Tragic Christmas Discovery: Elderly Man Found Dead After Friend's Police Concern Dismissed!

An elderly man, Thomas Crabbe, 78, was tragically found deceased in his Stockport social housing flat after concerns for his welfare were initially dismissed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as ‘not a police matter’. Mr. Crabbe, who had limited mobility and lived alone in accommodation designated for those over 60, was discovered after a family friend became increasingly worried.

The friend, unable to contact Mr. Crabbe after December 27 of last year, made several attempts to see him but did not have a key to his flat. Her growing apprehension led her to contact GMP for assistance. According to a report by senior coroner Alison Mutch, the friend was informed by police that because she could not see him inside the flat, it was not a police matter. She was advised to contact Stockport Homes the following day when they reopened or to try the ambulance service.

Acting on this advice, Stockport Homes was contacted immediately upon reopening. Due to significant concerns following the information provided, they proceeded to the property and forced entry. Thomas Crabbe was found deceased on the living room floor, and it was estimated he had likely been dead for several days. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that he died of hypothermia.

The coroner concluded that Mr. Crabbe succumbed to hypothermia after falling to the floor in his unheated flat, where he was unable to call for help. She noted that GMP's actions were carried out under the Right Care Right Person (RCRP) policy, a national initiative adopted by police forces to ensure the most appropriate agency responds to calls. Ms. Mutch, in a prevention of future deaths report, stated that while police would have attended had the friend been able to see Mr. Crabbe in the flat, it was clear given his known circumstances that he could not realistically have been anywhere else.

The report also highlighted issues with signposting, acknowledging in evidence that effective signposting is crucial if GMP is not attending. The police stated it was a health matter, and NWAS (North West Ambulance Service) was the correct organization, but this was not clearly communicated by the call handler. Furthermore, GMP's internal review did not identify the quality issue related to signposting. The police review suggested the friend should have been told to call hospitals, but it was accepted that such advice would have been unhelpful due to GDPR regulations, which would prevent hospitals from releasing information. The coroner questioned why such advice was deemed appropriate for a welfare concern.

In response, a GMP spokesperson extended thoughts to Thomas Crabbe's family. They affirmed that the principles of RCRP have been agreed upon and implemented by all emergency and support agencies across Greater Manchester to provide the most suitable response to the public. The spokesperson added that GMP has conducted extensive training for its call handlers on applying RCRP, incorporating structured questioning, assessments, and decision-making processes, emphasizing their continuous efforts to improve service delivery.