An Old Bailey jury has acquitted Terence Hughes, 53, Colin Kaler, 52, and Stuart Tribelnig, 39, of the manslaughter of Angolan deportee, Jimmy Mubenga, at the end of a 6 week trial.
In October 2010, all three men were employed as Detention and Custody Officers by G4S and were tasked with effecting the deportation of Mr. Mubenga to Luanda in Angola on a British Airways scheduled flight from Heathrow.
Shortly after boarding the flight, Mr. Mubenga began to act violently and was physically restrained by the three officers. He suffered cardio-respiratory collapse as the BA flight taxiied to the runway. The plane returned to the stand, but Mr. Mubenga was pronounced dead upon arrival at Hillingdon Hosptial later that evening.
The Crown had alleged that the officers had unlawfully or grossly negligently held Mr. Mubenga in a position that had fatally compromised his breathing.
All three men had persistently denied acting dangerously or negligently during the incident.
Kevin Donnelly was instructed by Alex Preston of Olliers Solicitors, Manchester in the defence of Stuart Tribelnig.
In a statement issued shortly after the unanimous verdicts were returned on the afternoon of Tuesday 16 December 2014, Ms. Preston ( who represented all three men throughout) said:
“Terence Hughes, Colin Kaler and Stuart Tribelnig are delighted to have been found not guilty. They bitterly regret the death of Mr. Mubenga but have always said they were trying to do a very difficult job in difficult circumstances, to the best of their ability.”