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Partner Alleges Police Mishandled Suicide Investigation
11 Mar
Summary
- Man died by suicide day after allegedly receiving blackmail note.
- Partner claims police treated death as a statistic, ignoring evidence.
- Separate force to review original investigation following complaint.
A review by Bedfordshire Police will be conducted into the original investigation of Scott Gough's death. Gough, 56, died by suicide at his home on March 29, 2024, the day after he allegedly received a blackmail note. His partner, Cameron Tewson, lodged a complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), asserting Hertfordshire Constabulary treated Gough's death as a statistic and neglected evidence of potential gang targeting.
Tewson's complaints to the IOPC resulted in two being upheld, with findings that Hertfordshire Constabulary did not fully investigate his concerns, and that delays exacerbated his distress. A coroner had previously ruled Gough's death a suicide. Tewson expressed a lack of faith in the force, believing they showed a "lack of interest" in his partner's case.
Investigations revealed that the phone number on the blackmail note had been linked to similar alleged blackmail cases involving the Grindr app around the time of Gough's death. A police Professional Standards Department report in February also identified failures in the original investigation, suggesting a blackmail inquiry should have been considered. Hertfordshire Police stated that learning has been implemented following the report.
