Officers launch complaint over Kevin Nunes 'serious failings' claim
Five former high-ranking police officers have lodged complaints over the inquiry into the botched Kevin Nunes murder case.
The retired officers, all of Superintendent or Chief Superintendent rank, said they 'vehemently disagreed' with the force watchdog's findings that there were serious failings that should have led to disciplinary proceedings.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission's critical 'Operation Kalmia' report was published this week after a five-year investigation.
The officers' names were redacted in the report but are understood to include ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Geoff White, ex-Chief Superintendent Joe Costello, and ex-Superintendent Paul Davey.
Chief Superintendent Dan Murphy, national secretary of the Superintendents' Association, said: “This report confirms there was no corruption and no conspiracy in this case, which our members have always maintained.
“Despite this, our members have been subject to a protracted and stressful investigation. As senior officers they were committed to leading their staff and doing the best job possible in difficult and demanding circumstances, and they continue to argue that the failures in this case were corporate force mistakes.
“Nevertheless they have been under criminal and then disciplinary investigation for more than five years. They have co-operated fully with these processes.
“The Crown Prosecution Service has already decided that there was no evidence to suggest our members committed any criminal offences.
“They vehemently disagree with the findings of the original report, which in their view is flawed. The Association notes that the IPCC itself also did not fully accept substantial parts of the findings in the report.
“As they are now retired there is no opportunity for our members to defend themselves against the misconduct allegations contained in the original report, which they would have vigorously defended.
“Our members have made formal complaints about the original investigation managed by the IPCC and the subsequent report.
“We now await the outcome of these investigations.”
As all of the five officers were retired there was no prospect of any disciplinary proceedings despite recommendations by the report's author ex-Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon.
Mr Creedon found the officers had cases to answer on grounds of misconduct and gross misconduct.
However, it doesn't mean that misconduct or gross misconduct would have been proved by a disciplinary panel.
Mr Creedon said some of the officers were 'neglectful' and there was a 'serious failure of duty'.
The inquiry centred on an alleged lack of investigation and disclosure of wrongdoing by the prosecution's star witness Simeon Taylor who was under force protection.
Five Black Country men convicted of the gangland killing were acquitted on appeal after a series of police failings were revealed in the Court of Appeal.
Nunes, 20, of Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, was an amateur footballer with Stafford Rangers.
He was shot dead in Clive Road, Pattingham, in September 2002.
Four chief officers – ex-Staffordshire Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, ex-Northamptonshire Chief Constable Adrian Lee, ex-Gloucestershire Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, and West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale – were all senior Staffordshire officers at the time.
They also were found to have cases to answer but have faced no disciplinary proceedings.
Like the Superintendent-rank officers, they have criticised the IPCC's report and findings into the affair.
