The family of a teenager who died at the notorious Medomsley detention centre in 1981 believes he showed clear signs of having been strangled before his death, a new investigation reveals.
David Victor Caldwell was just 18 years old when he was sentenced to three months for minor theft offences. His sister, Carol Kyle, who identified his body, has spoken exclusively about the traumatic experience, stating she saw definitive evidence of foul play.
A Sister's Harrowing Account
Carol Kyle, now 65, recounted the devastating moment she saw her brother's body in the Chapel of Rest. "There was bruising on his neck and on his arms," she said. "His neck was the worst. It was terrible to see him like that. I think that he was strangled."
Breaking down in tears, she added, "I am still upset by it now. He was my little brother. He was so young and vulnerable, he was soft, really."
Ms Kyle also revealed she had seen bruises on her brother during a visit to Medomsley before his death. When she questioned him about them, he reportedly told her to "shhh or I will get more". She expressed profound regret, saying, "I wish that I had said something then."
A Pattern of Abuse and Neglect
David Caldwell's case is part of a wider scandal at the Medomsley detention centre in Consett, County Durham. According to an official report, David was examined on arrival on 15 December 1981 and "no signs of any infection or injury were noted".
However, just days later, on 29 December 1981, his sister Carol visited and observed bruising to his face and a swollen hand. David confided that the bruising on his legs was caused by ‘the screws’ – a slang term for prison officers – and that he was hit for not saying ‘Sir’.
The family's claims are supported by a recent report from Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher, which uncovered a vile paedophile ring operating at the centre. The report identified Neville Husband, a cook at the facility, as what it described as "the most prolific sex offender in British history", who sexually abused 'hundreds, if not thousands' of young detainees.
An Avoidable Tragedy
David Caldwell died on 12 January 1982, less than a month after arriving at Medomsley. An inquest at the time concluded he had 'suffered respiratory failure as a result of an asthma attack' and recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
Yet Prisons Ombudsman Adrian Usher told the Mirror: “In my view, the tragic death of David Caldwell was, arguably, avoidable. We said in the report that Mr Caldwell showed no signs of injury at the time of his death. We also said that allegations of Mr Caldwell being injured by staff weeks prior to his death were not investigated properly at the time.”
David was not the only young man to die at Medomsley around that time. Ian Angus Shackelton, also 18, died just four days after his arrival in September 1981 due to inadequate treatment for his type 1 diabetes.
The family's long quest for justice continues. David's other sister, Sylvia, 58, explained that their mother, also named Sylvia, sought answers for decades before her death in 2020 at age 82. "They have obviously tried to strangle David," Sylvia stated. "My mam tried to get justice for him for years, but had no joy whatsoever."
In response to the wider scandal, Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards has apologised, calling the treatment of detainees at Medomsley "a monstrous perversion of justice". Five retired officers were convicted of abuse in 2019.
