A misconduct hearing is set to take place for a police inspector following complaints regarding shortcomings in the search for a missing man who was later fatally struck by a train. The man in question, 23-year-old Matthew Caseby, was a mental health patient at the Priory Hospital Woodbourne in Birmingham when he tragically passed away in September 2020 after he managed to leave the facility by climbing a wall in its courtyard. Richard Caseby, the father of Matthew, lodged a complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), alleging deficiencies in the search efforts for his son.
In response to the allegations, the IOPC recommended that a misconduct meeting be convened, with West Midlands Police tasked with organizing the disciplinary proceedings. The police force confirmed that the meeting would be scheduled to occur “in due course.” Expressing his disappointment with the police’s handling of the situation, Mr. Caseby’s father expressed that “West Midlands Police utterly failed my family when we needed them most.”
During an inquest held in April 2022, a jury determined that hospital failures constituting neglect played a role in Mr. Caseby’s untimely death. It was revealed during the inquiry that he should have been under constant supervision but was left unattended. As a result of the safety failures linked to the incident, care provider Priory Healthcare was fined £650,000 the previous year. Following evidence presented at the inquest, the IOPC received and probed a complaint from Richard Caseby, which prompted an investigation into the West Midlands Police response to reports of Matthew’s disappearance.
The IOPC’s investigation delved into the initial risk assessments, search efforts, and consideration given to information provided by Matthew’s parents. Statements from multiple witnesses were collected, and a police inspector was interviewed under misconduct caution as part of the inquiry. Subsequent to the investigation, a report outlining the findings was submitted to both the police force and Mr. Caseby. The IOPC determined that a misconduct meeting was necessary for the police inspector concerning their decision-making and handling of information after Matthew was reported missing, culminating in West Midlands Police overseeing the disciplinary proceedings. Originally being detained in London under the Mental Health Act after reports of him running onto railway tracks near Oxford, Matthew Caseby’s tragic passing has raised serious concerns about the handling of individuals with mental health issues
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