Jason Meade has become the second white law enforcement officer to be convicted of the killing of a Black man in Ohio since the 2020 killing of dad-to-five George Floyd

A police officer has been found guilty of reckless homicide after shooting a young man who was merely taking sandwiches to his grandmother’s house.

Jason Meade gunned Casey Goodson Jr six times — five times in the back and once in the side — having pursued him into the property after passing each other in their vehicles. It led to outrage during the five years since, and Mr Goodson’s family says they can only now start “finally start truly grieving”.

Meade, now 47, has become the second white law enforcement officer to be convicted of the killing of a Black man in Ohio since the 2020 killing of dad-to-five George Floyd. Mr Goodson’s killing happened just six months later, in December of that year, and Meade was later tried for murder. This case ended in a mistrial and Meade stood in the dock again this year at a court in Columbus, Ohio.

Meade, who is white, said his repeated shooting of Mr Goodson was justified because he saw the 23-year-old holding a gun and turning toward him in the doorway of the house in Columbus. No one else testified they saw Mr Goodson holding the gun he was licensed to carry, and no cameras recorded the shooting.

READ MORE: CCTV captures brazen killer calmly returning home after punching pensioner on night outREAD MORE: Death row inmate who believes he’s ‘immortal’ avoids execution at last minute

Mr Goodson was actually taking sandwiches to his nan. Meade had testified in the first trial that he pursued Mr Goodson after the man waved a gun at him as they passed each other in their vehicles. According to his family and prosecutors, Mr Goodson was holding a bag of Subway sandwiches in one hand and his keys in the other, and was listening to music through earbuds when he was killed.

Tamala Payne, Mr Goodson’s mother, said the guilty verdict gives her family closure and peace. She told reporters outside the court: “I know now Casey can rest. You know, we’ve been fighting for five and a half years, and Casey sees his family fighting. He knows the stress. He knows the pain. He knows the heartache. And now, not only can we try to find peace and finally start truly grieving, my baby can rest.”

Meade, who retired from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in 2021, did not take the stand at his second trial. His prosecutors said the evidence suggested the gun wasn’t in Mr Goodson’s hands, but in a flimsy holder under his belt. They added it was found under his body, its safety mechanism still engaged, as Mr Goodson laid mortally wounded on the kitchen floor of his grandmother’s house.

The defendant, also a Baptist pastor, will be sentenced on July 16. Ohio law defines murder as the purposeful causing of a death, while the lesser charge of reckless murder means the defendant acted recklessly in causing a death. The former is punishable by up to life in prison, while the latter carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Ofsted, the schools inspectorate in England, was the subject of a UK parliamentary inquiry after the death by suicide of Ruth Perry, headteacher of Caversham Primary school in Berkshire, in 2023. The coroner’s report had concluded that Perry’s death was “suicide, contributed to by an Ofsted inspection”.

The parliamentary inquiry called for submissions of evidence about Ofsted from members of the public. Our recent research has analysed the 233 published submissions, many of which were from teachers. One submission to the inquiry included an impact statement by a headteacher written in 2022. It read:

The manner in which the inspection was conducted and the lack of integrity from the Lead Inspector has meant that my family have had to support me through suicidal thoughts and through countless occasions of being in floods of tears as soon as I think back to that day.

“It seems incredible that an issue like the conduct of school inspection should be a life-and-death matter, but so indeed it has become,” the submission from her school stated.

Theory of suicide

Sociological theory helps us ask questions and seek radical answers about how societies function, including government policy such as the inspection of schools.

Sociologist Émile Durkheim’s theory of suicide argues that suicide does not only happen because of mental illness, but that it also has a social context. Durkheim examined how the interaction of people and social control, as well as notions of shame, guilt, failing expectations and feeling trapped, might result in someone having suicidal thoughts and feelings.

We found evidence of teachers feeling shame. One submission mentioned “the enormous shame and distress that is felt by those leading and working within the school”.

