Case Studies

Police not negligent in leaving 14 year-old alone in house after arrest of her father

Published Date:

30.09.2015

Two police officers who were accused of failing to care for a 14 year-old girl after they arrested her father have been cleared following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman's Office.

Officer failed to arrange medical assistance for man who "is lucky to be alive"

Published Date:

22.09.2015

The Police Ombudsman has concluded that a police officer failed to summon medical assistance for a man who had been attacked outside a nightclub, and who said he was later told by medical staff that he was "...

No misconduct over allegations officers failed to take action to protect child

Published Date:

25.08.2015

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that police did not fail to take action when a car was driven dangerously with an unrestrained child on board.

Police did not use too much force following “petrol bomb” incident

Published Date:

16.07.2015

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has concluded that police did not use too much force during the arrest of a youth in connection with a suspected petrol bomb incident.

Officer 'to be commended' for investigation into assault

Published Date:

02.06.2015

The Police Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, has said that a police officer who examined hours of CCTV footage in a bid to identify an individual responsible for an assault should be ‘commended’ for her investi...

Man was not sent to jail on the basis of inaccurate police information

Published Date:

21.05.2015

A POLICE Ombudsman investigation has rejected claims that a man was sent back to jail on the basis of inaccurate information provided by police.

Police made proper enquiries into missing person report and mugging concerns

Published Date:

14.04.2015

Police made all reasonable efforts to locate a missing man and to investigate whether he had been mugged, an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has concluded.

Officer formally disciplined for “alarming failures” in assault investigation

Published Date:

24.02.2015

A police officer has been formally disciplined for “alarming failures” in his investigation of an assault, and for misleading senior police officers and Police Ombudsman investigators.

Police not to blame for crashed van being sent to scrap-yard without owner’s knowledge

Published Date:

13.02.2015

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found that police were not to blame after a vehicle which was seized by officers following an accident, was sent to a scrap-yard without the knowledge of its owners.

No police misconduct over collapse of deer death court case

Published Date:

26.01.2015

Police officers were not to blame for the collapse of a court case arising from the death of a deer following an alleged attack by a hunting dog, the Police Ombudsman has concluded.

Officer disciplined over failure to seize weapons despite alleged threat

Published Date:

12.01.2015

A police officer has been disciplined for failing to seize firearms from a man alleged to have threatened to shoot someone during an ongoing dispute.

Officer disciplined after assault charges ruled out by delay

Published Date:

07.01.2015

A police officer has been disciplined after a file about an alleged assault was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service too late to be considered.

Man who complained about no prosecution in “assault” case turned out to have instigated incident

Published Date:

29.12.2014

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found that a man who suffered a broken nose during a bar fight and complained that police failings had allowed his attacker to escape justice, had himself instigated the ...

No misconduct in police threat to kill investigation

Published Date:

26.12.2014

The Police Ombudsman has recommended that no misconduct action should be taken against an officer accused of failing to properly investigate an alleged threat to kill.

Two officers disciplined for failings in “hit and run” investigation

Published Date:

16.12.2014

Two police officers have been disciplined after a Police Ombudsman investigation found that an alleged hit and run case was closed without any meaningful investigation having been carried out into the incident.

Police dealt properly with house party fight

Published Date:

08.12.2014

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has rejected a complaint that police failed to deal properly or impartially with three men involved in a fight at a house party.

Police were right to return children to mother after father accused of assault

Published Date:

24.11.2014

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that police acted properly by returning a man’s children to their mother to allow them to arrest him after she accused him of assault.

Crash enquiries were appropriate

Published Date:

19.11.2014

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that police dealt with reports of a road traffic collision properly, despite a public complaint that they had not attended the scene of the collisi...

Man ends up in court after alibi evidence ignored

Published Date:

17.11.2014

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that a man ended up in court charged with assault after police failed to speak to three witnesses who could provide him with an alibi.

Police officer disciplined after colleague backs up youth’s “broken jaw” claims

Published Date:

12.11.2014

A police officer who told a youth he was lucky not to have a broken jaw has been disciplined for using threatening language following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office. The incident happen...

Officer involved in civil dispute did not use police computers to gain woman’s details

Published Date:

03.11.2014

The Police Ombudsman has found that a police officer did not commit any misconduct after being accused of using police computers to look up information on a relative of person she was in a personal dispute w...

Officer followed correct procedure while issuing Fixed Penalty Notice

Published Date:

29.09.2014

Officer did not breach police guidelines by not immediately cautioning a man who he had stopped for a traffic offence.

Officers cleared following claims of excessive use of force

Published Date:

18.08.2014

The Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that police used reasonable force during the arrest of a man in a recent incident outside a bar in North Down.

Officer disciplined over unlawful stop and search

Published Date:

13.08.2014

A police officer has been disciplined after an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office upheld a complaint from a man who was stopped and searched unlawfully and accused of an offence he did not commit.

