Met Police officer convicted of careless driving after woman's death keeps job
A Metropolitan Police officer who was convicted of careless driving after a woman was killed by his speeding colleague in South London has been allowed to keep his job. Shante Daniel-Folkes, 25, was hit by PC Nadeem Patel’s marked car, which reached a top speed of 83.7mph and had inactive blue lights on Stockwell Road while attending an incident in Brixton on June 9 2021.
Ms Daniel-Folkes had just stepped out the way for the car PC Gary Thomson, 31, whose car hit 79mph on the 30mph road as he responded to reports of a female running away from a 'erratic' male 'ranting and raving and picking up things and throwing it'. Around four seconds later, PC Patel's car struck Ms Daniel-Folkes near a pedestrian crossing at around 55mph after he tried to brake and steer away.
PC Patel's speed was described as 'grossly excessive' by an Old Bailey judge who jailed him for three years in February 2023 after he admitting causing death by dangerous driving. PC Thomson, however, denied careless driving, but was convicted after a trial in August 2023 and fined £500 plus court costs with five points put on his driving licence.
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Now a Met Police misconduct panel has spared PC Thomson the sack with a written warning after it heard evidence the 'careless driving' was 'in accordance with his police training'. An expert on police driving, Roger Gardner, gave uncontested evidence that PC Thomson's actions were in line with the Police Drivers Handbook (known as Roadcraft).
This evidence was not heard by jurors at the Old Bailey trial, because of a change in legislation that only came after PC Thomson's trial The 2022 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act says constables who have undergone prescribed training can only be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention if their driving falls below what is expected of those who have done the training.
In his defence to misconduct, PC Thomson argued his vehicle was highly visible and audible, there was no evidence of any 'near miss', and there was no evidence of harsh braking or cornering. Mr Gardner felt unable to say whether 70mph speeds were justified, but did not say that they could never be justified in a 30mph zone, the panel heard.
The section in the Roadcraft handbook says: "Police drivers can use statutory exemptions from speed limits, but you must be able to stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear on your own side of the road. During an emergency response never compromise safety in order to save time, it is far better to arrive later than not at all."
While the panel found all allegations of careless driving not proven, it did find PC Thomson guilty of misconduct for breaching police standards by virtue of his criminal conviction which 'undermines public confidence in and the reputation of the MPS'. PC Thomson, who had a 'glowing record' and 'unblemished' driving record, was given a written warning.
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