Latest news with #AlisonHernandez
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Police commissioner faces call to quit over Cornwall bodies claim
Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner is facing pressure to resign after she wrongly claimed multiple bodies had been found by officers in woodland at the centre of a murder officers later confirmed only the remains of one individual, believed to be Daniel Coleman, had been recovered at the site near Sticker, Cornwall. Alison Hernandez later apologised "for any alarm caused" and said she "was not in possession of all the facts at that time".Chair of the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel Sally Haydon said the "seriously flawed information" caused unnecessary public alarm and undermined trust in the force, calling it "yet another serious mistake". 'Deeply unhelpful' Hernandez was answering questions at a live-streamed meeting of the panel on Friday, when she said: "We have got a huge forensics tent down there and lots of forensics officers, obviously we've found dead bodies in that wood."We're just trying to establish how many there may be at this point in time and whether we are aware of who they are or what might have happened to them."So we also don't know how long they may have been there, some of them."Senior officers later confirmed only the remains of a single individual, believed to be Daniel Coleman, had been recovered, James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Mr Coleman, from St Austell, between 2 June and 7 July. He is due back before Truro Crown Court next Supt Jon Bancroft said in a statement released by the force the case was not linked to other murder investigations in the who also serves as Plymouth City Council's cabinet member for community safety, said: "It's extremely disappointing that the commissioner shared such seriously flawed information at the panel."It created a period of real worry and is deeply unhelpful when we need to restore confidence in our police force," the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and crime commissioners are elected officials whose role is to help ensure police forces function effectively. 'Considering her position' Haydon added the remarks came shortly after Hernandez had been corrected by her monitoring officer on a separate issue during the same commissioner also declined to disclose details of a financial settlement with outgoing suspended Chief Constable Will Kerr, saying the information would be published in next year's accounts. Last year, she appointed a deputy commissioner against the panel's advice and he resigned after five months."All of this, coupled with apparent chaos at senior levels of the force, raises serious concerns," Haydon said. "I believe she should be considering her position."A spokesperson for Hernandez said: "The police and crime commissioner has clarified her position following her comments during a Police and Crime Panel meeting last Friday, July 25, which was a busy meeting covering a wide range of policing topics. "There will be no further comment at this time."Hernandez made headlines in 2017 when she suggested on BBC Radio Cornwall armed members of the public could be a "solution" if there was a terrorist attack."I'm just saying... let's officially have a look at that and see what would be the implications of it," she said.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Sky News
Crime commissioner apologises for claiming 'dead bodies' found in woodland
A police and crime commissioner has apologised after claiming multiple human remains had been found in woodland during a murder investigation. Alison Hernandez told a meeting of the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel "dead bodies" had been found at Sticker, near St Austell. She said investigations were ongoing to establish exactly how many had been found. But Devon and Cornwall Police said the body of one man had been recovered from the woods and no other remains had been found. Police and forensic experts have been carrying out extensive inquiries in the woodland since the discovery of the body of 43-year-old Daniel Coleman. James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Mr Coleman between 2 June and 7 July. He is due back before Truro Crown Court next week. Apologising, Ms Hernandez said: "In trying to be helpful I responded to an operational question at the police and crime panel, however, I was not fully up to date with the facts of the investigation. "I apologise for any alarm this may have caused. "The police have operational primacy over these matters. "Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time." Devon and Cornwall Police rejected Ms Hernandez's claims, with Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft saying: "We currently have three separate murder investigations being conducted in the Cornwall area. "I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked. "I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker.
