Search that missed body ‘lacked sense’

Oct 10 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A CORONER yesterday said a police operation “lacked common sense” after a nine-day search failed to find a pensioner who died yards from home.

Beatrice Johnson, 82, of St Clement’s Court near Kingston Park Road, Fawdon, Newcastle, was eventually found in a garage block just 100 yards from home by a member of the public.

A huge search involving helicopters and sniffer dogs was launched on January 29 last year, but the pensioner was found dead from hypothermia in bushes behind the garages in nearby Belsay Gardens.

At an inquest yesterday, her family heard that the spot where she lay had not been searched by police. A grid system was set up but it was later discovered that an area known as zone 17 was never searched. This was where Mrs Johnson was found on February 7.

Coroner David Mitford criticised the police operation, saying the search lacked common sense and officers drafted in had insufficient knowledge of the area.

Detective Inspector Peter Simpson, of Northumbria Police, who led the investigation into how the search had been conducted, said: “There were instructions to look in gardens of premises in the area, but because of fading light they didn’t extend this to look at surrounding areas.

“The officer in charge was convinced the area had been searched.

“It is accepted by Northumbria Police that things could have been done better. Changes were made almost immediately.”

The “sprightly” pensioner was using anti-depressant medications at the time of her death and her daughter Pauline Handy said she had complained of hallucinations on the evening before she went missing.

Her disappearance sparked a search as far afield as Birmingham.

When the great-grandmother was found, her shoes had been tossed on a nearby compost heap and she was wearing just a dressing gown and a nightdress in temperatures just above freezing.

Medical evidence suggested she had frozen to death before the police were told she was missing.

After the inquest a police family liaison officer, speaking on behalf of Mrs Handy, said: “She would like to thank the police for all their support. Her mum would have been overjoyed that good has come out of her death and that possibly in the future someone who goes missing may be found alive.”

Immediately after the incident the officer who directed the search teams was removed from search duties and new measures were introduced to prevent future problems.

Mr Simpson said: “There was a lack of judgment on the part of the officer directing the search teams and the prioritising of information which suggested that Mrs Johnson may have travelled to another part of the country.

“The medical evidence shows that in all probability Mrs Johnson had died before the police search got under way.

“However, it is regrettable that she was not found earlier, as it would have saved her family some of the anguish they naturally felt at the time.

“Lessons have been learned, the officer who directed the search teams has been removed from specialist search duties and we have strengthened our management and review procedures regarding search activities.”

Verdict: Accident.