Jump to content

G20 officer interviewed on suspicion of manslaughter


NO SUNSHINE

Recommended Posts

A policeman has been interviewed under caution on suspicion of manslaughter after new tests overturned the cause of a newspaper-seller's death.Ian Tomlinson, 47, was struck and pushed over by a police officer during G20 protests on 1 April in the City.Now a fresh post-mortem examination has found he died of abdominal bleeding, not a heart attack, as first thought.Lawyers for the family said the new post-mortem test raised the likelihood of a manslaughter charge.In its statement, the Coroner's Court said the inquest had looked at the first post-mortem examination carried out after Mr Tomlinson collapsed and died on the evening of 1 April.That examination, carried out by Dr Freddy Patel, concluded Mr Tomlinson had diseased heart and liver and a substantial amount of blood in the abdominal cavity."His provisional interpretation of his findings was that the cause of death was coronary artery disease," said the statement"A subsequent post-mortem examination was conducted by another consultant forensic pathologist, Dr Nat Cary, instructed by the IPCC and by solicitors acting for the family of the late Mr Tomlinson."Dr Cary's opinion is that the cause of death was abdominal haemorrhage. The cause of the haemorrhage remains to be ascertained."Dr Cary accepts that there is evidence of coronary atherosclerosis but states that in his opinion its nature and extent is unlikely to have contributed to the cause of death."The statement concluded that both the opinions remained provisional and subject to further investigations and tests.In a response, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said: "Following the initial results of the second post mortem, a Metropolitan police officer has been interviewed under caution for the offence of manslaughter as part of an ongoing inquiry into the death of Ian Tomlinson." "The findings of Dr Nat Cary significantly increase the likelihood that the officer will now face the more serious charge of manslaughter," said Mr Carey."The IPCC opposed the disclosure of Dr Cary's findings until they satisfied themselves that it would not prejudice their investigation of the officer. It is of some comfort to the family that the record is now being put straight, but they hope that the IPCC investigation will be expedited and thorough, and that there will be a prompt referral to the CPS for charge," he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8004222.stm
Link to comment
Share on other sites

im just wondering why it aint a murder ting tbhif i hit someone with a metal batton then pushed them to the ground and they died im sure thats what they would charge me with
Your talking about the police here. When have you known a fed to be done for murder whilst on duty?Lets all be realistic. Aint sh*t gonna happen to the faggot Slapped wrist, suspension maybe. but jail? LOSING HIS JOB? never gonna happen. The feds are the most corrupt gang on earth.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

The Met Police has apologised to the family of Ian Tomlinson and reached an out-of-court settlement over his death at the G20 protests in London in 2009.

 

The force apologised "unreservedly" for the "excessive and unlawful force" used by one of its officers.

 

Mr Tomlinson had been walking home when he was struck with a baton and pushed to the ground by then-PC Simon Harwood.

 

His widow, Julia, said the apology was "as close as we are going to get to justice".

 

She also said the family could "finally start looking to the future again".

 

Mr Tomlinson's widow and seven of his children and step-children had pursued the compensation claim. The amount will remain confidential.

 

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine de Brunner said in a statement: "I apologise unreservedly for Simon Harwood's use of excessive and unlawful force which caused Mr Tomlinson's death, and for the suffering and distress caused to his family as a result."

 

The statement also said that all litigation between the force and the Tomlinson family had been resolved.

 

"An out-of-court settlement has been agreed that acknowledges the suffering Julia Tomlinson and the family have endured with dignity over the last four years.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine de Brunner: "I take full responsibility for the actions of Simon Harwood on 1 April 2009"

 

Mr Tomlinson, a 47-year-old newspaper seller, collapsed minutes after being struck with a baton and died of internal bleeding, in what was later found by an inquest jury to be an unlawful killing.

 

Though Mr Harwood was acquitted last year of manslaughter, he was later sacked by the Met Police for gross misconduct.

 

Ms de Brunner said: "I take full responsibility for the actions of Simon Harwood on 1 April 2009. His actions fell far below the standard we expect from our officers. I accept the finding of the inquest that Mr Tomlinson was unlawfully killed."

 

She went on: "The commissioner also apologises to the family for ill-considered comments made in the media in the immediate aftermath of Mr Tomlinson's death which served to distract attention away from the investigation into the death."

 

Mr Tomlinson was caught up in the G20 demonstrations in the City of London as he walked home in April 2009.

 

His encounter with then-PC Harwood was caught on film by a bystander who passed the footage to the Guardian newspaper.

 

Ms de Brunner said it was a "matter of deep regret that Mr Tomlinson's family learned of the nature of his contact with Simon Harwood through the press", and the commissioner also apologised for the information given by a Met Police officer to the pathologists "that misled them initially as to the cause of death".

 

At least today's public admission of unlawful killing by the Metropolitan Police is the final verdict”

"While we are satisfied that the officer's actions were inadvertent, and not designed to mislead the pathologists, this should not have happened and I apologise to the family for the additional distress it caused them," she said.

 

Following Mr Tomlinson's death, it subsequently emerged that Mr Harwood had faced several allegations of misconduct during his time in the police service.

In 2000, while off-duty, he was involved in what was described at the inquest as a "road rage" incident. He retired from the Met Police on medical grounds in 2001 before a disciplinary hearing could take place.

 

He then joined Surrey Police before being re-employed by Scotland Yard in 2004, despite an allegation of misconduct while at Surrey.

Ms de Brunner said the force had "got it wrong" when it came to disciplining Mr Harwood, stressing the case had highlighted "significant failings in the vetting procedures" at the Met.

 

"It is clear that insufficient recording and checks meant that detailed information regarding the officer's misconduct history was not shared at key points," she said.

Mrs Tomlinson said that as soon as the family saw the footage of her husband being shoved to the ground, they "knew Ian had been unlawfully killed by the officer" and it had been a "really hard uphill battle" to get to the truth.

 

"After the unlawful killing verdict at the inquest it was unimaginable to us that PC Harwood could be acquitted of the criminal charge of manslaughter.

 

"We will never understand that verdict, but at least today's public admission of unlawful killing by the Metropolitan Police is the final verdict, and it is as close as we are going to get to justice."

 

I have no words

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...