Orville Blackwood campaign (1)
01 January 1991
Orville Blackwood campaign
Broadmoor special hospital is facing an inquiry following the
disturbing death of a 31-year old black man, Orville Blackwood,
who died after being restrained and given a massive
tranquillising injection in 1991. He was awaiting details of his
release at the time. Orville is only one of several black men who
have died in similar circumstances. He had been jailed for four
years in 1986 and moved to Broadmoor the following year where he
was detained under the Mental Health Act.
On returning to their Brixton home from identifying Orville's
body, another of Mrs Buckley's sons was assaulted and detained
for two hours at Brixton police station, before being released
without charge.
The inquest into Orville's death did not allow evidence about
earlier suspicious deaths at Broadmoor to be considered, and
returned a verdict of accidental death. His mother, Clara Buckley
(who is also the grandmother of Rolan Adams - see Statewatch 5),
has been campaigning against the decision and has now been given
leave by the High Court to apply for a judicial review into the
original inquest.
Orville Blackwood Community Campaign, c/o New Testament Assembly,
7 Beechcroft Road, London SW17.
Statewatch vol 2 no 4, July/August 1992