The death of Sam Diatta, who went into cardiac arrest after being restrained for seven minutes in a York jewellery shop, was not a case of unlawful killing, a coroner has concluded. Mr Diatta, 39, died on 26 July 2022, after an altercation with a security guard at Mappin and Webb jewellers led to him being held face down by multiple individuals.
North Yorkshire coroner Jon Heath delivered a narrative conclusion, stating that Mr Diatta's death was a consequence of naturally occurring heart disease combined with the effects of being restrained. Pathologists at the inquest indicated that the medical cause of death was hypertensive heart disease, exacerbated by the restraint, with one expert noting that the position Mr Diatta was held in would have reduced his breathing capacity.
The inquest heard that Mr Diatta, who had bipolar disorder, was suffering an acute mental health episode when he entered the shop. He reportedly told security guard Gary Prothero he had 18,000 TikTok followers and demanded three free watches in exchange for taking pictures. When asked to leave, he threw punches at Mr Prothero, leading to the initial restraint by the guard and subsequently by three customers.
CCTV footage showed Mr Diatta being tackled to the floor and held down by four men when police arrived. Although North Yorkshire Police arrested four men following the incident, no charges were ultimately brought. The coroner acknowledged the family's submission that the "disproportionate use of restraint was an unlawful act" and potentially dangerous. However, Mr Heath stated that none of the men involved were aware of Mr Diatta's mental health issues or heart condition, nor did they believe he was struggling to breathe. He added that Mr Prothero was acting in self-defence, having been hit, and the other men believed a robbery was in progress.
Mr Diatta's parents, George and Judy, and his sister Teba, expressed their continued conviction that he was not well enough to be living in the community in the days leading up to his death, citing concerns about his deteriorating mental health. They highlighted that he had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital just four days before the incident. Despite their grief, Teba Diatta stated, "We choose forgiveness, we don't want to hold it against any of the people involved." The family described Sam as a "gentle giant" with a strong Christian faith and a love for sports, who tragically developed mental health issues in his later teenage years.