A former police constable has spoken publicly for the first time about witnessing the death of his colleague Philippa Reynolds when they were hit by a stolen car.
In the early hours of February 9, 2013, he had been driving an unmarked police car to the Waterside area of Derry with two other officers, including Constable Reynolds (27) in the back seat.
She was killed instantly when a stolen Toyota Landcruiser hit them at 80 mph.
The driver Shane Frane from Limerick fled the scene and was later convicted of manslaughter, with his passenger Conor Clarence was sentenced for other offences.
Preferring to remain anonymous, the retired officer told the Irish News about how the death of the last PSNI officer to die on duty has affected him.
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He was among multiple retired officers attending a protest outside the Policing Board on Thursday, raising concerns about the help they receive after leaving the service.
“She was the last officer to die on duty. We were all in the same section and got on very well together. She was a very valued colleague and young police constable,” he said.
“We’d been tasked to a call on the Waterside, there was no blue lights or sirens. It wasn’t urgent.
“We were just taking our time driving. That car, from what I’ve been told, had run a number of red lights.
“By the time I saw it there was nothing that could be done. It was bad timing I suppose.”
Knocked unconscious by the impact, he woke up in a state of confusion and unsure if he was to blame.
“Did I cause an accident? I didn’t know we had been T-boned or the perpetrators had fled the scene,” he said.
Quickly taken to Altnagelvin Hospital for treatment, he was back in Strand Road Police Station by 7am that morning.
“It was very fast paced. Had I been a member of the public, having suffered head trauma and taken out of a car in a backboard, I would have no doubt I would have been admitted to hospital,” he said.
“But for security purposes I believe that’s why they got me out so quick.”
Now suffering from Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain, he left the PSNI two years ago after feeling unable to continue with his duties.
He said long waits for therapy and ongoing uncertainty about his pension have left him feeling in limbo.
“In 2013, after (Philippa’s) funeral I was off sick at home,” he said.
“I wasn’t coping well and kept asking for help from my line management. Occupational Health kept telling me I was on a waiting list and it went on for months.
“It took the Police Federation to ring the head of Occupational Health to say this fella should be seen ahead of everyone.
“I eventually got help and I can’t knock the quality of it, but the waiting times are atrocious.
“I went back to work but I was just getting more and more deskilled and I was still triggered.”
He said incidents like being knocked off a police motorbike and having to investigate a near fatal crash had placed a great strain on his mental health.
“Eventually I made the decision to go on my own ill-health retirement.”
Appealing the banding of his pension, he has been waiting for two years for a decision.
“I still haven’t got closure because I’m not away, I just want to get away from the police and try to get on and continue my life in some sort of way,” he said.
“I’m very much in limbo. The quicker they get it sorted, the quicker I’ll be able to make an informed decision for my future.”
He also praised the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who stopped to talk to protestors before Thursday’s Policing Board meeting
“The fact that he has gone to the Prime Minister to try and address (funding issues), because we’re not able to address it locally, is very positive I think.
“Mr Boutcher’s taken the time to meet injured colleagues and discuss why we’re in this situation and what can we do to move things on, not just for ourself but for other people who will be going through this.”
On Thursday, a PSNI spokesperson said the health and welfare of officers and staff was taken “extremely seriously,” and that the Chief Constable had recently met members of the Blue Lights organisation to discuss ill-health retirement.
Those going through the ill-health retirement process can avail of Occupational Health services, and for those already retired mechanisms are available such as the Police Rehabilitation and Re-Training Trust (PRRT) and Police Family Care Forum.
A Department of Justice Spokesperson also recognised the backlog over appeal appointments for ill-health retirements, citing “significant difficulties” in recruiting enough medical pracitioners.
In February this year, they added that an independent supplier had secured a contract and that the appeals backlog was being addressed “as quickly as possible with the resources available.”
