FOR THE last six years, Michael Gilchrist’s 83-year-old mother has been fighting to establish the facts surrounding her son’s contact with Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Michael has been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and a learning disability. After contact with GMP, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since his police encounter, Michael has barely spoken. However, beforehand he was able to live independently in a South Manchester flat, supported by his family.

On a Summer day in 2016, Michael was having a breakdown. In distress, he left his flat and began the short walk to his brother’s home. A member of the public spotted him and made an anonymous 999 call. 

Police at the scene described Michael as mentally “unwell” in a log. A witness at the scene described him as being in a “robotic state.” Michael’s wrists were also bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. Despite this, police repeatedly tasered him and used CS spray.

PC Schofield was the last officer to arrive at the scene. He was advised that Michael had already been CS gassed and that he was mentally unwell. Still, Michael was then repeatedly tasered. In total, eight cycles of taser, each lasting 72 seconds were used against him. 

In May 2019, a judgement found that “PC Schofield, repeatedly used his taser on Michael after he’d been told about Michael’s disabilities.”

Unjustified and unreasonable

Justice O’Farrell DBE found this was “unjustified and unreasonable and inflicted unnecessary pain.” 

She continued, and said that the use of taser was “inappropriate” and the use of force “amounted to trespass on Mr Gilchrist’s person and a breach on the Chief Constable’s common law duty of care.” 

Despite these findings, Greater Manchester Police publicly supported the officers. 

The force investigated itself and in February 2020, found there was “no need for disciplinary proceedings” and “no case to answer.” 

Michael’s mother, Novlyn said GMP’s findings were not “just disrespectful to Michael, me and the family, but also disrespectful and contemptuous to the judge and the court.” 

The family appealed that decision to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). 

Unprecedented

In a fairly unprecedented move, GMP have now been ordered to “reinvestigate” allegations of “excessive force” and “race” in relation to police behaviour. 

Following IOPC orders, GMP have also been forced to issue an unreserved apology to Michael and his family.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said: “It is a matter of sincere regret that Mr Gilchrist experienced a use of Taser which, as Mrs Justice O’Farrell DBE found, was “unnecessary, unreasonable and inappropriate” and which “would have inflicted unnecessary pain”. The Chief Constable wrote to Mr Gilchrist and his mother to offer a sincere and unreserved apology which I would like to offer again today. We accepted these findings and in October this year both parties reached a financial settlement which was approved by a High Court Judge.

“We take matters like this very seriously and review all incidents where a Taser is deployed in line with national guidance. We constantly strive to provide a safe and proportionate Policing service to our communities, including reviewing our use of force across all areas, and working with the Mayor’s Office on the review, as well as how we can publicise our data and progress in order to be even more transparent to the public.”

The Voice looked at how taser use has affected the most marginalised groups in a three part series.

Part Two: Taser use and Black vulnerable people

Part Three: Michael Gilchrist and Greater Manchester Police: Taser, Race, My Family and Me