I was deeply saddened to read the tragic story about Garry Reynolds who was found in police cells with serious injuries, following his arrest (The Argus, March 6).

Is there any evidence that Mr Reynolds was in fact drunk? The article states Mr Reynolds has a distinctive "blown pupil", where one of his eyes is completely white.

This condition is associated with serious brain injuries such as stroke.

There are a variety of medical conditions which can cause the sufferer to appear drunk when they are not. These include brain injuries, brain tumours, strokes and diabetes.

I wonder if the appropriate tests were carried out to establish that Mr Reynolds was drunk?

Is it possible that Mr Reynolds' behaviour was a result of his medical condition?

It is all too easy to jump to the wrong conclusions with serious consequences. We should not blame the individual officers involved.

Their job is not an easy one and what would we do without them. The police are under-financed and underresourced and have to cope with a job that becomes constantly more demanding.

However, recent changes to the law such as fixed penalty notices encourage summary justice without proper investigation or the right to a fair trial.

  • Bruce Davidson, Clarendon Road Hove