Janet Alder Interview June 2020 - Christopher Alder death in police custody UK - #blacklivesmatter
Channel: Kevin Rossin
Date: 2020-06-22

#BlackLivesMatter

Janet Alder, sister to Christopher Alder, talks to Lud Ramsey about her experiences of fighting for justice for her brother, after he died in police custody in 1998. Filmed in June 2020. A film by Kevin Rossin in association with Simon Peter Green. 

Janet Alder's book crowdfunding page: https://fundrazr.com/christopheralder

In 1998, Christopher Alder, a former British army paratrooper, was injured during a fight outside of a night club and taken to hospital for treatment to a head injury. He was arrested by two police officer for a breach of the peace after apparently becoming aggressive and taken to Queens Gardens police station in Hull. 

CCTV footage from the custody suite shows him being dragged in by officers and left lying face down on the floor, motionless, with his trousers around his ankles. Officers stand around laughing while he lies there, dying, for 10 minutes.

A post-mortem failed to establish the cause of Christopher’s death, but a later inquest returned a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’. Five Humberside police officers were put on trial for the manslaughter of Christopher, but the case later collapsed, and all officers were cleared.

In 2011, the Government publicly apologised for breaching Christopher’s right to life, right not to be tortured or treated inhumanely, and the right not to be discriminated against. 

Janet Alder, took the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The UK Government issued a unilateral declaration it conceded that it breached its obligations in regard to preserving life and the investigationinto the cause of death. 

Lud Ramsey was a fire fighter and trade unionist when he first met Janet Alder. The Black and ethnic members of the Fire Brigade Union organised for her to speak at the TUC black workers conference and the FBU conferences. They became friends and Lud has supported her campaign ever since as part of his own personal battle against inequality and racism.

This short film was shot in June 2020 as Lud talked to Janet about her experiences…