Family speaks out over David's death
The family of a motorcyclist who crashed after a high-speed police chase ended said lessons have to be learned from his death.
Relatives of David Dimelow, 20, of Shevington, spoke out after officers were cleared of any blame for the incident on June 3 2006.
His relatives believe police should not have been chasing him in the first place.
They also claim that while officers had been stood down a distance before the crash in Orrell, Mr Dimelow thought he was still being pursued and that was the reason he lost control of the bike.
But an Independent Police Complaints Commission report has ruled the patrols who gave chase cannot be held accountable for the collision after Mr Dimelow fled the scene of a suspected crime in St Helens.
Traffic police from Merseyside gave chase but were then called off as the former Shevington High School pupil drove at speeds of up to 70mph through Billinge.
It is believed he was heading towards his family home in Gathurst Lane.
Over the drink-drive limit and still driving at speed, he lost control at Orrell Post and was fatally injured in a collision on Gathurst Road.
A Wigan police car had been parked close to the junction with its emergency lights activated, but was not involved in the pursuit.
The IPCC findings were reported at the conclusion of a three-day inquest at Bootle Town Hall.
Christopher Sumner, the coroner for Merseyside, recorded a narrative verdict citing the cause of death as multiple injuries and saying excess alcohol and speed were contributing factors.
Mr Dimelow was chased after police were called to a suspected break-in at the Duke of Cambridge pub in Duke Street, St Helens.
He had been living in a flat above the pub but left on his motorcycle as officers arrived.
His girlfriend Lauren Brown who said they had had a row and he had later broken into their flat in the small hours because she had the keys.
Click next page for more ...Three Merseyside Police vehicles went after Mr Dimelow for about six minutes before an instruction was given to terminate the pursuit.
The inquest was told that the motorcyclist covered a two-mile distance between St Helens and Billinge in two minutes.
Mr Dimelow's blood-alcohol levels showed him to be two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit.
A statement from the family said: "We know nothing will bring David back, but we do hope that lessons can be learned from his death."
But the IPCC concluded the pursuit was justified.
IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: "This managed investigation has shown the pursuit of Mr Dimelow was entirely justified.
"He had left the scene of a reported incident giving Merseyside Police officers immediate grounds for suspecting he may have committed an offence.
"When it became clear that Mr Dimelow was leaving the Merseyside Police area the pursuit was called off and all the officers complied with that instruction. At the time that Mr Dimelow lost control of his motorbike he was no longer being pursued.
"My sympathies go to Mr Dimelow's family and friends for their loss, but the police officers involved in this incident cannot be held accountable for the fatal outcome."
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