Teachers also reported feeling trapped:

In my last inspection in November 2019, I lost half a stone in the three days (starting from the phone call) and lost my voice. My family suffered, there were arguments and I slept on the couch. The stress and pressure was all too much. As a school leader, I live in fear and I came into education because I love teaching but now I feel trapped.

The risk of a less than good inspection was “petrifying”. Having to be always ready for an inspection was “intolerable”. The thought of letting colleagues down by making a mistake was “unbearable”.

Teachers wrote about ill health because of Ofsted experiences. These accounts included vomiting, physical collapse, panic attacks, incontinence and suspected stroke with a temporary loss of speech. One wrote that they had a miscarriage the day after a deeply stressful Ofsted inspection.

The government and Ofsted’s response

The Education Committee’s report noted that the committee had heard that “Ofsted has lost trust and credibility among many in the teaching profession.”

However, a number of reports on Ofsted’s practice, including the independent learning review commissioned by Ofsted, fail to acknowledge that teachers can have suicidal thoughts and feelings because of Ofsted.

Ofsted’s developments since the inquiry include introducing report cards for schools. Ofsted says this is fairer, but teachers say it creates more stress. An independent risk assessment warns that “the revised framework does not reduce the pressure on leaders to achieve a desirable outcome. The consequence of not meeting the expected standards of the revised framework will remain high stakes in nature.”

Other developments include changes regarding inspections of provision for children in care and inspection frameworks themselves.

But we do not believe that these changes constitute the “root and branch” review of Ofsted previously called for by education leaders.

Professor Julia Waters, Ruth Perry’s sister, has said that our study “presents the evidence of the terrible human cost posed by Ofsted inspections, evidence that Ofsted and successive governments have still not fully grasped”.

Both Ofsted and the government should review how the inspectorate works. Not to do so runs the risk of school inspections remaining a life-and-death matter.

If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, the following services can provide you with support:
In the UK and Ireland – call Samaritans UK at 116 123.
In the US – call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or IMAlive at 1-800-784-2433.
In Australia – call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14.
In other countries – visit IASP or Suicide.org to find a helpline in your country.

Bunny Shaw was coy when asked about her future amid speculation that she will leave Manchester City when her contract expires at the end of the season.

Shaw has enjoyed another prolific season in front of goal, scoring 19 goals in 21 games to help fire City to their first WSL title in a decade.

But despite scoring a remarkable 113 goals in 134 games for City since signing in 2021, the Jamaican international appears poised to leave the club at the end of the season.

The Guardian reported on Thursday that Shaw has failed to reach an agreement with City over a new deal and will seek a fresh challenge in the summer, with Chelsea among the frontrunners to sign the 29-year-old.

But asked about her future, Shaw kept her cards close to her chest, telling Metro: ‘For me, I have two more games at least. And then obviously, it depends on what happens with the game on the weekend [City’s FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea].

‘But for me, I just want to finish the season strong with Man City, and then we hope for the best and see what happens.’

Shaw’s goalscoring exploits saw her named Player of the Year at the 2026 Women’s Football Awards, capping off a whirlwind 24 hours that began with City being crowned WSL champions following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday.

‘It’s been a very interesting 24 hours from winning the league last night to being here winning this award tonight,’ Shaw said.

‘But it’s been a long time coming and it’s something that we wanted to get our hands on and to finally see it happen. It’s a good feeling.

‘We were all together as a team, coaches, staff, background staff, everyone. We were just sitting there watching the game, hoping for the best outcome and obviously we got it, so we’re all elated.’

Having finished fourth and 17 points behind champions Chelsea last season, City have been much improved this season, with Shaw keen to credit the freedom given to the team by manager Andree Jeglertz.

‘He came in and gave us a lot of freedom as a group,’ she noted. ‘It’s all about going out and expressing yourself, enjoying it.

‘If you lose the ball, which, you know, it’s football, it’s going to happen, just go and win it back and keep going and keep trying to have fun and express yourself.

‘And I think if you watch the way we play, we play with a lot of freedom and fluidity. We were able to put in very good performances each game without dropping points early on, and I think that definitely helped us towards the end of the season.’

