John Condron
6 Oct 2023 · Coroner Charlotte Keighley · Cheshire
The coroner's concerns
1. lack of protocol for suspect notification
“I received evidence confirming the absence of any agreed protocol relating to timescales for a suspect to be informed by the police of a decision to take no further action in respect of allegations made against them.”
2. absence of suspect notification code
“I received evidence that at a National Level, the Victim's Code of Practice provides that a victim has a right to be informed of key decisions in an investigation within 5 working days, or within 1 working day if they are eligible for Enhanced Rights. This includes a decision by the police to take no further action in respect of the allegations they have made. There is no such code of practice in respect of informing suspects of the same.”
3. future self-inflicted deaths
“I have concerns that further self-inflicted deaths will occur in circumstances where a suspect is not informed, within a specified time period, of a decision to take no further action in respect of allegations made against them.”
Responses
2023-0374-Response-from-Cheshire-Constabulary.pdf ↗· Cheshire Police
Stated action · 48 hours post-decision
“The Constabulary has now reviewed the existing Suspect Policy and Procedure, that was originally introduced in August 2023 (in order to address the management of suspects in line with Force Crime Investigation Policy and Authorised Professional Practice), and the policy now specifies: 'As part of the bail management process all Supervisors must ensure that bail is reviewed in terms of appropriateness, ongoing compliance and impending key dates.”