Warning: this article contains the name and image of an Aboriginal person who has died.
A grieving family is calling for changes to the justice system, as a coronial inquest into the death of a Yuin grandfather begins in Sydney.
Gregory Merriman was remembered as 'a beloved son, father, grandfather, brother and uncle' on Monday, nearly three years after his 2022 death in custody.
The 58-year-old suffered a suspected myocardial infarction in December 2022 at Silverwater's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre after Corrective Services Officers used pepper spray to break up a fight.
Mr Merriman was alone in his cell at the time and had no part in the altercation.
His daughter, Shannon Merriman, said she is hoping the inquest can deliver change.
"Dad ... only ever wanted to be around the grandkids and family," she said.
"He spoiled the kids rotten and he'd give you the shirt off his back.
"I just want the justice system to change so other families don't have to go through what we are going through."
Mr Merriman was born on Gadigal Country, but was removed from his family as part of the Stolen Generations.
Uncle Mark Merriman, Gregory's brother, spoke of the difficulties they had faced in the wake of that event.
“We both went through the homes, we were both survivors of institutional abuse and we both ended up in jail," he said.
"But I got myself out and Greg was still stuck in that revolving door."
Mark Merriman spoke of his brother as a "larrikin and a kind man", an artist who loved cars and motorbikes.
"I don’t want youth to go down the path Greg or I did because in this system, the consequences could be death.”
The inquest is expected to focus on the management of Mr Merriman's underlying health conditions, the location of his cell, as well as the appropriateness of officers' actions in deploying pepper spray on the day.
Corrective Services' response to Mr Merriman's medical emergency is also expected to be addressed.
The Aboriginal Legal Service's coronial and trial advocate, Emma Parker, is representing the family.
"There are serious questions to be answered about the care and urgency of those responsible for checking on inmates' welfare, particularly inmates who are Aboriginal, older and of ill-health," she said.
"Greg's family will forever be left wondering, if the welfare checks were performed sooner, or if Greg had a cellmate who could have called out for help, would there have been a different outcome for him on that day."
The inquest is taking place at the State Coroner's Court in Lidcombe.
