Greater Manchester Police has agreed compensation with a family after raiding their home and marching an innocent young cancer sufferer into the street wearing only his underwear.
The man, aged 19 at the time, was in remission having undergone chemotherapy treatment for bone cancer. He had also recently undergone major surgery to his left leg, leaving him with restricted mobility.
Yet when he and his family pleaded their innocence, and stressed his need to get dressed and put on a special boot to protect his leg, officers ignored them as they marched him outside undressed and detained him.
The incident happened on September 29, 2019, when the family, a mother, her 18-year-old daughter who has learning difficulties, the son and two of his friends suddenly became aware of a police incident on their street.
“My son hadn’t been out of bed long because he’d recently had an operation on his leg. His friends had come to see him,” said the mother, aged 49.
“I suddenly heard all this commotion outside and when I looked out of the window I saw loads of police cars and armed police going into the house which adjoins ours. Of course, like anyone would, I was having a nosey and seeing what was going on.
“The next thing I knew they were in my garden, had broken down my fence and were pointing their guns though my window, shouting that they were armed police and that we needed to come out immediately.
“I’d only recently bought a puppy so I asked if I could just put him in his cage as not to scare him but they didn’t listen. As soon as I opened the door they marched me and my daughter outside.
“The next thing I knew they’d frog-marched my son out into the street as well and he was still just in his underwear. I said to them that he needed to put some clothes on as he was in remission from cancer, and his boot because of his operation, but they just ignored me.
“It was petrifying for us all and I think it is disgusting that the police can do that. Nobody showed us a warrant, and they said they’d been acting on fast-time information, but that doesn’t give them the right to do this to people.
“We were later told that they were apparently looking for a dangerous person, but again, how can they raid a home just because it is next door. We didn’t hardly know our neighbours at all as they had only recently moved in.”
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Legal case alleged breaches of human rights
As part of a legal case led by Hudgell Solicitors, it was alleged the property had been searched ‘without good reason and without a warrant’.
Alexandra Eldon, a specialist in handling cases relating to actions against the police, claimed the force had committed offences of trespass to land and damage to property, with claims made for physical injury, emotional distress, embarrassment and breaches of human rights.
She said: “This was a case where the police failed to follow procedures and ultimately acted beyond their powers in terms of searching premises and detaining people.
“Police have the power to search the premises of a person who is under arrest, yet at no time were our clients arrested. If the police were in pursuit of a suspect and needed to search our client’s home, then they could have just asked to enter and take a look around.
“There was no reasonable basis to remove them from the property by gunpoint and detain them in the street in the view neighbours while a search of the property was conducted.
“For the young man it caused a lot of embarrassment particularly. He does not normally show people his scars and wears a hat due to undergoing chemotherapy. All his neighbours could see what was happening to him and his family.”
Damages settlements have been agreed out of court for the mother and son. Greater Manchester Police has also offered compensation to the woman’s daughter, and her claim is ongoing.
“This has had a huge impact on us all and I think it’s disgusting that police think they can do this without any thoughts for the consequences. We’ve never had an apology and they’ve just made us these financial offers so they can close it off and move on,” said the mother.
“It’s not the embarrassment of being hauled out into the street, it’s the impact it had on my children. My daughter found it petrifying and my son has been left suffering with anxiety ever since. It was awful for him given all he has been through.”
Making a Civil Liberties Claim
If your rights have been breached by the police or the state, Hudgell Solicitors can help you get justice. Our civil liberties solicitors specialise in actions against the police, holding authorities to account for infringing on your rights and stepping over the line through unlawful treatment.
Read more: Civil Liberties and Actions Against the Police
