Top cops face misconduct hearing over Riley death
FILE TO CORONER WAS ‘INCOMPLETE OR MISLEADING’ - CLAIM
TWO senior detectives and a police constable are to face a misconduct hearing over allegations that the death of a little boy was not thoroughly investigated.
The trio – Det Chief Insp Mark Swift, Det Insp George Bardell and PC Oliver Scoones – will be questioned later this month over the death of Riley Siswick, aged three, in February 2016.
Riley was found unresponsive at his mum Kayleigh Siswick and her then-boyfriend Kyle Campbell’s home in Smith’s Avenue in Marsh.
Details of the misconduct hearing, which is set to take two weeks, have been published on the West Yorkshire Police website.
The allegations are that officers did not conduct a “thorough or appropriate investigation”.
The initial investigation by Kirklees CID was not progressed criminally.
It is also alleged that officers “provided, or submitted a report to HM Coroner, which was incomplete or misleading in content”.
The force listing for the misconduct hearing states: “On 6 February 2016 officers attended at a property in Huddersfield following a report of a three-year-old child being found unresponsive.
“The child was taken by ambulance to hospital but was pronounced deceased a short time later. The initial investigation into the death was conducted by officers based at Kirklees CID and was not progressed criminally.
“It is alleged that as part of the investigation into the death of the child that West Yorkshire Police officers did not conduct a thorough or appropriate investigation.
“That senior West Yorkshire Police Officers did not supervise the investigation.
“That West Yorkshire Police Officers provided, or submitted a report to the HM Coroner, which was incomplete or misleading in content.”
The listing states the investigation ‘may not have adhered to the relevant National and Local Policies relating to reports of child deaths.’
And that ‘a West Yorkshire Police Officer failed to communicate with a partner agency as part of the investigation process’.
Kyle Campbell was later found guilty of murdering Riley following a six-week trial at Leeds Crown Court.
He had injured Riley in the abdomen so severely that his bowel was severed and he developed fatal infections.
Campbell was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.
Kayleigh Siswick was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child. She was sentenced to seven years in custody.
An investigation into police conduct in the case is being carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Kirklees Council has previously confirmed that a serious case review is being carried out.