THE findings of a watchdog’s investigation into Durham and North Yorkshire police force’s part in the death of a man at Ingleton two years ago will not be published until after the coroner completes an inquest.
Dillon Turner, 19, from Coundon, died after a quad bike crash in the village on June 14, 2016. Police were in Ingleton at the time, following up on an investigation into the theft of a quad bike from a property in Keld, Richmondshire, earlier that morning. It is believed officers were following a rider.
The 19-year-old suffered multiple injuries after the quad bike he was riding smashed into a lamppost and he was air lifted to James Cook University Hospital, where he later died.
Durham and North Yorkshire police forces referred themselves to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) soon after the incident. The IPCC was replaced by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) earlier this year. An IOPC spokesperson said the investigation into the incident has been completed but the findings could not be published until the Durham Coroner’s inquest is finalised.
He added that he understood there is a backlog in the coroner’s office following the retirement of previous coroner Andrew Tweddle.
The spokesperson said: “Following referrals from both police forces, we carried out an investigation into the actions of North Yorkshire Police and Durham Constabulary prior to the death of 19-year-old Dillon Turner on June 14, 2016.
“Mr Turner was riding a quad bike, when at around 3pm, he collided with a lamppost at Ingleton, County Durham. He was taken by air ambulance to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where sadly he died from his injuries.
“Once the inquest into Mr Turner’s death has been held, we will consider publishing our findings.”
A spokesperson for the coroner’s office said that some inquests can take a “couple of years” to complete.
