17. WMP’s work for the Popper Inquests

What was investigated?

The IOPC’s terms of reference included investigating:
The conduct of officers involved in WMP’s investigations. This will include:

a) the involvement of WMP in the decisions taken about how to gather evidence/obtain witness accounts
b) whether police officers involved in this investigation put inappropriate pressure on any witnesses to alter their accounts or influence the content of those accounts 
c) whether the summaries of evidence WMP presented at the individual inquests were accurate 
d) whether there is any evidence of bias in favour of SYP on the part of those involved in or leading the investigation 
e) whether any accounts provided were deliberately lost, inaccurately recorded, amended, or mishandled (including not following up on key witnesses) 
f) investigating other recorded complaints or conduct matters about the actions of WMP in the gathering or presenting of evidence

This chapter focuses on the work WMP did in support of the Popper Inquests. 
 

What was found?

• The evidence does not suggest WMP had any improper involvement in key decisions about the scope and structure of the Popper Inquests, such as the 3.15pm cut-off. While there is evidence that officers—particularly ACC Jones —were consulted by Dr Popper, this was within the expected parameters of discussion between a coroner and the police team.

• There is also no evidence to suggest WMP had any role in deciding how information about the blood alcohol levels of those who died was presented. Solicitors representing the families were consulted on this matter and did not object to the approach. 

• Though WMP did make some errors in compiling the summaries of evidence about each of those who died for the individual inquests, these were not intentional or systematic. They were corrected as soon as they were discovered and none of the errors resulted in misidentification or anything that could be perceived as detrimental to those who died.

• The IOPC’s investigation did not find evidence to support the allegations that WMP officers had acted inappropriately in the way they took the additional statements from two witnesses—Police Constable Derek Bruder (PC Bruder) and Special Constable Debra Martin (SC Martin)—for the inquest into the death of Kevin Williams. 

• WMP did assist Dr Popper in preparation for the generic hearing and offered advice when requested on a range of matters. This is normal when coroners prepare for an inquest of any size. The evidence available to the IOPC does not indicate that WMP overstepped the mark in the work it undertook, or in providing views where they were asked for.

• ACC Jones gave SYP information about the witnesses Dr Popper intended to call. He did not give this information to any other party.
 

Significant new evidence

The main new sources of evidence available regarding the Popper Inquests were ACC Jones’s policy books and a detailed statement from Dr Popper.

1. This chapter examines WMP’s role in supporting the Popper Inquests and whether WMP performed the expected duties of a police force in such a role in a professional manner. In particular, it considers the allegations that WMP may have inappropriately influenced Dr Popper in some of his decisions about the format and scope of the inquests. It also looks at:
    
   • the allegations that some WMP officers pressured witnesses into changing their evidence
   • issues relating to the accuracy of the summaries of evidence about each of those who died, that were presented to the individual inquests 
      
2. As is detailed in chapter 1 of this report, the Popper Inquests followed an unusual structure. Almost a year after the disaster, individual inquests were held for each of the (then) 95 who had died. These focused on confirming the time and place of death, plus the medical cause of death, for each person. WMP officers read out a summary of evidence relating to the movements of each of those who died. 
    
3. Then, in November 1990, there was a generic hearing that focused on examining the wider causes of death. This ran for almost six months and heard evidence from 230 witnesses. On 28 March 1991, the jury returned majority verdicts of accidental death in all 95 cases.
    
4. The decision to split the Popper Inquests into these two phases is one of several sources of controversy around them. Others include:
    
   • Dr Popper’s ruling that he would not consider evidence relating to events after 3.15pm. This ruling was made on the view that all those who died would have suffered such severe injuries before 3.15pm that any treatment provided (or not provided) after this point would not have affected the outcome.
   • Some allegations, first aired at the Stuart-Smith Scrutiny in 1997, that WMP officers pressured two other police officers into changing their evidence in relation to one young man who died in the disaster. This latter issue was one of the matters WMP referred to the IOPC to investigate.