Police apologise over Tomlinson’s G20 death

London Evening Standard/London

The MET yesterday made a grovelling apology to the family of Ian Tomlinson for his unlawful killing during the G20 riots in London.

The force issued a statement announcing that a compensation deal which will remain secret has been agreed. It said it apologised “unreservedly” for the excessive force that led to the news vendor’s death and the four years of suffering his widow and family have endured.

Julia Tomlinson said the apology meant that she and her family could “finally start looking to the future again” and that it was “as close as we are going to get to justice”.

Tomlinson, 47, was caught up in the anti-capitalism demonstrations in the City as he walked home in April 2009. He died after being struck by a baton and pushed to the ground by constable Simon Harwood.

The Met initially denied responsibility but yesterday admitted a succession of failings.

These include:

Harwood’s use of excessive and unlawful force and the suffering and distress caused to his family.

Its “ill-considered comments” to the media after Tomlinson’s death that distracted attention away from the investigation.

The fact that Tomlinson’s family learned of Harwood’s contact with the news vendor from the press, not Scotland Yard.

Inaccurate information given by a Met officer to two pathologists called in to investigate the cause of the death.

“Significant failings” in police vetting which allowed Harwood to rejoin the Met from another force despite a history of misconduct allegations.

Issuing yesterday’s statement on behalf of Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Scotland Yard said the size of an out-of-court settlement had been agreed with Tomlinson’s family that would bring an end to all litigation in the case.

It said that the size of the compensation payout would remain secret, at the agreement of both parties, but that the Met acknowledged the suffering that Tomlison’s family had “endured with dignity” over the last four years.

Setting out the detail of the force’s extensive apology, deputy assistant commissioner Maxine de Brunner said that the actions of Harwood, who has since been sacked, “fell far below the standard we expect from our officers”.

She added: “I accept the finding of the inquest that Tomlinson was walking away from the police line. He was complying with police instructions to leave Royal Exchange Buildings. He posed no threat.” He collapsed minutes after being hit with the officer’s baton and died of internal bleeding.

De Brunner said the Met also apologised for “ill-considered” comments in which it told the media that officers had come under a hail of missiles from G20 protesters as they tried to assist Tomlinson. She said the Met apologised further for “inadvertent” but inaccurate information given by a police officer to pathologists Dr Kenneth Shorrock and Dr Ben Swift that Tomlinson had fallen to the ground earlier in the evening in front of a police van.