The vulnerable adult in police custody: lessons learned from the case of R v Paul James Aspinall.

This case review highlights some of the problems that vulnerable adults, especially those with a mental disorder as defined in section 1 (2) of the Mental Health Act 1983, face in police custody. These service users already experience some form of discrimination within the wider society in terms of access to community services. The role of the appropriate adult in providing support to the person in custody is fundamental, as enshrined in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice. It is one of the important safeguards of the legislation often referred to as a 'gateway safeguard' because it leads to other safeguards. The roles and functions of the custody officer are reviewed.