Latest news with #policefailings
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Police responses to missing people must change after teenager death, couple say
A couple have said police must change how they deal with missing person reports to better protect those at risk of harm following the suicide of a teenager who was reported missing several hours before he died. Jason Pulman's mother, Emily Pulman, told police her missing son was transgender, had self-harmed, had previously attempted to take his own life and could have boarded a train around 11 hours before he was found dead, aged 15, in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, in April 2022. An inquest into his death later found Sussex Police had responded inadequately to his going missing, one of several failings which contributed to Jason's death. Mrs Pulman and her husband, Mark Pulman, are now taking legal action against the force over an alleged breach of human rights, claiming it should have acted sooner given that Jason posed 'a heightened risk of suicide'. Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Pulman, 50, said he still feared the police had not learned from Jason's case and were too 'stubborn' to change. He said: 'Our police force seems to think 'we'll just pop round, and grab a photo and have a quick look around the bedroom, then we will go back to the station and make a decision on what to do'. 'It's not good enough.' In court documents filed at the High Court by law firm Bindmans, Nick Armstrong KC, for Mr and Mrs Pulman, said that on April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman rang police at around 9.45am and told police the teenager was missing. Jason was graded as 'medium' risk, and the call handler also noted that there was 'no suicide intent believed', contrary to what Mrs Pulman told them, Mr Armstrong said. An officer did not access the report until around 1.30pm, and after Mrs Pulman had contacted police twice more to tell them Jason was believed to be travelling to London, most likely by train. The officer maintained Jason's risk as medium, did not contact British Transport Police (BTP) and 'did not even speak to Mark or Emily or attempt to do so', Mr Armstrong added, with no further actions raised as 'urgent'. While BTP were alerted at around 6.15pm, this was after Jason was spotted by a train guard, who later told an inquest he would have attempted to intervene had he known Jason was at risk. A Sussex Police officer did not attend the family home until around 7.30pm, and around an hour later, Jason was found dead in Hampden Park by a member of the public. Mr Armstrong said calls to Sussex Police are graded by a call handler, with the first officer attending the scene then reassessing the level of risk. He added that the force's policy states the first attending officer plays a 'pivotal role' in setting the pace of the investigation, and that 'golden hour' principles of finding missing people apply. As well as a missing persons policy, Mr Armstrong said a call could be graded as 'grade one' where there 'is, or is likely to be, a risk of danger to life'. Mr Armstrong said: 'Jason was at real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm. 'He exhibited a number of characteristics, and fitted a profile, which the defendant knew or ought to have known represented a heightened risk of suicide.' He continued: 'Generally, there was a serious delay of, in the end, nearly 11 hours, during which little if any effective action was taken. 'The defendant's action was in all respects slow, and strikingly casual, given the scale of the vulnerabilities and risks being reported. 'Had there been a reasonable response, there was a real prospect of a different outcome.' Mr Pulman told Jason's inquest that he made more than 100 calls to organisations, including train operators, hospitals and hostels after Jason went missing, to circulate his details and images. But many organisations would not take the information as he was not a police officer, and it took more than an hour for a hospital to agree to take Jason's description. HE told PA the system used is 'not good enough for people with mental health conditions' as it is 'too black and white'. Mrs Pulman, 39, said that changing how police respond to missing person reports would be an indicator of learning, as missing teenagers currently 'fall through the cracks' and reports are perceived as 'flippant'. She said: 'The beginning of the process is where it all went wrong.' She continued: 'If they are not admitting to the failings that happened for Jason, then they're admitting that there is nothing wrong with their system, which isn't the case.' She added: 'Kids Jason's age have so many markers of worry and stuff they are going through, which systems made all those years ago cannot cater for.' Following Jason's inquest, Sussex Police said it had introduced contingency measures for checking reports are resourced and graded appropriately. It also said that a multi-agency group had been launched to 'put measures in place to ensure vulnerable children with complex mental health needs'. In response to the High Court claim, a spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Police responses to missing people must change after teenager death, couple say
