Police refused to charge hit and run suspect despite witnesses and admission

Police failed to charge a suspect following a hit-and-run despite having witnesses and an admission, an investigation has found.

The woman whose car had been hit was told by an officer that he had traced the driver responsible and that they had admitted liability.

However, the force refused to charge anyone with the offence.

The woman provided details of three independent witnesses to the hit-and-run accident, but after speaking with only one, the officer informed her that there was not enough evidence and the driver of the other vehicle would not be charged.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) investigated the complaints made by the woman and found that the force did not handle either of the applicant’s complaints to a reasonable standard.

The watchdog told Police Scotland to reassess the available information and conduct necessary further investigations in relation to the complaints.

It added that the force should provide the applicant with a “well-reasoned further response”, that outlines whether the complaints are upheld or not upheld and clearly explains the rationale for the outcomes.

PIRC also outlined learning points for Police Scotland, saying: “The first relates to the importance of divisional officers responding to Frontline Resolution attempts.

“The second relates to identifying and disseminating learning during complaint enquiries, and the third relates to triage of priority complaints,” a report added.

Police Scotland had two months after the publication of the report to complete the recommendations or learning points.

The force has been contacted for comment.