And while keen to celebrate their league triumph, City still have plenty to play for this season as they seek to punch their ticket to the FA Cup final with a win over Chelsea this weekend.

‘We spoke about it [the domestic double],’ Shaw ended. ‘Definitely going to Wembley. I’ve only been to Wembley once and I really enjoyed it.

‘So I think playing Chelsea and beating them will definitely give us a good chance of going there. We’ve won the league now, so we can definitely put all our focus on that game, and we’re going to attack it and give everything we’ve got.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Chelsea tipped to sell £30m signing after just one season

MORE: Cole Palmer’s stance on Manchester United transfer as Chelsea set asking price

MORE: Chelsea legend John Terry responds to Arsenal celebrations after Atletico Madrid win

Philip Hayes, 54, died after a crash involving a Tesla on Preston Road at around 5.30am on Thursday, April 30.

His family have paid tribute in a statement.

Police on scene after crash in Coppull on April 30 (Image: Phil Taylor)

The family said: “Phil was the most beautiful father, husband and person.

“Whether it was his sarcastic jokes, his dedication to his dogs or his acts of kindness dropping off food for people or presents, nobody could say a bad word about him.

“Even if you only met him once or twice, he left an impact on you. And everyone who knew him has absolutely amazing memories with him that they will treasure always.”

The statement added that everyone is “devastated” about the news.

They said: “We have had people reach out from all over – those who may have gone to the pub with him, helped a new colleague settle into a job, or just used to see him on dog walks. Everyone is devastated.

“He did absolutely anything for his family, with gorgeous memories of holidays to Cornwall, Paris and Portugal, and even simpler times of watching tele and having a takeaway.

“We are absolutely crushed by the loss and still in complete shock. Such an amazing man has had his life ripped away from him so early due to the reckless and dangerous driving of one individual.

“Their actions have left a huge hole in all our hearts and lives that can never be replaced. No amount of justice will ever make up for the most gorgeous soul that has been taken from us.

Police on scene after crash in Coppull on April 30 (Image: Phil Taylor)

“Dad, hubby, mate, we will miss you each and every hour. You live on through your two sons and wife. Whenever we have a cream cake, look at a bottle of whiskey or see any geeky t-shirts, we will always think of you.

“Phil’s final resting place will be Cornwall for all the amazing times we had there. We hope you get rest and we can’t wait for when we get to see you again. We love you so much, and we really hope you knew just how much.”

READ MORE: Man, in 50s, dies after crash on Preston Road, Coppull

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been released on bail with conditions.

Lancashire Police are continuing to investigate the collision and are appealing for further information.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 0170 of April 30.

Information can also be emailed to the serious collision investigation unit at SCIU@lancashire.police.uk.

Millions of voters have turned out to cast their votes across the country – but here’s when the result in Cambridgeshire could be clear

Voters have headed to the polls to cast their votes today in this year’s hotly-contested local elections. Councillors will be elected to around 5,000 seats across 134 councils in England, including all 34 boroughs in London.

Results will trickle out overnight after the polls close at 10pm but many councils are not expected to declare before Friday afternoon. In Cambridgeshire, where four councils are holding elections, Peterborough City Council is expected to be first with results released around 3am with a third of councillors contesting their seats this year.

Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire district councils – where every seat is up for grabs – will declare at 2.30pm and 4pm respectively. Cambridge City Council, where a third of members will be elected, is expected to declare their results at 5pm. East Cambridgeshire District Council and Fenland District Council do not have elections this year.

Estimated declaration times are approximate and may be affected by issues such as delays in verifying and counting ballots or, by recounts, and turnout.

Elections are also being held in the devolved administrations in Wales, with 96 Senedd members to be elected under a new proportional voting system, and in Scotland, where there are 126 seats up for grabs at Holyrood.

While going out for a brew is a real treat for many people, there’s nothing quite like getting a cafe quality coffee at home – and one independent roastery is helping shoppers do that for less

While supermarket beans are perfectly fine for a budget brew, coffee lovers know nothing beats the fresh, rich flavour of an independent local roast. There’s just a special kind of joy in finding that perfect nutty or sweet blend to power your morning from home. Plus, does supporting a small business while enjoying such a thing make the caffeine hit better? I definitely think so.

