Spennymoor fatal police pursuit 'continually risk assessed'

Kelvin Bainbridge was hit by a marked police car

A police pursuit which ended with a teenager's death was "continually risk assessed", a control room supervisor has told an inquest.

Kelvin Bainbridge, 19, was hit by a marked police car in Spennymoor, County Durham, in October 2019.

Durham Police control room civilian supervisor Stacey Barker said anyone "directly involved" in an authorised pursuit could abort it.

But there had been nothing to suggest she should have stopped it, she said.

Ms Barker told the inquest all police pursuits were "continually risk assessed" and anyone involved - such as the police driver or a member of the control room - could discontinue them.

Ms Barker said a call had come through to the control room to report the teenager had failed to stop for an officer.

"I was aware that Mr Bainbridge was wanted for burglary and at this point he was a disqualified driver," she told the inquest.

At the time of his death, Mr Bainbridge was a disqualified driver and wanted in connection with burglary offences

Mr Bainbridge had three passengers in the car at the time, including his mother and pregnant partner.

Stacey Barker said she was only aware of the number of people in the car and not their identities.

"I had no more information to give me any real reason to discontinue the pursuit," she said.

County Durham and Darlington senior assistant coroner Crispin Oliver asked Ms Barker whether she was "satisfied with the decision you made to authorise", given she did not know who was in the car.

"I am, yes," she replied.

She said if the police driver, PC Paul Jackson, had identified a child or young person in the car "that would have been considered".

Kelvin Bainbridge had 45 criminal convictions, the inquest heard

The inquest previously heard that, during the police pursuit, the 19-year-old had hit a wall at "low speed" and then got out of the car he was driving while it was still moving.

Crash investigator Robin Turner told the inquest PC Jackson then did "not have enough time to react" before hitting the teenager.

The inquest also heard the teenager had 45 criminal convictions, had been in trouble with police for stealing cars and criminal damage since he was 13, and had been before the courts for sentencing 16 times.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service which, in October 2021, decided not to authorise any further action against PC Jackson.

The inquest in Crook, which is expected to last up to three weeks, continues.