By James Simons-
The Met Police has apologised after potentially key documents in Britain’s most investigated homicide were found in a locked cabinet at New Scotland Yard.
Officials said paperwork relevant to murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan(pictured) was found in a locked cabinet that had not been used for a number of years at its headquarters in London.
Mr Morgan was killed with an axe in a south London pub car park on 10 March 1987. Despite an inquest and five previous inquiries his killer has never been brought to justice.
The documents in question were found in January and an assessment started in February.
It added that a “careful assessment” has been completed to understand the “significance of the documents and any potential impact”.
A total of 95 pages of material should have been disclosed to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP), the Met said. The DMIP was set up to look into the case and published its final report in June 2021 after the Home Office tried to delay it.
A further 71 pages were identified that would have been provided to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as part of their subsequent inspection.
Barbara Gray, Met assistant commissioner, 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 Met said its assessment found there were no evidential documents that relate to criminal investigations into the murder.
The DMIP’s daming final report published in 2021 accused the Met of “institutional corruption” over their failure to bring Mr Morgan’s killer to justice.
The panel concluded that the force’s “first objective was to protect itself” against allegations that corrupt officers were involved in the unsolved murder.
Some of this material should have been disclosed to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP), which published its final report in June 2021, the force said.
Mr Morgan was a British private investigator who was murdered with an axe in a pub car park in Sydenham, South London, in 1987.
Since then there have been six extensive inquiries to identify those responsible.
Between 1987 and 2011, the MPS and other forces arrested 67 people in connection with the murder. Eight of those arrested had been police officer
However, no one has yet been brought to justice for Mr Morgan’s murder.
In 2013, the then Home Secretary announced the creation of an independent panel to “review how police corruption affected the handling of the murder inquiry and how Mr Morgan’s family were treated by the police and criminal justice system”.
The DMIP published its final report in June 2021, which was “lengthy, detailed and at times highly critical” of the MPS, and included nine recommendations directly relevant to the force.
The Golden Lion pub, Sydenham, in the car park of which Mr Morgan was murdered
The MPS said a total of 95 pages of material (37 documents) have been initially identified that would have been disclosed under a protocol agreed with the panel.
“In addition, we also identified a further 71 pages (23 documents) that would have been provided to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as part of their subsequent inspection,” it added.
“Our assessment is that there are no evidential documents that relate to criminal investigations into the murder.
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 MPS said the documents were found in January and an assessment started in February to consider whether any should have been disclosed.
Some of the material is relevant to the work of DMIP and a subsequent inspection by HMICFRS, the force said, adding that HMICFRS, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the Home Office have been informed.
A spokesperson said: “The Met has written to the family of Daniel Morgan and Baroness Nuala O’Loan to explain what we believe has taken place and outline next steps.
“The Police Inspectorate has agreed to review the documents and our assessment as a follow up to their previous inspection. We remain in discussions with the IOPC.
“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.”
Caroline Russell AM, chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said: “Two years on from the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel’s final report, it is unacceptable that documents the Met should have submitted to the inquiry have been found in a locked cupboard.
“HMICFRS has previously raised concerns about administrative practices and record keeping in the Met and this disclosure confirms that improvements must be made in this area.
“While it is important that Daniel Morgan’s family and Baroness Nuala O’Loan were the first to be notified of what has happened and the next steps, we expect further information from the Met in due course.
“The committee will continue to scrutinise the Commissioner and Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to ensure that they reform the Met and rebuild trust among Londoners.”