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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Met not guilty plea over Menezes | Met not guilty plea over Menezes |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Metropolitan police have pleaded not guilty to breaching health and safety laws over the death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes in July 2005. | |
| Mr Menezes was shot seven times after he was mistaken for a suicide bomber. | Mr Menezes was shot seven times after he was mistaken for a suicide bomber. |
| The plea was heard at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. The case is now likely to be sent for trial at the Old Bailey some time next year. | |
| The Crown Prosecution Service said in July there was insufficient evidence to charge individual officers. | The Crown Prosecution Service said in July there was insufficient evidence to charge individual officers. |
| The Met's solicitor advocate Mark Scroggins indicated a plea of not guilty to one offence under Sections 3 and 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. | The Met's solicitor advocate Mark Scroggins indicated a plea of not guilty to one offence under Sections 3 and 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. |
| The charges allege the force breached its duty to non-employees over the shooting of the innocent Brazilian at Stockwell Tube station. | The charges allege the force breached its duty to non-employees over the shooting of the innocent Brazilian at Stockwell Tube station. |
| 'Test case' | 'Test case' |
| The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said the decision to defend the case was reached "after the most careful consideration". | The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said the decision to defend the case was reached "after the most careful consideration". |
| Commander Moir Stewart, co-ordinator of the MPS, said: "It is not about diminishing the tragedy of Charles de Menezes' death. We see it as a test case, not only for policing in London but for the police service nationally." | Commander Moir Stewart, co-ordinator of the MPS, said: "It is not about diminishing the tragedy of Charles de Menezes' death. We see it as a test case, not only for policing in London but for the police service nationally." |
| He told BBC News: "It also has implications for the general public in that it concerns the ability of the police service to protect the public at large when carrying out armed operations." | He told BBC News: "It also has implications for the general public in that it concerns the ability of the police service to protect the public at large when carrying out armed operations." |
| Commander Stewart said the service "profoundly questioned" whether health and safety at work legislation was right for evaluating an emergency service's actions in "relation to decisions made during fast-time, life-at-risk anti-terrorist policing operation". | Commander Stewart said the service "profoundly questioned" whether health and safety at work legislation was right for evaluating an emergency service's actions in "relation to decisions made during fast-time, life-at-risk anti-terrorist policing operation". |