RAP FOR POLICE IN BUNGLED DEATH PROBE
Force took a WEEK to act on public’s alerts
POLICE took a week to respond to reported concerns about a man who was later found dead – after wrongly claiming no officers were free.
The body of Andrew Bow, who was on police records as
a vulnerable person, was found in his home seven days after police were told he may have died.
As relatives yesterday voiced fears that he might have been saved by earlier intervention, a damning watchdog report into how police responded to the incident highlighted a series of failings at the Bilston Glen police call centre in Midlothian.
It was involved in an earlier failure, in 2015, when a woman was left dying for three days off the M9 after a crash – despite a sighting of her wrecked car being reported to call-handlers.
In the latest scandal, the Police
Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) found that Mr Bow, who had learning difficulties, was found dead a week after initial concerns were raised.
Liam Kerr, scottish Tory justice spokesman, said: ‘Coming on the back of numerous call-centre issues, this raises serious questions around whether Police scotland are getting a grip of this.’
PIRC yesterday published a report into the circumstances of the death of Mr Bow, 37, at his flat in east Crosscauseway, edinburgh, in March 2016.
Mr Bow, who had Asperger’s syndrome, was last seen alive by officers on March 12 last year when they found him in a ‘confused and paranoid state’.
he was taken to hospital for treatment before officers took him back to his flat, and this was logged on police systems.
Within a few days, Police scotland started to receive neighbours’ reports of concern for Mr Bow. The first was made on March 16 – ‘and included a report that he may have committed suicide’.
The PIRC investigation found that Mr Bow’s bank card was last used on March 15, 2016, ‘indicating a strong possibility that he was alive at that time’.
on March 16, City of edinburgh Council staff sent a neighbour’s report about damage to Mr Bow’s property to Police scotland, requesting that checks be carried out. however, no action was taken.
At about 5.25pm on March 21, 2016, a local shopkeeper called 999 to report that the windows of Mr Bow’s flat were broken. he offered to remain at his shop until 6pm so
‘I won’t rest until it’s over’
he could point out the correct flat to officers. however, the PIRC noted that area control room [ACR] staff at Bilston Glen did not send anyone as they considered ‘that no police resources were available’.
About 9.45am on March 22, 2016, the shopkeeper again contacted Bilston Glen – and again offered to show the police the location. Despite linking the two calls, ACR staff did not to send officers – and again determined no police resources were available.
The Commissioner, Kate Frame, discovered that later that day, another neighbour contacted the ACR to report her ‘concerns’ for Mr Bow’s welfare. Again, no officers were sent out.
on March 23, 2016, a week after the initial report, a local police sergeant read about the incident on the police system and decided to send officers to Mr Bow’s flat. At 9.30am, they forced entry and found Mr Bow dead inside.
A post-mortem examination was unable to provide an estimated time, date or cause of death although it is understood that suicide has been ruled out. The death was ruled not suspicious.
Yesterday, Mr Bow’s niece Donna smith, 45, said: ‘I won’t rest until it’s over. If the police had went to his flat after the first call then maybe he would still be alive.
‘People were raising concerns about his welfare. They should have been out in a few hours, not seven days. It’s just shocking.’
Mrs Frame said: ‘It is particularly concerning that despite several members of the public contacting the police to express their concerns, Police scotland appear to have taken no action in relation to the first approach and thereafter in response to the subsequent calls, failed to dispatch officers.’
In relation to the second and third calls, Mrs Frame said that ‘whilst no police resources were dispatched on the basis that no resources were available, the Commissioner found community policing officers were in fact available’.
Bilston Glen was criticised following the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell in July 2015.
The couple lay undiscovered after a crash on the M9 near stirling and the incident is still being investigated by the Crown office.
Police scotland Assistant Chief Constable Nelson Telfer apologised to Mr Bows’ family and said the force had made ‘significant changes and improvements’ since the incident. he added: ‘We do, however, note the recommendations within the PIRC report and acknowledge the fact that there were some shortcomings in relation to the events that led to Andrew’s death.’
Comment – Page 16