Man dies following contact with police - South Yorkshire Police, March 2018
On 28 March 2018, an allegation of historic sexual abuse was made against a man. On 29 March, a social worker telephoned the man to instigate a safeguarding plan. At around 6.30pm the same day, two South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers went to the man’s house, but he was not there. On 30 March, another SYP officer went to the man’s house and discussed the safeguarding plan with him and his wife.
On 5 April, the officer in charge of the SYP investigation spoke to the man’s wife on the telephone and explained they were not ready to interview her husband about the allegations and reminded her about the safeguarding plan.
On 9 April, a social worker called the man’s wife and told her there would be an inter-agency meeting the following day. At some time after 1.15pm the same day, the man left his house to go for a walk. At 5.17pm, the man was found dead after apparently taking his own life. At around 5.40pm the same day, the man’s wife received a telephone call during which she overheard people discussing a dead man who was, at that point, unidentified. A short time later, officers arrived at her house to tell her that they thought the unidentified man was her husband. An officer later told two of her children about the circumstances of her husband’s death, which she claimed was contrary to her wishes.
An inquest was held in August 2018 and the coroner recorded a narrative verdict that the man took his own life.
Our investigators reviewed the crime report from 28 March and the incident log from 9 April. They also obtained accounts from the officers who went to the man’s house on 29 and 30 March and the officer who telephoned his house on 5 April. We also obtained an account from the officer who went to the scene of the man’s death on 9 April.
During the investigation, there was no indication that any police officer or police staff may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, committed a criminal offence or that the police caused or contributed to the man’s death. All SYP officers co-operated fully with our investigation. Social services did not respond to requests for information regarding their contact with the man and his family prior to his death.
After a thorough examination of the evidence, the Investigator concluded that police officers correctly assessed the risk the man posed to himself and followed appropriate safeguarding policies and guidance. The Investigator noted that an officer inadvertently telephoned the landline number of the man’s house from the scene of the man’s death. The Investigator also commented on how another officer shared information regarding the circumstances of the man’s death with relatives, against the wishes of the man’s wife.
After reviewing our report, the force agreed with the findings. SYP confirmed they would review the training they deliver to newly recruited officers in respect of providing information relating to deceased persons to families and interested persons, and would give consideration within the review as to how to deal with situations where children and young people may be present.