Police pushing for almost £3,000 in legal fees from grieving domestic abuse campaigner
A grieving domestic abuse campaigner is being chased for almost £3,000 of legal fees by a 'vindictive' police force after she took them to court over her niece's death.
Lorna McMahon claimed Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had neglected to investigate the potential role of domestic violence in the case of her family member Teresa McMahon, who was found dead in her flat in August 2021 aged 43.
She suggested the force should have looked more deeply into the impact of her niece's former partner Robert Chalmers.
But an inquest disagreed and ruled that Teresa, who had been an ITV journalist, took her own life and 'no other person forced her to do that'.
Following a watchdog's decision to refuse her request for a reinvestigation, Ms McMahon lost a legal action.
Now GMP are chasing £2,778.40 in legal fees despite being urged by a High Court judge to think 'very carefully' about whether this was a good idea, the Telegraph reports.
Judge Matthew Butt KC denied the aunt's application for the costs order to be delayed until all matters regarding the 'inadequate investigation' into her niece's death had finished.
He confirmed he did not possess the power to grant such a request but said the heartbreaking circumstances of the case called into question whether it was right to pursue the legal costs.
The judge said: 'I would urge the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to consider very carefully whether, in all of the circumstances, it would be right to seek to enforce the costs order against Ms McMahon given the tragic death of her beloved niece, the recent death of Teresa's mother, Barbara, the health problems Ms McMahon suffers from, and her limited means.'
He added he had been impressed by the 'dedication, eloquence and determination' of the aunt in her bid to secure a reinvestigation.
Judge Butt continued: 'I have also read a letter to the claimant from Queen Camilla in which she expresses how she is full of admiration for her work.'
The IOPC decided not to chase the costs but GMP pushed on with retrieving the legal fees from Ms McMahon.
In a letter to the force, she wrote: 'I find it absolutely vexatious and vindictive that GMP's police chief, Stephen Watson, appears to have singled me out when choosing to enforce this particular cost order, especially since Mr Justice Matthew Butt urged GMP not to pursue the cost order made against me considering all the circumstances.'
Teresa, a news editor at Granada News, was found dead in her flat in Little Hulton, Salford.
She had reported broken fingers, and even potentially a broken rib, to GMP before her death.
The journalist was 'mistakenly' told by an officer that she was not entitled to receive information about Chalmers' alleged history of domestic abuse because they were no longer in a relationship, the inquest heard.
The force then attempted to contact her to inform her she might be entitled to the details under Clare's Law but it received no reply.
Chalmers denied either physically hurting Teresa or trying to control her, during video evidence given after his arrest for failing to attend her London inquest.
He admitted, however, that their relationship had been volatile.
A GMP spokesman said: 'Our thoughts remain with Mrs. McMahon after the tragic death of her niece and while officers worked tirelessly to provide her with answers, we recognise we weren't able to provide the closure she was seeking despite the thousands of hours spent reviewing complaints and opening new investigations.
'We always carefully consider the circumstances of individuals when seeking to recover costs lawfully ordered by the court. As a public body, the force must balance these considerations against its obligations to protect scarce public funds.'
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