Police actions regarding concerns for a man’s welfare - Metropolitan Police Service, August 2016

In the early hours of 24 August 2016 a man called the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) alleging he had been the victim of domestic violence. Police officers arrested his partner and detained her overnight in police custody. During her detention, she raised concerns over her partner’s welfare. The force control room was asked to arrange a welfare check on him but no officer was available to attend.

When the woman was released from custody later on that day and went to her partner’s home she found him dead.

During the investigation, investigators examined CCTV footage, custody and investigation records, reviewed relevant policies and procedures, and obtained accounts from police officers and witnesses.

Based on the evidence available our Investigator was of the opinion that there was sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal could conclude two officers had a case to answer for misconduct, one for failing to carry out intelligence checks on the man in line with the force’s domestic violence policy, and the other for not communicating the concerns raised by the woman that her partner may self-harm. We also identified performance issues for a third officer, who did not read out the risk assessment questions to the woman in full while she was in custody.

After reviewing our report, the MPS agreed, and referred the two officers for disciplinary proceedings. The force also advised that the third officer’s line manager would review their performance.

At the hearing for the first officer in summer 2018, an independent panel considered that the officer’s conduct had fallen below the standards reasonably to be expected of a police officer but that this was a momentary lapse, and their actions were not serious enough to amount to misconduct.

The second officer also attended proceedings in summer 2018, where the independent panel found misconduct. The officer received management action.

We completed our investigation in May 2017 but waited until the inquest into the man’s death had concluded, in summer 2019, to publish its outcome.