Chiswick Man Wins Nine-Year Battle Over Homophobic Abuse

Six-figure settlement after police apologise for calling his complaint a ‘quibble’

A man from Chiswick has received a settlement from the police after they admitted failings in the way the dealt with a complaint of homophobic abuse.

Fifty-four-year old David Cary had complained to them in February 2007 about a female neighbour who had shouted at him in the street as he cycled past. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the police dismissed the comments as ‘minor words’ and a quibble.

However, Mr Cary had been in a running dispute with his neighbour who had been convicted of assaulting him and breaking his jaw in 2004.

He launched a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission that started a nine-year legal battle. A second investigation into the incident did not result in any charges being made. As a result Mr Cary instructed solicitors to bring a claim of discrimination on the grounds of his sexual orientation. As the case was due to be heard in the Court of Appeal, the police backed down and agreed to compensate Mr Cary and pay his legal costs. The total settlement is understood to be a six-figure sum.

Mr Cary, was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying the Metropolitan Police ‘trumpets “homophobic and transphobic abuse is a crime. Report it. Stop it. Don’t tolerate it.” I reported it. They didn’t stop it. They tolerated it. I felt belittled and treated like a second-class citizen.

‘I felt they prolonged the case in the hope of wearing me down. Without the best legal representation and campaigning support that I had, they might have managed it.’

He said the nine-year delay in justice was ‘a travesty of justice and professionalism’ on behalf of the Met.

As a result of the case Scotland Yard has set up a specialist units to deal with complaints of homophobic abuse and compulsory one-day training courses have been introduced for Met staff.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said, ‘The Metropolitan Police Service is pleased that this case was finally able to reach a settlement and we have apologised to Mr Cary.’

October 6, 2016