Police officers jailed over Ebrahimi case

Two police officers convicted of misconduct over the vigilante murder of Bijan Ebrahimi have been jailed.

PC Kevin Duffy, 52, and PCSO Andrew Passmore, 56, were sent to prison for 10 months and four months, respectively, for the way they they handled pleas for help from Ebrahimi in the days leading to him being falsely branded a paedophile before being beaten to death and set alight.

Ebrahimi, 44, was killed by Lee James and Stephen Norley outside his home in Capgrave Crecsent, Brislington, in 2013, after repeated calls to the police were ignored or mishandled.

Duffy and Passmore have already been sacked, but other 15 Avon and Somerset Police officers and staff still face internal police misconduct proceedings. Nineteen members of staff were initially put under investigation by the force.

Following sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Morgan, said: “In summing up in court today, Judge Ford recognised the appropriateness of custodial sentences for Kevin Duffy and Andrew Passmore. The principle job of the police service is to protect the public and in this case Bijan Ebrahimi was failed.

“The Judge also made reference to the responsibility of the wider organisation today. Our focus has been and will continue to be to understand the circumstances around Mr Ebrahimi’s treatment by our police officers and staff in the days leading up to his murder, and do all that we can to prevent such a dreadful event happening to anyone again.”

Officers jailed for misconduct in the case of Bijan Ebrahimi @ASPolicehttps://t.co/q7A0CPkiqR pic.twitter.com/Cv9bi5imow

— ITV News WestCountry (@itvwestcountry) February 9, 2016

Ebrahimi’s murder sparked an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which accused four police officers of mishandling calls from the Iranian-born man, who was registered disabled, in the run to his death.

Duffy and Passmore were convicted of misconduct after a trial at Bristol Crown Court. PCs Leanne Winter and Helen Harris were cleared of the same charge.

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said at the end of Passmore and Duffy’s trial that she was “frustrated” that legal proceedings have taken so long for Ebrahimi’s “tragic murder”.

“It is clear that on this occasion the constabulary failed local people and let down a vulnerable man in his own home,” she said.

Ebrahimi was beaten to death by his neighbours James and Norely who accused him of being a paedophile and his body was set on fire. James is serving a life sentence while Norley is serving four years.

Ebrahimi had called police days before his beating, claiming to have been assaulted by James. When police turned up they arrested Ebrahimi for breach of peace and he was taken away to the cheers of a crowd which gathered in the courtyard.

After being released Ebrahimi called the non-emergency number 101 12 times with further complaints about his neighbours.

He was old Duffy would visit him, but he never showed up. Passmore was told to visit the estate for a foot patrol, but later lied about how long he had spent in the area.