Episode 8 The Lock Up

This programme contains some strong language.

There is a whiff in the air in the custody suite.

-Have you been smoking?

-Cigarettes are banned.

Where have you had that stashed?

-What?

-Where did you have that stashed?

Where is your lighter? Up your arse?

Have you packed it? Mate, I don't want to look at that.

Sergeant Ian Goode has recovered the evidence.

Lighter.

Made up pouch with tobacco.

I can't see that being in his bum, mate. You'd notice that.

We get a lot of drug packers. There has been an occasion where

a young female had smuggled a particularly strange item in.

She had a can of her favourite Special Brew in a personal place, shall we say.

Which, I don't know how she got there.

She was found drinking it in the cell.

You wouldn't want a warm beer, would you?

It just shows you the length that people go to to get things past us and into the cell.

Welcome to the Lock Up.

Hull is home to one of Europe's busiest ports.

But its crime rate is nothing special.

It rivals any British city.

If you get in trouble in Hull, there's a good chance you could end up here,

at the custody suite at Priory Road police station.

You will remain here and be interviewed about the allegation you've been arrested for.

Over the past year, we've been filming all manner of guests.

Whether they are protesting their innocence...

I ain't done nothing wrong.

This male is alleged to have torn the head off a cat.

..or they've been caught bang to rights.

The man in charge is Sergeant Goode.

I'm not a judge, I'm not a jury and I'm not a social worker. I'm a custody officer.

His team's job is to look after everyone who comes into the nick.

Nice, respectful staff.

-Get down!

-Yeah, the buck certainly stops with me.

Another shift, and already the station is a hive of activity.

What's the matter with that one?

This is a juvenile, this one, howling.

They cry like babies when they're in trouble.

They suspect this young lad was trying to nick a car.

When he resisted arrest, they gave him a lift.

HE SCREAMS

Has he been uncooperative all the way through?

So we've quickly detained him, and he's not very happy to come with us from the off.

HE SHOUTS AND MOANS

With the prisoner in such a state,

Ian has skipped the usual identification process.

I took the option to get him straight to the cell.

We searched him, took everything we think could damage him,

and I'm going to leave him for five or ten minutes.

He sounds a little bit upset.

I'll come back in half-an-hour and see if I can get some details off him and find out who he is.

There's never a dull night for Ian.

His back-up team is...

Suzy.

He calls me his custody bitch.

-And Michelle.

-We are just enough to stress him out.

Cause him all sorts of problems.

Yes, I get grief, as you can tell, from these two. I'm outnumbered, two to one.

And he likes a juicy pair!

This 18-year-old's been spouting a few juicy pearls of wisdom of his own outside a nightclub.

He was warned about his behaviour in the street, shouting.

His final words were, "You don't have the authority to arrest me, you fucking muppet."

And he was arrested.

Put in busy custody suite, that'll do.

Custody suite, what's that?

This the custody suite, matey. That's what it's called.

We don't call it the cells or the dungeons. It's called the custody suite.

Jesus wept!

-You look about six.

-What, on my passport?

-Yeah.

-That's because I was about six.

-No wonder they won't let you into pubs.

You've got a picture of a ten-year-old to get into a pub.

You're never going to get in.

Yeah, but you check on it, that's me.

Think about it. "Mr Doorman, can I come in, here is my ID. I'm 10."

Sign there.

And in this state, he's got the writing skills of a 10-year-old too.

R-A-D.

Going to pop you down to your cell for the time being.

I'll ring your girlfriend, OK. All right, come on.

But the lock up's mystery guest is a trickier customer.

Can you just give me your surname, please, matey?

-No.

-Why not?

HE MUMBLES

-I can't help you until you help yourself.

-I'm not telling you.

I'm trying to help you, but you're not allowing me.

-Just leave me alone.

-We're not going to get anywhere.

Mate, we'll leave you to it.

When you feel like speaking to us, push the buzzer and we'll start doing something.

Until then, matey, you're just going to have to stay here on your own, all right?

It's a headache for everyone in the station.

The longer he takes to talk, the longer in the cells.

Silence won't get him out of trouble.

They have to speak to us and treat us right, or else they don't get very far.

Enter Mr James Hepburn.

The reasons for the arrest, please.

Suspicion of taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent.

Two-thirds of thefts in the UK are because of drugs,

so in Hull, every suspect is tested for heroin and crack cocaine.

Just that way, mate.

Have you had any medication, whether prescribed or not, in the last 24 hours?

-No.

-Have you taken anything?

Yeah.

-What have you had?

-Amphetamines.

Amphetamines. How much have you had?

-Loads.

-You've had loads.

I haven't been to sleep for three days.

