Daughters to hold Father's Day vigil for much-loved dad
Gurpreet Samrai • Published 16 Jun 2012 15:00
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GRIEVING daughters fighting for justice six months after the death of their much-loved dad, will come together for a vigil in his memory on Father's Day.
Family and friends of Philmore Mills, who died after being restrained by police officers while a patient at Wexham Park Hospital, will unite for their third vigil on Sunday (17/6) outside Slough Police Station, from noon.
The death of the 57-year-old, of Tamar Way, Langley, on Tuesday, December 27, sparked an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation, but the family is still waiting for answers on how and why he died.
The vigil is one of more than six being held across the country by families calling for an independent judicial inquiry into all suspicious deaths in custody.
The father-of-four's eldest daughter, Rachel Gumbs, 38, said: "I haven't been myself since dad died because there are so many unanswered questions. My life is just revolving around sorting this investigation and fighting for answers. I don't seem to be able to focus on the time we had with dad, it's just about getting justice.
"We decided to hold this vigil on Father's Day because there are so many families who have lost dads in custody or under restraint and we are still fighting for answers so we decided to get together and hold vigils on the same day. The main aim for Sunday is to fight for answers and to be able to have our own independent investigation. We need to fight for a change in law."
The family of Habib 'Paps' Ullah, from Slough, who died in police custody four years ago after being stopped and searched by Thames Valley Police officers for drugs in High Wycombe, will also be holding a vigil outside High Wycombe Police Station, from noon.
The IPCC published the findings of an investigation into the death in March 2010 and in December 2010 an inquest was abandoned after evidence came out that police officers had been ordered to change their statements. This sparked the IPCC investigation to be reopened and the family, of Arborfield Close, Slough, are still searching for answers.
This article appeared in Local Berkshire 15 Jun 12
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