A couple have said police must change how they deal with missing person reports to better protect those at risk of harm following the suicide of a teenager who was reported missing several hours before he died. Jason Pulman's mother, Emily Pulman, told police her missing son was transgender, had self-harmed, had previously attempted to take his own life and could have boarded a train around 11 hours before he was found dead, aged 15, in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, in April 2022. An inquest into his death later found Sussex Police had responded inadequately to his going missing, one of several failings which contributed to Jason's death. Mrs Pulman and her husband, Mark Pulman, are now taking legal action against the force over an alleged breach of human rights, claiming it should have acted sooner given that Jason posed 'a heightened risk of suicide'. Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Pulman, 50, said he still feared the police had not learned from Jason's case and were too 'stubborn' to change. He said: 'Our police force seems to think 'we'll just pop round, and grab a photo and have a quick look around the bedroom, then we will go back to the station and make a decision on what to do'. 'It's not good enough.' In court documents filed at the High Court by law firm Bindmans, Nick Armstrong KC, for Mr and Mrs Pulman, said that on April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman rang police at around 9.45am and told police the teenager was missing. Jason was graded as 'medium' risk, and the call handler also noted that there was 'no suicide intent believed', contrary to what Mrs Pulman told them, Mr Armstrong said. An officer did not access the report until around 1.30pm, and after Mrs Pulman had contacted police twice more to tell them Jason was believed to be travelling to London, most likely by train. The officer maintained Jason's risk as medium, did not contact British Transport Police (BTP) and 'did not even speak to Mark or Emily or attempt to do so', Mr Armstrong added, with no further actions raised as 'urgent'. While BTP were alerted at around 6.15pm, this was after Jason was spotted by a train guard, who later told an inquest he would have attempted to intervene had he known Jason was at risk. A Sussex Police officer did not attend the family home until around 7.30pm, and around an hour later, Jason was found dead in Hampden Park by a member of the public. Mr Armstrong said calls to Sussex Police are graded by a call handler, with the first officer attending the scene then reassessing the level of risk. He added that the force's policy states the first attending officer plays a 'pivotal role' in setting the pace of the investigation, and that 'golden hour' principles of finding missing people apply. As well as a missing persons policy, Mr Armstrong said a call could be graded as 'grade one' where there 'is, or is likely to be, a risk of danger to life'. Mr Armstrong said: 'Jason was at real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm. 'He exhibited a number of characteristics, and fitted a profile, which the defendant knew or ought to have known represented a heightened risk of suicide.' He continued: 'Generally, there was a serious delay of, in the end, nearly 11 hours, during which little if any effective action was taken. 'The defendant's action was in all respects slow, and strikingly casual, given the scale of the vulnerabilities and risks being reported. 'Had there been a reasonable response, there was a real prospect of a different outcome.' Mr Pulman told Jason's inquest that he made more than 100 calls to organisations, including train operators, hospitals and hostels after Jason went missing, to circulate his details and images. But many organisations would not take the information as he was not a police officer, and it took more than an hour for a hospital to agree to take Jason's description. HE told PA the system used is 'not good enough for people with mental health conditions' as it is 'too black and white'. Mrs Pulman, 39, said that changing how police respond to missing person reports would be an indicator of learning, as missing teenagers currently 'fall through the cracks' and reports are perceived as 'flippant'. She said: 'The beginning of the process is where it all went wrong.' She continued: 'If they are not admitting to the failings that happened for Jason, then they're admitting that there is nothing wrong with their system, which isn't the case.' She added: 'Kids Jason's age have so many markers of worry and stuff they are going through, which systems made all those years ago cannot cater for.' Following Jason's inquest, Sussex Police said it had introduced contingency measures for checking reports are resourced and graded appropriately. It also said that a multi-agency group had been launched to 'put measures in place to ensure vulnerable children with complex mental health needs'. In response to the High Court claim, a spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.'
