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Police officers investigated over handling of probe into ‘Grindr killer’ Stephen Port | UK News

Five officers and three former officers are being investigated over their handling of the police probe into murders by serial killer Stephen Port.

The officers are being investigated for gross misconduct, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

In April a report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) warned that the Met had still not learned from its “calamitous litany of failures” in the Port case – meaning the force could have missed other murders.

The “Grindr killer” drugged his victims Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor with overdoses of GHB and dumped their bodies near his flat in Barking, east London, between June 2014 and September 2015.

Despite what many now see as the obvious links between these deaths, it wasn’t until the final victim’s body was found, with the grieving families carrying out their own investigations, that local police finally realised they had a serial killer on their hands.

(Clockwide from top left): Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Gabriel Kovari and Anthony Walgate
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(Clockwide from top left): Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Gabriel Kovari and Anthony Walgate

IOPC regional director Steve Noonan said: “Our re-investigation has been, and continues to be, thorough and detailed. We recognise it has taken some time to reach this stage, but these are complex matters, involving multiple officers and four investigations into unexplained deaths and then the subsequent murder investigation into Port.

“Though we have found an indication that the behaviour of these eight individuals may have amounted to gross misconduct, this does not necessarily mean disciplinary proceedings will automatically follow. Based on the evidence, at the conclusion of our investigation we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings.”

He added that the families of the men killed had shown “considerable patience”.

Commander Jon Savell from the Met reiterated the force’s “heartfelt” apologies for its blunders in the case.

A lawyer for the families said the development was a testament to their “determination and perseverance”.

Families of three of Port’s victims had previously received payouts from the Met after settling civil claims.

Read more:
How the ‘Grindr killer’ murdered four men

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Could ‘Grindr killer’ have been stopped?

Neil Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: “The families of Anthony, Gabriel, Daniel and Jack very much welcome today’s announcement that eight officers are to be investigated for gross misconduct.

“Given the history of this case and frustrations of the past, they are cautiously encouraged by the reopening of the investigation, which must be seen to be full and fearless, and with the complete cooperation of the Metropolitan Police Service and the officers under scrutiny. No comment interviews simply will not do.

“This latest development is testament to the determination and perseverance the families have shown over the past eight years with regards to the Met Police’s investigations into the loss of their loved ones.

“We would not have reached this point without their dedication to ensuring to ensure full transparency and accountability.”

Basic errors by a string of detectives left Port free to carry out the series of murders as well as drug and sexually assault more than a dozen other men.

Inquest jurors found that “fundamental failures” by the police were likely to have contributed to the deaths of three of the men.

M53 school bus crash: Survivor describes ‘shock’ and flashbacks after death of student Jessica Baker and driver Stephen Shrimpton | UK News

A teenager who was on the coach which overturned in a fatal crash on the M53 in Cheshire says he is “happy to be alive”.

Speaking to Sky News anonymously, he recalled how what started as a normal school day on Friday turned into a tragedy.

“We were all just chatting on our phones,” he said. “Then all of sudden, nothing seemed real. I stood up because I felt something really weird, then all of sudden getting thrown to the side. The bus had tipped.”

Jessica Baker, a 15-year-old pupil at West Kirby Grammar School and bus driver, Stephen Shrimpton, died after the vehicle overturned on the motorway on Friday morning.

Mr Shrimpton, 40, was “suffering medical issues” while at the wheel, his sister-in-law Emily wrote on a crowdfunding page.

Jessica Baker and Stephen Shrimpton
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Jessica Baker and Stephen Shrimpton died in the crash

Police said 58 people were involved in the crash. Four children were taken to hospital, one of whom, a 14-year-old boy, is said to have sustained life-changing injuries.

Pupils from West Kirby Grammar School and Calday Grange Grammar School were onboard.

‘People lying down everywhere’

After the bus hit a central reservation, the teenager told Sky News he eventually managed to climb through the smashed front window, but says what he saw was distressing.

“I looked around and there’s just people lying down everywhere. Bags are everywhere,” the pupil said.

