Professor's Restraint Lawful in Car Theft Death

A coroner has determined that a university professor's actions in restraining a man attempting to steal his family's car were lawful. The incident occurred in July 2022 when Daniel Smith, 35, attempted to steal a vehicle from the home of Geoff Thame.

Dr. Charlie Thame, the professor's son and a philosophy lecturer, confronted Smith as he tried to take his car keys and flee. Dr. Thame restrained Smith, who had consumed cocaine and other drugs and was bleeding from injuries sustained earlier while evading police.

Smith subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest and died later in hospital. A forensic pathologist stated the cause of death was out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, significantly contributed to by physical exertion and restraint.

The senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay ruled that Dr. Thame acted in self-defense and defense of others. He concluded that the force used was necessary and reasonable given the circumstances, and did not return a verdict of unlawful killing. The coroner returned a conclusion of accidental death, commending Dr. Thame's courageous actions.