IPCC Urges Police To Handle Evidence With Caution

The police watchdog on Friday urged the force to pay closer attention to how it deals with physical evidence, as it highlighted how one defendant accused of publishing child pornography online used the improper handling of his computers as a defense in his trial.

The Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) said an officer had kept three computers seized from the suspect’s home underneath his office desk, violating regulations that require such evidence to be kept safety in a dedicated storage room.

Officers discovered a large stash of child porn in the man’s computers, but during his trial, he plead innocent and claimed that the evidence may have been planted because the police had not handled the computers properly.

The court ultimately rejected this argument and convicted the defendant, although it was pointed out that the way the police had dealt with the evidence had not been ideal.

The IPCC said this was one of three recent cases involving the handling of evidence in which it ruled that the complaints were substantiated. It said it receives only receives around 15 to 18 such complaints every year, which it said is not a serious situation.

However, its deputy secretary-general Daniel Mui said frontline officers are advised to strictly adhere to guidelines set out in police manuals. The council is urging the force to step up training in this regard.