West Kirby all-girls grammar school.
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Flowers left at West Kirby all-girls grammar school.


“There’s glass everywhere. And it’s just like blood everywhere. I’ve seen both my mates on the floor, but I thought they were dead.

“I looked around again and saw a girl stood next to me. I was in shock, I put my hand on my face. I looked back at my hand and it was covered in blood, I remember saying, this can’t be my blood.”

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Some of the students were eventually taken to nearby hospitals, while others were taken to an emergency services training centre in Wallasey, with 13 treated for minor injuries.

The pupil Sky News spoke to says he was certain no other students had died, so it came as a shock when he heard that Jessica had lost her life.

‘Just a horrible thing to think about’

The pair knew each other, and he described her as friendly.

“Obviously it could have been me in that position” he said. “She’s basically my age really, it’s just a horrible thing to think about.”

Emergency services at the scene of a coach crash on the M53 motorway, between junction 5 at Ellesmere Port and junction 4 at Bebbington. The coach was carrying schoolchildren to Calday Grange Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School for Girls. Picture date: Friday September 29, 2023.

The teenager has been to A&E for his physical injuries but says the mental impact of what happened is causing flashbacks, including when in the car, and when there are sudden noises.

His overall feeling though, is that he is incredibly lucky.

“A couple of hours after it had happened, when I was sat upstairs. I’d realised it was crazy, I still don’t know how, like, I got up so quick and things like that and I don’t know how I wasn’t screaming, crying,” he added.

“I think I was subconsciously happy to be alive. Happy to be where I am now.”

Stephen Tompkinson: Jurors trying DCI Banks actor retire to consider verdict | UK News

DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson’s talent made him “convincing in putting across a story”, the prosecution told jurors before they retired to consider their verdict.

Tompkinson is accused of punching a man who was drunk and making “strange noises” outside the actor’s home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, around 5.30am on 30 May, 2021.

The 57-year-old allegedly “snapped” and “lashed out” at the complainant, Karl Poole, causing him to suffer a fractured skull when he fell and hit his head on the pavement, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The Ballykissangel star came out of his home dressed in pyjamas and a dressing gown after discovering Mr Poole and his friend, Andrew Hall, drinking at the bottom of his driveway.

A neighbour who watched the incident from her bedroom window told the court she saw Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole.

But the actor said he simply pushed the man away in self defence.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch reminded the court how Tompkinson said punching a man would have been “career suicide”.

‘Expert playing a part’

Mr Bunch said Tompkinson’s “obvious talent makes him convincing in putting across a story,” adding: “He is an expert in playing a part – a man tormented by a pair of drunks.

“He can deliver a line,” Mr Bunch told the court.

Tompkinson said he was “disgusted” by Mr Poole and Mr Hall – describing their behaviour as “disgraceful” and “pure self-indulgence by grown men who should be behaving better”, jurors heard.

However Nicholas Lumley KC, defending Tompkinson, said he was “sought out by producers because of his calmness”.

“Why would he risk throwing away that hard-earned reputation?” he asked the jury.

Karl Poole seen outside Newcastle Crown Court
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Karl Poole seen outside Newcastle Crown Court

Punch ‘not enough to knock a sober man off his feet’

Mr Poole and Mr Hall had been drinking since midnight on 30 May and had gone to the beach before passing Tompkinson’s home on the way back.

The actor, who at the time was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son, went out to challenge the “heavily intoxicated” men – one of whom was wearing nothing but his underpants.

He called 999 after the men tried and failed to stand up while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister, the court heard.

While waiting to be connected, he went outside to tell the men he was calling the police.

Actor Stephen Tompkinson
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Actor Stephen Tompkinson

The actor said the pair “took great objection” to him complaining and began to move towards him.

He said he put his hand out to stop Mr Poole coming closer, making contact with his face – but it “wasn’t enough to knock a sober man off his feet”, the actor told jurors.

The judge, Paul Sloan KC, sent the jury out to consider their verdicts at 3.20pm on Wednesday.

They were sent home for the day an hour later and will resume their deliberations on Thursday.

Tompkinson denies a single charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.

