Anti-terror head singled out over Menezes shooting
Campaigners project Jean Charles de Menezes' image on to Houses of Parliament
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Thursday, 02, Aug 2007 05:12
Scotland Yard's head of anti-terror operations Andy Hayman has been criticised for failing to relay correct information about the death of Brazilian plumber Jean Charles de Menezes.
A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) concerning the conduct of London's Metropolitan police following the shooting of the 27-year-old was released this afternoon.
The force's chief, Sir Ian Blair, was cleared of any wrongdoing by the IPCC but "serious weaknesses" were flagged up in the Met's dealing of the crisis.
In its conclusions to the report, Stockwell Two, the IPCC recommends that the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) "consider what action they intend to take concerning the conduct issues identified in relation to AC Hayman".
Mr de Menezes was killed by counterterrorist officers at London's Stockwell underground station on July 22nd 2005, after being mistaken for a suicide bomber in the immediate wake of terror attacks on the capital's transport network.
Tension in the city had risen a day earlier after four men failed in their efforts to bomb three tube trains and a bus, in an apparent attempt to mirror the July 7th suicide bombings which killed 52 people in London a fortnight earlier.
Mr de Menezes' family had accused detectives of giving inaccurate information to the public about his shooting. The IPCC found that one complaint against AC Hayman was substantiated.
It said that AC Hayman's actions when he briefed reporters at 16:30 BST and attendees at the management board meeting and sub-meeting 30 minutes later "led to inaccurate or misleading information being released by the Metropolitan police".
AC Hayman "either misled the public" when he briefed reporters that Mr de Menezes was not one of the four suspected suicide bombers "or when he allowed the 18:44 BST press release to state that it was not known if the deceased was one of the four".
"He could not have believed both inconsistent statements were true," the IPCC says.
"The investigation concluded that there were serious weaknesses by the Metropolitan police in the handling of critical information including within the senior management team."
MPA chairman Len Duvall said his organisation would consider whether any specific action needs to be taken against AC Hayman, with a decision expected to be reached by the autumn.
But Sir Ian, speaking after the publication of the IPCC report, said AC Hayman "retains my full support" and the Association of Chief Police Officers also backed the criticised officer.
"Both… Sir Ian Blair and AC Hayman are held in the highest regard by colleagues across the UK and beyond," a statement said.
"Having read the report today it could be argued that the conclusions being drawn about AC Hayman stem from, at best, very incomplete and uncertain information."
Sir Ian told reporters afterwards: "Despite much speculation to the contrary, I did not lie in public". He sought to downplay the extent to which the report concluded he was uninformed.
Yesterday the IPCC confirmed that its report into the aftermath of Mr de Menezes' killing had been altered due to the threat of legal action from individuals named in the probe. But the UK's police watchdog insisted that the "minor changes" were just part of the "normal process" of its inquiry.
Following the publication of an earlier IPCC report into the incident, the Met is due to face trial over the Brazilian's death later this year under health and safety legislation.
The crown prosecution service decided that no individual should face criminal charges over the shooting following the release of the Stockwell One report last year.