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UK Today

POLICE WATCHDOG TO REINVESTIGATE MET OVER HANDLING OF STEPHEN PORT VICTIMS

47 mins ago
By PA News Agency
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Stephen Port

The police watchdog is to reinvestigate the Metropolitan Police over their
handling of the inquiry into the murders of four young men by serial killer
Stephen Port.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it will now look into how
Scotland Yard investigated the cases during Port’s killing spree in Barking,
east London, from June 2014 to September 2015, after none of the 17 officers
involved in the case faced disciplinary action.

Solicitor Neil Hudgell, speaking on behalf of the victims’ families, said the
decision was “the only logical decision open to the IOPC following the weight of
evidence heard at the inquests”.

The Metropolitan Police said they would offer “every support” to the fresh
investigation.

Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari were murdered
by Stephen Port (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Jurors at the inquests into the deaths of Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari,
22, Daniel Whitworth, 21, and 25-year-old Jack Taylor concluded that police
failings “probably” contributed to the deaths of the three last victims, all of
whom were unlawfully killed.

The jury’s findings, in December last year, prompted the IOPC to announce that
it would consider reinvestigating.

IOPC regional director Graham Beesley said on Thursday: “Since the inquests
concluded, an IOPC team has been closely examining the original investigation
material and comparing it with the information and verbal accounts provided to
the new inquests.

“A matter can only be reinvestigated by the IOPC if we are satisfied that the
original investigation was materially flawed in a manner which had an impact on
the subsequent decisions made on discipline, performance and/or referral to the
Crown Prosecution Service, and/or there is ‘significant new information’ that
requires further investigation.

“In this case, the reinvestigation process has identified evidence which meets
both the significant new information and material flaw categories, and we
believe a proportionate – but thorough – new investigation is in the public
interest.”

Recommended by

The location outside Stephen Port’s former flat in Cooke Street, Barking, east
London, where he dumped his first victim’s body (Emily Pennink/PA)

He said the decision to reinvestigate “does not necessarily mean that the
entirety of the original investigation will be examined again”.

The inquest jury found that officers in Barking missed repeated opportunities to
catch Port after he plied his first victim, Mr Walgate, with a fatal dose of the
date-rape drug GHB and dumped his body.

Port struck three more times before he was finally caught, killing each victim
in near-identical circumstances, with police failing to link him to the deaths
despite detective work carried out by the victims’ family and friends that would
lead them to the culprit.

Officers had denied accusations of prejudice and homophobia, instead blaming
mistakes on being understaffed and lacking resources, with some acting up in
senior positions.

Port, 46, a bus depot chef, will die in prison after being handed a whole life
sentence at the Old Bailey for the murders and a string of sex assaults.

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