Cleared police officer found on Snowdon dies
Saturday, 19 Jul 2008 15:59
Police officer dies in hospital after being found on Mount Snowdon
A police officer who was cleared of wrongdoing after punching a woman while trying to arrest her has died after being found on Mount Snowdon on Thursday.
South Yorkshire PC Anthony Mulhall was removed from his frontline duties in March 2007 when he was caught on CCTV hitting Toni Comer, 21, as he attempted to arrest her outside a Sheffield nightclub.
Following an investigation it was decided that PC Mulhall would not be charged with any offence.
On Wednesday, PC Mulhall was reported missing from his home in Rotherham area on Thursday he was found on Mount Snowdon. He was airlifted to hospital, but died in intensive care on Friday afternoon.
A South Yorkshire police spokesman said: "A mountain rescue team located him on Snowdon on Thursday afternoon and airlifted him to hospital, where he was placed under intensive care. He died at 1.30pm on Friday."
The county's Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes paid tribute to the officer, who had served with the force for 11 years.
"This is terrible news and our condolences go out to his family," Chf Const Hughes said.
"PC Mulhall was highly regarded and will be missed by all his colleagues and friends."
A post-mortem examination will take place into the cause of death.
PC Mulhall was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission launched after Ms Comer complained she had been assaulted by two police officers during her arrest on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a car outside the Niche nightclub in Sheffield on 30 July 2006.
Ms Comer later pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage and was ordered to pay £250 compensation.
The IPCC investigation found the allegations that two officers assaulted Ms Comer were unsubstantiated and said Pc Mulhall had used "justified and proportionate force" in making the arrest.
PC Mulhall is the second policeman to have died on Mount Snowdon this year.
Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Michael Todd was discovered there in March. The circumstances surrounding the police chief's death are still being investigated and an inquest has been opened and adjourned.