Contact with police prior to suicide attempt - Greater Manchester Police, September 2017

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received a report of a woman on the wrong side of the barrier on a bridge over the M60 motorway near Stockport, on 23 September 2017. Shortly after police attended, the woman fell from the bridge onto the grass verge on the side of the motorway, resulting in serious injuries. The motorway was closed and GMP officers provided first aid until ambulance staff attended. The woman was then taken to hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.

The investigation obtained CCTV, copies of calls to police, body-worn video and took statements from police officers and staff involved in this incident. The investigator did not find any indication that any officer may have breached the standards of professional behaviour and therefore all officers were treated as witnesses.

The investigation found that, in the five months prior to the incident, the woman had been in contact with GMP in relation to a sexual assault (where the offender had been charged), and about domestic incidents involving her partner. We found that these incidents had been dealt with in a professional and proportionate way by the officers involved.

When GMP received reports of the woman standing on the wrong side of the barrier on the bridge on 23 September 2017, officers attended within four minutes. The woman fell onto the grass verge of the motorway around a minute later. Evidence showed that there was no physical contact between the woman and the police before she fell. A police officer had tried to engage her in conversation, but she did not respond and was seen by witnesses pushing herself off the ledge.

The woman declined to engage with our investigation other than to say that she did not believe any police officer had done anything wrong.

Based on the evidence available, we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

After reviewing our report, GMP agreed with our findings.