THE Metropolitan Police Force has issued an apology to the family of murdered private detective Daniel Morgan after documents relevant to the case were discovered in a locked cabinet.
The paperwork was found in a cabinet, which they confirm has “not been used for a number of years”, at New Scotland Yard in January.
They are relevant to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP) which was set up to look into the case after Mr Morgan was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south east London, on March 10, 1987.
A string of unsuccessful investigations into his death have taken place over the years, some with claims of corruption made against them.
The DWIP, which returned its findings in 2021, was overseen by Baroness Nuala O’Loan.
The police force has also written a letter of apology to Baroness O’Loan, who hails from Kirkinriola in Co. Antrim, as their assessment of the newly discovered files confirms “some of this material should have been disclosed to DMIP which published its final report in June 2021”.
The Met’s assistant commissioner, Barbara Gray said: “We fully acknowledge how unacceptable and deeply regrettable this situation is.
“We are working to understand what has taken place and any impact. We apologise to the family of Daniel Morgan and to the Panel.”
The documents were found in January and the subsequent assessment started in February.
A total of 95 pages of material - 37 documents - have been initially identified that would have been disclosed under a protocol agreed with the DMIP.
In addition, the force also identified a further 71 pages - 23 documents - that would have been provided to His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as part of their subsequent inspection.
“Our assessment is that there are no evidential documents that relate to criminal investigations into the murder,” the Met Police confirmed this week.
HMICFRS, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the Home Office have also all been informed of the findings.
“The Police Inspectorate has agreed to review the documents and our assessment as a follow up to their previous inspection,” the force, which remains in discussion with the IOPC, adds.
“In addition, we will make any material that should have been disclosed to the Panel available to the family of Daniel Morgan and to Baroness O’Loan.”
