Police blocked aid for dying man

Widow Harjinder Kaur hopes the inquiry will prevent similar deaths. Photo / Dean Purcell

As Navtej Singh lay dying on the floor of his liquor store, his desperate wife and friends urged police and paramedics to come and treat him.

They waited and waited, with business partner Gurvinder Singh repeatedly telling 111 operators that Navtej had been shot and the robbers had left.

Sandeep Verma offered to take his injured friend to the hospital, but was told to wait by the police.

"It was really shocking. I told them he was bleeding, so they told me how to push down on his wound, so I did that," Mr Verma told the Weekend Herald.

"I said 'Why don't you let me take my friend, in my car, to Middlemore Hospital?' But they said don't do that, your safety is a priority. But there was no one there, they were gone. It's so frustrating, I don't have any words."

Navtej Singh waited for 37 minutes for medical treatment because the officer in charge of the scene was never directly told the robbers had fled.

The communication breakdown between the 111 centre and the police sergeant at the cordon has been pinpointed as the most significant factor in the "unjustified" delay in reaching Mr Singh, says the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

Because he was unaware the shop was safe to enter, Officer A planned a "cautious and measured" response, which the IPCA said would have been justified if there was good reason to believe the gunmen were nearby.

"However, as the police had been informed that the offenders had left there was no requirement for the level of caution. Rather, the immediate need was to ensure that Mr Singh received medical attention," said the IPCA.

Officer A told the authority that had he been fully aware of the facts, he would have entered the store sooner. "If someone had come to me directly saying he's dying and we need to get in there, I would have gone in without a doubt."

The IPCA said Officer A should not have assumed the gunmen were still at the scene and should have asked for an update on the location of the offenders and Mr Singh's condition.

The IPCA also said the 111 shift commander should have actively supervised the incident and queried the tactical plan with Officer A, especially given the wait of more than 30 minutes.

IPCA chairwoman Justice Lowell Goddard, QC, said the 37-minute delay "could not be justified and was undesirable".

She went so far as to say the delay was arguably a breach of the police duty of care - a comment that Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope has rejected.

"The police have a basic duty to protect life. While Navtej Singh's injuries may not have been survivable, what is known is that he suffered significant pain and distress, both of which were heightened by the delays in getting him emergency medical treatment," said Justice Goddard.

"By the time he arrived at Middlemore Hospital 60 minutes after he had been shot, Navtej Singh felt he was going to die."

Justice Goddard said the 37-minute wait was not caused by any single failing, but a series of errors.

The delay was so long that the CCTV cameras in the Riverton Liquor Store captured the movements of 75 friends, family and even customers while the police waited at the cordon.

The comprehensive IPCA report was yesterday welcomed by Navtej Singh's widow Harjinder Kaur and other members of the Sikh community.

Mrs Kaur said the inquiry would not bring her husband back but hoped it would stop someone dying in the future.

Interpreter and family spokesman Daljit Singh said Counties Manukau district commander Mike Bush had visited the family yesterday to apologise, which was accepted.

It is difficult to determine whether Mr Singh's life could have been saved.

The post mortem report said: "While the complications have arisen as a direct result of the injury, a further factor has been the delay in resuscitation. It is difficult to quantify the impact this has had upon this man's chances of survival. However, there is no doubt that earlier medical intervention would have been preferable."

LITANY OF MISTAKES
* Staff failing to properly record and prioritise the 111 calls.
* Officer A taking control of incident while driving a prisoner back to station at speeds of up to 156km/h
* Control should have stayed with 111 shift commander until Officer A arrived at the scene.
* 111 shift commander should have maintained oversight throughout the incident.
* No live recording equipment fitted to the Eagle helicopter to provide a live feed to the 111 centre.
* Police and St John failed to share information which may have influenced Officer A to enter the store earlier.
* A lack of police officers, particularly from Manurewa.
* Officers taking too long to put body armour on. One had never worn it before, another was seen wearing it backwards.
* Outdated maps used by 111 staff meant officers were sent to the wrong locations.
* One police sergeant arrived with rifles locked in a gun cage, but the key had been lost.