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Murder victim's brother welcomes apology personally delivered by PSNI chief
A terminally ill man has welcomed the personal delivery of an apology by the chief constable over police failings following the murder of his brother. Eugene Thompson's brother Paul was murdered in 1994 by loyalist terrorists. Advertisement The 25-year-old died after being shot while in a taxi in the area of Springfield Park on his way home. Earlier that evening, UDA terrorists are believed to have cut a hole in a peace line fence to access the area which was reported to police. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher delivered an apology to Mr Thompson in hospital in Belfast on Tuesday which acknowledges failures by police. It describes Paul Thompson's murder as 'tragic and senseless', and pays tribute to his brother and mother Margaret, who has since died, for 'great courage and resilience in their journey for the truth about his murder'. Advertisement Paul Thompson was murdered aged 25 in 1994 (Committee on the Administration of Justice/PA) The apology says the murder has not been the subject of a full and effective investigation in accordance with article two of the European Convention on Human Rights, and accepts a conclusion by the former Historical Enquiries Team that police could have taken steps to provide patrolling in the area after suspicious activity was reported. 'That dedicated action may have prevented Paul's murder,' the apology states. It also acknowledges the original police investigation did not identify or pursue all lines of inquiry and significant disclosure delays at the inquest. 'The police service apologises unreservedly to Eugene for the above failings on the part of policing which impacted adversely both on the delivery of justice for Paul and on his family's quest for the truth,' it said. Advertisement 'We are committed to improving how we help families and communities impacted by the troubles by being more open, transparent and victim-focused, and by disclosing as much information as we possibly can. 'The police service believes that further information about Paul's murder can safely be released to Eugene and hopes that the pending Supreme Court judgment will allow for this to happen.' The UK government took a legal effort to the Supreme Court to prevent coroner Louisa Fee from disclosing a summary, or gist, of the evidence in a sensitive security force file following an inquest into Mr Thompson's death. A ruling has not yet been made. Mr Thompson welcomed the apology from Mr Boutcher, and said he hopes to see the judgment from the Supreme Court soon. Advertisement Eugene Thompson received an apology over the handling of the murder of his brother from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher (PA) 'I thanked Jon Boutcher for coming himself and for acting quickly in delivering the apology from the PSNI after we had asked for it,' he said. 'That's different to the British Supreme Court, who also know my situation, and I had hoped they would have made their judgment by now, but there is no sign of it. 'The apology makes clear the RUC didn't investigate and arrest suspects when they could have and that they could have done things that could have prevented Paul's murder.' Daniel Holder, director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), said Mr Thompson and his mother 'long fought for justice and truth in relation to Paul's murder'. Advertisement He added: 'The High Court and Court of Appeal ruled over a year ago that Eugene was entitled to see the information in the coroner's 'gist'. Ireland PSNI disclosing information to inquiry 'as quickly... Read More 'The Secretary of State appealed the Supreme Court hearing was back at the beginning of June and Eugene is still awaiting the ruling. 'It's welcome that the PSNI chief constable has quickly delivered this apology in relation to the RUC and PSNI failings.' A PSNI spokesperson said: 'The Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, held a private meeting with Mr Eugene Thompson, the brother of Liam Paul Thompson, during which he provided a statement of apology on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for failings identified on the part of the RUC and PSNI.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Murder victim's brother welcomes apology personally delivered by police chief
A terminally ill man has welcomed the personal delivery of an apology by the chief constable over police failings following the murder of his brother. Eugene Thompson's brother Paul was murdered in 1994 by loyalist terrorists. The 25-year-old died after being shot while in a taxi in the area of Springfield Park on his way home. Earlier that evening, UDA terrorists are believed to have cut a hole in a peace line fence to access the area which was reported to police. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher delivered an apology to Mr Thompson in hospital in Belfast on Tuesday which acknowledges failures by police. It describes Paul Thompson's murder as 'tragic and senseless', and pays tribute to his brother and mother Margaret, who has since died, for 'great courage and resilience in their journey for the truth about his murder'. The apology says the murder has not been the subject of a full and effective investigation in accordance with article two of the European Convention on Human Rights, and accepts a conclusion by the former Historical Enquiries Team that police could have taken steps to provide patrolling in the area after suspicious activity was reported. 