Stephen Lawrence’s mother Doreen was effectively ‘gaslit’ by Daily Mail, court told – as Harry makes appearance | UK News

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence was effectively “gaslit” by the Daily Mail, the High Court has been told – as Prince Harry made a brief appearance for the end of the privacy hearing.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence is one of a number of high-profile individuals, including the Duke of Sussex, accusing the newspaper’s publishers Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of concealing “wrongdoing” over the alleged unlawful gathering of their private information.

ANL vehemently denies the claims and has argued for the case to be dismissed. A four-day preliminary hearing has now concluded, with the judge to deliver a decision on whether the case should go to trial in writing at a later date.

The Duke of Sussex leaving the Royal Courts Of Justice, central London, following a hearing over allegations of unlawful information gathering brought against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) by seven people - the Duke of Sussex, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes. Picture date: Thursday March 30, 2023.
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Prince Harry made a brief appearance on Thursday

During Thursday’s session, barrister David Sherborne, representing the claimant group – which also includes Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes – said they had a “compelling case”.

It is alleged ANL commissioned 19 different private investigators to carry out a series of unlawful acts from 1993 to 2011 and beyond, which in some instances informed articles, Mr Sherborne said.

The group was “thrown off the scent by the way in which the articles were written”, the court heard.

Mr Sherborne later read out extracts from Baroness Lawrence’s witness statement, in which she said she felt “played for a fool” by the Daily Mail, believing the newspaper “really cared” about the injustice of the murder of her son Stephen.

“They were supposed to be our allies and friends, the good people, not the bad,” she said. Baroness Lawrence said she had believed information in articles about her had come from the police.

Mr Sherborne told the court: “That is nothing short of gaslighting Baroness Lawrence, that’s the form of concealment we are talking about.”

Read more:
Five things we learned from Harry’s court submission
Eyewitness: What was it like in court for Harry’s surprise appearance?

David Furnish leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice, central London, following a hearing claim over allegations of unlawful information gathering brought against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) by seven people - the Duke of Sussex, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes. Picture date: Thursday March 30, 2023.
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Sir Elton John’s husband David Furnish was in court for the final day

The term gaslighting means to manipulate someone into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning.

Known as a campaigner and reformer, Baroness Lawrence has devoted herself to seeking justice for her 18-year-old son, an aspiring architect who was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack in southeast London in 1993.

The Daily Mail, under then editor Paul Dacre, campaigned to bring Mr Lawrence’s killers to justice, running a front page in 1997 that saw the newspaper brand five suspects “Murderers” – challenging them to sue if the headline was incorrect.

Baroness Lawrence was present in court for part of Thursday’s session, as were Harry and Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, following appearances earlier in the week from Sir Elton and Frost.

Trial could be ‘substantial’ if it does go ahead

Adrian Beltrami KC, representing the publisher, previously told the court that all the claims “are rejected by the defendant in their entirety as are the unfounded allegations that are repeatedly made that the defendant either misled the Leveson Inquiry or concealed evidence from the Leveson Inquiry”.

The lawyer said the legal action against ANL has “no real prospects of succeeding” and is “barred” under a legal period of limitation.

After hearing the final arguments in the preliminary hearing, Mr Justice Nicklin told the court he would hand down his judgment on whether the case should go to trial as soon as he can.

He indicated earlier in the session that if the case does go to trial, it could be one that lasts for a “substantial period of time”.

Read more:
Prince Harry v Associated Newspapers: All you need to know
Harry’s children officially recognised as prince and princess

After hearing Baroness Lawrence’s claims during the first day of the preliminary hearing, an ANL spokesperson said: “While the Mail’s admiration for Baroness Lawrence remains undimmed, we are profoundly saddened that she has been persuaded to bring this case.

“The Mail remains hugely proud of its pivotal role in campaigning for justice for Stephen Lawrence. Its famous “Murderers” front page triggered the Macpherson report [an inquiry into Mr Lawrence’s death].

“Associated Newspapers, which owns the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, vigorously denies all the claims against it.”

