Police ‘failed’ in case of pensioner found dead in Inverness

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC)  has criticised Police Scotland for failing to make “diligent enquiries” following a 999 call from an Inverness pensioner, who was later found dead at home.

Seventy-two-year-old Insch, who lived in supported housing, made a 999 call for an ambulance on the afternoon of 26 October 2016, but the operator could not make out what he said.

The case was transferred to the police, who managed to trace his address through the phone number, which had been used on two previous occasions to call 999.

However, the flat number had been taken down wrong on one of the previous calls.

Inverness - Image credit: Adrian Pink/Flickr

Two police officers were sent to follow up on the call, but they went to the wrong flat and were told by another resident that the occupant was a woman who was in hospital.

The officers, who were only at the supported  accommodation for eight minutes, left without tracing Albert Insch and the case was closed by Police Scotland area control room (ACR) staff after it was confirmed that the occupant of the flat was a woman who was in hospital.

An employee at the accommodation has said he had directed the officers to the right flat after noting that there was a ‘Bert’ who lived in another part of the building, but the officers disputed that.

Albert Insch was found dead at home by his carer the following morning.

The PIRC report concludes that police should have made further enquiries to establish whether Albert Insch was safe and well.

However, the police watchdog could not determine whether, if officers had made more effort to trace Insch, the death could have been prevented.

PIRC has recommended that Police Scotland reinforced to staff the need to “diligently” make enquiries into dropped 999 calls – where a call ends unexpectedly – and that such calls, especially involving elderly people, should be “investigated thoroughly”.

The commissioner said: “This is a tragic case, where an elderly man endeavoured to seek emergency assistance but due to a previous error by ACR staff inaccurately recording his address and a failure by the two officers who attended to establish whether Mr Insch was safe and well, he did not receive that assistance.

“I have recommended that Police Scotland reinforce to operational officers and ACR staff the need to diligently carry out enquiries when a 999 call ends unexpectedly.

“Furthermore, I have recommended that Police Scotland ensures that especially in cases involving elderly people, officers should not leave an incident before they have established whether the person is safe and well.”

In a statement issued through PIRC, Albert Insch’s family said: “We have no further comment to make other than to thank the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner’s team for their support and professionalism surrounding the circumstances in the death or our father and husband.”