Police 'got teenager drunk' for confession

Published 06th Mar 2010

An investigation is under way after it was alleged police officers got a vulnerable teenage prisoner drunk on cider to make him confess to 11 crimes he did not commit.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is looking into claims that two detectives from South Wales Police took a 17-year-old boy out of prison on two "drive arounds" of burglary scenes in Cardiff in an unmarked police car in an attempt to falsify their detection rates by having him ask to have the offences taken into consideration.

The teenager's solicitor, Nadeem Majid, said that during one of the trips last month the officers bought the boy cigarettes and two two-litre bottles of Strongbow cider. The detectives are also alleged to have promised the boy, who has been remanded for psychiatric reports pending sentencing for two acts of theft, that he could have a takeaway and see his mother.

The IPCC confirmed that it was investigating five complaints against South Wales Police.

Having "offences taken into consideration" is common practice in the UK and means a criminal can plead guilty to one crime and also admit to others in court without having their sentence affected.

Source: ' Independent '

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