'That dedicated action may have prevented Paul's murder,' the apology states. It also acknowledges the original police investigation did not identify or pursue all lines of inquiry and significant disclosure delays at the inquest. 'The police service apologises unreservedly to Eugene for the above failings on the part of policing which impacted adversely both on the delivery of justice for Paul and on his family's quest for the truth,' it said. 'We are committed to improving how we help families and communities impacted by the troubles by being more open, transparent and victim-focused, and by disclosing as much information as we possibly can. 'The police service believes that further information about Paul's murder can safely be released to Eugene and hopes that the pending Supreme Court judgment will allow for this to happen.' The UK government took a legal effort to the Supreme Court to prevent coroner Louisa Fee from disclosing a summary, or gist, of the evidence in a sensitive security force file following an inquest into Mr Thompson's death. A ruling has not yet been made. Mr Thompson welcomed the apology from Mr Boutcher, and said he hopes to see the judgment from the Supreme Court soon. 'I thanked Jon Boutcher for coming himself and for acting quickly in delivering the apology from the PSNI after we had asked for it,' he said. 'That's different to the British Supreme Court, who also know my situation, and I had hoped they would have made their judgment by now, but there is no sign of it. 'The apology makes clear the RUC didn't investigate and arrest suspects when they could have and that they could have done things that could have prevented Paul's murder.' Daniel Holder, director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), said Mr Thompson and his mother 'long fought for justice and truth in relation to Paul's murder'. He added: 'The High Court and Court of Appeal ruled over a year ago that Eugene was entitled to see the information in the coroner's 'gist'. 'The Secretary of State appealed the Supreme Court hearing was back at the beginning of June and Eugene is still awaiting the ruling. 'It's welcome that the PSNI chief constable has quickly delivered this apology in relation to the RUC and PSNI failings.' A PSNI spokesperson said: 'The Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, held a private meeting with Mr Eugene Thompson, the brother of Liam Paul Thompson, during which he provided a statement of apology on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for failings identified on the part of the RUC and PSNI.'
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
PSNI chief delivers apology in hospital to murder victim's brother
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher has made a hospital visit to deliver a letter of apology for police failings in the case of a Catholic man murdered by Thompson, who is terminally ill, welcomed the brother Paul, 25, was shot dead in 1994 when the taxi he was a passenger in was fired on at Springfield Park in west letter states that police could have taken steps which "may have prevented" the murder. Mr Thompson, who is in Belfast's Mater Hospital said: "I thanked Jon Boutcher for coming himself and acting quickly in delivering the apology after we had asked for it."The family is currently involved in a UK Supreme Court case over the disclosure of further information, which Mr Boutcher the letter, the PSNI said there had not been "a full and effective" investigation by its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).The gunmen opened fire through a gap which had been cut in the "peace line" murder was carried out by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). 'Significant disclosure delays' The letter states: "The RUC could have taken steps to provide dedicated patrolling in the area when a local resident reported suspicious activity and a breach of the peace line."That dedicated action may have prevented Paul's murder."It goes on to state the investigation "did not identify or pursue all key lines of inquiry", including a failure to arrest three potential PSNI also apologised for "significant disclosure delays" at the letter concludes: "The Police Service apologises unreservedly for the failings which impacted adversely both on the delivery of justice for Paul and on his family's quest for the truth."We are committed to improving how we help families and communities impacted by the Troubles by being more open, transparent and victim focused and by disclosing as much information as we possibly can."The Police Service believes that further information about Paul's murder can safely be released to Eugene and hopes that the pending Supreme Court judgment will allow for this to happen."The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) supports the family's director, Daniel Holder, said: "Eugene and before him his and Paul's mother Margaret, have long fought for justice and truth."It's welcome that the chief constable has quickly delivered this apology in relation to the RUC and the PSNI's failings."He added the family is entitled to the release of further information and noted the outcome of June's Supreme Court hearing is still awaited.