-You haven't been to sleep for three days?

-No, but I can't.

Let me have a look, then.

-James, that's really bad.

-They said that.

Does it not hurt you, doing that?

It's not good, is it, James?

It's not good at all.

-When was the last time you were in?

-Sunday.

What were you in for on Sunday?

Theft of police handcuffs.

And going equipped with a pair of bolt cutters.

What did you nick handcuffs for?

I was in the back of a police car.

He did a runner with a pair of handcuffs on.

As James is booked in, the police are investigating the stolen car.

Within the vehicle, there's a screwdriver

and three little keys. I don't think the keys were anything to do with it.

The screwdriver, certainly, I think, has been used to puncture the passenger side door skin,

fiddle the lock,

gain access to... It's the old method.

Cowling's been ripped off and hot wired.

Miss, it's gone blue.

Has it? One second.

Somebody might come in for an offence like this, and if we can get

him to see a drugs worker, then that means that we just get somebody else in to maybe drug rehabilitation.

I never had the opportunity.

It's always banged up, banged up.

I've been in prison 39 times.

17 different jails.

I have been locked up since I was six years old in kids' homes.

James could be heading for his 40th stay at her Majesty's pleasure.

But he isn't the only one who's a veteran.

Hull is on the lash.

And some are lashing out.

He's been involved in a physical altercation with another male from an opposing group.

Punches were seen to be thrown from both sides.

This 21-year-old already speaks police.

What's your full name, mate?

Mohammed Hussain. Hotel, Uniform, Sierra, Sierra,

Alfa, Indigo, November.

Thank you very much. Are you working at all?

I'm a student, mate.

He's already a graduate of the lock-up.

Looking dapper, man.

Two groups, a group of black males and a group of Asian males, have been fighting.

He was seen to throw a punch and hit another kid who has ended up on the floor.

Enter the other student from the punch-up.

This male was seen fighting with another, witnessed by police.

Was that just fighting, or were there any weapons involved?

I'm not too sure. I was walking past and the guy just ran and hit me. So I'm not too sure what it was.

He just thinks it's a one-on-one incident, but now I think

he's a little angry with himself and everything's starting to sink in, I think.

But first-timer Mark Minter is about to make a further hash of his night.

-What's this?

-It's cannabis.

-What?

-Cannabis.

-Cannabis. OK. So you're under arrest for that as well.

For possession.

He's now facing charges of affray and possession.

This way around for me and we will pop you down, all right.

I've been here a couple times, yeah. Various stuff.

Minor stuff. Nothing too serious.

Then, it was witness intimidation. Now, it's affray.

My friend rang me to say there was a fight going on.

So I just ran across, because my friend got jumped by a few kids.

Next thing, some black kids are running at me.

I've had to throw a punch.

Down there, buddy.

You tried to self-harm in any way?

It's irrelevant what they say.

They've both been seen and identified by police officers.

It's becoming a battle of wills

between Ian and the unknown teenager.

LOUD BANGING

Let's just see how long he can carry on for.

The longest I've had is about...

four hours, I think, four or five hours.

The custody staff must make sure he doesn't hurt himself.

ALARM BEEPS

And now Suzy has spotted him wrapping something round his neck.

-What are you trying to do?

-You're going to injure yourself.

-Do you want another blanket?

-No, I just want to go home, fuck off.

Until you calm down, you're not going to go anywhere, are you?

I'm not going to go home if I calm down anyway.

Mate, at some point, when you want to speak reasonably to us...

INDISTINCT, TOILET FLUSHES

When you do, when you want to speak reasonably...

-OK, mate, all right.

-Fuck off.

-You're sober.

-See you then BEEP.

All right.

Yeah, I love you too(!)

It's a false alarm.

Suzy got worried because he was trying

to strangle himself with some toilet paper.

What she's seen on the screen is him putting something round his neck.

I hold my hands up, I'm wrong.

Could have been, though.

I just looked on the camera in the corner of my eye and saw him putting something round his neck.

And I don't take any chances, I'm afraid.

He's not as good as the kid, what did he spell in toilet paper on the floor?

He realised he was on camera and he was doing this.

He got toilet paper and he arranged the words "no comment".

The student fighters are learning the lessons of the lock-up.

Even alumnus Mohammed Hussain.

I used to get so angry in these cells when I was first in.

I used to bang on the doors like these idiots.

That is the worst thing to do, so I just relax.

His adversary, Mark Minter, has no experience and doesn't know what awaits him, unlike Mohammed.

If I get charged, but I don't think I will, I'll busk it like usual. They'll throw it out.

It will go through CPS and they'll throw it out, hopefully.

Mr Hussain is still in there.

I would expect him to get charged.

