The Wiradjuri man who died after being restrained by prison staff in Adelaide was given a false name when admitted to hospital in a coma, an inquest has been told.
The man's sister Latoya Rule told the inquest on Tuesday her family received a call in September 2016 to tell them Wayne Fella Morrison had been taken to intensive care.
But when they arrived at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Ms Rule said her mother was told by staff that Mr Morrison was not there and they did not know his name.
Ms Rule said she overheard nurses say that it was "really sad" the family couldn't see him because he was "under a different name".
"I was like 'is that right?' and they told me I shouldn't be eavesdropping," Ms Rule told deputy coroner Jayne Basheer on Tuesday.
"So I went straight to the main triage desk and said no, we want to see him.
"Then we were met with security and taken out to the car park."
Ms Rule said it was not until the second day Mr Morrison was in hospital that the family was told that the use of a different name was for his own protection.
The 29-year-old was in custody on assault charges and was being taken for a court appearance by video link when he became involved in a scuffle with officers, with a video shown to the court of him being restrained at the time.
He was lifted into a prison van but was blue and unresponsive when he was pulled out a few minutes later.
The inquest was told there was no video from inside the van and prison officers inside the vehicle had refused to give statements.
Despite resuscitation attempts, Mr Morrison did not regain consciousness and died in hospital several days later.
His mother, Caroline Andersen, said she was concerned that officers involved had "blatantly refused to come forward".
She was also critical of the family's treatment as son lay in a coma, with his relatives never allowed to have time alone with him.
"We were always being watched."
She said at one stage a female officer used her body to continually block her children from getting close to him.
"Wayne's dying at this time. He's taking his last breaths," Ms Andersen said.
The inquest heard previously that a crucial aspect of the inquiry would involve what happened during the three minutes Mr Morrison was held in the prison van after the initial altercation.
"Precisely what occurred in the van is unknown as seven of the eight prison staff who accompanied him have declined to provide police with statements," Counsel Assisting Anthony Crocker said in his opening on Monday.
The inquiry was continuing.
AAP
