Criminal charges to be considered over police arrest of Wigan dad later killed in a hit and run smash

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has completed a probe into the circumstances leading up to the tragic death of 35-year-old Gareth Roper in the small hours of New Year’s Day last year and says there could be a case to answer for those who detained and then de-arrested him, and have referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The dad of six was arrested after a breach of the peace at his home in Bryn.

Despite his wife saying she had called earlier to cancel her request for help, he was put in the back of a police van and taken to Platt Bridge where he was let out.

A friend later told Gareth’s wife Rachel that he had seen the dazed rugby player staggering along the road in his bare feet (he had not had the chance to put on shoes after arrest) and he told him that he had been “beaten up and dumped” in the town – four miles from home.

It was when walking back to Bryn that Gareth was hit by a car on Lily Lane, Bamfurlong, and suffered fatal injuries. The motorist drove off.

Police later arrested a man – now aged 30 – on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop after a collision. He remains on bail

Relatives say the IOPC have told the there is no evidence of Gareth’s being assaulted, not least because of the injuries he later suffered in the collision.

But an IOPC spokesperson said:

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct has concluded its investigation into the conduct of four Greater Manchester Police officers who had contact with a man in the hours before his death in Wigan.

“Gareth Roper, 35, died after being hit by a vehicle on Lily Lane, in Bamfurlong, in the early hours of 1 January 2022. He had been arrested and subsequently de-arrested a short time before his death.

“Our independent investigation, which followed a referral from the force, looked at the actions and decision-making of the officers involved, as well as their treatment of Mr Roper.

“We interviewed the officers under criminal caution and reviewed body-worn video and CCTV footage, as well as the relevant force policies and guidance.

“Following the conclusion of the investigation in December, we determined there was an indication the officers may have committed a criminal offence in relation to the decision to de-arrest Mr Roper and drop him off some distance from his home address. We have now referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider possible charges.

“It is important to note that a referral to the CPS does not necessarily mean that criminal charges will follow. It will now be for prosecutors to determine, applying the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, whether charges should follow and, if so for whom and what those charges may be.”

Gareth’s sister Chloé Sinclair told Wigan Today: “From what we have heard about what happened that right, we are pleased that the circumstances are being properly investigated.

"Whatever the outcome it’s not going to bring him back but we really do want answers.”

Chloé said the family’s main concerns were for the welfare of Gareth’s children.

But she added: “The IOPC have been very good to us over the last year, keeping us informed even when there haven’t been any real developments."

As far as Gareth is concerned, she added: “We all miss him so much. He was lovely and daft.

"He would do anything for those children. He would work seven days a week to provide for them.

"We go to his grave every other day.”

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police acknowledged that the IOPC investigation had now concluded, adding that the CPS was now considering the evidence gathered in the case of the motorist arrested on suspicion of causing Gareth’s death.

And the CPS confirmed that a charging decision on the suspect had yet to be made.