James, too, is waiting, while the police speak to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Theft of a motor vehicle.

Handling as an alternative, disqualified driving with no insurance, four charges altogether.

Stand here for me, please.

OK, James, listen to what the officer is going to say to you.

You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do

not mention now something which you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

-James, you understand you've been charged, OK?

-Yes.

Can I ask you to sign for the charge?

Hang on, James. James.

James, wait there a minute.

He can go down. I've got nothing more to say to him.

James knows that with his record, he will be going straight to prison.

He's not particularly happy with the charges he's got.

I do not know why, because I think he knew since

he came in, when he was booked in, he admitted half the charges.

He's not the victim. The victim is the person who owns the car that he nicked.

Even in the dead of night,

it's rush-hour in the lock up.

My favourite saying when people come in is...

And that's just all they go.

You what? You want to hit me? All right. OK.

MAN SHOUTS FROM CELL

I don't see it as being personal.

I am just the figure of responsibility.

They're rebelling against it. I represent what they hate,

so they'll have a go at me.

Nah, I don't take it personally.

The only refuge is in the kitchen.

Just grabbing some rest while we have got time.

I am dishing up a casserole. I hope it's all right.

This is one establishment where the staff food is better than the guests'.

This is the prisoner's meal.

It is a nice shepherd's pie containing beef.

I don't think it contains any beef.

-15% beef, it is.

-They don't get sausage casserole.

It is only 75 calories per 100 grams.

I might tell WeightWatchers this is the way forward.

I'll check in my points book, see how many points it is.

Rocky, are you sure you didn't want any? I did you some.

No? I can't even give it away.

It's lacking green, mate. The colour green.

I like a bit of sausage!

Next on Michelle's menu is a suspected drink-driver.

Hello, have you been here before? Never?

I got called to a traffic collision just outside Leconfield

and there were four of them out of the car and the car was in the ditch.

He said he was the driver, so we breathalysed him

and he blew over the limit, so we brought him here.

Sorry.

Are you working? What are you doing?

-I'm in the army.

-You're in the army.

He's got to have another breath test, but he's desperate to go.

I need a piss.

Ah! Unfortunately you will have to wait because we have to do this procedure.

I'll try and be as quick as I can.

Do you want to go over there? The sergeant will do your breath test over there.

Still dying for that toilet, aren't you?

Sorry, there's not a lot I can do about it.

I'm not here to torture you.

If Ian lets him go, the evidence will end up down the pan.

A big breath and go.

Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.

Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.

There you go, mate.

Well done. All right.

Anything below 40 and you're walking out that door, OK?

Anything that says 40... Oh, you're 33-34.

That means you've passed. Relief there! Can we let this lad go to the toilet, please?

Come on, please, send me to the toilet.

Where is the toilet?

Thank you!

He couldn't get to the toilet fast enough.

-Are you relieved?

-Yeah.

-In more ways than one?

I don't know what to say.

I wish all the prisoners were in and out like that in the space of 25 minutes.

Michelle's now turning on the female charm with the mystery guest.

Just double-check he is sat away from the door

so you know you're not going to come up against anything.

I'm going to sit here and you can talk to me a minute.

What I am going to say to you is,

the officers that have brought you in here have gone now.

It is down to us to look after you, OK?

I know. I understand that all you've got to think about,

at the end of the day, you will be gone from here some point in the morning.

Sometimes it is good when you send a female down there.

I'm a male and although I had no dealings with him, I'm a confrontation to him.

We've got better communication skills. That's why.

You know something, I'm too tired to even reply.

Just can't be arsed.

Your mum wouldn't want you to sit there like that, would she?

She'd be saying, "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

We would rather you be laid down, you don't have to go to sleep.

He'll puff his chest out and have a go at me,

but as you can see, he's falling in love with Michelle.

I'm your auntie? Thanks, I'm not that old!

Everybody comes from different backgrounds.

We don't know them backgrounds.

All we see is what comes in.

He's obviously got issues. Maybe got medical problems that can't help him kicking off.

The only way to find that out is to get him on our side.

I think he is slowing down now. He has got that exhausted from kicking off,

I think he'll eventually lie down and go to sleep, we hope.

Come straight out, please.

There are some guests, especially those living rough,

who see an eight by ten cell as five-star luxury.

-Empty your pockets out.

-No worries.

-Get away! I've got athlete's foot.

-Have you?

-Yeah.

There is an extremely bad smell at the moment.

This gentleman says he's got athlete's foot.

It's worse than blue Stilton cheese and that's bad.

-Do you want a shower?

-No, I've got athlete's foot. That's what it is.

It's very strong, making my eyes water.

My mascara run.

You have been IDed by a witness as being involved in a fight. OK?

