'Broken' mum pays tribute to son who died in police custody after hotel arrest

The heartbroken mum of a man who died in policecustody has paid tribute to her son.

Ellis Rocks, 26, was arrested inside the Britannia Hotel in Standish, Wiganjust after 8.30pm on July 31, with police searching him on site before handcuffing him and taking him into custody.

He remained in the cells overnight until around 2.30am, when officers discovered him unresponsive. Paramedics were called but while on their way to the hospital, he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7.20am on August 1.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) yesterday said it had launched an investigation into the 26-year-old's passing. His mum Paula Wilkie took to social media to pay tribute to her "beautiful boy", reports the ECHO.

READ MORE: Teachers found dead in murder-suicide leaving two kids, 3 and 5, without a mum

READ MORE: Woman, 20, found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body

She said: "My beautiful boy Ellis has sadly passed away this morning at 07.20 am. Me and his sister Sasha Leigh-Rocks got to spend the last 52 hours of his life at his side and held his hands as he took his last breath.

"Nothing can fix this pain we feel as a family, and it's something that could have been avoided. To avoid speculation and malicious rumours. My son was arrested and in police custody at the time, and an event occurred where only we know as a family, and our closest friends. There has been an investigation started already yesterday."

She continued: "We have our own investigation team who are in touch with us every step of the way to find justice for my son Ellis Rocks and to make sure this never happens to anyone's child again.

"We ask as a family to give us space to grieve. We are broken as a family. We cannot thank the paramedics who attended to Ellis enough, they are helping us with the enquiry as they seen first hand the events that had unfolded. May my little boy rest in peace and we will fight for justice till the day we die."

After a referral from Greater Manchester Police, investigators were deployed and an investigation has been launched.

The watchdog is in the early stages and investigators have reviewed CCTV from the custody suite and officers’ body-worn video footage involved in the arrest. The IOPC has also been in touch with the force about receiving initial accounts from the officers involved.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “This was a tragic incident in which Mr Rocks has sadly died and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."