UK UK - Andrew Gosden, 14, Doncaster, South Yorks, 14 Sep 2007 #2

[insertusername]

This case fascinates me because of the high level institutional and investigative view rather than on the ground events.

1. Sept 14, 2007: Andrew goes missing.
2. Sept 17, 2007: South Yorkshire Police (SYP) confirm the one-way ticket purchase.
3. BTP claim: British Transport Police (BTP) claim Andrew is not on any CCTV.
4. Delay: After 27 days, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) detectives review the same footage at King’s Cross and find Andrew in minutes.
5. Evidence Loss: By this point, all peripheral CCTV (buses, shops, street cams) had been overwritten.
6. Dec 8, 2021: Two men arrested in London; digital devices seized.
7. Jan 11, 2022: Public told that "numerous devices" were seized for analysis in the Gosden case.
8. July 26, 2023: South Yorkshire Police (SYP) claim they accidently deleted over 96,000 pieces of evidence.
9. Sept 20, 2023: The legal basis (under PACE Section 22 and the Data Protection Act) to hold the suspects' devices/data expires.
10. Sept 20, 2023: On the same day, the two suspects are officially exonerated and eliminated from the inquiry.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@insertusername
Welcome to Websleuths.

I would like to hear more.

8. July 26, 2023: South Yorkshire Police (SYP) claim they accidently deleted over 96,000 pieces of evidence.
9. Sept 20, 2023: The legal basis (under PACE Section 22 and the Data Protection Act) to hold the suspects' devices/data expires.

Do you have a source for #8 and 9 on your list? Because this is one of my very top cases (that I hope to see solved) and don't think I've seen these claims before...

 

[Aluev]

8. July 26, 2023: South Yorkshire Police (SYP) claim they accidently deleted over 96,000 pieces of evidence.

I've never heard of this before! I can't think of how it is related, though. It seems that the lost evidence is worn camera footage by policemen when engaging with the public.

Police reveal full extent of video evidence loss​

"SOUTH Yorkshire Police has been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office after it was found the force deleted more than 96,000 pieces of body-worn video evidence. Body-worn video (BWV) footage is often recorded when officers engage with members of the public or when they are responding to an incident. South Yorkshire Police say they use it for scrutiny and accountability purposes, and it is sometimes used as evidence in court."