Stephen Lawrence killer David Norris sending selfies from jail with illicit mobile, says report | UK News

One of Stephen Lawrence’s killers has been placed in segregation in jail after he reportedly got hold of a mobile phone and sent selfies of himself in his cell to friends outside.

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed it is investigating the alleged security breach involving David Norris, one of two men jailed for life in 2012 for the racist murder of the black teenager.

In May, a bid to move Norris to an open prison was blocked by then-justice secretary Dominic Raab amid fears he still posed a risk to the public.

And on Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported Norris had been sending pictures of himself in his prison cell to friends on the outside, and using the smartphone to call and text, log onto Facebook and watch YouTube videos.

The newspaper said Norris had updated his WhatsApp status to indicate his eventual release from jail, claiming he would be “coming home in 2 to liven you all up”.

It also claimed he had been seen wearing designer clothes and using an X-Box inside.

The Justice Ministry has warned prisoners found with phones can expect longer jail terms.

Under current rules Norris will legally have the chance to apply to the parole board for release when he completes his minimum prison term of 14 years and three months.

Stephen Lawrence died in 1993
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Stephen Lawrence died in 1993

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We do not tolerate illicit phones in jail, and prisoners found with them should expect to face longer behind bars.

“We have invested £125 million in tougher prison security measures – including X-ray body scanners that have intercepted over 20,000 attempts to smuggle contraband behind bars in the past two years.”

Segregation

Norris has been placed in segregation while an investigation is under way and could face further punishment depending on its outcome.

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It is understood the Prison Service is conducting cell searches, while working to have any social media accounts potentially linked with Norris shut down.

Five men were arrested over the racist murder of 18-year-old Mr Lawrence, who was stabbed to death in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993.

But just two of his killers, Norris and Gary Dobson, were brought to justice. Both were given life sentences in 2012 after being found guilty of murder.

Families of serial killer Stephen Port’s victims get payouts from the Met over investigation failings | UK News

The families of three of the victims of serial killer Stephen Port have been given compensation by the Metropolitan Police over the force’s handling of the investigation into the killings.

The Met said it had settled civil claims with the relatives of Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari and the partner of Daniel Whitworth.

Port was jailed in 2016 for the murders of the three men and a fourth victim, Jack Taylor.

He was given a whole life order, meaning he will never be released.

A spokesperson for the Met said in a statement: “The Metropolitan Police Service has settled civil claims from the families of Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari as well as the partner of Daniel Whitworth.

“We have previously apologised to the families for the police failings in this matter and understand the impact these have had and the distress caused. We apologise again now.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families as always.”

Port’s killing spree lasted between June 2014 and September 2015. He would arrange to meet his victims via online gay and bisexual social networks and dating or hook-up apps. They were then drugged, raped, murdered and their bodies dumped.

An inquest jury found that officers in Barking, east London missed repeated opportunities to catch Port after he plied his first victim, Anthony Walgate, with a fatal dose of the date-rape drug GHB.

Port struck three more times before he was caught, killing each victim in near-identical circumstances, with police failing to link him to the deaths despite detective work carried out by the victims’ family and friends that would lead to the culprit.

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated handout file photos issued by the Metropolitan Police of (left to right) Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari. The long-awaited inquests into the deaths of the victims of Stephen Port will get under way on Tuesday. Over the next 10 weeks, an inquest jury will hear details of how four young gay man met their deaths at the hands of the serial killer between June 2014 and September 2015. Issue date: Tuesday October 5, 2021.
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Port’s victims: (left to right) Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari.

Read more: The missed chances to catch a serial killer

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is reinvestigating the Met over its initial handling of their cases.

The watchdog said there is evidence that the original probe into the conduct of officers was “materially flawed”.

It added that “new information” had come forward at inquests last year into the deaths of the four men.

In January, a coroner’s report on the deaths of Port’s victims identified a “large number of very serious and very basic investigative failings” by police.

This included a “lack of professional curiosity” about the cases.

Officers had denied accusations of prejudice and homophobia, blaming mistakes on being understaffed and lacking resources.