Prison officer laughed outside cells shortly before inmate death, inquest hears
34-year-old Josh Tarrant suffered a cocaine induced psychotic episode on his first night at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey
A prison officer who laughed outside an inmate's cell shortly before his death has called it a "trauma response" after a prolonged restraint, an inquest heard.
Josh Tarrant, 34, arrived at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey on October 31 2023, before dying in the early hours of November 1.
After his arrival, Mr Tarrant reportedly suffered a psychotic episode related to cocaine intoxication which saw him being restrained by prison officers.
On Wednesday, at Kent and Medway Coroners Court, Maidstone, jurors heard that Mr Tarrant had an "unreal" tolerance for pain during the incident and was calling for his mum.
Earlier in the inquest, a pathologist confirmed that "exertion" during the prolonged restraint by several officers made Mr Tarrant "more vulnerable" to death from cocaine intoxication.
HMP Elmley prison officer Jamie Vidler admitted in evidence that she would "do a lot of things differently", reflecting on the restraint.
Ms Vidler confirmed that she shouted at Mr Tarrant, punched him in the leg and at one stage laughed outside his cell.
On behalf of Mr Tarrant's family, Keio Yoshida asked: "Was there a culture of swearing at prisoners?"
"No," said Ms Vidler.
"You were aware it was wrong?" asked Mr Yoshida.
"Yes I'm aware it's wrong," she replied.
The officer went on to describe her behaviour as "aggressive and unhelpful" and said she had "never" approached a use of force like that before.
The pathologist, Dr Ginni Fitzpatrick-Swallow, told jurors that Mr Tarrant was "exhibiting adverse effects of cocaine intoxication" when he was being restrained by several officers.
"It can also cause changes in your behaviour: agitation, confusion, fear, and panic, they all result in further surges of certain hormones in your body," said Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow.
Ms Vidler did not initially identify that something was wrong with Mr Tarrant but did see that he wasn't reacting to pain when he hit his head and the officers trapped his finger in a metal cell door.
"It was as if he had no sense of pain," she said.
She explained that "none of it was funny" and she laughed after seeing his finger was trapped as a coping mechanism.
When Mr Tarrant collapsed, Ms Vidler thought he was "playing dead", the court heard.
"I honestly believed that he was feigning it ... I still now can't quite believe how someone can go from being so animated to just being not there," she said.
Mr Tarrant was charged with criminal damage, dangerous driving, assault causing actual bodily harm, and robbery after crashing a Nissan Qashqai in Sittingbourne on October 28.
The inquest continues.