Plebgate police trio face new misconduct inquiry

THE Plebgate inquiry that ended with three policemen escaping punishment for their role in bringing down a cabinet minister is to be reopened.

A year after the officers gave misleading accounts of meeting Andrew Mitchell, MPs heard that they could face a new misconduct investigation.

David Shaw, chief constable of West Mercia force which carried out the original inquiry, told MPs on the Home Affairs Committee that he had written to apologise to Mr Mitchell.

He said he had “rescinded” the decision the Police Federation representatives had no case to answer. “I have identified a flaw that means the decision should be rescinded,” he said.

The mistake was the report used to decide not to take disciplinary action against the officers – Insp Ken MacKail of West Mercia, Det Sgt Stuart Hinton of Warwickshire, and Sgt Chris Jones of West Midlands – did not contain recommendations. “In law, recommendations must form part of the decision- making process,” Mr Shaw said.

The new appraisal will lead to “new conclusions and determinations,” the MPs were told. Andy Parker and Chris Sims, chief constables of Warwickshire and West Midlands respectively, said they had also written to the MP apologising for the anti- police cuts campaign conducted against him by the Police Federation. But they both disagreed with Mr Shaw’s decision to have the report re- determined.

The chief constables said they were happy not to punish their officers based on the original inquiry.

But Chief Insp Jerry Reakes- Williams, who heads professional standards for Warwickshire and West Mercia police, told MPs he wanted the officers punished. He made it “absolutely clear” to the deputy chief constables of Warwickshire and West Mercia that the three officers should be disciplined for “misleading” the public.

“The comments made by the federation representatives did have the impact of misleading the public as to what happened in that meeting,” Mr Reakes- Williams told MPs.

“I did find a case to answer for misconduct and that’s still my view,” he added.

The decision not to press ahead with misconduct charges against the three Police Federation representatives was challenged last week by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The three officers also appeared before the Home Affairs Committee yesterday.

Each expressed remorse for talking to reporters but repeatedly refused to apologise to Mr Mitchell, denying they had misrepresented him.

Mr Hinton said: “We showed poor judgment in speaking to the media immediately following the meeting with Mr Mitchell. We are all happy to take the criticism on the chin for that. We certainly didn’t lie intentionally.”

Sorry, Chris Sims yesterday