Police Officer Cleared of Misconduct for Taking Selfies at Teenager's Death Scene
A former police officer who took selfies while guarding the scene where a teenager was killed has been cleared of misconduct in a public office, a judge has ruled. Ryan Connolly, 41, was found not guilty of four charges after the prosecution's evidence was deemed insufficient to prove serious misconduct.
Trial Halted Due to Insufficient Evidence
At Manchester Crown Court, Recorder of Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC discharged the jury part-way through the trial, determining it legally impermissible for them to consider verdicts. The judge concluded that the Crown could not demonstrate the serious misconduct required for a conviction, and not guilty verdicts were formally recorded on Friday, the fifth day of proceedings.
Judge Dean told the court: "My conclusion is the Crown cannot demonstrate the serious misconduct here, that the evidence is incapable of demonstrating serious misconduct, so the jury could not reach a conclusion so that Mr Connolly was guilty of misconduct in a public office."
Prosecutors have until Monday to consider whether to appeal against the ruling, adding a potential layer of uncertainty to the case's resolution.
Details of the Incident and Investigation
Jurors heard that Connolly, a constable with Merseyside Police, took selfies—including one lying on the grass—when deployed to guard a cordon after 16-year-old Daniel Gee-Jamieson was killed in Belle Vale, Liverpool, in 2018. The images were discovered during an investigation that revealed more than 50 photos in the sent folder of WhatsApp on his personal phone when he was arrested in February 2020.
The photos included:
- Pictures of vulnerable people detained at hospitals
- Images of force systems
- Photos of Connolly's colleagues
During the trial's opening, prosecutor Peter Wilson argued that Connolly had "wilfully misconducted himself by taking inappropriate photographs where, we say, there is no professional need to do so. He's then retained them and sent them on." However, the court heard that with the exception of one photo sent to a supervising officer, there was no evidence of who received the images, and no accompanying messages were retrieved from the phone.
Defense Claims and Jury Questions
The defendant claimed the images were taken for work purposes, but the court heard they had not been uploaded to police systems. This discrepancy raised questions during the trial, with one juror asking the court to explain why Connolly took the photos, adding: "What was he getting out of it?"
Judge Dean explained to jurors that misconduct in a public office is a common law offense often involving corruption, such as police officers tipping off criminals for money—but nothing of that nature was alleged in Connolly's case. This clarification highlighted the legal complexities surrounding the charges.
Pending Sentencing for Other Offenses
Despite being cleared of misconduct, Connolly, from Huyton, Merseyside, will return to the same court on Monday to be sentenced for three counts of possession of extreme pornographic images, which he previously admitted. This separate legal matter underscores ongoing concerns about his conduct.
Merseyside Police formally dismissed Connolly in 2021, describing his behaviour as "deplorable." A misconduct hearing revealed that other images found on his phone were racist, homophobic, and mocked disabled people, while messages showed he socialised with a known criminal. These factors contributed to his dismissal and tarnished his professional record.
The case has sparked discussions about police accountability and the boundaries of professional conduct, particularly in sensitive situations involving public trust and tragic events.
