Sheku Bayoh inquiry sees ex-detective slam police evidence-gathering

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Police evidence gathering on the day Sheku Bayoh died has been criticised by a former high ranking detective who was called to assist with the investigation into the incident.

Retired detective chief inspector Keith Hardie, 60, told the inquiry into Mr Bayoh’s death that his main role was to provide a handover of Police Scotland’s involvement in the incident.

Mr Bayoh, 31, had been seen brandishing a knife in public in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in May 2015 before being restrained by six police officers in the town’s Hayfield Road.

He fell unconscious and died a short time later. Mr Hardie, who worked in the force for 31 years, said his main role was to provide a handover of Police Scotland’s involvement in the incident to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc), which he said “came out and took primacy in the inquiry”.Senior counsel to the inquiry Angela Grahame KC asked the witness what he thought of Pirc’s involvement.Mr Hardie said the organisation was “in its infancy” at the time, and that the representatives of Pirc were “stand-offish”.He added: “Neither of us were comfortable with this new ground-breaking process whereby we stood back and acted like agents for them.”The inquiry then heard more detail about evidence-gathering after Mr Bayoh was restrained.Ms Grahame asked the witness if he had any comments about the fact the officer who recovered the knife at the scene travelled in the ambulance with Mr Bayoh, who was unconscious, to a hospital.Mr Hardie said it was the first he had heard of that, adding: “That’s an absolute no.”When Ms Grahame clarified the knife itself was not in the ambulance, Mr Hardie continued: “I wouldn’t like it, and I wouldn’t have it.