"Where others saw problems, he saw solutions.

"He was generous to a fault and was always prepared to help out those close to him."

Mr Maynard leaves behind a young daughter, Summer, who is now being raised by his mother and her husband Nicholas.

"Nick and I are now raising his daughter and we will do everything to give her the life he would have wanted her to have," she added.

The inquest continues.

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