But often, coffee from these indie spots roasting their own beans need to be purchased in store. But that’s not the case for fans of Small Batch Coffee Roasters, a speciality coffee company hailing from Brighton, whose brews (which are roasted in a nearby premises), blends and beans can not only be snapped up in its shops, but bought online – and just as fresh.

Promising ‘coffee at its absolute best; vibrant, full of flavour and miles away from anything sitting on a supermarket shelf for months’, the brand is currently offering an introductory deal to those who love trying out new coffee beans. By entering the code WELCOME15 on first orders, shoppers can get 15% off.

READ MORE:

This means that the likes of its Papua New Guinea Paradise Mountain coffee, with its notes of citrus, blackcurrent and caramel (usually £27 for a 500g bag), can be snapped up for £22.95. Or its £39 1kg bag of dark chocolate, citrus fruit and hazelnut flavoured Throwback beans will now cost £33.15.

For those who’ve not heard of this southern-based UK coffee brand, which claims to be “completely committed to the belief that great coffee shouldn’t be a luxury”, its flagship coffee shop opened in 2006. Since then, it has earned quite the reputation as ‘one of the pioneers of speciality coffee in the UK’ and works across two cafe sites in Brighton & Hove. It’s also scooped up multiple awards at the likes of the Great Taste Awards and the European Coffee Awards.

Get 15% off first order on Small Batch Coffee Roasters coffee

£12.45

£10.59

Advertisement

Small Batch Coffee Roasters

Buy Now on Small Batch Coffee Roasters

Shoppers who apply the discount code WELCOME15 at checkout can get 15% off their first order. This applies to the individual products, such as its Goldstone blend.

With a range of coffee options on offer, including decaf, the brand also takes into consideration those who have pod machines and stock its coffee in capsule form too. What’s more is it can offer beans that have been ground for a variety of machines, from stove top to filter to cafetiere.

Prices start at £7 but for those who want to ensure their coffee cup is never empty, Small Batch Coffee Roasters has a subscription model starting at £11.90 a month, where users will be sent freshly roasted single origin beans hand-selected by the team. It promises: “A new coffee from a new corner of the world, every single month.” While the discount code isn’t valid on subscriptions, the company is currently slashing 20% off for new subscribers.

They also add how every bag “leaves our Brighton roastery at peak freshness, so you’re always getting coffee at its absolute best”.

Of course, with fresh (good) espresso being quite the necessity for many people in the mornings, this isn’t the only independent coffee shop with a roastery and made-to-order beans. In south Wales, Americano fans can snap up Hard Lines both in store and online, with its subscription model also starting at £11.50.

For those who have tasted and loved Bristol-born Clifton Coffee at their local cafe, it’s also available online with subscriptions also starting at £10.

Small Batch Coffee Roasters also has a range of other products to help caffeine-lovers get the most out of their brew, for example its chocolate pairing sets, which sees the likes of its Throwback coffee paired with honeycomb chocolate for a serious flavour burst.

Meanwhile, households with a decaf drinker thrown in the mix can make use of its The Goldstone Blend and Decaf Duo, £24.25. It’s important to note that unfortunately bundles, machines and certain selected products aren’t eligible for the WELCOME15 code, so keep that in mind when ordering.

Regular customers of Small Batch Coffee Roasters have sung its praises, with one shopper on TrustPilot sharing how its coffee is ‘Absolutely magnificent’. They wrote a five star review, which read: “Best quality beans on the south coast AND excellent customer service.”

Someone else remarked: “This coffee is my morning lifesaver. Honestly, tastes like it was roasted that very morning. I can literally taste why it is award winning.”

A third added: “Excellent coffee! Always super freshly roasted. The coffee club has a really interesting and delicious selection of coffees. Good value and delivered to the door. The best coffee subscription I have tried. Highly recommended.”

