West Yorkshire Police detective who investigated murder of three-year-old Riley Siswick cleared of misconduct following appeal

A West Yorkshire Police detective who investigated the murder of a Huddersfield toddler has been cleared of misconduct following an appeal, The Yorkshire Post can reveal.
Kyle Campbell and Kayleigh Siswick were jailed for the parts they played in Riley's death.Kyle Campbell and Kayleigh Siswick were jailed for the parts they played in Riley's death.
Kyle Campbell and Kayleigh Siswick were jailed for the parts they played in Riley's death.

Three-year-old Riley Siswick was found dead at his home in Smith's Avenue in Marsh, Huddersfield, on February 6, 2016, just two days after his mother's partner Kyle Campbell had fatally injured him in the abdomen.

Campbell had hit the toddler so severe, his bowel was completely severed and he developed fatal infections.

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Campbell was found guilty of murder following a six-week trial at Leeds Crown Court in June 2019. He was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Riley's mother, Kayleigh Siswick was jailed for seven years for causing or allowing the death of her child.

The investigation into Riley's death was carried out by Det Chief Insp Mark Swift, Det Insp George Bardell and PC Oliver Scoones, from West Yorkshire Police.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which looked into how the case was handled, said there was evidence the officers failed to conduct a "thorough or appropriate" inquiry and that they prepared a report for the coroner which was "incomplete or misleading".

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Det Insp Bardell and Det Chief Insp Swift also faced an allegation that they failed to supervise and direct the investigation appropriately.

The IOPC determined that the three officers had a case to answer for gross misconduct and directed West Yorkshire Police to proceed with a hearing.

After the hearing in June 2020, Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams of West Yorkshire Police confirmed that one officer has been cleared and two others will face no further action.

The panel cleared Det Chief Insp Swift of all allegations.

One allegation of misconduct was proved on a limited basis, for Det Insp Bardell who, the panel said, breached the standard of professional behaviour in relation to duties and responsibilities.

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Two allegations of misconduct were proved on a limited basis, for PC Scoones who, the panel said, breached the standard of professional behaviour in relation to duties and responsibilities.

Det Insp Bardell has now been cleared of all misconduct allegations, following a recent Police Appeal Tribunal, in relation to policy logs recorded at the time of the investigation into Riley's death.

A statement reads: "The allegation before the Misconduct Panel was whether a policy log was kept at all and not whether policy decisions were recorded, fully or otherwise, in the OEL (where all electronic notes on the investigation, and any made on the related incident log are recorded).

"The respondent acknowledges and reiterates that the actual allegation against the appellant was not that he failed to keep a proper record in the OEL, but rather that he should have kept a separate policy log. Indeed, the respondent had repeatedly made clear that this was its case”.

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"The Grounds of Appeal put forward on behalf of DI Bardell were that the finding imposed was unreasonable and that there was a breach of procedures…or other unfairness which could have materially affected the finding. It was argued that the finding was unreasonable because it related to an allegation not made by the appropriate authority and that procedurally there was no opportunity to consider or address the possible finding.

"The PAT would like to add the following comments. Riley Siswick died in horrific circumstances; the criminal justice system has now dealt with those who killed him. Any system of investigation must consider how its own actions, during the investigation, might be considered if they are reviewed."