Daniel Morgan murder - 'hurdles placed in the path of the Panel' by Cressida Dick

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) did not have the information requested.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Paragraph 243 (page 1060) of The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel states:

'The Metropolitan Police’s lack of candour manifested itself in the hurdles placed in the path of the Panel, such as AC Cressida Dick’s initial refusal to recognise the necessity for the Panel to have access to HOLMES (the data system which provides safeguards for the integrity of investigations and also enables independent scrutiny to identify failures), as well as limiting access to the most sensitive information (which was not provided at the Panel’s secure premises and was only accessible at a location involving considerable travel time and precluding daily reference and crosschecking; see Chapter 11, for details). It can also be seen in the Metropolitan Police responses to the Panel’s ‘fairness process’ in December 2020.'

https://www.danielmorganpanel.independen...

1. Please provide all information you hold related to the rationale behind Cressida Dick's initial refusal to recognise the necessity for the Panel to have access to HOLMES.

Yours faithfully,

J Roberts

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

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J Roberts left an annotation ()

J Roberts left an annotation ()

David Allen Green interrogates the concept of 'institutional corruption' identified in the report concerning the murder of Daniel Morgan:

'The independent panel report on Daniel Morgan found that the Metropolitan police was – and is – institutionally corrupt.'

https://davidallengreen.com/2021/06/the-...

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

Good morning,
With reference to your below request.

Please see our attached letter in response.

Yours sincerely

Data Office Triage Team

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

show quoted sections

J Roberts left an annotation ()

'Rose v The Chief Constable of the GMP [2021] EWHC 875 (Admin)' concerns how allegations of police corruption should be handled:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Here is a Request entitled 'GMP corruption' some may be interested in:

hhttps://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g... to search for the information you want.

The Request refers to this case:

Appeal No. UKEAT/0304/19/RN

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...

'10. DI Aston’s team discovered that before arriving at Ashton-Under-Lyne police station on 19 September 2014 the arresting officer, PC Bullough, had been contacted and told not to take PS Pendlebury into the custody suite but to park outside and contact Inspector Donaldson. He did as he was instructed and waited in the police vehicle with PS Pendlebury outside the station. A little while later Inspector Donaldson arrived in the car park with a custody sergeant from Ashton-Under-Lyne police station. The custody sergeant informed PC Bullough that he was not authorising PS Pendlebury’s detention in custody and Inspector Donaldson told him that the matter was ‘best dealt with by way of summons’ and instructed him to de-arrest PS Pendlebury'. (page 4)

A police officer can resign if the misconduct charge they face is less than 'gross':

'18. The disciplinary proceedings fizzled out. CS Bruckshaw promptly resigned when the charges were downgraded (under the police rules an officer is not permitted to resign pending unresolved gross misconduct proceedings, but may do so when facing a lesser misconduct charge) which ended the disciplinary proceedings against him. Inspector Donaldson went off sick with stress and the proceedings were permanently stayed. CI Williams’ behaviour was found to be misconduct for which she was given ‘management advice.’ ‘Management action’ was taken in respect of ACC Shewan for not disciplining CS Bruckshaw over his email to the CPS about the prosecution of PS Pendlebury.' (page 7)

Cyclops on behalf of Alyson Parker, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

2 Attachments

 

Official

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

Your ref: 
Our ref: 01/FOI/21/020021

 

Date: 18/08/2021

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Mr Roberts

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/21/020021

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Alyson Parker

Information Manager

 

 

Official

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/

J Roberts left an annotation ()

'To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted with the Inquiry and Review Support Command (IRSC). 

All documents held in relation to the Daniel Morgan Independent Inquiry that mentioned ‘HOLMES’ were located and reviewed and no information of relevance to your question 1 was located. 

Outside of the Act; please be advised that we do not believe there was “an initial refusal to recognise the necessity for the panel to access HOLMES”, and a review of the documents provided supports this.'