Although for some people, the delivery process wasn’t quite as smooth as their coffee flavour, with one person sharing how they experienced delays in receiving their parcel. They remarked: “Just to let you know that the delivery of my order was really slow. Ordered on 3rd. Dispatched on 6th. But arrived only on 13th. Hope that this will not be the pattern with my monthly order. At least I already know the coffee will be great!”

That said, this wasn’t the experience had by all, with one user commenting how pleased they were with the promptness of their Small Batch Coffee delivery: “Quick delivery and great coffee = win/win.”

Sam Allardyce says Harry Maguire should consider rejecting an England call-up for the World Cup after Thomas Tuchel’s ‘harsh’ comments on the Manchester United defender.

Maguire, 33, was included in Tuchel’s expanded 35-man squad for the friendlies with Uruguay and Japan back in March.

Following Maguire’s England recall, Three Lions boss Tuchel said at the time: ‘As I said, this is the last camp before the trip to the US, so it’s also my final chance to get to know new players, to learn about them and see how they fit in.

‘Harry isn’t a new player in an England shirt, of course, but he’s new to me in this camp.

‘I want to observe how he interacts with other players, see him on the pitch, understand what he’s capable of, and gather enough insight to make clear decisions.’

Tuchel was less praiseworthy of Maguire after England’s draw with Uruguay and said he was his fifth-choice for the centre-back position going into the World Cup.

Assessing Maguire’s performance, Tuchel said: ‘I got exactly what I thought, solid, solid central-defender play.

‘That’s what he does. Very good on the ball, very calm, strong in the air and in the weapon for set-pieces.

‘I haven’t changed my mind, but I see other players I like to start for us, I see other players ahead with a different profile.

‘I see Ezri Konsa ahead, I see Marc Guehi ahead. It’s no secret. I see Trevoh Chalobah on the level of mobility was slightly ahead of him. Also John Stones, but he had injuries, so he needed to come to camp.

‘I needed to meet him in person to see how he acts within the group. It will be interesting now to see how he acts within the group.

‘Like I said, he has an asset, of course, that he can also be super important in a tournament, in knockout football, in defending a lead and chasing a game with crosses and long throw-ins and set-pieces.’

Voters took to the polls on Thursday (May 7) to elect councillors across the region.

All seats were up for grabs in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland, while a third of councillors are being elected in North Tyneside and Hartlepool.

Other parts of the region are not electing councillors this year.

Reform UK, which took control of Durham County Council last year, is hoping to replicate that success across the North East, with Sunderland and Hartlepool areas to watch.

Results are estimated to be announced for each council at:

• Hartlepool – 2am
• North Tyneside – 1.45pm
• Sunderland – 4pm
• Gateshead – 4pm
• Newcastle – 4.45pm
• South Tyneside – 5.30pm

Follow our live blog with the latest results HERE

To see the results toggle between the old make-up and 2026 results using the buttons on each graphic.

Hartlepool

Sunderland

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Gateshead

South Tyneside

Jeremy Howick, Professor of Empathic Healthcare and Director of the Stoneygate Centre at the University of Leicester, has been named this year’s winner of the Professor Sir Paul Curran Award for Excellence in Academic Journalism.

The prize is awarded annually to an academic who has shown exceptional skill, dedication and engagement in communicating their knowledge to readers through their contributions to The Conversation.

Jeremy has written 26 articles that have garnered 775,000 pageviews since his first publication in 2016 – including translations into French and Portuguese. His articles have looked at placebos, the effects of empathy and empathic treatment by clinicians, and medical safety, among others.

Presented this year by Lady Helen Curran in Sir Paul’s absence, we were delighted to welcome around 80 authors who had written for The Conversation in 2025 at Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London. Over drinks, they met Conversation editors and colleagues from across the sector.

Jeremy said: “It is a great honour to win this prestigious award. Thank you to The Conversation for the wonderful work they do, to my editor Clint Witchalls and to Stephen Khan for your help over the years.

“I have written for The Conversation for 10 years, and it has been an important part of my life’s work. I have always viewed public communication as a duty. My research as an academic has been funded by the MRC, NIHR, and other public bodies, meaning that the taxpayer has often paid my bills. The Conversation gives me a forum through which I can explain my research to the public.

