Police force and two officers in dock over training-exercise fatality

Greater Manchester Police and two of its firearms officers are to appear in court next week to answer charges over the death of a constable shot during a training exercise in 2008.

The HSE announced today (18 January) that the force and the two officers will appear before Liverpool Crown Court on 22 January, after its investigation into the death of Pc Ian Terry concluded there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to prosecute them for criminal offences under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

A court order is in place protecting the identity of the two Police officers, who will be known as ‘Francis’ and ‘Eric’.

Pc Terry, 32, was shot and killed during a training exercise involving firearms at a disused warehouse in Newton Heath, Manchester on 9 June 2008. An inquest in 2010 ruled that he was “unlawfully killed”.

In relation to his death, summonses have been served on:

• Greater Manchester Police, for an alleged breach of section 2(1) HSWA 1974;
• ‘Francis’, the exercising conducting officer, who was responsible for running the 9 June course, for an alleged breach of section 7 HSWA 1974; and
• ‘Eric’, one of the exercise safety officers, who assisted the latter in running the course, for an alleged breach of section 7 HSWA 1974.