POLICE are being investigated following the death of a man who was found hanging in woodland, hours after he was released from police custody.

At Harrogate Coroner's Court, an open verdict was recorded into the death of Otley joiner Graham Mark Houldsworth whose body was found hanging in isolated

woodland on the outskirts of the town last December.

In the court it was revealed an official complaint had been lodged against North Yorkshire Police by Mr Houldsworth's angry widow, Sharon.

Mrs Houldsworth, who declined to ask questions at the inquest, had objected about the way she and her husband had been

treated and accused police officers of not telling the truth.

The body of Mr Houldsworth, 42, of Weston Lane, was found between Stainburn and Little Alms Cliff, Norwood, at just after 7.30am on December 9 last year.

The court heard that Mr Houldsworth had been arrested the previous day and held at Harrogate Police Station for several hours on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a car.

Harrogate coroner Jeremy Cave said a post-mortem revealed the medical cause of Mr Houldsworth's death was asphyxiation due to hanging, but there was not enough evidence to conclude whether his death was an accident or suicide.

He ruled out any foul play, and recorded an open verdict.

At the inquest, custody officers Sgt Kim Allen and Sgt Craig Linton both said they had had no reason to be concerned about Mr Houldsworth, as he had appeared calm while he sobered up at the station.

Both officers said Mr Houldsworth had an argument on a mobile phone while at the station, and believed he was taking to his wife.

Sgt Allen said Mr Houldsworth had declined to speak to his wife when she later turned up at the police station.

Mr Houldsworth's daughter asked during the inquest why the officers had not been concerned, as one police officer said in a statement he felt sorry for Mr Houldsworth.

Sgt Linton said the officers had felt sorry for Mr Houldsworth because they feared as a self-employed joiner he would lose his livelihood if he was banned from driving.

Sgt Linton said: "I would put my hand on my heart and say if I thought he was going to leave to go and kill himself, I would not have let him go."

Mr Cave said blood tests revealed Mr Houldsworth had been drinking on the night, and had taken Paracetamol after he left the police station.

He said an examination also revealed there were cuts on Mr Houldsworth's wrists which may have been self-inflicted, but this remained unproven.

Mrs Houldsworth told the coroner's court she had heard nothing about the cuts.

Recording an open verdict, Mr Cave said: "There were no witnesses to this incident. It's not correct for me to jump to any conclusions."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police confirmed the police force had received a complaint about the events on the evening Mr Houldsworth was arrested.

He said the police had voluntarily referred the complaint to the Police Complaints Authority, which is currently looking into the matter.

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