Officer cleared after fatal police pursuit

CHRISTOPHER MORRISON

THE Independent Police Complaints Commission has cleared the officer involved in the high-speed chase which ended in a fatal smash at the weekend.

The IPCC says everything was done correctly and it does not need to undertake a full investigation.

The chief constable of GMP, Peter Fahy, said it was a tragic case but the officer did his duty and would have been criticised if he had not followed the car.

Meanwhile, the family of one of the victims has paid tribute to a gentle giant who was a lovely lad.

Christopher Morrison (23), from Middleton, died along with Paul Bunting (30) and Cassie Fox (19) when a Vauxhall Vectra crashed in Middleton Road, Chadderton, at 3.30am on Sunday.

Cassie’s friend Claire Matthews (18), a mother-of-two, remains in a critical condition at Hope Hospital, Salford. Bernice and Joe Morrison said: “Chris was a lovely lad who was well-liked. It’s a terrible waste for all of them. I hope people of that same age group don’t do anything similar and we hope something good comes out of this.”

Flowers left for Miss Fox by her mother, Sandra, read: “Please come home to me. Can’t stand it without you.”

Bump

It has been reported that Mr Bunting was a suspected drug dealer while Mr Morrison was a convicted robber. He was freed after serving half a four-year sentence for attempted robbery in 2006 after a gang beat up a security guard.

The two women had been offered a lift home from an Oldham club. As a police car pulled over the Vectra for jumping a red light, it sped off at up to 80mph. The car hit a bump in the road and spun 100 yards, before slamming into the wall and landing on its roof. Mr Fahy, who has seen a video of the incident recorded from the police car, described the pursuit and how the officer came across the devastation.

He said: “This was an awful event and I especially feel for the families of the two girls.

“The officer was faced with a split-second decision and decided to follow. As soon as drivers drive away it creates a problem and poses a risk for road-users.

“From what I have seen, I am confident the officer acted appropriately.

“I am sure the public would be concerned if officers didn’t go after vehicles. That would give people the green light to drive dangerously.”

Naseem Malik from the IPCC said: “The officer was duty-bound to pursue the vehicle and he followed all necessary procedures.

“The focus must be on the manner of driving of the Vauxhall Vectra and the terrible risks the driver took.”