KNIFEMAN Tony Tucker died after swallowing more than 30 of his mother’s blood pressure tablets, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

After an hour-long siege in Folkestone paramedics recommended he should be taken straight to hospital but police officers took the 24-year-old into custody.

When the police van arrived at the custody suite the man was unconscious inside, but revived in a few minutes and was put in a holding cell after becoming aggressive again.

Arresting officer PC Stuart Duncan told the inquest at Ashford magistrates court: "It would have been good to take him to hospital but he was not going to allow us to do that. I can’t remember why we took him straight to the station instead of to hospital. It was just procedure."

Coroner Rachel Redman asked him again: "Did it not occur to you to take him to hospital?"

PC Duncan replied: "No."

Earlier paramedics Alan Philpott and Denise Booker both told the hearing they thought the man should have been taken straight to hospital.

Ms Booker said: "He really needed to go to hospital. It was vital as he had taken medicine that was detrimental to him."

Mr Tucker, of Rossendale Road, had threatened police with an 11-inch kitchen knife and a brass candlestick during the incident at his home.

He was taken to the police station just after 11pm on May 4, last year, and paramedics were called to take him to hospital at 2.15am the next morning.

He died at the William Harvey several hours later. The inquest is expected to last three days.