Seven Gwent Police officers under investigation over Cardiff crash which killed three
Eve Smith, Darcy Ross and Rafel Jeanne were killed in the crash in the St Mellons area of Cardiff in March last year.
Thursday 29 February 2024 17:16, UK
Seven police officers are under investigation over the handling of a car crash which led to the deaths of three people in Cardiff.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died following the crash in the St Mellons area of Cardiff last March.
Two others - Shane Loughlin and Sophie Russon - were seriously injured.
The five were discovered inside a Volkswagen Tiguan in a wooded area just off the A48, shortly after midnight on 6 March.
They had not been seen or heard from for nearly two days. Their relatives had reported them missing on 4 March.
Read more: How the search unfolded
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation was now at an "advanced stage", and said it had gathered and analysed a "significant amount of evidence".
The watchdog confirmed a total of seven officers had been served with notices informing them they were under investigation.
They include:
• An officer investigated for potential misconduct and another for possible gross misconduct relating to their review of missing person reports.
• An officer suspected of gross misconduct concerning their face-to-face communication with family members at a police station.
• Two officers investigated for potential gross misconduct regarding whether or not they carried out searches of the homes of two of the people who were initially reported missing. One of them is also under criminal investigation for allegedly falsifying a witness statement.
• Two other officers are suspected of potential misconduct surrounding alleged remarks made at the scene of the crash.
IOPC director David Frost said: "Since the start of our investigation, we have expanded our work to investigate a number of detailed complaints from the families affected.
"As a result, seven Gwent Police officers have been advised that they are under investigation."
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Assistant chief constable Mark Hobrough, from Gwent Police, said the force's thoughts were with the families of those who died and the injured.
"We acknowledge the impact that this has had on them and understand how important the findings of this investigation will be to all those affected and the wider community," he said.
"We have been and continue to fully support the investigation which is being carried out by the IOPC. It's important that these matters are investigated thoroughly in an open and transparent manner."
The IOPC said it was still considering further evidence and the investigation was ongoing.