Benjamin Connor died after police left him without money, his phone or bank cards at a tram stop (Image: Family handout)
The family of a man who died after police dropped him off at a tram stop miles from home has said he was failed “massively” by authorities.
Benjamin Connor, 30, from Warrington, Cheshire, was left at a Metrolink stop near Old Trafford, , where he was “unsafely” de-arrested by police in the early hours without his phone, money or bank cards, his family said.
Hours later, the father of four was hit by a taxi about two miles away on the M602 in Salford and died in hospital. Witnesses reported seeing him walk into oncoming traffic, according to the .
An inquest jury ruled he died as a result of a road traffic collision contributed to by neglect on the part of .
Billie-Jo Connor, Mr Connor’s sister, said Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had a duty of care towards her brother that night but “unfortunately failed to care”.
She said: “Ben was such a character. He was the biggest wind-up on the Earth, with the funniest and most bubbliest personality. Anyone that had the pleasure of knowing him will know that.
Benjamin Connor died after being hit by a car on the M602 (Image: GMP)
“He was such a laugh to be around and if he wasn’t annoying you, there was definitely something wrong. But he also would have done absolutely anything for anyone and had a heart of pure gold.”
Ms Connor added that her sibling’s four children meant the world to him and he was always talking about them. She continued: “They were always on his mind. They were the light of his life and are definitely what kept him going. Not only was Ben a daddy, but he was also the most amazing brother, uncle, son and friend to many.”
Police had been called to a flat in the Rusholme part of the city on December 27, 2021, where the owner told officers Mr Connor needed mental health support.
The property owner told the inquest Mr Connor had threatened him with a knife and smashed a plate. Jurors at the inquest heard Mr Connor gave police an address north of the city, but officers released him at Cornbrook Metrolink stop at about 1am on December 28.
Ms Connor explained her brother was meant to have been removed from the flat for breach of the peace and he had been told he would be taken to the address he had given police.
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She said Mr Connor was under the impression he was going to the address he’d given the police officers, but instead was “unsafely de-arrested” at the tram station at gone 1am in the morning with no phone, no money, no bank cards and no way of getting anywhere.
Ms Connor added: “GMP had a duty of care that night, but unfortunately failed to care. Had they done what they said they were doing, from the start, he would still be here with us today.”
Tests carried out after Mr Connor’s death showed alcohol and cannabis in his urine and blood.
Ms Connor said: “Ben was far from perfect and he may not have always made the best choices throughout the years of his life. Of course he had made mistakes, but in no way does that make him a monster.
“Our family as a whole are absolutely distraught, broken and angry. We will never be able to come to terms with Ben’s death, as it happened in such a careless, needless and tragic way. He wasn’t just my brother, he was my go-to, my number one, my shoulder to cry on, my rock and my best friend. He did not deserve any of this, and our system failed him massively.”
The inquest jury found it was an unsafe de-arrest and also concluded the actions of the police were “not correct or safe”, given Mr Connor had a “lack of means, money, and phone” and that trams weren’t running from Cornbrook at the time.
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the family of Benjamin. The public rightly expect all those we encounter are treated with due care, and that ensuring everyone’s safety is at the forefront of all that we do. We accept that the jury concluded that we didn’t meet those expectations on this occasion.
“Following Benjamin’s death, we made a mandatory referral to the IOPC, which is standard for any death after police contact. The IOPC directed it back to GMP for a local investigation led by our Professional Standards Directorate.”
The statement added during that investigation GMP identified individual and organisational “learning” on safeguarding and its policy on transporting people who are neither under arrest nor being taken to hospital.
It continued: “Whilst we understand this does not bring Benjamin back to his family, the identified learning has since been implemented. We strive to continually improve and ensure that the service anyone who comes into contact with us receives is appropriate.”