In a shocking case, James Riley, a former police officer from Preston, Lancashire, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for attempted murder. Riley pleaded guilty to the offence at Manchester Crown Court.
The incident began when the Greater Manchester Police responded to a call regarding the welfare of a woman in her 20s at a hotel on Brook Street in Manchester on Thursday, 10 November 2022. Emergency services found her in a life-threatening condition, and she was later placed in an induced coma at the hospital. Fortunately, she regained consciousness the following day, but not without enduring some long-lasting injuries.
What made this case even more disturbing was that Riley, who was off-duty at the time, placed a call to his family lasting around 10 minutes before anonymously calling for an ambulance. He then fled the scene, leaving the victim behind, and attempted to evade capture by using various modes of transportation to hide his tracks. He crashed his car near the hotel, then ran from the scene, trying to board a bus, taxi, and hitchhike his way back home to Lancashire.
Through a painstaking CCTV trawl, Riley’s movements after the incident were tracked, revealing his efforts to evade capture. He withdrew two separate cash transactions of £250 each from different ATMs and discarded his mobile phone to avoid being tracked digitally.
After an extensive search involving Specialist Operations across three forces in the North West, Riley was located and arrested in the early hours of the morning in West Yorkshire. Lancashire Police promptly suspended Riley and initiated an internal investigation into his conduct, in addition to the criminal inquiries by the Greater Manchester Police. As a result, Riley was dismissed from the force without notice and has been added to the College of Policing barred list.
Detective Sergeant Heidi Cullum from GMP’s Major Incident Team commended the bravery of the victim and expressed hope that she can now move on with her life, knowing that Riley will be behind bars and unable to harm anyone else. She also acknowledged the support and collaboration received from Lancashire and West Yorkshire counterparts, which played a crucial role in conducting a prompt and effective investigation.
Detective Superintendent Zoe Mainey, Head of Professional Standards from Lancashire Police, emphasised that Riley’s behavior fell far short of the standards expected from police officers, both on and off duty. She assured the public that Lancashire Constabulary is committed to tackling all forms of domestic abuse and holding perpetrators accountable. Swift action was taken by the Professional Standards Department to dismiss Riley before the conclusion of the criminal investigation, demonstrating their dedication to addressing such allegations against serving officers.
The actions of former officer James Riley were condemned by Lancashire Constabulary, and their thoughts are with the victim and all those affected by this grave and concerning crime. They reiterated their commitment to safeguarding victims and maintaining the trust necessary for effective and legitimate policing.
