On this day 31 years ago the Met Police, using their now disbanded Alien Deportation Group (ADG), broke down the door of Joy Gardner’s home in the early hours of the morning.
Joy Gardner came from Jamaica in 1987 and was trying to get settled status in the UK. Gardner’s mother was already a UK citizen. Gardner’s son was born in Britain. She was enrolled as a student at London Guildhall University.
Met police and immigration officers went to Joy’s flat, broke the door down, went into her bedroom. She was asleep. They woke her up, took her into the living room, threw her to the floor.
They put tape around her face, put on a body belt, leg irons on her feet. They took her, in front of her five-year-old child, to Whittington Hospital where she died 4 days later. In 1995, 3 police officers stood trial for Gardner’s manslaughter, but were acquitted.