Summary chronology
7 July 2005 – four bombs explode on the London transport network. 52 innocent people lost their lives.
21 July 2005 – four failed bomb attacks on the London transport network.
22 July 2005 – Jean Charles de Menezes shot and killed by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
25 July 2005 - IPCC takes over the investigation – see press release.
27 July 2005 – the IPCC begins its Stockwell 1 investigation*.
29 July 2005 - IPCC appeals for witnesses at Stockwell station – see press release.
IPCC staff seek witnesses
14 October 2005 – the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) refers complaints from the de Menezes family about inaccurate media statements made by the Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and other(s) following the fatal shooting. The IPCC begins its Stockwell 2 investigation, carried out by investigators from its Central office.
19 January 2006 – the IPCC completes its Stockwell 1 investigation and submits its report to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) - see press release
14 March 2006 – the IPCC sends the Stockwell 1B report, which outlined 16 recommendations and lessons to be learned, to the MPS, MPA, HM Coroner, the Home Secretary, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the CPS - see press release
17 July 2006 – the CPS announces decision to prosecute the Office of the Commissioner of the Metropolis for breach of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act - see press release
13 December 2006 – the High Court upholds the Coroner’s decision to hold the inquest after the trial.
22 January 2007 – court rejects an application by the MPS to have health and safety charges dismissed.
16/19 February 2007 – the IPCC receives memorandums from the MPS and MPA setting out what action they propose to take following receipt of the report. The MPS proposed that two officers should receive words of advice and that formal disciplinary proceedings should not be instituted against any officer. The MPA also took the view that it would not take any disciplinary action against the senior officers
11 May 2007 – the IPCC decides that it will not recommend that the 11 frontline officers involved should face disciplinary proceedings. Decisions on discipline for four senior officers should wait until after the trial.
2 August 2007 – the IPCC publishes the results of its Stockwell 2 investigation. The report states that the complaint against the Commissioner was not substantiated and that there was no evidence of misconduct. However, it states that the MPA should consider why the Commissioner remained uninformed of key information emerging during 22 July 2005. The matters relating to Assistant Commissioner Andrew Hayman were substantiated - see press release
1 October 2007 – the health and safety trial begins at the Old Bailey in front of His Honour Judge Henriques. Clare Montgomery QC leads for the prosecution and Ronald Thwaites QC for the defence.
1 November 2007 – the Office of the Commissioner of the Metropolis is found guilty and fined £175,000 with £385,000 costs. The Old Bailey jury added a rider that then Commander Cressida Dick bore "no personal culpability".
Mr Justice Henriques said: "This was very much an isolated breach brought about by quite extraordinary circumstances. One person died and many others were placed in potential danger."
IPCC Chairman Nick Hardwick said the Commission appreciated the courage of some of the officers involved and added: "However, the Met's mission is to make London safer. On this one occasion, they failed." - see statement
8 November 2007 – the IPCC publishes its Stockwell 1 investigation report. The MPA announced that it would not take any disciplinary action against Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dick. See IPCC press release and recommendations
23 November 2007 – the IPCC received the MPS's final memorandum containing decisions about discipline in relation to tactical advisers Chief Inspector Vince Esposito (Trojan 80) and Trojan 84 and Silver DCI Greg Purser.
21 December 2007 – the IPCC announced that it would not recommend that disciplinary action should be taken against Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, DCI Esposito, Trojan 84 and DCI Greg Purser -see press release
The IPCC said it could not foresee any circumstances in which new evidence might emerge which would cause any disciplinary tribunal to disregard the jury's rider. Their responsibilities were intertwined. The IPCC could also not see how any disciplinary tribunal could conclude that although no personal blame is attached to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dick, it could be attached to the other three officers.
22 September 2008 – the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes begins at the Oval conference centre in south London.
*All references to Stockwell relate to Stockwell 1 unless otherwise stated.
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