A JURY has found that the use of CS gas by police on a hospital patient was not reasonable.

The jury also said the restraint used by police on Victor Massey would have restricted his breathing.

Father-of-three Mr Massey, 54, was admitted to King's Mill Hospital on August 2, 2006 with a pancreatitis.

While he was in hospital he was not allowed to eat or drink because of the severity of his condition and was put on painkillers – including morphine and tramadol – which made him hallucinate.

His wife of 30 years Jane Massey, of Westwood, previously told the inquest  she repeatedly told staff about the hallucinations but nothing was done or written down in his medical notes.

Six days later Mr Massey  locked himself in a shower room and police were called. They used CS gas and restrained him, and Mr Massey died in the early hours of August 8, 2006. The cause of his death was a cardiac arrest following restraint, combined with acute pancreatitis and tramadol administration.

After his death an examination showed that Mr Massey's pancreatitis was so severe that around 20% of people die of the condition.

The jury in his inquest today returned a narrative verdict.