A pathologist told an inquest yesterday that police involvement did not meaningfully contribute to the death of 61-year-old Jennifer Steede.

Christopher Milroy said he found that Ms Steede had died as a result of hypertensive heart disease in association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

He said that hypertensive heart disorder, caused by high blood pressure, can lead to sudden death, and that high-stress situations such as a mental health episode or interactions with police may have contributed to her challenges.

However, Dr Milroy told the jury: “From what I have seen, I do not think that the actions of the police officers made a significant difference to the state of Ms Steede.

“In my opinion, there is no significant evidence that the police officers’ interactions caused or contributed to Ms Steede’s death.”

Joshua Smith, Ms Steede’s son, asked Dr Milroy about the way officers lifted her off the ground by her arms during their interaction, asking if positional asphyxia could have contributed to her death.

Dr Milroy responded that positional asphyxia is generally associated with patients who are face down in a prone position or with constrictions to their chest.

He said: “I am not saying that lifting someone could not have added emotional stress.

“Exactly what someone in mental distress is perceiving is impossible for me to know, but positional asphyxia is more about people being prone on the ground.”

The inquest previously heard that police were called to Ms Steede’s home on the morning of May 16, 2024, after a neighbour saw her outside partially nude.

Officers were preparing to take her to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital but she complained of difficulty breathing before being placed in the police car.

Firefighters who attended the scene said that shortly after they arrived, Ms Steede stopped breathing and they lost her pulse. Later that afternoon, she was pronounced dead at KEMH.

Ms Steede was known to be suffering from bipolar affective disorder and COPD.

As the inquest continued yesterday, the jury heard evidence from Pc Stephen Dennie, who told the court that he was dispatched to Wellington Slip Road, St George’s, on the morning of the incident in response to a reported mental health emergency.

The officer said the information he received was that the individual in question was Ms Steede and that she was naked in her yard.

Pc Dennie mentioned that he had dealt with Ms Steede on two previous occasions, but those incidents were “totally different”, adding that on those occasions she was “quite co-operative”.

He said that when the officers arrived at the house, neighbours directed him to the backyard and told him: “Good luck”.

He told the inquest that Ms Steede, who was sat in a chair outside the house, told the officers to go up to her apartment. Asked what was up there, she responded: “Voodoo.”

Pc Dennie said the decision was made to handcuff Ms Steede to transport her to KEMH, but as she got up, he noticed that she was naked below the waist.

He said that he was escorted into the apartment by a neighbour to get a pair of pants and the neighbour informed him that Ms Steede had a device to help her breathing, so he grabbed the device from the table and brought it with him.

Pc Dennie said that Ms Steede’s handcuffs were removed and the officers pulled her up off the ground by her hands and guided her to a chair to help them put her pants on.

He told the jury that they chose to lift her by her hands to prevent “intimate” contact with the partially naked woman.

Pc Dennie said: “We were trying to make less physical contact with Ms Steede while trying to assist her.”

Once Ms Steede had a pair of pants on, Pc Dennie said she was handcuffed again and walked to the police car, but as she neared the vehicle she complained that she could not breathe.

He said that Pc Justice McDermot immediately fetched the medical device and turned it on while Ms Steede placed a tube in her nose.

Pc Dennie said he had no indication that Ms Steede was having any difficulty breathing until they were moving her to the police car, stating that she was vocal and appeared to be breathing properly.

He said: “We acted in good faith. We were very patient with her. We had concern for her safety.”

He agreed that in cases of mental health emergencies, it would be beneficial to have mental health officials on-scene.

The hearing continues.

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