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Plebgate: watchdog says police watered down conclusions of investigation Plebgate: watchdog says police watered down conclusions of investigation
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A row over the Plebgate affair has escalated after the Independent Police Complaints Commission indicated that three forces had watered down the conclusions of an investigation into a meeting between the Police Federation and Andrew Mitchell last year. The row over the Plebgate affair has escalated after the Independent Police Complaints Commission indicated that three forces had watered down the conclusions of an investigation into a meeting between the Police Federation and Andrew Mitchell last year.
Hours after David Cameron said his former chief whip was owed an apology, it emerged that the IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass had written to confirm that an initial investigation had concluded that three officers from the Federation who met Mitchell should face a misconduct hearing. Hours after David Cameron said his former chief whip was owed an apology, it emerged that the IPCC's deputy chair, Deborah Glass, had written to confirm that an initial investigation had concluded that three officers from the Federation who met Mitchell should face a misconduct hearing. In a letter sent on Wednesday to Ron Ball, the police and crime commissioner for Warwickshire, Glass wrote to clarify her position, 24 hours after the IPCC had issued a report on the Plebgate affair.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to Ron Ball, the police and crime commissioner for Warwickshire, Glass wrote to clarify her position, 24 hours after the IPCC had issued a report on the Plebgate affair. She said: "We had no concerns about the quality of the investigation carried out by West Mercia police. It was the conclusion we disagreed with. She said: "We had no concerns about the quality of the investigation carried out by West Mercia police. It was the conclusion we disagreed with. In that regard, I note that in the first draft report submitted to the IPCC in July the senior investigating officer did in fact conclude that there was a case to answer for misconduct, although their final report, submitted in August, did not."
"In that regard, I note that in the first draft report submitted to the IPCC in July the senior investigating officer did in fact conclude that there was a case to answer for misconduct, although their final report, submitted in August, did not." It is understood that the call for a misconduct hearing was dropped after more senior figures in the three forces said they disagreed with the initial findings of the West Mercia investigating officer. The Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands police forces said that it had been decided that the three officers should not face misconduct proceedings.
It is understood that the call for a misconduct hearing was dropped after more senior figures in the three forces said they disagreed with the initial findings of the West Mercia investigating officer. Richard Ottaway, a Tory MP who is close to Mitchell, told Channel 4 News: "[The chief constable of West Mercia] has got to explain exactly what has happened. If it is apparent that he has been a part of the change of the conclusions then frankly he has got to consider his position. If they [the West Midlands and Warwickshire chief constables] were part of it as well they are in the same position."
A friend of Mitchell said the police behaviour towards the IPCC amounted to an attempt "to mug the referee. The chief constables of the three forces should resign."
On Tuesday, the Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands police forces said that it had been decided that the three officers should not face misconduct proceedings.
The intervention by the IPCC will come as a further boost to Mitchell, who is seeking to clear his name over allegations that he called armed officers "fucking plebs" after he was refused permission to wheel his bike through the Downing Street gates in September last year.The intervention by the IPCC will come as a further boost to Mitchell, who is seeking to clear his name over allegations that he called armed officers "fucking plebs" after he was refused permission to wheel his bike through the Downing Street gates in September last year.
At the time, pressure on Mitchell had intensified after three representatives of the Federation from Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands – Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones – called on him to resign as chief whip after a meeting in his Sutton Coldfield constituency in October last year. The officers issued their statement on the grounds that he had failed to give a full account of the Downing Street incident.At the time, pressure on Mitchell had intensified after three representatives of the Federation from Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands – Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones – called on him to resign as chief whip after a meeting in his Sutton Coldfield constituency in October last year. The officers issued their statement on the grounds that he had failed to give a full account of the Downing Street incident.
