LONDON – The initial postmortem examination of the man who died at the G20 protests in London after being attacked by a police officer, which found he had died of a heart attack, was conducted by a forensic pathologist once reprimanded about his professional conduct by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC).
Ian Tomlinson (47) died on April 1st after being assaulted at least once by officers policing the G20 demonstrations. He had been trying to walk home from work when he was confronted by police, hit with a baton and thrown to the ground. Two days later Home Office pathologist Dr Freddy Patel concluded Mr Tomlinson had died of a heart attack. He has previously been reprimanded by the GMC after he released medical details about a man who died controversially in police custody.
Police dropped a criminal investigation in another case after Dr Patel gave it as his opinion that the victim, a woman, had died of natural causes. A man who lived in the flat where the body was found went on to murder two other women and mutilate their bodies.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched a criminal inquiry into Mr Tomlinson’s death. Last night a second postmortem examination was being carried out by Dr Nat Cary.
– (Guardian service)