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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4937395.ece
De Menezes officer investigated over admitting deleting evidence
Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian electirician who was mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead at Stockwell Underground Station, south London
Adam Fresco, Crime Correspondent
A senior specialist surveillance officer is being investigated after he admitted deleting evidence relating to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
The officer, based in the Metropolitan Police Special Operations, last week told an inquiry into the Brazilian electrician’s death in 2005 that he deleted a line in his computer notes that claimed Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick initially said that Mr de Menezes could “run on to Tube as not carrying anything”.
Although the matter was brought to the public’s attention only yesterday, The Times understands that it was referred to the Independend Police Complaints Commission last Thursday. The IPCC is to open its “highest level of investigation” into the matter.
At the inquest, being held at the Oval cricket ground in a conference room named after Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister, the officer, identified only as Owen, said: “On reflection, I looked at that and thought, I cannot actually say that.”
Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head by Metropolitan Police firearms officers on a Northern Line train at Stockwell Underground station on July 22, 2005.
He had been mistaken for one of four would-be suicide bombers who were on the run after the attempted attacks on the London transport network the previous day. He had been followed by police surveillance teams from a block of flats linked to one of the suspects.
The IPCC said: “This matter will be subject to an independent investigation and we are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
The matter would have been referred to the IPCC by the Metropolitan Police Professional Standards Committee. The IPCC could then refer it back to the Met to investigate — it could manage the investigation or use all of its own resources to investigate, which it is doing.
“This is the highest level of investigation”, a source said.
The Met was found guilty at the Old Bailey last year of breaching health and safety rules in the way that it had conducted the surveillance operation that resulted in Mr de Menezes's death. The force was fined £175,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of £385,000.
The coroner has granted anonymity to 47 Met officers working in areas such as anti-terrorism or covert policing, should they be called as witnesses. It will be the first time that lawyers representing the de Menezes family have an opportunity to question the officers who shot him.
The policemen who shot Jean Charles de Menezes believed him to be a suicide bomber and "an instant killing was the only option open to them", the inquest has heard.
Sir Michael Wright, the retired judge appointed as coroner for the inquest, said that the two officers — identified only as Charlie 2 and Charlie 12 — shot Mr de Menezes because they thought he was about to set off a bomb on a crowded train at Stockwell Tube station.
"They were convinced he was about to detonate a bomb and that unless he was prevented from so doing everybody present in that carriage was going to die," the coroner said.
The firearms officers fired seven shots into Mr de Menezes's head from a range of between 1cm 8cm, using 9mm hollow-point bullets. Another shot misfired and one more missed. The cause of death was officially recorded as "severe disruption to the brain".
De Menezes officer investigated over admitting deleting evidence
Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian electirician who was mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead at Stockwell Underground Station, south London
Adam Fresco, Crime Correspondent
A senior specialist surveillance officer is being investigated after he admitted deleting evidence relating to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
The officer, based in the Metropolitan Police Special Operations, last week told an inquiry into the Brazilian electrician’s death in 2005 that he deleted a line in his computer notes that claimed Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick initially said that Mr de Menezes could “run on to Tube as not carrying anything”.
Although the matter was brought to the public’s attention only yesterday, The Times understands that it was referred to the Independend Police Complaints Commission last Thursday. The IPCC is to open its “highest level of investigation” into the matter.
At the inquest, being held at the Oval cricket ground in a conference room named after Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister, the officer, identified only as Owen, said: “On reflection, I looked at that and thought, I cannot actually say that.”
Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head by Metropolitan Police firearms officers on a Northern Line train at Stockwell Underground station on July 22, 2005.
He had been mistaken for one of four would-be suicide bombers who were on the run after the attempted attacks on the London transport network the previous day. He had been followed by police surveillance teams from a block of flats linked to one of the suspects.
The IPCC said: “This matter will be subject to an independent investigation and we are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
The matter would have been referred to the IPCC by the Metropolitan Police Professional Standards Committee. The IPCC could then refer it back to the Met to investigate — it could manage the investigation or use all of its own resources to investigate, which it is doing.
“This is the highest level of investigation”, a source said.
The Met was found guilty at the Old Bailey last year of breaching health and safety rules in the way that it had conducted the surveillance operation that resulted in Mr de Menezes's death. The force was fined £175,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of £385,000.
The coroner has granted anonymity to 47 Met officers working in areas such as anti-terrorism or covert policing, should they be called as witnesses. It will be the first time that lawyers representing the de Menezes family have an opportunity to question the officers who shot him.
The policemen who shot Jean Charles de Menezes believed him to be a suicide bomber and "an instant killing was the only option open to them", the inquest has heard.
Sir Michael Wright, the retired judge appointed as coroner for the inquest, said that the two officers — identified only as Charlie 2 and Charlie 12 — shot Mr de Menezes because they thought he was about to set off a bomb on a crowded train at Stockwell Tube station.
"They were convinced he was about to detonate a bomb and that unless he was prevented from so doing everybody present in that carriage was going to die," the coroner said.
The firearms officers fired seven shots into Mr de Menezes's head from a range of between 1cm 8cm, using 9mm hollow-point bullets. Another shot misfired and one more missed. The cause of death was officially recorded as "severe disruption to the brain".
