Reece Hillier, 22, (pictured with his girlfriend Brittany Bellows) , died by entering a river in Southampton while still handcuffed to evade police dogs, an inquest heard today
A young father died by entering a river while still handcuffed to evade police dogs after he fled officers who attempted to arrest him for possessing cannabis, an inquest heard today.
Reece Hillier, 22, had been stopped by police after he jumped a red light in Southampton, Hampshire on the evening of January 12.
The inquest heard that when PC Aimie Franklin, of Hampshire Police, opened the door of the Honda Civic after Mr Hillier pulled over in a McDonald’s car park, she smelled cannabis and Mr Hillier agreed to be put in handcuffs.
As she called for back-up, he managed to escape across a road, jumped over a wall, down a four metre drop into undergrowth and then fled across a railway line.
The father of one’s body was not discovered until nine weeks later when it was recovered from a nearby river – still wearing handcuffs.
Today a coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death and said he believed Mr Hillier either entered the river to avoid detection by the police dogs or had fallen into the water in the darkness as he fled the police.
Speaking at an inquest in Winchester, Coroner Grahame Short said: ‘I cannot say why he tried to enter the water, whether he fell in or tried to cross the water to mask his scent from the police dogs, which he may have known were chasing him.’
But the coroner added that his death was an accident and ‘a result of his own actions.’
Mr Hillier’s family (pictured, his mother Lisa Lawler arrives at Winchester Coroner’s Court with her partner today) criticised police at the inquest today, saying at no point in the two months following his disappearance did they ‘show any interest’ in allowing them to report him missing
Mr Hillier’s family were present at the inquest and said they were ‘heartbroken’ and criticised the police search after he went missing.
Mr Hillier, from Southampton, Hampshire, was initially stopped for jumping a red light on January 12, 2019.
He was followed by a single police officer in a marked patrol car into a McDonald’s car park where he was asked to open the door.
PC Aimie Franklin saw a silver Honda Civic, driven by Mr Hillier jump a light in front of her. She said: ‘I followed the vehicle and turned into a McDonalds car park where it parked.’
PC Tom Stark (pictured left) told the inquest that he climbed over the four meter high wall but stopped chasing Mr Hillier after he believed he had crossed an electrified railway line. Detective Inspector Kate Gunson (pictured right at the inquest today) said a police dog unit was called in which picked up a scent but this was soon lost
PC Franklin approached the vehicle and tapped on the window and tried to open the door handle. She noticed that he had something in his lap and when she opened the door she smelt cannabis.
‘At that point I became concerned there were drugs in the vehicle. Reece was very nervous he was physically shaking. He was really really nervous.
‘I said I could smell cannabis which he denied.
‘It was at that point I put him in handcuffs, he was severely shaking and I could feel that through the handcuffs.’
The officer then searched Mr Hillier and radioed in to colleagues for assistance as she wanted to search the vehicle but would need help to do so.
Mr Hillier, who had taken cocaine and cannabis, overheard her conversation and began struggling with the officer.
PC Franklin said that she pursued Mr Hillier but had felt it was unsafe for her to climb over a high wall to follow him.
She said that her colleague, PC Tom Stark, continued the pursuit while she returned to secure the car and found two phones, a knife and cannabis inside.
PC Stark told the inquest that he climbed over the 4m-high wall but stopped chasing Mr Hillier after he believed he had crossed an electrified railway line.
Detective Inspector Kate Gunson said a police dog unit was called in which picked up a scent but this was soon lost and added a police helicopter used heat sensors to search the area but no trace of Mr Hillier was found.
The inquest heard that the body of Mr Hillier, with handcuffs still on, was found on March 17 in the River Itchen at Woodmill Outdoor Activity Centre by Daniel Hall who had been magnet fishing for scrap metal.
A post-mortem showed he had cannabis and cocaine in his system.
Coroner Grahame Short said he believed Mr Hillier either entered the river to avoid detection by the police dogs or had fallen into the water in the darkness as he fled the police.
Tributes were placed near the spot where Reece Hillier’s body was found in the River Ichen in Southampton. He had been handcuffed by police before he died, an inquest heard today
Coroner Grahame Short said: ‘I cannot determine where Mr Hillier went once on the other side of the railway tracks. The search of the university campus grounds that were on that side of the railway was fruitless.’
Mr Short continued: ‘I cannot say why he chose to enter the water, whether he fell in or tried to cross I do not know.
‘I am sure that he made that decision because he knew he knew he was being pursued by the police.
‘I find that he entered the water but couldn’t get out and that was at least in part due to the fact his hands were bound.’
Tributes to Reece Hillier, whose family are angry at the circumstances of his death. A family statement read out today said: ‘The fact Reece lay undiscovered for nine weeks will haunt us forever’
He added: ‘I am afraid Reece died alone, unable to get out of the water. This was a tragic outcome.
‘The reason he came to be in the river was due to his own actions. I am desperately sorry for his family, his friends, and I wish to express my sympathies to you all.’
Mr Short found that the police had made enquiries in the weeks following Mr Hillier’s escape and the fact that he was recorded as missing, rather than wanted had no ‘practical’ effect on the outcome.
Mr Hillier’s mother, Lisa Lawler made a number of statements to police saying she was concerned something ‘tragic’ might have happened to her son.
Detective Inspector Kate Gunson who led the investigation said: ‘Two officers have had additional training as a result of this incident.
Reece Hillier, 22, (pictured) was found dead in the River Itchen in Southampton more than two months after he got away from officers during a drugs probe
‘It was, and is, force policy that if a family member wants to report someone as missing then a missing persons report should be made, regardless of they were a wanted suspect or not.
‘Regretfully it appears this did not happen on this occasion.’
Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue found the body had been in the water for a prolonged period of time: ‘There was no way to know whether there had been drowning because of the state of decomposition.’
‘The cause of death is unascertained. We cannot tell whether or not he entered the water alive or not but there was no evidence that suggested he had been beaten up or assaulted before his death.’
A statement made by Mr Hiller’s family read: ‘Reece was an energetic and lively character from childhood to adulthood. His personality could light up a room. Always dancing and singing, he loved music and was very talented.
‘As Reece got older he made some poor life choices but he had a good heart.
‘His decision to try and escape the police cost him his life and it broke all our families hearts. The fact Reece lay undiscovered for nine weeks will haunt us forever.
‘At no point in the nine weeks did the police show any interest in allowing us to report him missing. Reece has left behind a young son and a heartbroken family.’