The IPCC investigation into the police pursuit of Lee Lewis in a road traffic incident near Port Talbot in 18 May 2008 found five officers had committed disciplinary offences during the police pursuit, after they failed to obey orders to stop pursuing.
The IPCC investigation concluded in March 2009 and can now be detailed publicly following the Inquest jury's narrative verdict that Mr Lewis died of ‘Sepsis' and ‘Multiple Injuries' at the Guildhall in Swansea yesterday. The narrative verdict is detailed and is available from the Coroner's Court.
Five police officers were given written warnings after the IPCC independent investigation found that four constables had disobeyed orders from the police control room to stop the pursuit of Mr Lewis. The IPCC also found that a sergeant travelling in one of the vehicles had failed to enforce this order and therefore was also given a written warning.
Mr Lewis was driving a Ford Fiesta that he had taken without the owner's permission when it was seen by police in the Port Talbot area driving without lights at about 0.45am on 18 May.
After the officers attempted to stop Mr Lewis he drove off without stopping and following a police pursuit crashed into a wall at Margam Park, just prior to Water Street on the A48, at around 1am. Mr Lewis was taken to hospital and was there for 12 days before he died after contracting a blood infection.
In substantiating the allegations against the officers, some of the most telling evidence came from the police Control Room staff. They were satisfied those involved were not authorised drivers in authorised vehicles and therefore based on what they were hearing at the time, made the decision to stand everyone down
IPCC Commissioner for Wales Tom Davies said: I would like to again express my condolences to Lee Lewis's family and friends.
"These events took place almost four years ago but the IPCC investigation was completed within a year of the pursuit and submitted to the Coroner for the Inquest.
"The police pursuit was conducted by four drivers who were not pursuit trained. During some stages of the pursuit there were four police vehicles in a convoy travelling at speeds of up to 87 MPH on roads that had a 60MPH limit. This included two police cars and two police vans, one of which was a dog handler's van.
"When the officers involved in this incident were first interviewed by the IPCC they gave an account in which they were unable to recall travelling at excess speeds or that they were ordered to stop the ‘pursuit' but continued.
"The public perception of a police officer is an individual who gives reliable and accurate evidence. During the course of our investigation it has been disappointing that the officers actively involved in the incident found it difficult to recall distances, speeds and the actions of others.
"I commend the diligence of the IPCC investigators who were able to reconstruct what happened and the speeds these vehicles were travelling at. Once these facts were disclosed to the officers they then felt able to provide a more detailed account.
"South Wales Police considered the officers actions as evidenced by the independent investigation and rightly disciplined them.
"Since this incident police pursuit guidelines have been given the force of law and will go a long way to ensuring that police pursuits are carried out correctly."
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