Jailed top cop in probe on barrister shooting

Yakub Qureshi

February 11, 2010

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Mark Saunders

Mark Saunders 1/2 Play Slideshow

Jailed Scotland Yard top cop Ali Dizaei may appear before an inquest into the death of a gun-siege barrister.

Wilmslow-born Mark Saunders was shot dead following a stand-off with armed officers in London two years ago.

Police surrounded the successful divorce lawyer’s £2m Chelsea home after reports he fired a shotgun into the street.

But his family have claimed the police response was unjustified because Mr Saunders, 32, had not discharged his weapon for 20 minutes before officers took the decision to open fire.

The Crown Prosecution Service and Independent Police Complaints Commission took no action against officers following a review.

Dizaei, one of the country’s top ethnic minority policemen, was jailed last week for misconduct and perverting the course of justice for trying to frame a young businessman.

He was given a four-year sentence and is set to be sacked by the force.

The 47-year-old police commander was in overall control of the Saunders incident on May 6, 2008, and is expected to be allowed out of jail to face questions about the tactics used during the five-hour siege.

Mr Saunders, who attended The King’s School, Macclesfield, before reading law at Oxford, is understood to have been drinking heavily on the day of the incident.

He died from multiple gunshot wounds after nine firearms officers opened fire. The shotgun was legally registered to his address.

His family in Alderley Edge, who have always maintained the stand-off could have been resolved peacefully, will put questions to officers involved in the operation at a coroner’s inquest later this year.

Westminster Coroner’s Court said an official witnesses list had not yet been finalised.

However, Metropolitan Police confirmed Dizaei, who attended the opening and adjournment of the inquest in 2008, was part of the ‘inquiry process’.

A spokesman said: “It is for the coroner’s office to confirm witnesses but a number of our officers are expected to be part of the inquiry.”

Dizaei is understood to have appointed his own barrister to represent him at the inquest, although the fee will be picked up by the Metropolitan Police Authority.

The Met spokesman added: “This would be part of the our standard protocol.”

A date for the jury inquest is still to be set but it is expected to be held in October.

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Esso Blue. Carlitos is officially a GOD , Blues Town (11/02/2010 at 11:07)

Ali Dizaei is/was a menace to society. He wounding be fit to lace my boots. And a probable reason why the shooting went wrong could be down to the attitude of Dizaei. Lawless Ali.

Esso Blue. Carlitos is officially a GOD , Blues Town (11/02/2010 at 11:34)

wouldn't be fit to lace my booties.

MancLadUK, Manchester (11/02/2010 at 11:49)

It always annoys me when offender's families try to blame the police for taking action to end their criminal activities.

If you've got someone with a gun, doing something they shouldn't and they get shot by the police then it's surely on their own head? To then blame officers seems to me to be madness!

I'm just thankful that there are officers willing to take on this risky role and able to shoot those who would carry out gun crime in our country. We need to tackle any kind of gun crime quickly, before innocents are hurt or killed. Thankfully in this case there doesn't appear to be any innocents killed which I thank the actions of the police for.

Rochcraig, Rochdale (11/02/2010 at 12:19)

'He died from multiple gunshot wounds after nine firearms officers opened fire.'
It only takes one to drop someone !

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary (11/02/2010 at 12:27)

How satisfying to see someone as bent and manipulative as Dizaei get his comeuppence. I predict you will hear a lot more of him yet. He has powerful friends in high places.

Pearl Necklass (11/02/2010 at 12:41)

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary

" How satisfying to see someone as bent and manipulative as Dizaei get his comeuppence. I predict you will hear a lot more of him yet. He has powerful friends in high places."

Hurry, this piece of scum will now have to make more low life friends in the nick. Ha Ha

Pandora (11/02/2010 at 13:59)

There are plenty of other corrupt cops headed towards Ali Dizaei´s route. He´s the tip of a very dirty iceberg. Friends in high places? I can hear them all now, "Ali who? Never heard of him."

Knowsleyman, Paphos (11/02/2010 at 16:55)

Manclad

Get real please!!!!!!

This was not criminal in any accepted sense, but someone who was, without a doubt, suffering from a serious mental illness.

It does not take 9 big, brave police officers to kill someone in this state, just 9 cowards acting on the instructions of a real criminal.

Concerned Mancunian, Manchester (11/02/2010 at 17:09)

@Knowlseyman

"It does not take 9 big, brave police officers to kill someone in this state, just 9 cowards acting on the instructions of a real criminal."

You post the most stupid comments out of all the numpties who post on here.

Have you never recovered from getting a speeding ticket or something because your hatred of police knows no bounds.

Have you ever imagined what it must be like to have a man out of control armed with a shotgun aiming at you...no and you never will so dont post stupid comments about topics you know nor understand about.

Reality Check, The Norf (11/02/2010 at 17:10)

Defence Barrister: "So Mr. Dezai what were you sent to prison for"? R"Corruption". No more questions your honour....

SteveDB (11/02/2010 at 17:17)

MancLadUK, Manchester

The Police response has to lawful and appropriate in the circumstances of the case. If the order to shoot was given and was not appropriate and I believe the family are right, it was wasn't, then it is the Police who acted unlawlfully. Are you saying the Police should not be accountable for their actions? If so, you have to consider just what sort of behaviour an attitude like yours would illicit from the police in the future. So far we have a Liverpool man shot dead for carrying a chair leg home from having it repaired (what sort of threat did the Police feel under I have to ask - rampant woodworm?), a Brazilian student executed, YES executed by the Met and I'm sure there are many more. These people were murdered for doing absolutely nothing so if we take your analysis the Police will be able to shoot everyone for a minor offence upwards, LEGALLY! Oh come on!!!