“But also I’ve always been motivated to change practice. You can do that by becoming a politician or policymaker, but I’m not patient enough for that. The other way is to inform the public to create a groundswell for change. At the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare in Leicester, and before that at the Oxford Empathy Programme, I’ve attempted to do just that by working to ensure that all healthcare consultations include a dose of empathy. The evidence is starting to show that we are succeeding at making a real difference, and The Conversation has contributed to that real-life impact. So thank you once again for this amazing award. I’m humbled and honoured.”

Senior Health Editor Clint Witchalls said: “I remember Jeremy’s first piece: Why doing good can do you good, about how doing good things for others doesn’t just feel nice but can actually make you healthier. Studies showed that volunteers have lower stress levels, healthier hearts, and even a brain that rewards them with feel-good chemicals for being kind. At the time Jeremy was at the University of Oxford and focused on researching the placebo and nocebo effects, which he has also written about for us. I can highly recommend Jeremy’s book: The Power of Placebos.”

Commendations

Highly Commended for his work was archaeology researcher Stephan Blum, from the University of Tübingen in Germany. Perhaps understandably he was not able to attend on the day, but his certificate is winging its way eastward.

Senior Arts Editor Anna Walker said: “Not only is Stephan a delight to work with, but he instinctively understands what The Conversation needs. His ability to connect the ancient world to contemporary concerns is a defining strength of his writing. Whether exploring environmental pressures behind the fall of Troy or reassessing long-held assumptions about early trade and wine production, he shows how the distant past can illuminate present-day issues, presenting history not as something static or remote but as a dynamic field that continues to shape how we understand the world today.”

Responding to the award, Stephan wrote: “Writing for The Conversation has been a tremendously rewarding experience, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to contribute. It means a great deal to see the work recognised in this way.”

Commended for their work on the thorny topic of climate finance were Meilan Yan of Loughborough University and Narmin Nahidi of the University of Exeter (who was also not able to attend).

Senior environment editor Anna Turns said: “I first worked with Meilan in May 2025 when compiling a user-friendly guide to climate finance – a notoriously complex and abstract topic. Climate risk is one of Meilan’s biggest worries and this is very much something that gets overlooked among a chaotic landscape of geopolitical unrest. Her pieces bridge the gap between climate science and financial risk in tangible and relatable ways.

“Narmin Nahidi, who we also discovered through working on the glossary of climate finance, explained many terms for us and has since tuned in to pitching timely and topical stories, is always been keen to collaborate on edits and a pleasure to work with.

Editor-in-Chief Stephen Khan thanked Lady Curran: “Professor Sir Paul’s ongoing commitment to The Conversation is greatly appreciated and we were delighted Lady Curran was able to meet the authors shortlisted this year and make the presentations.

“We’ve had thousands of fantastic articles and podcast contributions from across the academy over the past 12 months, taking expert knowledge to millions of people from all walks of life around the world.

“These authors authors showed a particular ability to make complex research accessible, engaging and genuinely useful. Jeremy Howick’s writing exemplifies the very best of The Conversation’s mission: rigorous evidence communicated with clarity, warmth and public purpose.”

A huge thank you to Jeremy, Stephan, Meilan and Narmin for their work with The Conversation over the years, and to all our authors – without whose efforts there would be no Conversation.

The UUP leader added: “any police officer who is involved in or who uses misogynistic language, there’s no place for them within the police service.”

The UUP leader and former Head of Internal Discipline in the PSNI has claimed that he never heard misogynistic language in the police service.

His comments come after a review into the investigation of the murder of showjumper Katie Simpson finding that “institutional misogyny” contributed to “clear warning signs” being missed in the initial police investigation.

Jon Burrows served as Head of Internal Discipline in the PSNI at the time of Katie Simpson’s murder until his retirement on medical grounds a year later, in 2021.

He was speaking to Belfast Live just days after an independent review into the Katie Simpson investigation made 16 recommendations, concluding there were systemic failings in how the case was handled.

