Ronan Kanda: IOPC review of police conduct in mistaken identity murder of Wolverhampton teen uncovers issues - but no futher action to be taken

The IOPC has advised West Midlands Police that two officers subject to the review were required to improve "all forms of record keeping" so that reasons behind "decision-making" were clear. 

Sixteen-year-old Ronan Kanda was fatally stabbed from behind near his home in Lanesfield on June 29, 2022 by Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill who mistook him for another boy. 

The focus of the review mainly related to a complaint the previous month about Veadhesa seen armed with a knife chasing his intended victim on May 10. 

The IOPC review found there was insufficient information "to confirm officers’ accounts of how they made their decisions about safeguarding the victim and bailing" Veadhesa.

Following Ronan's murder his family asked the IOPC to look into exactly what action was taken by a constable and a sergeant in relation to the first incident.

Responding to the findings of the review his mother Pooja Kanda said: "My view is that their slow actions is one of the reasons that my son isn't here.

"I made a complaint to the IOPC who have just recently replied to me. It was heartbreaking for me read the letter. They basically said that the force wasn't to blame for what happened. In my opinion it's a shambles and more could have been done to to prevent that boy from killing Ronan."

Mrs Kanda, who has since been campaigning for a ninja sword sales ban, added that she hoped in future forces will act quicker to reports relating to knife crimes. 

IOPC director Dave Ford said: “This was a shocking case and our sympathies are with Ronan Kanda’s family for their tragic loss. We have not carried out an investigation, but in line with our role our casework team have completed two reviews into how police handled Mrs Kanda’s complaints. 

"Her original complaint was investigated by West Midlands Police in February 2024. The following June we upheld an initial review application from Mrs Kanda after concluding that the force had not made reasonable attempts to contact her and fully understand her concerns.

“The force's subsequent reinvestigation of Mrs Kanda’s complaints which concluded that overall the service provided by the force was acceptable, led to a further application to the IOPC for a review. In February this year our casework team upheld the review, concluding that the force’s outcome was not reasonable and proportionate.

"In our opinion a lack of record keeping for aspects of the investigation of the May 10, 2022 knife incident meant that it could not be determined whether the level of service was acceptable or not. We took the view there was not enough objective evidence to confirm officers’ accounts of how they made their decisions about safeguarding the victim and bailing of the suspect.

“However, based on the records that were available, we concluded there were no other reasonable lines of inquiry to conduct and therefore further investigation was not required. We suggested that learning identified by West Midlands Police for a constable should be extended to cover all forms of record keeping, and that it was also appropriate for a sergeant to receive informal learning to ensure decision-making rationales were recorded and evidenced.

“Following Ronan Kanda’s murder on June 29, 2022 a file in relation to the previous knife incident was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service which decided no further action could be taken based on the evidence. In our opinion it is not possible to make a determination on whether the suspect would have gone on to commit murder had the knife incident been investigated differently.

"We have written to Mrs Kanda and the force to explain our decisions."

West Midlands Police told the Express & Star: "We received a complaint from Ronan’s mother in December 2023 relating to our investigation into a previous incident involving one of her son’s killers.

"It was thoroughly investigated and we found that there were no significant areas of concern in the way that the previous incident was dealt with. That decision was reviewed by the IOPC and we acknowledge its findings.

"Our thoughts remain with the Kanda family."

Mrs Kanda also called on West Midlands Police to do more to tackle knife crime after Chief Constable Craig Guildford recently told the Express & Star that more young people from the Black Country boroughs were being arrested for blade offences.

"I would like to know what the force is doing to protect other children from knives since Ronan's death," she said. "He has commented that most young people are good which is a fair point to make, but the murders are still happening. So, tell us what is going wrong? 

"I have been to Middlesbrough where changes and been brought in and in London the authorities are highlighting what steps are being taken. I have yet to see West Midlands Police come forward with something. It needs to do more.

"I am still working with them on this issue because I don't want to be be the person sitting back and not doing anything about it. I want to know what we are doing to protect the good children from offenders and prevent knives falling into the wrong hands," she added.

Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence which covers Middlesbrough commissioned a report to understand the scale, nature and drivers of violent crime.