Essex Police accused of cover-up

They are angry at how the investigation into the death of Jamie Collins was carried out.

They have now been told that no officers will face disciplinary action because of a mistake by a senior officer who has now retired.

Now, the family, including Jamie's long-term girlfriend Tammy who was six months pregnant when he died, are waiting for a reply to their complaints from the Chief Constable of Essex, the Police Complaints Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Jamie, a van driver from Stevenage, came to Southend in July 1996 with friends on a stag night. After being escorted out of Brocketts nightclub on Eastern Esplanade by a bouncer, he was found unconscious on a pavement. He died from head injuries a week later.

After a lengthy inquest, which was adjourned twice, coroner Dr Peter Dean recorded an open verdict.

Tammy, 26, who now has a daughter, named Jamie after her father, said: "We believe there has been a cover-up by Essex Police and want a full investigation into the matter.

"It has been very frustrating. Every time we have a meeting with Essex Police we have been let down.

"It is a complete joke the way it has been dealt with - people making excuses for other people. The cock-up has made it harder for us to deal with Jamie's death."

Essex Police said today an inquiry into the way the investigation was handled is still under way.

A spokesman said: "There were also a number of ambiguities and we believe the whole story about what happened that night had not emerged."

Death mystery - Jamie Collins

Scene of death - Jamie's body was found near Brocketts, where he was celebrating a stag night

Looking for answers - Graham Storey

Background: Jamie's story

Nearly three years ago father-to-be Jamie Collins was found unconscious on a pavement at the rear of Brocketts nightclub on Southend seafront.

Despite five hours of brain surgery the 24-year-old van driver died a week later. Two investigations by Essex police and four inquest hearings failed to discover exactly what happened.

Now his family has been told that a complaint made by them about the first investigation cannot go ahead because of a mistake in police procedure.

JIM LAST talks to the family.

It was on July 21, 1996, that Jamie went with friends on a stag party to Southend. He was escorted out of Brocketts nightclub at around midnight and was found unconscious on a pavement at the back of the club.

On July 28, Jamie died at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge.

Following a police investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service announced there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone.

After an inquest that was adjourned three times due to the unavailability of witnesses, coroner Dr Peter Dean recorded an open verdict.

However, he said a report about the evidence of two witnesses should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider a possible charge of perjury.

In 1996 Jamie's family voiced their unhappiness with the way in which the investigation was being handled and complained to Essex police.

In January 1998 Jamie's mum, Val Collins, was asked for a statement of evidence about the family's complaint.

But after two months the family had heard nothing and contacted the complaints department to ask what was happening.

There was then a meeting of senior Essex police officers who decided that mistakes had been made. A fresh investigation was launched in the March by different officers under the command of an acting assistant chief constable.

It finished last November and, although the family were happy with the way it had been conducted, it was still felt that there was not enough evidence for the CPS to start a prosecution.

All the papers in the case were then handed over to Essex police to investigate the family's complaint.

Last month the family were visited by three officers and told that a mistake had been made.

It was explained to them that whenever a complaint is made against a police officer a Regulation Seven notice must be served on him or her within 14 to 28 days.

The officer, responsible for discipline - who has now retired - had made a decision not to issue the notices on six officers until November 1997, 15 months after the complaint was made.

Essex police had taken legal advice and been told that it would be an abuse of process if any disciplinary investigation was started against the officers and they would not have to answer any questions.

Mr Storey said: "This meant that no individual would be held responsible for the flaws or mistakes in the original investigation and none of the officers could be brought before a disciplinary hearing.

"They said sorry and assured us they would still investigate the complaint because there would be, as they put it, lessons to be learned from it."

The family is waiting for a reply to a letter sent to Essex Chief Constable David Stevens saying the family are not happy with the circumstances surrounding the investigation into their 1996 complaint.

They have also written to the CPS asking for confirmation about the reasons why no-one was prosecuted for perjury after the inquest and to the Police Complaints Authority asking for confirmation that it was told about the original complaint and why no contact was made with the family.

A spokesman for Essex police said: "The death of Jamie Collins was re-investigated by Essex police following an official complaint from the family raising some concerns about the original investigation.

"There were also a number of ambiguities and we believe that the whole story about what happened that night had not emerged. Officers on the first investigation have been served Reg 7 disciplinary notices and an inquiry into the way that investigation was conducted is still ongoing.

"It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further until the inquiry into the first investigation is completed."

Left behind - Jamie's girlfriend Tammy Collins with their daughter, named Jamie after her father Searching for answers

On a desk at Graham Storey's home sit five large folders containing 290 letters he has written in connection with the death of his daughter Tammy's partner, Jamie Collins.

One day he will hand over the files, along with numerous press cuttings, to his granddaughter, also named Jamie after the father she never saw, so she will learn what happened to him.

Many of those letters have been sent to Essex police and concern the way the force investigated the matter.

Mr Storey has been leading the fight for justice over the death of Jamie and, although he has been a constable with Hertfordshire police for 25 years, has no hesitation in criticising his profession.

He said: "There has been a catalogue of errors by Essex police and those errors have got to be answered.

"Clearly the police didn't treat the matter as seriously as they should have done. The officers made a decision that Jamie had fallen rather than suffered in any criminal activity.

"The pressure has been constant for the family. It seems every time we turn a corner, another door is shut in our face. We can't put Jamie's death to bed until the questions have been answered."

Mr Storey explained: "I feel it is my duty as a representative of the family to see that justice is done and we find out why mistakes were made, and ensure they don't happen again.

"If the public are going to have confidence in the police, the police have got to perform in a way that instills confidence with consideration for the victim's family." The issues

These are the main points behind the family's complaint against the police:

No forensic investigation at the scene of the incident. Jamie's clothes were only taken by the police as evidence after he died.

Possible neglect of duty as several lines of inquiry in relation to the investigation were not taken up until they were brought to the attention of the police by the family.

Potential witnesses to what happened were not seen or found by police. Tammy went to Southend and found a man who she took to the police station where he made a statement for the inquest.

Unacceptable attitude by police officers carrying out the first investigation towards the family and no liaison with them - normally such liaison would be an element in such a case.

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