Police accept the findings by the Independent Police Conduct Authority which found officers failed in their duty of care for a woman who died while in Police custody in Gisborne.

An internal investigation into the death conducted by Police also came to a similar conclusion.

Lynne Martin, 63, was brought into Police custody on the afternoon of 22 November 2023, after she had been convicted of murder at the High Court in Gisborne. She was to stay overnight at the custody unit in Gisborne Police Station to then be transported to prison.

Upon arrival, Ms Martin was searched and assessed in terms of her physical health and mental wellbeing to determine the most appropriate monitoring regime while she was in our care. She was placed on two hourly checks.

The following morning just after 7am, officers found Ms Martin unresponsive. Ambulance officers arrived and confirmed she was deceased.

It will be for the Coroner to determine the cause of her death, however there are no suspicious circumstances, or any other person involved.

The IPCA found the initial care of Ms Martin was appropriate and in line with Police policy considering the information immediately available to them, however Police should have considered the wider circumstances of Ms Martin’s situation and checked on her more frequently.

They also found that Police officers acted unprofessionally, which included on some occasions only checking detainees via CCTV cameras in their cells, rather than conducting physical checks on them, which is required.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Jeanette Park says Police conducted a review of the events around Ms Martin’s death and came to a similar conclusion as the IPCA.

“Police accepts the actions of the officers were not in line with the standard of care we expect for those who come into Police custody. Police have reinforced with staff in Gisborne and across the country that detainees must be checked correctly, not just via CCTV. We have made several improvements at the Gisborne Police Custody Unit and addressed staffing shortages.”

Police carried out an employment investigation with regards to the officers working during this shift and have provided them with additional training. We have reviewed our process to ensure that a recent conviction for a serious offence influences the monitoring schedule required for certain detainees.

Custody units can be a complex and challenging environment to work in. Police remain committed to continuous improvement ensuring a high standard of care for the more than 120,000 detainees who come into our custody units across New Zealand each year.

Police has implemented significant changes over the last few years, including the creation of a National Custody Team which provides oversight of the policy, practice, and training for all Police staff,” Superintendent Park says.

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