Question

What was the timeline of the events in the case of Mr Ward?

What were the causes of Mr Ward's death?

Answer 1

Timeline of events in the case of Mr.Ward

* On 26 January 2008. Mr Ward was arrested in Laverton under the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.

* Mr Ward was refused police bail at the police station.

* The police didn't provide Mr Ward with prescribed material and ALSWA even after he requested for a legal representative.

* Now the police failed to provide with ALSWA and instead within 35 mins of arrival to police station they made an arrangement of the transportation to kalgoorlie.

* The next morning the Justice of the Peace arrived at the police station and the police gave the details in the absence of Mr. Ward.

*Then they waked Mr. Ward and held a meeting near Mr. Wards cell door and Justice of the peace expressed that Mr.Ward was in a very drunken state and remanded him in the custody and denied the bail.

* On 27 January 2008 Mr. Ward was Transported in a unventilated prisoner transport vehicle from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia where he died.

Cause of the death

As Mr Ward was Transported from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in an unventilated prisoner vehicle for 4.5 hours where air conditioning failed and outside temperature was more than 41 degree Celsius he had suffered heat stroke in the rear pod. At the arrival of Kalgoorlie hospital Mr. Ward's abdomen had large burns after being contacted with metal surface of the pod and high temperature of more than 41 degree Celsius.

Inhuman conditions of the transport, GSL officers failure, lack of air conditioning in spite of high temperature, no efforts by GSL officers to do welfare checks to Mr. Ward with rest stop on the way, inadequate food and water, ICCPR breach, denial of bail, over policing demonstrated by the police officers, lack of proper training to the Justice of the Peace, lack of government supervision over prisoner transport vehicle company GSL also adds up to the causes of Mr. Ward's death.