Amnesiagate: 10 things we know about Norfolk police scandal

Former officers, MPs, and members of the public have raised concerns with the force embroiled in a scandal over its handling of the case.

One officer is facing misconduct allegations while another has seen criminal charges dropped because a medical condition is said to have wiped his memory of the crash. 

Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford is to be publicly quizzed over hit-and-run case (Image: Jason Bye)

Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford is to be publicly questioned about the case for the first time this week.

Here is a round-up of the key points about the extraordinary case:

POLICE FAILED STOP AFTER CAUSING CRASH

A collision occurred when a marked police armed response BMW X5 drove into the back of an Audi A1 at 1.07pm on March 5 last year on the 50mph A146 at Barnby Bends, between Lowestoft to Beccles.

The 34-year woman owner of the Audi, who is from Norwich, pulled over and expected the police vehicle, which wasn’t on an emergency call, to stop but instead its driver PC Karl Warren drove on.

A Norfolk and Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing Team (RAPT) vehicle crashing into the back of an Audi on the A146 (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Neither PC Warren nor his colleague PC Ryan Hargrave, who was a front seat passenger, reported the crash before ending their shift. 

It was eventually reported the following day, 19 hours after it occurred, when PC Hargrave emailed a sergeant about it.

POLICE DRIVER CLAIMS TO HAVE AMNESIA

When quizzed about the crash PC Warren claimed he had no recollection of it saying a condition had wiped his memory of that period of time.

He told police accident investigators: “I haven’t stopped and reported it because I have no recollection of it happening, and I believe that’s due to the fact that I have had an episode of trans global amnesia.”

The crash involved a Norfolk and Suffolk roads and armed policing BMW X5 (Image: PA)

Norfolk Constabulary said expert evidence had found he had “experienced a medical episode behind the wheel, which couldn’t have been predicted”.

“It also means the officer is unlikely to have known what was happening at the time of the incident or have any recollection of it,” it added.

CPS DROPPED CRIMINAL CHARGES

Despite claims about his medical condition, PC Warren was initially charged with criminal offences of failing to stop after an accident, not reporting it and driving without due care and attention.  

However, the charges were later discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after further evidence from a London consultant and a medical report provided by an NHS specialist neurologist consultant.

Dashcam showing the woman driver indicating and pulling off the road following the collision (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

“During a careful and considered review of all the evidence in the case it was determined that the legal test was not met and there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. As a result, the case was discontinued,” the CPS said.

PC HARGRAVE FACES A MISCONDUCT HEARING

PC Hargrave is facing a misconduct hearing for delaying reporting a crash and not following proper procedures following a road traffic accident. 

He has been referred to a misconduct meeting, which can impose penalties including a written or final warning but cannot sack him.

A misconduct investigation by Norfolk police’s professional standards department found he had failed to bring the accident to the attention of a police supervisor despite having “ample opportunity” to do so.

However, PC Warren will not face misconduct proceedings due to the medical evidence that he suffered a temporary loss of memory. 

PC WARREN IS NO LONGER ON THE ROAD

Following the crash coming to light PC Warren was “immediately placed on restricted non-operational duties” and has had his driving and firearms permits revoked, police said.

These restrictions remain in place, however, he remains a serving officer. 

He is currently working in an administrative “non-operational role” not dealing with members of the public and is not involved in criminal investigations, pending further medical assessment.

PC Hargrave remains on operational duties with the Norfolk and Suffolk roads and armed team (RAPT).

A police officer involved in a hit-and-run crash was not drink or drug tested (Image: Newsquest)

DELAY PREVENTED DRINK AND DRUG TESTS

The delay in reporting the crash until the officers were back on duty the following day meant proper procedures for those involved in an accident were not followed. 

A peer review of the accident investigation, conducted by an outside force, found this delay in reporting the accident to a supervisor prevented PC Warren from being breath-tested.

He was also not subject to a drug wipe or field impairment testing, a way for police to assess if drivers are intoxicated.

PC Warren admitted he would have expected to have been breathalysed as he had been involved in a road traffic collision in the same way as any member of the public.

KEY VIDEO FOOTAGE WAS NOT SAVED

Body worn video of PC Karl Warren first being questioned about the accident and why he failed to stop was lost after not being saved. 

Body worn video footage of officer’s account was not saved (Image: Newsquest)

According to the official police report into the case he was challenged the day after the crash by a sergeant, Damien Minnis who later recalled he had appeared “shocked by what I was saying to him”.

However, footage of this conversation was not saved because it was marked as “non-evidential” and was not a formal interview, Norfolk police said.

They added: “Our investigation was not impacted by this”.

VICTIM WAS LEFT ON HOLD FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS

The woman driven into was left on hold for more than two and half hours when she tried to report it.

The 34-year-old driver’s 101 call to the police control room was placed in a queue before she could tell the operators how her Audi A1 had been hit from behind and the police BMW had failed to stop.

An investigation by Norfolk and Suffolk police professional standards department found it took the Suffolk control room two hours 33 minutes and four seconds to respond.

“This is an inordinate amount of time on hold,” it said, and that service provided to the woman “was not acceptable”.

A 101 call to report the hit-and-crash involving a police BMW was put on hold for hours (Image: Newsquest)

POLICE WATCHDOG IS LOOKING INTO SCANDAL

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said it is looking into the case after the woman driver raised concerns about how Norfolk police had handled her complaint.

The IOPC said it would be seeking more information from Norfolk Constabulary to determine whether to undertake a full review.

It said it could take up to 48 weeks to determine whether the outcome of her complaint had not been “reasonable and proportionate”.

“Our role is to look at the way the police handled your complaint, the outcome and the decisions reached,” it said.

SCANDAL HAS SHOCKED FORMER OFFICERS

The extraordinary case has prompted outrage from the public and from former Norfolk police officers since this newspaper revealed it last month.

Former road police officers from Norfolk Constabulary have described their 'disbelief' at the 'appalling' scandal.

Norfolk police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie (Image: Jason Bye)

One ex-officer said: "The first thing of a police officer is the protection of life and property - they didn't do that by failing to stop.”

Another said: "It's hard to believe such a thing can happen."

Numerous members of the public have written to Norfolk police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie who is set to quiz Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford about the case at a public meeting this week.