Behaviour of officer while on hospital ward 'unacceptable'

Published Date:

01.07.2014

A police officer accused of being rude and aggressive to nurses on a hospital ward has been disciplined following an independent investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Investigation finds failings in police handling of alleged fraud case

Published Date:

12.05.2014

Three police officers who failed to deal promptly or properly with a case of alleged fraud have been disciplined by the PSNI.

Officers were right to use 'hard-stop' tactics during bid to apprehend suspects

Published Date:

08.05.2014

Two police officers who were accused of using unreasonable force to stop and detain the two occupants of a vehicle have been cleared following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Officer "oppressive" while issuing speeding ticket

Published Date:

01.04.2014

A police officer who was investigated by the Police Ombudsman’s Office after being accused of dealing with a member of the public in an aggressive manner has been disciplined by the PSNI.

Police urged to keep a record of advice issued by 'gatekeepers'

Published Date:

24.03.2014

Police officers have been given new guidance on dealing with suspects in police custody following a recent policy recommendation by the Police Ombudsman.

Officers disciplined for carrying out breath test procedure out of uniform

Published Date:

04.03.2014

Two police officers who carried out a breath test on a driver have been disciplined by the PSNI because they were not wearing police uniform at the time.

Officers who 'laughed at man having a panic attack' cleared following investigation.

Published Date:

03.02.2014

Two police officers alleged to have assaulted a man and mocked his ill health have been cleared following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Policy changes after Ombudsman investigates allegations of stolen money

Published Date:

14.01.2014

The PSNI have accepted a Police Ombudsman recommendation to improve the way they handle seized money following an Ombudsman investigation into a complaint that police stole thousands of pounds during a recen...

No evidence police were biased against man arrested over domestic incident

Published Date:

02.01.2014

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found no evidence to support claims by a man arrested for assaulting his ex-partner, that police failed to properly investigate claims that he himself had been attacked.

Police acted appropriately after reports of man following social worker

Published Date:

10.12.2013

A man who complained about the way police reacted to a 999 call, was found by a Police Ombudsman investigation to have himself acted in a potentially threatening way.

Officer should not have deleted amateur photographer’s pictures

Published Date:

09.12.2013

A police officer has been disciplined after deleting photos from a camera belonging to an amateur photographer who had taken a picture of an officer at a filling station forecourt.

No police misconduct after man arrested for suspected breach of bail conditions

Published Date:

04.12.2013

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found insufficient evidence to support allegations that a police officer lied about having called at a house to check that a man was complying with a curfew.

Officer cleared following investigation into 'improper' use of CS spray

Published Date:

02.12.2013

A police officer who was alleged to have used CS spray on a man for no reason has been cleared following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Officer helped resolve land dispute, but acted insensitively by clapping

Published Date:

28.11.2013

A police officer who helped oversee the successful resolution to a long-standing land dispute was nevertheless found to have acted insensitively by clapping at one stage of the operation.

Police asked to speak to man who had died 12 years previously

Published Date:

18.11.2013

The Police Ombudsman has upheld a complaint that a householder was left distressed after police called at her door and asked to speak to her son, who had died 12 years previously.

No misconduct after man told it would be financially beneficial to inform

Published Date:

15.11.2013

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found no evidence of misconduct by police after a man complained that he had been offered money to provide information about Republican activity.

Officer disciplined after inappropriate remarks caught on CCTV

Published Date:

08.10.2013

A PSNI Custody Sergeant has been disciplined after an investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office, during which CCTV footage of the conversation he had with a complainant was used as a key piece of evidence.

Officer did not push lit cigarette into youth’s eye

Published Date:

23.08.2013

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has concluded that a police officer did not push a lit cigarette into a youth’s eye during a struggle in Portglenone in April 2012.

Officer disciplined for delay in interviewing witness

Published Date:

21.08.2013

A police officer has been disciplined for an “unacceptable delay” in seeking to interview a witness in relation to an allegation of harassment.

Officers did not racially discriminate

Published Date:

16.08.2013

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found that police officers did not racially discriminate against a man who was questioned at his place of work about a stolen mobile phone.

Inaccurate police records resulted in wrong person being arrested over serious crime

Published Date:

13.08.2013

The Police Ombudsman has made a policy recommendation to the PSNI that it should take steps to ensure information recorded on its systems is properly maintained and checked for accuracy.

Officers not to blame after motorcyclist crashes into collision debris

Published Date:

07.08.2013

An investigation by the Police Ombudsman’s Office has found police were not to blame after a motorcyclist travelling in heavy fog collided with a car door left on the road after a traffic accident.

Poor police investigation ends with apology to victim of assault

Published Date:

18.06.2013

A police officer failed stay in touch with a victim of an assault and did not send vital information on the case to the Public Prosecution Service, an investigation by the Police Ombudsman has found.

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