Brian Temple, 34, of Redcar, committed suicide on New Year’s Eve 2017, almost seven months after allegedly stealing a package of Gregs snacks, Teesside Medical Court has been notified, according to TeessideLive. When he was released from custody, Temple’s release documents erroneously stated that he was suspected of having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Temple did not know the mistake when he gave the papers to his then girlfriend, according to the court. When he began spreading the misinformation, Temple was verbally and physically abused and his home was attacked, according to the court. He also reported threats and attacks to police, according to the court. However, visits by Temple’s police officers to Temple’s home only raised unfounded suspicions about him, the court said. After the attacks, Temple turned into a drink and drugs. Medical examiner Claire Bailey reported a toxicology report conducted after Temple’s death, which found alcohol in his body and traces of cocaine, anti-anxiety drugs and a sleeping pill. His body was found by his brother Paul, as the family was worried that they would not hear from him for a day. The statements of his family members, including his mother who has since died, were read in court. She had described her son as “happy” before saying that the wrong release documents caused him depression. In a statement, his brother said Temple had never shown suicidal tendencies. Paul Temple said that the mistake in the release sheet “would drive anyone crazy”. In a statement, Temple’s sister-in-law, Crystal, said the wrong papers were in his pocket at the time of his death. He suggested that police failed in their “care duty” to Temple, who said he had mental health problems at the time of his arrest. In his testimony in court, Cleveland Police DS Agar accused the mistake of “genuine human error.” An investigation by the Independent Police Behavior Bureau concluded that human error was caused by the error and that it was “incredibly unusual”, the investigation said.