“The murder was an evil act by a serial abuser of women, and it was committed against an entirely innocent woman, and it’s vital that lessons are learned about this,” he said.

“I think at the outset, it is imperative that every sudden death or suspected suicide is treated with an open mind , and if you don’t have an open mind at the outset, what tends to happen is you interpret all pieces of information as confirming what your initial presumption is, in this case, that it was a suicide, not a murder.

“I think there’s a degree of training around making sure that officers retain an open mind. There are serious questions about supervision at all levels, from the sergeant right up to the highest levels in the local district and the murder investigation teams, because clearly there was a conflict here. There were some officers who had concerns, there were members of the public who had concerns, and yet they weren’t properly listened to. I think what should have happened here is there should have been an intervention by a senior officer to sit and weigh up all the information.”

Mr Burrows said that he warned “for years” that sergeants and inspectors are “pulled towards the computer”, rather than frontline policing, due to levels of bureaucracy within the police service and said that there was a “catastrophic failure of leadership” in this case.

“Jonathan Creswell had an offending history for coercive control and domestic violence. Concerns were repeatedly raised with the police by members of the public, and those were missed.

“Somewhere in the mix of this, those in senior leadership positions in that district should have been intervening and should have been making sure this was properly investigated.

“Lessons should have been learned, both in terms of culture, in terms of process and in terms of investigative mindsets.”

Jon Burrows said that he was the first retired officer to “call out” what he said were “catastrophic errors” in the case back in August 2024.

Reflecting on his own experience in the PSNI, Mr Burrows said that all sudden deaths are supposed to be reviewed the next morning, and if you are in doubt as to whether a death is suspicious or not, it should be treated as suspicious, as there is a critical timeframe to get evidence from a postmortem and forensics.

“I want to put on record, I also am deeply concerned about a culture in our entire justice system that seems to put the interests of the perpetrator in front of the interests of the victim,” he continued.

“I’ve been talking about this for a long time. So, for example, in this case, Creswell is someone who has a conviction for coercive control and abuse, despite being charged in court for murder, where there’s a major incentive to jump bail, despite the case involving one where there was interference of witnesses and perverting the course of justice, inexplicably, Creswell was granted bail by the judge.

“What on earth was Creswell doing on bail during a trial for murder in which there were outstanding witnesses, in which he was also charged with interfering with those witnesses and perverting the course of justice, and that allowed him to commit suicide, and evade justice.

“I think this, this case calls for a wider review of the culture of the entire justice system, and it’s no surprise to me that we have the highest femicide rates in the UK, because you consistently prioritise the rights of the perpetrator over the rights of victims.”

All the PSNI officers investigated over the handling of the case have since retired. Jon Burrows said that while he was in the PSNI’s Professional Standards team, he recommended that misconduct regulations be amended so that cases could be taken against officers if they leave the PSNI or retire, as happens in England and Wales, but his recommendations were never progressed.

Despite Dr Jan Melia’s report finding that “institutional misogyny” contributed to “clear warning signs” being missed, Mr Burrows defended the culture he oversaw: “I’ve never heard misogynistic language in the police service, not for a long time, and if I did, it was challenged.

“Policing, since the inception of the peace process, and I was in the Met Police, initially, and then I came to the PSNI in the early 2000’s, what happened was the police were heavily trained in human rights compliance.

“I think the training overemphasised what the police couldn’t do in terms of arrest and refusing bail and all of those things in terms of suspect rights, but I don’t think it emphasised enough the positive obligation that the police service has to protect life, to investigate crime, and to take positive action to bring offenders to justice. That’s one of the cultures I saw develop.

“In terms of misogynistic language, let me make this clear: any police officer who is involved in or who uses misogynistic language, there’s no place for them within the police service. Any officer involved in domestic violence, there’s no place for them in the police service.

“I am pleased that there’s been some prosecutions recently for two police officers who were involved in paying for sex. I’ve always supported honest and hardworking officers, but anyone, and I mean anyone, who is misogynistic, who engages in degrading treatment towards women has no place in the police service, and they should be rooted out.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.