NEAL KEELING meets a father who has been campaigning for nine years for the truth about his son's death in prison to be revealed
THE toll it has taken is etched on his face. John Ahmed is weary in voice and demeanour. But his determination to get to the full truth of how his son died has not diminished.
Since 2015, he has campaigned after his son, also called John, died in controversial circumstances in Strangeways prison.
Last month he witnessed a chink of justice when a prison officer was jailed for committing perjury at his son's inquest.
At that five-week inquest in early 2017 a jury concluded that prison officers used unlawful force against Mr Ahmed leading to his death.
The 42-year-old father-of-four died following restraint by prison officers, during a drugs search whilst a remand prisoner at HMP Manchester on July 29, 2015.
The coroner, Nigel Meadows, raised concerns about some of the evidence heard at the inquest, and referred the matter back to Greater Manchester Police at its conclusion.
The force launched an investigation into 'perjury and misconduct in public office!
As a result, two prison officers were interviewed and a file prepared for the CPS by police. But in July 2020, it was decided no action would be taken against them after an investigation lasting more than three years.
However John Snr, showing a resilience which has served him for almost a decade, refused to give in.
He appealed against the North West Crown Prosecution Service decision not to prosecute the two prison officers.
A specialist prosecutor said there was sufficient evidence and the men were charged in 2021. It took another three years to get to a trial.
Last month, Raymond Cook and another prison officer, Mark Bedford, both went on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, denying perjury.
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