Family of murdered private detective Daniel Morgan to sue the Met
The family of a private investigator who was murdered in a car park 34 years ago has announced plans to sue the Metropolitan Police.
Daniel Morgan was found with an axe in his head outside the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham on March 10, 1987.
No-one has been convicted of his murder.
In June this year, a report published by an independent panel accused the Metropolitan Police of “a form of institutional corruption” for concealing or denying failings in the case.
In a statement released with the report, issued by Baroness Nuala O’Loan, the panel concluded that the Met’s first objective was to “protect itself”.
Dame Cressida Dick apologised to Mr Morgan’s family, and said it is a “matter of great regret that no one has been brought to justice and that our mistakes have compounded the pain suffered by Daniel’s family”.
But in a statement this week, the Morgan family said they were “saddened – if not surprised” by the lack of action following the publication of the report.
They said: “We hoped against hope that, despite their treatment of us throughout these years, the Metropolitan Police would take the opportunity provided by the panel’s report to do the right thing at last: to finally confront that culture of corruption within their ranks which has served to ensure that those responsible for Daniel’s murder remain protected from justice to this day.
“As we have said before, no family should have to go through what we have had to suffer over these decades.
“No family should have to bear the immense and indescribable cost we have paid in terms of our health, emotional, physical and otherwise.
“Above all, no family should be left to find, as we do, that we are no longer able to place our trust in the police, the state or any other form of authority in this country.”
The Morgan family said they felt that they had “been left with no option” but to bring a civil claim against the Met.
They hope this will achieve “some semblance of accountability”.
A spokesman for the Met said: “We can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service has received a letter of claim, dated 7 December, and is currently considering its response.
“Since the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel published its report six months ago, a dedicated team within the Met has been established and is progressing its response to those recommendations specific to the Met, while engaging with other lead organisations named in the report.
“We remain committed to this work and expect to fully report our progress to the Home Secretary and Mayoral Office in the Spring 2022.”