The 23-year-old was found ashore near the intersection next to the M6 in Bromford, Birmingham, by his mother. At the time, Vernon, charged with robbery and car crimes, was a haunted, chased man.
His face was one of three shots projected on the wall of West Midlands Police Headquarters, Lloyd House and soccer fields. His image was stuck on the internet. He has been in the shadows since appearing before the Birmingham judges in February 2000.
Months later, he fled a family reunion at the Bromford Residents Club when police arrived after learning Vernon was present. He fought with the officers before climbing a fence, which was full of razor wire, and disappearing into the bitter cold night. READ MORE: Two men arrested after armed robbery in Kidderminster Matalan which closed the retail park In this fight, Vernon lost his jumper and escaped with only a T-shirt. One night when temperatures dropped to -1, police believe Vernon jumped into the canal to avoid arrest. His mother, Deborah, found the body the next day. The January 2001 tragedy sparked outrage in Vernon’s family, with Deborah accusing police of publicly declaring her son a fugitive. A leading defense lawyer said Vernon would feel he was at the center of a witch hunt. He was the second man to appear in a police “gallery of crooks” who died within two months: street robber Glenn Foster was found stabbed to death in London. Where Damean Vernon’s body was found dead at Bromford Estate (Image: Sunday Mercury) There were also unfounded allegations that Vernon had been the victim of an aggressive game, with unfounded rumors that he had been hit by a police torch. These allegations were fueled by details given in the ensuing investigation. It was reported that there were 34 cuts and bruises on the body. But at the hearing they also said that Vernon died of exposure and hypothermia and recorded a verdict of death by accident. The power was later found to be impeccable. And last week, former West Midlands chief supervisor Mike Layton came to the same conclusion when the incident was re-examined by the BBC show We Are England. Vernon’s family still believes that others are involved in the death. They are so convinced that more answers will appear, his tombstone bears the legend of TBC – To Be Continued, not RIP. One thing is out of the question. The young man met a terrible end in a horrible place, a hidden, echoing maze of graffiti sprayed concrete pillars and liquid water. At the heart of the documentary was Vernon’s younger brother, Luke, now an actor and motivated speaker, looking for answers. The episode had a moving title: “Why did my brother end up dead?” Police at the scene on the Bromford Estate (Image: Sunday Mercury) “How can police, dogs and helicopters lose a man and my mom find him?” He said. “The pain I feel is quite bad, so I can not imagine what my mom went through. “I’m so angry because there are so many unanswered questions. “If I could actively stand in front of one of the police officers, I would ask them to tell me their version of the events of the night.” Mike Layton, the most successful author, has looked at the many files. He concluded: “At the end of the day, I’m not sure what else the police could do.” He said: “Damean got into trouble with the police and spent a period of time in prison. He is wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court for a robbery offense. “It does have a history of vehicle crimes, theft offenses and, later, robbery offenses. In terms of the list of “most wanted”, in my opinion, Damean Vernon met the criteria released internally by the West Midlands police. “He is wanted for robbery, he was on the police computer, he was not handed over. I think he was wanted for about 10 months. “There have been previous attempts to locate and apprehend him in what I would describe as a conventional way. “His candidacy met the criteria to make him suitable for this list.” On the fateful night, Mr. Leighton said: “As far as policing is concerned, there is no doubt that an investigation lasted about an hour with a relatively large number of police officers. The amazing thing, I think, is that the officers managed to find so many resources in such a short time. “There is clear evidence that they covered a fairly large area and the reality is that Damean was simply not found and we do not know where he was. It was clearly found in the water at some point, but it does not appear to be water for any long period of time. “What is certain is that Damean has climbed this fence that has a razor wire on top of it. “He clearly had some sort of fight with at least two officers near this fence, but the doctor did not find any serious injuries and this was confirmed by an independent doctor.” Mom Deborah Vernon with her son Lee, photo after the 2001 tragedy (Image: Sunday Mercury) Mr Layton’s comments reflect the findings of a Merseyside police investigation overseen by the then Police Complaints Authority. And in 2001, West Midlands police said: “At the end of the investigation, a complete dossier of evidence was forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice on any criminal offenses that may have been committed in connection with Mr Vernon’s death. “A full review of all the evidence was carried out by the Crown Prosecution Service, which ruled that there was insufficient evidence to take action against any police officer in connection with any criminal offenses arising from the circumstances leading up to Mr Vernon’s death.” At the spot where the body was found, another brother, Lee, was scanning the gloomy environment. “Damean was found in a terrible way,” he told Luke. “His nose was exactly flat on the floor, bent backwards. For how cold it was, when we picked him up and turned him over and brought him back, he was frozen. “That’s how your mom found him – half-naked, face down, nose pressed right back, one hand behind his back, one hand over his head and his ankle twisted as if he were broken. That’s how it was. “You would not lie like that if you were cold, you would carry yourself. “Someone put your brother there or some people put him there.” Examining the case on television, defense attorney Joseph Kotrie-Monson concluded that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that Damean had a violent end. However, he believed that there were operational shortcomings by the police. Mr Kotrie-Monson said: “There is so much that is not known about these last hours and the period when police claim to have lost Damean’s eyes. The opinion of a lawyer here is that I deal with evidence and where I do not have enough evidence, I hesitate to draw awful conclusions. “But, in my view, there are operational and design, even institutional, failures on that terrible day. The context is this – the search takes place in a situation where Damean’s name and photo have been posted all over Birmingham, something that must have felt like a witch hunt. “The police must therefore have predicted or should have predicted that there might be some sense of despair or fear on the part of the person being hunted. This should have overwhelmed the level of care they provided. “But it is clear, from what I have seen, that the preparation for the briefing on the spot was poor. In terms of how the research was done, there are three things that raise serious questions, in my view. “First of all, they believe he had a head injury. This poses a danger to him and he is close to a very cold water. This creates an additional risk. And there is this potential, increased despair that they should be aware of, created by that police campaign. “It does not necessarily mean that they become directly responsible for everything that happens to him next. But could it be argued that, in terms of their duty to play their role properly, they did so through negligence? I think it could be supported. “ Vernon, who died after being chased by police (Image: Sunday Mercury) West Midlands Police said: “The then Independent Police Complaints Authority was overseeing a four-month investigation by Merseyside police into the circumstances leading up to Mr Vernon’s death. Twenty-five police officers participated in a very comprehensive investigation. Merseyside police officers told the investigation that the fact that “someone may not want to be found” should be taken into account. The findings were reported to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided that no criminal proceedings would be instituted against anyone involved. “ The spokesman added: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Vernon’s family.” * To receive updates on all Birmingham breaking news directly to your email, click here Read more related articles Read more related articles
