Joy Gardner

Joy Gardner was a 40-year-old Afro-Caribbean mother and illegal immigrant from Jamaica who was killed during a struggle with the police at her home in Crouch End, London on July 28, 1993. She had come to visit her mother, Myrna Simpson, but had overstayed her 6 month visa. An immigration officer, along with 5 police officers, arrived at her home to serve her with a deportation notice. When Gardner refused, the police entered her home and struggled and fought with Garnder. Police gagged and restrained Gardner using a body belt and had wrapped 13ft of tape around her head which they later claimed was to prevent her biting them. The officers involved averred that Gardner 'violently' resisted arrest. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/279922.stm BBC News | UK | Joy Gardner's family sues police ] ] Gardner suffocated and fell into a coma during incident and later died in the hospital.

The three police officers involved were found not guilty of her manslaughter at a trial in 1995. The inquest into Joy Gardener's death said it was 'misadventure' and no charges have been brough over her death.

The acquittal of the police officers sparked a reaction in Britain's black community which led to a protest movement for justice for Joy and her family. Campaigners claim that the police were brutal and used excessive force. Benjamin Zephaniah wrote a poem about the death called "The Death of Joy Gardner" [http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/rhymin.html#death]

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