Drowning case policeman cleared

Gameli Akuklu was on a play scheme when he drowned

A police officer has been cleared of manslaughter charges after two teenagers drowned at a police pool.

Pc Daniel Phillips, 43, was supervising the pool at Hendon Police Training School when the boys died.

William Kadama and Gameli Akuklu, both 14 and of Colindale, north-west London, died after being found unconscious on the bottom of the pool at the deep end.

Although the boys died on 30 July 2002, the Old Bailey heard Pc Phillips was not charged until 2005.

Pc Phillips told the court his marriage had ended and health suffered in the aftermath of the death of the boys. He had denied the charges.

He said the delay in being charged had "put terrible strain and stress on my marriage".

'Best intentions'

Pc Phillips was found not guilty on the two counts by unanimous verdicts, but must still face a judgement on a charge of failing to ensure the safety of children under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

He had left the pool unattended while helping another boy who had cut his knee, the prosecution had claimed.

Although he had been acting "with the best of motives, the best of intentions", he had left the children unsupervised and was criminally negligent.

The officer said while he had been helping the injured boy he had kept his eyes on the pool.

He saw another adult run around the pool to tell him: "There's two boys at the bottom of the pool, they have been there for a little bit."

He dived into the pool and recovered the two boys, attempted resuscitation but got no reaction from them.

Pc Phillips took two months off work after the incident, though he is now back in full-time police employment