J Roberts left an annotation ()

'Every officer involved in the Daniel Morgan scandal will escape punishment, the police watchdog has announced, despite an independent inquiry finding that corruption in the Metropolitan police shielded the private detective’s killers with the force ignoring information.'

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Baroness Casey review - Final Report - 21/3/23

'8.3 Despite identifying concerns over a five-year period, HMICFRS does not have the teeth to enforce change. The ‘Engage’ phase might provide additional support, but does not bring greater accountability, or any real consequences.

In HMICFRS Inspection reports we reviewed, recommendations were made repeatedly and were not acted on.

For example, early in 2022, the HMICFRS review into counter-corruption arrangements in the light of the DANIEL MORGAN Independent Panel found: (emphasis added)

HMICFRS warned the force in January 2017 and September 2019 that the Met had a lack of IT monitoring, which left it out of step with best practice, and clearly in a minority of forces. They rightly said that ‘it is high time that the force took this matter much more seriously’

The Met were unable to state with any certainty who each phone or tablet owned by the force is allocated to

Property and exhibits management, which had been a problem during the initial DANIEL MORGAN investigation in the 1980s, remained so in 2021. (emphasis added)

Failings in the Met’s disclosure of conflicts policy directly related to a failure to learn from the MORGAN investigation, in which it was found that a suspect in the MORGAN case was closely associated with a journalist. But HMICFRS found that Met officers still did not have to disclose any association or interaction with journalists, despite national guidance to the contrary, and a history of scandals. The position has not changed.' (emphasis added)

https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Belfast Telegraph 10/5/23:

'The Metropolitan Police has apologised to the family of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan after documents relevant to the inquiry into his death were discovered in a locked cabinet in New Scotland Yard that had not been used for a number of years.

A total of 95 pages of material should have been disclosed to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, which was set up to look into the case and published its final report in June 2021, the force said.'

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Government Response to the report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel

June 2023

'2.3.8. The Panel considered that some of the obstacles it faced related to its constitution as a non-statutory panel, lacking the formal powers of an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. It is right that full and proper consideration is given before establishing any form of public inquiry, and that ministers should consider when establishing a non-statutory inquiry or panel whether relevant information providers will cooperate promptly on a voluntary basis. If there is insufficient cooperation from public bodies during an inquiry process, the sponsoring minister has the power to convert those proceedings to a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. As explained in the context of the Angiolini Inquiry, this would be guided by discussions with the Chair of any such inquiry.'

Forward

'Whilst many officers display exemplary professionalism and dedication, there are still inherent problems with the culture of the Metropolitan Police. It has sometimes behaved in ways that make it appear untroubled by the risk of corruption. It is vital that MOPAC works closely with the Commissioner to respond to the November 2022 HMICFRS report and swiftly embed the recommendations of the Panel, and also to improve the culture and behaviour standards of officers.' p2

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...

Government Response to the report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel Statement made on 15 June 2023

Statement UIN HCWS854

https://questions-statements.parliament....

Letter from the Home Secretary to Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, dated 14 June 2023

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

inews 17/7/23:

'Met Police chief to make public apology for corruption in Daniel Morgan murder investigation'

https://inews.co.uk/news/met-police-publ...

Susan Murray (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Reports I have read in the press (mainly Private Eye) stated that there was involvement of the security services in this case. The word is that Daniel Morgan had information on corruption in the Met Police and was about to expose this. The security services were worried about the damage this would do to the Met Police and he was killed to prevent this happening. There is a query as to whether his killers were hired, or belonged to, the security services.

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Susan Murray,

Thanks for commenting.

'Possible motives for the murder of Daniel Morgan'

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19374...

Guardian - Vikram Dodd

'Scotland Yard apology and payment of damages averts prospect of hugely embarrassing civil trial'

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023...

The Guardian - Raju Bhatt (solicitor for Daniel's family)

'After 36 years the Met has apologised for failings in the Daniel Morgan murder case. Now it must change'

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...