Guardian : Embattled police chief facing further criticism

Embattled police chief facing further criticism

The Guardian's crime correspondent explains what today's verdict means for the Met

Vikram Dodd, crime correspondent | Guardian Unlimited | November 1, 2007

Sir Ian Blair has, by any account, had an embattled time in his more than two and a half years as commissioner of the Metropolitan police.

Some of his problems have been self-inflicted and some due to bad luck.

Today, Sir Ian was on the receiving end of more bad news from an Old Bailey jury that convicted his force of breaking health and safety laws over the shooting dead of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Inevitably, the verdict will renew calls from his critics for him to resign, although reports at the weekend citing sources close to Sir Ian said he had no intention of stepping down, even if there was a guilty verdict.

Sir Ian decided the force should contest the health and safety charge, despite some senior figures in the Met believing they should plead guilty to avoid even more prolonged and damaging headlines over the De Menezes shooting.

During the trial, the force faced a series of embarrassing revelations about its competency and skills of its senior leadership. It has also been attacked for its tactics.

The closing speech of barrister Ronald Thwaites QC, representing the office of the commissioner, drew anger from De Menezes's family.

Mr Thwaites said the innocent Brazilian was shot because he reacted like a suicide bomber when challenged, and had acted suspiciously on his journey to Stockwell tube station.

Last Friday, Mr Thwaites told the jury: "He was shot because when he was challenged by police he did not comply with them but reacted precisely as they had been briefed a suicide bomber might react at the point of detonating his bomb.

"Furthermore he looked like the suspect and he had behaved suspiciously."

Mr Thwaites used the fact that chemicals associated with cocaine use were found in De Menezes's system to try to argue that the Brazilian may have been jumpy and twitchy.

It was an approach by the barrister the Met had hired that reversed the force's two-year strategy that it would not blame De Menezes.

The Met also decided to try to save itself by putting the officer in charge of the operation on the stand. Cressida Dick gave evidence for three-and-a-half days, one of the longest sessions a senior officer has ever faced.

It was Sir Ian who decided to promote her from the rank of commander to deputy assistant commissioner ahead of the trial. Today's guilty verdict raises questions again about the commissioner's judgment in promoting her. The force will have to fend off questions about whether the verdict meant the jury did not believe Ms Dick's account.

The shooting of De Menezes has also shown a commissioner who is out of touch with events. A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission found Sir Ian was in the dark about his force's blunder despite other senior officers fearing within hours of the shooting that an innocent man had been killed.

Sir Ian was also criticised for his attempt on the day of the shooting to block the IPCC investigation, threatening to deny their investigators access to the site, despite the law mandating they investigate.

The commissioner will also be aware that the end of today's trial does not mean the Met will be able to draw a line under the killing. The inquest into De Menezes's death was delayed for this criminal prosecution and is not expected to be held until next year.

Also awaited is the official report into the Met's errors that led to the shooting. That report by the IPCC is known as Stockwell One.

The trial that ended today looked at one narrow aspect from the point of view of health and safety laws. The Stockwell One report takes a wider view and paints a far more embarrassing picture for the Met, according to sources with knowledge of its content. It also contains direct criticism of Sir Ian.

The force will also face a civil claim for damages from the De Menezes family. Interviewed in July 2005 by the Guardian, Sir Ian said the job as commissioner required "copper-bottomed trousers". That is one judgment from Sir Ian that nobody can argue with.