Police criticized for not suspending officer facing charges
Scotland Yard has been criticized for failing to suspend a police officer after he was charged with perjury over evidence he gave at the inquest into the death of a man in custody.
Sgt Paul White, who gave evidence at the inquest to the death of Rigg in police custody, has not been suspended despite facing charges and being placed on limited duties, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The CPS inquest into the death found officers had enforced “unstable” levels of force upon arresting Rigg in 2008. Following allegations against the officer and PC Mark Harratt last year, the CPS said it would not take any further action but has now backtracked it’s decision.
This comes following a requested review by the Rigg family, spearheaded by his sister, Marcia Rigg.
Rigg was arrested in 2008 following a mental health breakdown in a hostel he was living in at the time. Reports police were called in to retrain him after her was seen acting strangely.
But the 2012 inquest found the officers had used excessive force by pinning him to the ground and said the police had made a number of errors which “more than minimally” contributed to his death.
Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest, a charity which advises those who have lost loved ones during police custody, said: “It is outrageous that a police sergeant accused of lying on oath has not been suspended.”
Sue Hemming, the head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “The CPS victims’ right-to-review scheme allows victims to seek a review of a CPS decision not to prosecute in certain circumstances.”
“In this case, the complainant’s bereaved family were eligible to apply and the case was referred to me to decide if the original decision not to prosecute was correct.”
Hemming added: “After careful consideration of the evidence, I have decided that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to charge Paul White with one count of perjury, which relates to the evidence he gave at Mr Rigg’s inquest and therefore the original decision should be overturned.”
“I also considered evidence against another police officer but agreed with the original decision not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence.”
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