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Bijan Ebrahimi: Pc Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore jailed for misconduct over vigilante murder Bijan Ebrahimi: Pc Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore jailed for misconduct over vigilante murder
(about 9 hours later)
A police officer and a community support officer have been jailed for misconduct following the vigilante murder of a disabled man. A judge has blamed widespread police failures for the vigilante murder of a disabled man – as he jailed two officers for misconduct over their failure to prevent the attack.
Pc Kevin Duffy, 52, and PCSO Andrew Passmore, 56, were found guilty of misconduct in a public office in connection with the death of Bijan Ebrahimi in Bristol in 2013. Judge Neil Ford QC criticised the actions of the two officers but said they could not be blamed for the wider policing problems that contributed to the murder of the Iranian refugee – who was wrongly suspected of being a paedophile by his neighbours.
Mr Ebrahimi, 44, was beaten to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James, who wrongly believed he was a paedophile. Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, had called police to report a mob outside his Bristol home, but was arrested himself for a breach of the peace. After being detained overnight, he made another dozen calls to police but his cries for help were ignored before he was murdered by a neighbour.
Bristol Crown Court heard that Duffy saw Mr Ebrahimi as a liar and a nuisance despite the dangerous situation he was in. PC Kevin Duffy, 52, was jailed for 10 months and community support officer Andrew Passmore, 56, for four months for what the judge described as a “serious departure” from the standards that the public expected of the police service. The two men were sacked from Avon and Somerset Police last month, but 15 other officers and staff are awaiting disciplinary hearings over the case.
The officer refused to speak to the Iranian refugee despite his repeated pleas in the days leading up to the murder. “It is with a heavy heart that in each of your cases I take the view that only a custodial sentence is appropriate,” Judge Ford told the two men. “It doesn’t seem to me a proper consequence of your wrongdoing that the sentences need be long. You have already suffered greatly.  You have already lost your careers and in each of your cases there is genuine justification for mercy.
Passmore was found to have lied by telling murder detectives he had patrolled outside Mr Ebrahimi's home for an hour when it had actually been a few minutes. “You must not bear the responsibilities for the wider failings in the police which were beyond your control.”
Avon and Somerset Police dismissed Duffy and Passmore following misconduct hearings in January. Mr Ebrahimi was kicked and beaten to death by his neighbour Lee James, who had been described as frothing at the mouth when police first responded to the victim’s 999 call. Officers led Mr Ebrahimi away in handcuffs in front of a jeering crowd.
Judge Neil Ford QC, the Recorder of Bristol, jailed Duffy for 10 months and Passmore to four months. Following his release, Mr Ebrahimi tried to contact Duffy but the officer ignored the calls despite being warned by another officer of “vigilante issues” at the Bristol estate. 
During their seven-week trial, jurors heard how Mr Ebrahimi dialled 999 to report that James had come into his flat and headbutted him on July 11. Duffy eventually sent Passmore to the estate. He lied to investigators about patrolling the area for an hour, when he could have been only there for a couple of minutes.The last phone call from Mr Ebrahimi was made about an hour before James killed him by stamping repeatedly on his head and setting the body alight with the help of a neighbour. James had claimed that Mr Ebrahimi had been taking photos of his children for his own sexual gratification. 
James wrongly believed that Mr Ebrahimi had filmed his young children. It emerged that Mr Ebrahimi had been taking pictures as evidence of the harassment as he sought a move from his council home. James – who told his partner that he had done it for his children – was jailed for life in 2013.
He had actually been gathering evidence of anti-social behaviour. The inquiry into police failings took considerably longer with most of the disciplinary hearings still to take place.
Police arrived at the scene, Capgrave Crescent in Brislington, to find James crying with anger and frothing at the mouth. Mr Ebrahimi’s sister Manisha Moores said: “We hope the judge’s words today send out a strong message to police officers across the country about the importance of protecting victims and the importance of telling the truth.” Avon and Somerset’s Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Morgan repeated his apologies to the family of the dead man.
A mob had formed outside and James was heard shouting: "Paedo! I'm going to f****** kill you."
Instead of dealing with James, Mr Ebrahimi was arrested for breaching the peace. As he was led away, the crowd cheered and shouted "paedophile".
He was released from custody the following day, July 12, and made 12 calls to police non-emergency number 101.
Mr Ebrahimi was informed that Duffy, his local beat manager, would visit but the officer refused to speak to him.
"My life is in danger. Right now a few of my neighbours are outside and shouting and calling me a paedophile. I need to see Pc Duffy," Mr Ebrahimi told one operator.
Duffy told a supervisor: "He should be told in no uncertain terms that I will speak to him at my convenience. It's Mr Bijan Ebrahimi. He's well known to me and I won't be taking any calls from him."
He asked Passmore to conduct a "bit of a foot patrol" around Capgrave Crescent at about 8.40pm.
Passmore later told murder detectives that he had spent 40 minutes on foot patrol on the estate and a further 20 minutes on the adjoining streets.
The jury convicted him of lying about this, accepting the prosecution's allegation that he simply drove up and down in his police car for just two to three minutes.
On July 13, Mr Ebrahimi tried to contact Duffy and a colleague, Pc Leanne Winter. He phoned police at 00.14am on July 14 - about an hour before his murder.
Witnesses saw James repeatedly stamp on Mr Ebrahimi's head before setting him alight at 1.35am with neighbour Stephen Norley.
A post-mortem examination found Mr Ebrahimi, who suffered from depression, died before he was set alight.
James was jailed for life for the murder, while Norley was sentenced to four years in prison for assisting an offender.
Duffy and Passmore were two of 18 officers and staff facing misconduct proceedings within the force.
Pcs Leanne Winter, 38, and Helen Harris, 40, were acquitted of misconduct in a public office during the same trial as Duffy and Passmore.
The IPCC is expected to publish its investigation findings into Mr Ebrahimi's death at the conclusion of all disciplinary proceedings.
PA