Sheku Bayoh: Close friend claims black man was ‘killed in police custody’ in emotional testimony | UK News

A close friend of a black man who died while in police custody has testified that he was “murdered”.

Sheku Bayoh died after officers responded to a report about a man agitated carrying a knife in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3, 2015.

The 31-year-old man was attacked with a baton, CS spray and pepper spray and restrained on the sidewalk with wrist and leg straps tied.

His best friend Zahid Saeed, who has known Bayoh since the age of 17, gave evidence at a public inquest into the death on Friday.

Mr Saeed told the inquest in Edinburgh: “The truth is that he (Mr Bayoh) was murdered in police custody.

In a written statement, he said Mr Bayoh had taken drugs the night before his death.

The 38-year-old appeared reluctant to answer questions about his friend’s behavior and held back tears, saying he couldn’t remember events that happened seven years ago and was traumatized.

“The first one was my son who was killed, then my friend, who was murdered while in police custody,” he said.

“That caused trauma. The questions you should be asking are the police officers, not me, not me.”

Mr. Saeed’s evidence was adjourned until a later date.

Fight with the man in the garden

Neighbors also called to provide evidence that they saw Mr Bayoh fight with another man and carry an 8-inch kitchen knife hours before he was pronounced dead. .

Neil Morgan, who lives across from Mr Bayoh, said he saw his neighbor – whom he knew as “Chris” – fighting with someone in the nearby garden when he returned home from a night shift. around 7 am.

The witness said he saw Mr Bayoh carrying a kitchen knife, recalling “he was knocking it on his own leg, and I told him, ‘I can’t go around with that knife, I’ll be done’.

“Then he turned to me and said, ‘It’s not even sharp’ … and kind of poked it in my stomach.”

‘Good and friendly neighbors’

Mr Morgan said he did not feel “threatened” by Bayoh and instead his “biggest concern” was for him to “come back home… come in and have a cup of coffee”.

He said Mr Bayoh was a “really good man” and was “never without problems” but on the morning of his death he was “not himself” and had “starry eyes” and “attention”.

Another neighbor, Naomi Rhodes, also said she saw Mr Bayoh fighting with another man outside her bedroom window the same morning.

She said Mr Bayoh, whom she had known for four years, was a “good neighbor and friendly nature who never got into trouble”.

The investigation, before Lord Bracadale, continues.