Can I have a smoke?

We had a call from a witness who'd seen a disturbance in a local park,

a group of adult males assaulting another male. They had him on the floor.

It's common for the homeless community to have fights over alcohol and tobacco.

-Have you got any medical conditions I need to be aware of?

-No.

Not a high percentage of them make it to getting charged or going to court.

The injured party either won't engage with us because they don't want the police involvement.

Or they're fearful for what will happen because they see themselves as a snitch.

You don't have to share a room with your mate with feet like that, do you?

-I do, actually. I do.

-Oh God!

I nagged him yesterday saying, "Your feet stink."

He'll escape the smell in the separate cells at this hostel.

How can he possibly eat in a stench like that?

Do you want any breakfast? It's delicious.

You go from being a counsellor to making cups of tea for people.

When I first started this job I was quite soft

and I wanted to help the world and make a difference.

You try as hard as you can, but you can't.

This is breakfast. You can have this sausage.

Disgusting...

I suppose in the years I've been here,

I maybe have made a small difference to someone

and that makes me happy, at the end of the day.

Are you sure you do not want some of this lovely breakfast?

Both sparring students are being charged,

and they are both being let out on bail till court tomorrow.

I've gone out last night fighting and drinking.

My dad is going to kill me.

It's a bit stupid, honestly, I shouldn't be here.

I shouldn't be. So weird, mate.

Being charged for the fight has come as a shock to Mark. He's the one with the bust eye.

From all of it to go into a charge, yeah? I don't think I care any more.

-Will you turn up at court in the morning?

-I don't know.

If you are not going to turn up at court, I've got no option, but to keep you in custody.

The decision I made to initially bail you is being revoked

and I'm now keeping you in custody to attend at court in the morning. All right?

But from experience, Mohammed knows it pays to play the game.

I am going to grant you bail, OK?

But you will still have to go to court in the morning.

It is OK, I am going to go through all of that.

Unlike Mark, he'll be sleeping in his own bed tonight.

If you start coming here all the time, you'll never get a good job.

You're obviously a bright lad, if you're doing a chemistry degree.

See you!

One down, six to go.

The sergeant's new best friend is back to his old tricks

and he's still refusing to give up his name.

He's kicking through the blanket now.

-What were you saying about him being a bit quiet?

-He was.

He's not going to win a fight against a three-inch sheet of metal.

Soon he'll be another sergeant's problem.

-Bye, folks.

-All right. Good luck.

The three vagrants are getting out for now.

Just as Ian predicted, the victim got complete amnesia, so the cops need more time.

If they bother to answer bail, we'll see them then,

and if not, they won't be hard to find.

# Bring me sunshine In your smile... #

They have gone, but they're not forgotten.

-You get used to it.

-TOILET FLUSHES

You get used to the smell.

You never know what you're coming into.

It's different every day.

I've had that where I've turned the mattress over

and they've pooed underneath the mattress, or been sick.

Weekends is the worst because if they're drunk and things like that.

A lot of the times they think they're getting at the police,

but they don't realise it isn't the police that clean these, it's other people.

You can't make them clean it up themselves because they've got human rights.

Sometimes I think, "What about my human rights?"

Tell them to clean it up themselves!

The three down-and-outs did skip back into the station to answer their bail.

Lee McManus was cleared of all charges,

so too was his mate Paul Cheetam, although his feet are still criminal.

-Blinded it!

-Carl Hancock was cautioned for the assault.

It is a game, it's like Monopoly, and they're all players and I'm the banker.

James didn't pass Go,

went straight to jail and was sentenced to six more years.

It's not a hotel, and we don't invite people to come and stay with us.

-See you later, guys.

-See you, mate.

-All right.

It took almost eight hours for the mystery teenager to give up his name.

It took the magistrates eight seconds to make him pay £45 for messing with a car.

The brawlers admitted the public order offence.

Minter paid £325 and got a year's conditional discharge for the cannabis.

Hussain had 100 hours of unpaid work added to his

suspended sentence for witness intimidation.

Another day, another dollar. Good night.

It has been an eventful year in the lock up.

Playing dead.

6,500 detainees were checked in.

We'll put you on a breathalyser machine.

Prisoners and police got frisked.

200,000 hours of CCTV were recorded.

-My worst fears, really.

-I'm outnumbered two-to-one.

And he likes a juicy pair.

Topping the league of crimes were assault and theft.

-22,000 cups of tea were served.

-There you go.

Over 1,000 kids came through the doors.

I'm having a bit of crumpet.

My name is Achilles.

If you've something up your ass, I don't want it to explode.

I like a bit of sausage.

And in charge, 24/7, were the sergeants.

That's the message.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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