Man on bail died after police failed to share vulnerability data

The vulnerabilities of Matthew Trickett, a private investigator and Home Office immigration officer, were not shared between police forces partly because records for national security cases are kept on paper, Berkshire Coroner’s Court was told. Mr Trickett, 37, had attempted to harm himself while in Metropolitan Police custody days before his release on bail. He had told station staff he would not do so again while detained but indicated he might “at some point” if freed, the inquest heard.

Mr Trickett was charged with offences under the National Security Act 2023 on May 12, 2024. The following day, Westminster Magistrates’ Court granted him bail, despite an application for his remand for his own protection. He was found dead on May 19, five days before a scheduled Crown Court appearance.

Information sharing failure

The Metropolitan Police did not inform Thames Valley Police, the force covering Mr Trickett's home in Maidenhead, about the self-harm incident or his comments indicating suicidal ideation. A senior investigating officer, who was granted anonymity, told jurors that this failure occurred because officers believed Mr Trickett would be remanded in custody. The officer stated that 11 individuals linked to the case had been arrested, with some held for extended periods. Additionally, unlike other offences, notes for National Security Act cases are recorded on paper and require manual uploading to police systems.

Senior Coroner Heidi Connor questioned the Met officer on whether Thames Valley Police should have been informed. The officer, speaking from behind a screen, replied: “I think they should have been told, I think Thames Valley Police should have been made aware of the wider circumstances of Matt’s detention and vulnerability there. That should have taken place through a set process that should have occurred.”

Normally, an officer or staff member is expected to log any encounter with an individual displaying vulnerabilities or risk. UK police forces aim for their systems to communicate, with access to a central database known as the Police National Computer (PNC). A marker on the PNC would indicate a mental health vulnerability if it had been recorded. Alternatively, the Metropolitan Police could have directly informed Thames Valley Police.

Factors contributing to oversight

The Met officer expressed regret that these steps were not taken, attributing the oversight to several factors. The investigation team did not anticipate Mr Trickett being granted bail, leading to less focus on updating records. Officers had also been engaged in three weeks of intensive operational work following the arrests of 11 individuals in connection with the national security case. These individuals had been in custody for 12 or 13 days, and the officer suggested that warning signals were overlooked in updating the PNC record.

A third factor involved the operational procedures for counter-terrorism and national security policing, which use paper records during extended custody time limits. The officer explained that details of what occurred in custody were not automatically uploaded as digital records would be, resulting in the failure to pass information to Thames Valley Police.

Changes implemented

In response to this case and other similar incidents, there is now greater oversight of individuals leaving this type of custody. National Security Act teams have introduced a checklist for everyone leaving custody, designed to prevent recurrences. There is also increased emphasis on the manual uploading of paper-based national security records. The unit is also focusing more on sharing information with partner agencies and forces, with an officer assigned to oversee this process. The risk management checklist has been shared with counter-terrorism policing in London and is being considered for wider dissemination across the UK.

The inquest continues.