An independent tribunal, appointed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, has upheld the appeal of two officers from Staffordshire Police, who were previously found guilty of misconduct following the death of Adrian McDonald.
Inspector Richard Bills (now retired) and Sergeant Jason Bromley were appealing against a finding of misconduct, following a hearing, last September.
Mr McDonald, who was 34, died after he was arrested in Newcastle-under-Lyme in December 2014.
The independent police appeals tribunal – consisting of Sam Stein QC, Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Bill Skelly and retired police inspector Steve Douglass – reached the decision today (April 17, 2018) following a hearing at Tillington Hall Hotel in Stafford.
Chair Sam Stein QC said: ‘There is no outcome of this process that could ever satisfy the members of Mr McDonald’s family who have so patiently, and with such dignity, attended these hearings. We can only repeat that we are very sorry for your loss.’
Notes to Editors
Following a police hearing, where there is a misconduct or gross misconduct found, there is a right of appeal to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
This is a statutory responsibility of the OPCC.
The OPCC appoints a tribunal panel drawn from a Home Office-approved list, including a chief officer from a different force.