Vote for David, tory land (11/02/2010 at 17:26)

There are stun grenades, CS gas and other means of settling the matter at the time, and the 47-year-old police commander was in overall control of the Saunders incident on May 6, 2008,
He decided to finish early that day.

canonball, inside the helmet (11/02/2010 at 18:06)

Hurry'oCaine.Is really Sir ian Blair;-)

Ivor Rash, Oldham (11/02/2010 at 18:14)

As I remember it, this man had discharged the shotgun at the, thankfully empty, bedroom window of a neighbour's house. When police attended and told him to put the gun down, he pointed it at them and at the point was shot. If this was the case, he was a proven threat and the officers had no choice in order to protect themselves and others. It is wrong but understandable that the family would wish to put the blame on to other people. I also seem to remember that the police firearms officers were investigated at the time, as is standard procedure, and found to have acted lawfully and in keeping with their training and force policy.

Knowsleyman, Paphos (11/02/2010 at 18:42)

The current, or former, Police Officers comments stand out in big capital letters from those who have a brain in their head!!!!!!

JayTilzey, m29 (11/02/2010 at 23:59)

Well, the Monday Night Quarterbacks are out in force again, including one, SteveDB, who appears to have carried out the entire inquest in a few lines! Well done sir! Stun grenades, CS gas, it only takes one officer - you're all so wise after the event, aren't you, without one of you ever having faced a firearm or attended a firearm incident. How many officers could be shot and killed while a nice touchy-feely CS canister was sailing through the air? When someone points a gun at another human being without reason, the die is cast and the only option can be to take him out with extreme prejudice, and the more bullets that bring him down then the smaller the chance that an innocent life will be lost.
I'm not a police officer and have never had to deal with a situation like this, but I thank the Lord there are people out there doing it on my behalf. Cowards? The real cowards are here, sitting behind their keyboards.

mac moan, macclesfield (12/02/2010 at 15:34)

If you want to behave irratically dont do it with a loaded firearm in your hand. It seems to make good sense,dosent it ????

CHARLES EVANS (12/02/2010 at 17:16)

This wasn't a man who had turned himself into a human bomb. This wasn't a man armed with, a pump action shot gun, an assault rifle, machine, uzi, semi-automatic pistol with armour piercing rounds. He wasn't covered from head to foot in kevlar body armour (like the police were), nor did he have breathing apparatus to be able to resist CS gas. He was armed with a double barrelled shotgun and an air rifle, which fired a hunting cartridge (designed to kill medium size foul) and air pellets. This was murder by cop, with the USA swat shooting guns out of peoples hands, with bean bag rounds, plastic bullets, tazers with 100 metre shock cables and so called mark marksmen, how is it that this man, just like the tube victim, ended up bullet ridden. This a hugely important case, it is one, in a long, long, list Police indiscretions, which points to a disfunctional and corrupt organisation, which sucks up funds, while providing nothing more than a stazi like service for the government.

canonball, inside the helmet (12/02/2010 at 17:31)

He was Armed!what were they supposed to do.In theUSA the Cops don't ask,You get nailed!

CHARLES EVANS (12/02/2010 at 18:54)

cannonball, when you have to make a snap decision, fine shoot, but the police had 5 hours to identify that he had a double barrelled shot gun. They were wearing armour that the shot gun catridges couldn't have penetrated, a couple of bean bags rounds would have taken him down, problem solved.

J smith (13/02/2010 at 08:08)

If you carry a firearm you can expect to be shot, its that simple.............

Responsible person, Lancashire (14/02/2010 at 08:08)

Another corrupt police officer, shouldn't have taken this long, puts all the cases he had any input into question don't you think. Theres nothing racist about convicting a criminal, and shouldn't have took so long. The man that died, none of us was there so we don't know, however, I do wonder why not just one person shoots and as crack shots why can't they shoot the persons arm or leg or something. I don't think it needs shoot to kill in all cases.

macc monkey, Germany (18/02/2010 at 22:17)

CHARLES EVANS, what is the weather like on your planet? Shotgun not penetrating body armour? Would you like to put that to the test, thought not!!!! The Police do not wear full body armour it is a vest, obviously too much time on your computer!!!!!! The Police in the USA do not shoot guns out of hands of criminals (see earlier point on computer time), nor are the Police trained to shot at legs, arms, trigger fingers or other appendages! They shoot at the centre of the mass, i.e the chest!!!! If they shot at an arm and missed some liberal arm chair lawyer like yourself would be up in arms (after you have put down the Daily Sport and computer controller)

Oh and the ammunition point you make......did the police know what type of cartridge he was loaded with? Come on!!!!!!!!! It was a shotgun, discharged out of his window for which he was shot, no doubt after endangering the lives of the officers at the scene. The decision to pull the trigger is a difficult decision and one which brave men and women step up to the plate to make (not too dissimilar to the decision you have to make every day, cornflakes or shreddies)

Oh and another thing, pump action shotgun. Clearly you have no weapon knowledge at all, maybe some in the virtual world or shooting small foul as you say. A pump action shotgun is still a shotgun although has the capability to magazine more cartridges, just because it is pump action does not make it more powerful (Charles, it doesn't pump up the power) Are shotguns accurate, do they fire a single projectile? (apart from Hatton rounds - but you wouldn't know that) They spray shot and when fired at a Police officer in a Ballistic Vest do they miss the exposed arms, face, neck, hands, legs or feet? No it does not!!!!!!! Oh and not to be petty but the UK Police enforce the law by consent and to put them in the same pen as the STASI is offensive (Charles, it is STASI with an S and not a Z - look it up on Wikipedia)

Well that feels better, I do agree that the case needs to be looked at as all Officer involved shootings are but lets not jump the gun.........see what i did there!! Kind Regards

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