Investigator admits mistake on police fatal shooting claim

At a pre-inquest hearing into the death of the 29-year-old in Tottenham, north London, on August 4, Michael Mansfield QC, representing Mr Duggan’s family, grilled Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigator Colin Sparrow about the lack of information to his relatives so far.

Anger over the police’s lack of contact with his family was the starting point for the outbreak of social unrest which started in Tottenham on August 6 after about 120 people marched peacefully from the area of Broadwater Farm to Tottenham police station, demanding “justice”.

The disorder then spread to other parts of the capital and rioting also took place in other cities including Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester and Salford over the next three nights.

Mr Mansfield told yesterday’s hearing at North London Coroner’s Court: “My first question is, you appreciate the anxiety that the family have about the investigation?

“And you are aware at least, one of the reasons is the misinformation that was broadcast at the beginning, close to the time Mark Duggan met his death. Misinformation suggesting some form of shoot-out, and you accept that was a serious mistake?”

Mr Sparrow replied: “It wasn’t accurate.” Mr Mansfield added: “It was a mistake, wasn’t it?”

Mr Sparrow said: “It was a mistake.”

Mr Mansfield, who is also representing Mr Duggan’s fiancee Semone Wilson, and a second woman, Precious Douaihy, went on: “The problem for the family is a complete breakdown in confidence for this investigation.”

Mr Mansfield asked Mr Sparrow why the family had not been given an interim report made by the pathologist.

He said that in all his experience, he had “never come across a situation in which the pathology has not been provided to the family” within a month of the death of their relative. But Mr Sparrow told the court the report consisted only of a cause of death and it had been given verbally.

Mr Mansfield said Mr Duggan’s family had not been given information about the trajectory of the bullet that killed him. This would indicate the position in which he and the firearms officers at the scene would have been standing.