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Police boss apologises for bizarre ‘dead bodies in woods' claim
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez apologised for incorrectly claiming multiple human remains were found in woodland near St Austell. Ms Hernandez had told a panel meeting that 'dead bodies ' were discovered in woodland at Sticker, where a murder investigation is ongoing. Devon and Cornwall Police clarified that only the body of 43-year-old Daniel Coleman has been recovered from that specific woodland, with no other remains found there. James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Mr Coleman and is due to appear at Truro Crown Court next month. Police confirmed they are conducting three separate, unlinked murder investigations in Cornwall, including the Sticker case, another woodland discovery, and a fatal fire in Newquay.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Police chief apologises for claiming multiple bodies had been found in a murder probe after two bodies were discovered within 10 miles of each other
A police and crime commissioner has apologised after claiming multiple bodies had been found in a murder probe after two bodies were discovered within 10 miles of each other. Two murder investigations were launched in Cornwall after two bodies were found in separate woodlands. Earlier this month, Daniel Coleman's remains were found in Paramoor Woods near the Cornish village of Sticker. Officers had been scouring the area for several months - aided by specialist teams from the National Crime Agency - when they found the 43-year-old's remains. Mr Coleman vanished last month from St Austell and is thought to have died between June 2 and July 7. A man has been charged with his murder. The body of Lee Hockey, 50, was also found in a nearby woodland between Truro and Probus on July 1. Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, previously told a panel several bodies were discovered as part of the investigation into Mr Coleman's death. 'We've found dead bodies in that wood,' Ms Hernandez said, adding that officers were trying to work out 'how many were there'. The Police and Crime Commissioner has since issued an apology after these claims were refuted by the local police force. Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: 'In trying to be helpful I responded to an operational question at the Police and Crime Panel today, however, I was not fully up to date with the facts of the investigation. I apologise for any alarm this may have caused. 'The police have operational primacy over these matters. Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time.' Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft previously confirmed Mr Hockey's death is being investigated separately. 'We currently have three separate murder investigations being conducted in the Cornwall area,' Mr Bancroft said, referring to a third inquiry which was launched after a fatal fire at a residential property in Newquay on July 22. He continued: 'I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked. 'I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker. No other remains have been located at this scene to date.' It comes after Ms Hernandez said it had been necessary to bring in extra support to aid the investigation. 'Some of the elements of that operation I can't speak about but some of the things are very obvious,' she said. 'As you know there is a large crime scene that has been identified in Cornwall that is requiring a lot of effort to even scene guard the area. 'The level of expertise, some of the mutual aid we've brought in, is expertise in specific types of investigations that we didn't have. 'The National Crime Agency is supporting the organisation at the moment. 'I want to thank all the other forces that are coming in at a very busy time for themselves to offer mutual aid. It's largely investigative mutual aid that we've brought in. 'Until some of those elements have been established of exactly what we're dealing with there, it will be made public at that time. 'I know there's been some information in the media. We've got a huge forensic tent down there.' Mr Coleman was reported missing on June 1. James Desborough, 39, of Lower Sticker, has been charged with his murder. Desborough has since appeared before Bodmin Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Truro Crown Court on August 8. When asked 10 days ago about 'multiple bodies' in the search area, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were working to recover Mr Coleman's body and that forensic investigations of the site related to him. The third murder inquiry follows a fatal fire at a residential property in Newquay on July 22. The body of a man in his 30s was found in the property and a 33-year-old man from Bolton was arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Devon and Cornwall crime commissioner sorry for multiple bodies claim
A police and crime commissioner has apologised for claiming that multiple human remains had been discovered in woodland in Cornwall at the centre of a murder investigation. Alison Hernandez told a meeting of the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel that 'dead bodies' had been found at Sticker, near St Austell, and investigations were continuing to establish exactly how many. Devon and Cornwall police said in response that the body of one man had been recovered from woods and no other remains had been found. Police and forensic experts have been carrying out extensive inquiries in the woodland since the discovery of the body of 43-year-old Daniel Coleman. James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Coleman, from St Austell, between 2 June and 7 July. He is due back before Truro crown court next month. Hernandez said on Friday evening: 'In trying to be helpful I responded to an operational question at the police and crime panel, however, I was not fully up to date with the facts of the investigation. 'I apologise for any alarm this may have caused. The police have operational primacy over these matters.' Det Supt Jon Bancroft, with Devon and Cornwall police, said: 'We currently have three separate murder investigations being conducted in the Cornwall area. 'I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked. 'I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker.' Police are also investigating the discovery of the body of Lee Hockey, 50, who was found in separate woodland between Truro and Probus on 1 July. A third murder inquiry is under way after a fatal fire at a residential property in Newquay on 22 July. The body of a man in his 30s was found in the property, with a 33-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.
