Death of woman following police contact – Lincolnshire Police, March 2020

At around 10.30 pm on 3 March 2020, Lincolnshire Police received a 999 call saying that a person was wandering in a road a few miles outside Lincoln. Police officers attended soon after and found a woman walking along the footpath. As they were concerned for her safety, officers took her home. At around 1.20 am the following morning the woman was struck by a vehicle on the same road, and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Following a referral from Lincolnshire Police, the IOPC began an investigation into police contact with the woman prior to her death. It was established that the woman had a history of incidents involving concerns for her safety going back a number of years. It was apparent from the previous incidents recorded that a number were linked to her mental health. Police had attended an incident on 1 March 2020 involving her walking in the road, and she had been taken to hospital as a place of safety.

During the investigation, investigators obtained accounts from the police officers concerned, examined police logs and airwaves communications, and considered relevant national and local policies.

At the conclusion of our investigation in October 2020, we were of the opinion that the two officers who returned the woman home on 3 March did consider their duty of care towards her while being respectful of her rights and wishes. The officers spent time talking to her after taking her home and were mindful of safeguarding issues and her wellbeing. She was not at that time exhibiting behaviour that would enable them to consider the use of S.136 of the Mental Health Act so they had no legal power to detain her, and she declined offers of other assistance. The officers’ actions were reasonable in the circumstances.

At an inquest held in December 2020, the Coroner recorded a conclusion that on the balance of probabilities the woman died as a consequence of a deliberate action calculated to result in her own death.

During our investigation there was no indication any police officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or committed a criminal offence, and we found no organisational learning for Lincolnshire Police arising from this tragic incident.