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Jimmy Mubenga inquest: he was asking for help and did not get it, wife says Jimmy Mubenga inquest: he was asking for help and did not get it, wife says
(about 3 hours later)
The wife of an Angolan man who died as he was being deported from the UK broke down as she told an inquest how he had been asking for help during his last moments. The wife of an Angolan man who died as he was being deported from the UK broke down on Tuesday as she told an inquest how he had been asking for help during his last moments.
Adrienne Makenda Kambana, the wife of Jimmy Mubenga, sobbed as she told the court how she had spoken on the phone to her husband for the last time as he waited on board a plane on a runway at Heathrow airport. Adrienne Makenda Kambana, the wife of Jimmy Mubenga, sobbed as she told the court how she had spoken on the phone to her husband as he waited on a plane at Heathrow airport – just a few minutes before he died.
"He did not deserve this kind of death. His death is painful and sad. We feel sad for him because we have been told that he was asking for help and he did not get it." "He did not deserve this kind of death. His death is painful and sad. We feel sad for him because we have been told that he was asking for help and he did not get it … he died asking for help and thinking: 'What have I done to deserve this?'"
The inquest at Isleworth crown court on Tuesday heard Mubenga died on the plane after he was restrained by three G4S security guards. He had been due to be deported to his home country of Angola. An inquest at Isleworth crown court heard Mubenga, 46, had died on the plane after being restrained by three G4S detention custody officers. He had been due to be deported to his home country of Angola.
Kambana said his death had devastated the couple's children – aged between three and 19 – who still asked after their father every day. Kambana said his death had devastated the couple's five children – aged between three and 19 years old.
"Our children deeply miss him, they miss the fun they used to have with their father, especially Blessing [the couple's three-year-old] … she never had the chance to get to know him and or call him dad – all she has is pictures of him." In a statement read out by her legal team she added: "Our children deeply miss him, they miss the fun they used to have with their father, especially Blessing [the couple's three-year-old] … she never had the chance to get to know him and or call him dad – all she has is pictures of him."
The court heard that Mubenga had been in the UK since 1994. He was convicted of actual bodily harm in 2006 and a decision was taken to deport him at the end of his sentence. The court heard that Mubenga lived in London with his family and had been in the UK since 1994. He was convicted of actual bodily harm in 2006 and a decision was taken to deport him at the end of his sentence.
The jury was told that by September 2010 the appeals process had run its course and a couple of weeks later Mubenga boarded the plane at Heathrow airport at around 7.30pm accompanied by the guards Stuart Tribelnig, Terry Hughes and Colin Kaler. Kambana said her husband had been "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when he had got caught up in an argument and said it was the first time he had been in trouble with the police.
He was allowed to go to the toilet and use a mobile phone but shortly afterwards a struggle began between him and the guards. The assistant deputy coroner for Hammersmith, Karon Monaghan QC, said Mubenga was handcuffed and restrained and put in a seat. "[He] was a good father. He was doing everything a good father should do. He would take the children to school and he would play football with them … he provided a lot of joy in their lives. He was a good husband and he treated me well."
Monaghan said it appeared he was shouting as this was going on but fell silent sometime after the plane began to taxi on to the runway. The court heard that by September 2010 the appeals process had run out, and a couple of weeks later Mubenga boarded the plane at Heathrow at around 7.30pm accompanied by three G4S guards – Stuart Tribelnig, Terry Hughes and Colin Kaler.
He was allowed to go to the toilet and use a mobile phone but the jury was told that shortly afterwards a struggle began between him and the guards. Assistant deputy coroner for Hammersmith Karon Monaghan QC said Mubenga was handcuffed using rigid bar cuffs, restrained and put in a seat.
Monaghan said it appeared he was shouting out as this was going on but "fell silent" sometime after the plane began to taxi on the runway.
"At some point he fell silent and unresponsive and it was clear something was wrong," she said."At some point he fell silent and unresponsive and it was clear something was wrong," she said.
The guards raised the alarm and the plane taxied back to the boarding gate where emergency teams were called. Mubenga was pronounced dead some time later. The guards raised the alarm and the plane taxied back to the stand, where emergency teams were called. Mubenga was pronounced dead some time later.
The court heard the three guards were subsequently arrested "on suspicious of criminal offences" relating to Mubenga's death, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press charges and no further action was taken. The court heard the three guards were subsequently arrested "on suspicion of criminal offences" relating to Mubenga's death but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press charges and no further action was taken.
The coroner said the inquest – which is set to last eight weeks – would be a "full, fair and fearless investigation" that dealt not only with the immediate circumstances surrounding Mubenga's death but would constitute a broader inquiry into the actions of the government and G4S. The court also heard from Det Sgt Steve Baldwin, one of the senior investigating officers in the case. Baldwin said that there had been 146 passengers on the plane at the time of Mubenga's death. He said that although police officers managed to take statements from many of them before the flight was rescheduled others had to be followed up by email as they were overseas.
The court was shown footage of Mubenga being collected from an immigration removal centre by the three guards. Earlier in the day one of the guards at the centre said they had found Mubenga crying in his room because he did not want to leave his family behind and return to Angola.
Baldwin said that throughout the journey to the airport and up to the point they boarded the plane the atmosphere between the guards and Mubenga had been cordial.
The coroner said the inquest – which is set to last eight weeks – would be a "full, fair and fearless investigation" that dealt not only with the immediate circumstances surrounding Mubenga's death but also constitute a broader inquiry into the actions of all the parties involved including the government and G4S.
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