PCA TO SUPERVISE INVESTIGATION INTO LIVERPOOL FATALITY UPDATE

22 Apr 2002 02:41 PM

The independent Police Complaints Authority agreed to supervise the investigation into the death of a pedestrian in central Liverpool on 20 April 2002.

The pedestrian has been named as Brian Scahill of Prospect Court, Liverpool. Mr Scahill was a single man in his 50's.

There were two 17-year old male occupants of the Vauxhall Cavalier involved in the incident. One remains in hospital and the other has been detained in police custody.

Authority member Mrs Wendy Towers has today agreed to the appointment of Detective Chief Inspector Brian McNeill of Liverpool CID as the Senior Investigating Officer who will be in overall charge of the investigation.

Ends

BACKGROUND

At 9.00 p.m. on 20 April an unmarked Merseyside Police vehicle was suspicious of and began to follow a red Vauxhall Cavalier in the city centre. At the junction of Brownlow Hill and Clarence Street, the Cavalier collided with a taxi, which in turn hit a pedestrian who was fatally injured. The two male occupants of the Cavalier were taken to the Royal Liverpool University hospital.

Merseyside Police voluntarily referred the incident to the PCA for a supervised inquiry. Mrs Wendy Towers agreed to the appointment of Inspector John McDermott of Merseyside Police professional standards department as the investigating officer.

Mrs Towers said: "I would ask for anybody with information, or who witnessed the incident, to call 0151-777 5730. I will oversee the investigation which will be carried out impartially on behalf of H M Coroner."

PCA web site www. pca.gov.uk

Further details: Mike Delaney 020-7273 8029, Richard M Offer 020-7273 6483 or Samantha Louch 020-7273 6402