Police to review if ‘homophobic assumptions’ affected an investigation into gay man’s death
Hertfordshire Police say they could open a new investigation if “deemed necessary”
By Aaron Sugg
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has ordered a review into whether “homophobic assumptions” influenced the police investigation into the death of a gay man.
Scott Gough died by suicide at his home in Chandler’s Cross, Watford, Hertfordshire, on 29 March 2024, aged 56.
His death came one day after he allegedly received a blackmail note containing a phone number and a message reading: “I think it’s in your best interests to give me a call.”
Scott Gough’s partner claimed his death was treated as a “statistic”
As reported by BBC News, his partner, Cameron Tewson, originally made the complaint, describing Hertfordshire Police as treating the investigation as “a statistic”.
“From the beginning, it’s been a case of banging my head against a wall, making phone calls and sending emails to try and get officers to take this seriously.”
“It’s always one step forward and two steps back. In many ways, I feel I’ve never had a chance to grieve,” he continued. He believes the suicide stemmed from Gough being targeted through the gay dating app Grindr.
The IOPC ordered a review if Gough’s sexuality affected the investigation
The IOPC found that Hertfordshire Police made mistakes during the investigation and “did not fully investigate” Gough’s death, which resulted in increasing Tewson’s distress by failing to respond to his complaints quickly enough.
The IOPC review included concerns about whether bias or assumptions about Gough’s sexuality affected the handling of the case.
Hertfordshire Police, who originally said they were “committed to supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community”, have commented further following the review.
Hertfordshire Police say the case could be reopened
The force acknowledged that a blackmail investigation should have been considered, adding that “the constabulary has sought an independent review of the original investigation.”
The independent review is being carried out by Bedfordshire Police, with officials stating that they will open a new investigation if “deemed necessary”.