999 operator ‘dismissive’ of driver’s last call

A 999 CALL handler was “dismissive” towards a young motorist shortly before she was killed, a report has found.

The operator resigned after the investigation by the Independent Police Complains Commission (IPCC) into calls made to police by Sophie Taylor, 22, who was being chased at speed by her ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend.

An IPCC inquiry found a call handler had “a case to answer for misconduct for failing to link appropriate people to the incident log, failing to input sufficient detail and for displaying apparent dismissiveness when speaking to Miss Taylor during a 24-minute call just after midnight on August 22”.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Michael Wheeler, 23, and Melissa Pesticcio, 24, chased Miss Taylor and her passenger, Joshua Deguara, for three miles through the streets of Cardiff. Miss Taylor was killed when Wheeler forced her black BMW into the wall of a house. Mr Deguara was left in a coma with severe injuries.

Wheeler, of Cardiff, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and death by dangerous driving. He was jailed for seven and a half years.

Pesticcio, of nearby Marshfield, was found guilty of the same offences after a 10-day trial. She was jailed for six and a half years.