But in the IPCC's own report into the incident, issued on Tuesday, the police watchdog called for a panel to determine whether the officers had given a "false account" after a transcript showed that Mitchell had outlined in some detail the circumstances of the Downing Street incident. Mitchell had told the Federation representatives that he had sworn in the presence of the armed officers in Downing Street but had not described them as "plebs".But in the IPCC's own report into the incident, issued on Tuesday, the police watchdog called for a panel to determine whether the officers had given a "false account" after a transcript showed that Mitchell had outlined in some detail the circumstances of the Downing Street incident. Mitchell had told the Federation representatives that he had sworn in the presence of the armed officers in Downing Street but had not described them as "plebs".
In her report from earlier this week, Glass said she disagreed with the conclusion of the three police forces that the officers should face no disciplinary action.In her report from earlier this week, Glass said she disagreed with the conclusion of the three police forces that the officers should face no disciplinary action.
In a statement rejecting a disciplinary hearing the three police forces said on Tuesday: "Despite a thorough investigation under the supervision of the IPCC we do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to support the view that the officers concerned should face misconduct proceedings.In a statement rejecting a disciplinary hearing the three police forces said on Tuesday: "Despite a thorough investigation under the supervision of the IPCC we do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to support the view that the officers concerned should face misconduct proceedings.
"Our view is that the officers have demonstrated poor judgment in arranging and attending the meeting in the first place. In light of this, our position is that management action is a proportionate response.""Our view is that the officers have demonstrated poor judgment in arranging and attending the meeting in the first place. In light of this, our position is that management action is a proportionate response."
Glass had written to Ball after he criticised her report. He said: "This is extremely disappointing. The officers concerned have not been given justice."Glass had written to Ball after he criticised her report. He said: "This is extremely disappointing. The officers concerned have not been given justice."
There was no response from the West Mercia force to the Glass letter on Wednesday.There was no response from the West Mercia force to the Glass letter on Wednesday.
The IPCC deputy chair wrote: "While the circumstances of this case may have been unusual, it is not at all unusual for the IPCC to disagree with the findings of a supervised investigation. This is in fact explicitly provided for in the Police Reform Act, when a complainant can appeal to the IPCC against the outcome of a supervised investigation."The IPCC deputy chair wrote: "While the circumstances of this case may have been unusual, it is not at all unusual for the IPCC to disagree with the findings of a supervised investigation. This is in fact explicitly provided for in the Police Reform Act, when a complainant can appeal to the IPCC against the outcome of a supervised investigation."
The row between the IPCC and the police and crime commissioner came after the prime minister said the conduct of the officers who met Mitchell had been unacceptable.The row between the IPCC and the police and crime commissioner came after the prime minister said the conduct of the officers who met Mitchell had been unacceptable.
Cameron said he supported Theresa May, who had said the police were "quite wrong" not to take disciplinary action. He said: "I agree 100% with what the home secretary said yesterday and I think we should be clear about what we are discussing here. The whole case about what happened outside 10 Downing Street, that's with the CPS and we have to leave that on one side until they make their decision. What's being discussed here is the fact that … the former chief whip had a meeting with Police Federation officers in his committee where he gave a full account of what had happened, they left that meeting and claimed he had given them no account at all. Cameron told MPs he supported Theresa May, who had said the police were "quite wrong" not to take disciplinary action. He said: "I agree 100% with what the home secretary said yesterday and I think we should be clear about what we are discussing here. The whole case about what happened outside 10 Downing Street, that's with the CPS and we have to leave that on one side until they make their decision. What's being discussed here is the fact that … the former chief whip had a meeting with Police Federation officers in his committee where he gave a full account of what had happened, they left that meeting and claimed he had given them no account at all.
"Fortunately this meeting was recorded so he has been able to prove that what he said was true and what the police officers said was untrue. He is owed an apology. The conduct of these officers was not acceptable. These things should be properly investigated, as the home secretary has said.""Fortunately this meeting was recorded so he has been able to prove that what he said was true and what the police officers said was untrue. He is owed an apology. The conduct of these officers was not acceptable. These things should be properly investigated, as the home secretary has said."
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