Prosecutors have been asked to consider whether the London Metropolitan police (the Met) officer, who attacked 47-year-old newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson at the G20 demonstration in London in April, should be charged with manslaughter.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced on Tuesday that it had completed its criminal inquiry and handed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for England and Wales, which will now evaluate whether there is enough evidence to bring charges and whether a trial would be in the public interest.
The focus of the IPCC inquiry was on an officer in the Met’s territorial support group (TSG) caught on film striking Tomlinson with a baton and shoving him to the ground near the Bank of England on 1 April. Moments later he collapsed and died of internal bleeding.
Central to the evidence being considered by the director of public prosecutions is a video of the attack, which was shot by a New York hedge fund manager and broadcast by the Guardian. The footage triggered the criminal inquiry by the IPCC and a wholesale review of national policing strategy at demonstrations.
On Tuesday, relatives of Tomlinson urged prosecutors to act quickly and to charge the officer so that a jury could be presented with all the evidence.
His widow, Julia, said: “Video footage made it clear to us and everyone else that Ian was the victim of an unprovoked assault by a police officer. If there is going to be any justice then it must be left for a jury to decide if the police officer is guilty of killing Ian.”
“I hope the CPS will get the case in front of a jury as soon as possible,” she said.
The officer, understood to be a van driver in the TSG, was questioned by IPCC investigators under caution for manslaughter in April.
No police officer has ever been successfully convicted for manslaughter for actions committed while executing his or her duty.
Anyone charged and convicted of manslaughter faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Ian Tomlinson had been attempting to find a route home from work through the protests when he was attacked from behind at 7:20pm next to the Royal Exchange buildings, near the Bank of England. He had his hands in his pockets and was walking away from lines of police.
The badge numbers of the officer who struck him were covered, and his face was concealed beneath a balaclava. The officer walked away after striking Tomlinson and none of his colleagues went to the 47-year-old’s aid. He was helped to his feet by a bystander, but collapsed and died moments later.
The IPCC was heavily criticized for waiting six days before launching a criminal inquiry into Tomlinson’s death. On Tuesday it said the case was one of the largest it had ever undertaken — more than 40 IPCC investigators and other members of staff from all five regional offices were involved in the case, it said.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS