Police accused of witch-hunt that ended in fugitive’s death
Mother found his body frozen to death after fleeing arrest
IT was the mysterious death of a man, featured on the police’s “most wanted” list, that gripped the country over 20 years ago.
Damean Vernon – on the run for almost a year – froze to death after, it is believed, hiding besides a Birmingham canal.
The 23-year-old was found on land close to the cut next to the M6 in Bromford, Birmingham, by his own mother.
At the time, Vernon, accused of robbery and car crimes, was a haunted, hunted man.
His face was one of three mugshots projected on the wall of West Midlands Police HQ, Lloyd House, and at football grounds. His image was plastered on the internet.
He had been hiding in the shadows since he failed to appear before Birmingham magistrates in February 2000.
Months later, he fled a family gathering at Bromford Residents Club when police entered after being tipped-off Vernon was present. He struggled with officers before scaling a fence, fringed with razor-wire, and disappearing into the biting cold night. In that struggle, Vernon lost his jumper and escaped in just a T-shirt.
On an evening when temperatures dipped to –1oC, police believe Vernon jumped into the canal to evade capture.
His mother, Deborah, found the body the following day.
The January 2001 tragedy ignited anger among Vernon’s family, with Deborah blaming police for publicly branding her son a fugitive. A leading defence lawyer has said Vernon would have felt he was at the centre of a witch-hunt.
He was the second man featured on the police “rogues gallery” to die within two months: street robber Glen Foster was found stabbed to death in London.
There were also unfounded claims Vernon had been the victim of foul play, with unfounded rumours he had been struck by a police torch.
Those claims were fuelled by details given to the inquest that followed. It was told there were 34 cuts and bruises on the body.
But the hearing was also told Vernon died from exposure and hypothermia and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
The force was later found to be blameless.
Former West Midlands Chief Superintendant Mike Layton came to the same conclusion when the incident was revisited by BBC show We Are England.
Vernon’s family still believe others were involved in the death. They are so convinced more answers will surface, his headstone carries the legend TBC – To Be Continued, not RIP.
At the centre of the recent documentary was Vernon’s younger brother, Luke, now an actor and motivational speaker, who is on a quest for answers.
“How police officers, dogs and helicopters can lose one man? And he’s found by my mum.” he said.
“The pain I feel is bad enough, so I can’t imagine what my mum went through.
“There is so much anger in me because there are so many unanswered questions.
“If I could actively stand in front of any of the police officers, I’d ask them to tell me their version of events of the night.”
Mr Layton, now a successful author, has looked at the many dossiers and concluded: “At the end of the day, I’m not sure what more the police could have done.”
He said: “Damean got himself in
trouble with the police and served a period of time in prison.
“He was wanted on warrant for failing to appear in court in respect of a robbery offence.
“He did have a record involving vehicle crime, offences of theft and, latterly, offences of robbery. In terms of the ‘most wanted’ list, in my opinion Damean Vernon filled the criteria that was circulated by West Midlands Police internally.
“He was wanted for robbery, he was on the police national computer, he had not surrendered himself, I think he had been wanted for something like 10 months.
“There had been previous efforts to track and arrest him in what I would describe as a conventional manner. His nomination fitted the criteria to make him suitable for that list.”
Of the fateful night, Mr Layton said: “In terms of policing, there is no doubt a search of approximately one hour did take place with a relatively large number of police officers.
“The surprising thing, I think, is officers managed to find so many resources at such short notice. There is clearly evidence they covered quite a large area and the reality is Damean simply wasn’t found and we don’t know where he was.
“He clearly had been in the water at some point, but he does not appear to be in the water for any lengthy period of time. What is sure is Damean has scaled this fence that has razor-wire on top of it. He has clearly had some sort of struggle with at least two officers near that fence, but the pathologist did not determine any serious injuries and this was confirmed by an independent pathologist.”