Independent Police Complaints Commission
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Two MPS officers to face gross misconduct hearing after stopping for tea before attending an emergency call

An IPCC investigation has found two Metropolitan police (MPS) officers have a case to answer for gross misconduct related to their response to concern for the welfare of a woman later found hanged.

The incident was referred to the IPCC after 22-year-old Fahima Begum was found unresponsive in her home in Poplar, East London in the early hours of 16 April 2015.

The London Ambulance Service had received a call from a concerned friend at 11.50pm on 15 April stating she had sent him a suicidal text and was now not answering the door.

The call was referred to the Metropolitan Police and at 12.04am PC Gavin Bateman and PC Tony Stephenson accepted the call.

The call was graded as significant, meaning officers have a maximum of 60 minutes to attend the scene. Regulations state that officers are required to attend as soon as is possible.

The investigation established that the officers drove to McDonald’s to buy tea, then to a nearby roundabout where they remained for 24 minutes, during which time they contacted the informant before proceeding to the scene.

An inquest held on 4 November, 2015 found that Miss Begum committed suicide and had died prior to the 999 call being placed.

The IPCC looked at how the original emergency call was handled by Met Command and Control workers but found no officers or police staff had cases to answer for misconduct.

The Metropolitan Police has agreed with the IPCC findings and four recommendations and a gross misconduct hearing has been scheduled for February 27 and 28.

Commission delegate Colin Dewar said: “Our investigation established a significant delay between the officers accepting the call and attending Ms Begum’s home. It will now be a matter for a panel to determine whether or not the response of the officers breached the standards of professional behaviour.”

 

Channel website: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/

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