Brook House: Whistleblower questioned over BBC panorama report

Callum Tulley, a former Brook House officer and now a BBC journalist, carried out secret filming for Panorama

A former Brook House officer and whistleblower has been questioned on failing to report abuses, before filming them for a BBC documentary.

A public inquiry is ongoing into the mistreatment of immigration detainees at the removal centre, near Gatwick.

Callum Tulley said there was "no alternative" to his 2017 Panorama report as complaints were "fruitless".

The inquiry also heard managers at the centre failed to discipline or search officers accused of drug smuggling.

Brook House immigration removal centre, near Gatwick Airport, can hold up to 448 detainees

During the inquiry it was put to Mr Tulley: "You could have reported [abuses] to the centre manager or the Home Office if you were concerned about what you were seeing."

He replied: "We know... that complaining through the channels that ostensibly existed that you were marginalised and pushed out."

When asked why he did not complain anonymously Mr Tulley said: "What evidence would I have had? Who's word would it have been? Mine against the officers who would have closed ranks and denied what happened.

"The abuse of detainees happened in cells, there were no cameras. I would have needed people to complain with me or it would have been fruitless."

He was also accused by another officer, Yan Paschali, of being biased.

It followed a choking incident in 2017 when Mr Paschali held a detainee down by his neck.

Mr Paschali accused Mr Tulley of cutting out parts of the footage in which he claims to have saved the detainee's life.

Mr Tulley denied this and said all the unedited footage is able to be viewed by the inquiry.

"The only person Yan has to blame is himself, he throttled a defenceless, suicidal detainee on the floor. Unfortunately for him I was filming the whole thing," he added.

Staff at Brook House were not regularly searched, the inquiry heard

On Tuesday officer Luke Instone-Brewer gave evidence following allegations he was taking money to smuggle contraband, including drugs and phones, into Brook House.

Mr Instone-Brewer was on the radar of the senior management team, the inquiry heard, for this and numerous other allegations of bullying and racism.

One detainee claimed Mr Instone-Brewer "goaded" him, stole from him, and went into his room while he was sleeping to shout in his face.

Another said Mr Instone-Brewer told him to "go back to your own country".

'Besmirch'

Mr Instone-Brewer denied all the accusations and said people were trying to "besmirch my good name, obviously".

"The first time I heard [these allegations] was five years later, when there's an inquiry breathing down their necks," Mr Instone-Brewer said.

According to the Brook House records one complaint was due to go to disciplinary but the manager responsible "forgot to do it".

In emails between senior managers, Stacie Dean, the former head of Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre, said Mr Instone-Brewer and another officer were "known to be supplying spice to detainees, yet there has not been a single staff search".

Mr Instone-Brewer was never found with drugs.

CCTV was reviewed but nothing was proven, and some incorrect details from one of the accusers made one allegation "less credible", the inquiry heard.

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