In 24 seconds, everything changed for Saul Cookson’s family. A tragedy that unfolded in an instant left a community in shock and the teenager’s loved ones devastated.
A complex dissection of police tactics would follow at an inquest that would only add to his family’s heartache.
Saul, 15, lost his life on the afternoon of June 8, 2023, following a crash metres from his Salford home. Riding a Sur-Ron electric motorbike, he was being followed by two Greater Manchester Police officers.
He was fatally injured in what a jury deemed an ‘unavoidable’ collision with an ambulance on Langworthy Road. Though offers were following him, jurors concluded he was not being ‘pursued’, ‘according to police policy’.
Following the hearing, the police watchdog said it had concluded cops in the case – who a coroner ruled should not be named – behaved ‘appropriately and in line with procedures’.
Saul’s loved ones, reflecting on that fateful summer afternoon – and the proceedings that followed – have criticised the way ‘pursuits’ are defined and categorised, claiming there exists a ‘dangerous grey area’.
Here, reporter Kit Roberts looks back at the tragic case and the nuances in police procedure examined at the inquest…
Saul Cookson was popular in his neighbourhood
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Two GMP traffic officers – referred to as E7 and D5 in court for ‘operational reasons’ – were responding to reports of a drink driver in Salford when they saw Saul on an e-bike.
Officer E7 was driving a marked BMW X5 police car. He told the inquest jury at Bolton Coroners’ Court he decided to follow Saul as the bike was ‘associated with criminality’ and didn’t have a registration plate.
The officers tailed Saul, in what GMP calls a ‘covert follow’, before he rode through a set of bollards onto Langworthy Road and hit an ambulance.
Officer D5 and paramedics in the vehicle rushed to Saul’s aid. Tragically, despite their efforts – and those of medics at Salford Royal Hospital – the teenager died of his injuries.
Paramedic Aaron Fitzpatrick told the jury: “He came out of nowhere when he hit us. Within half a second he was on our windscreen. Everything happened so so quickly.”
The scene of the tragedy in Salford
(Image: Sean Handsford / Manchester Evening News)
Jurors said the collision as ‘unavoidable’. The court heard a GMP family liaison officer found cannabis with an estimated street value of around £679 on Saul.
The jury was asked to consider whether that would have affected the teenager’s behaviour once he noticed he was being followed by police.
After hearing evidence over three days, jurors concluded Saul died in a road traffic from ‘multiple traumatic injuries’. They said that ‘according to police policy’, he was not being pursued.
Following the conclusion of the inquest on Thursday (January 9), Saul’s family issued a statement, drawing attention to what they said was an important distinction in the jury’s findings – that officers did not engage in a pursuit ‘according to police policy’.
They argued others still may define what happened as a ‘pursuit’. The inquest explored at length how pursuits are defined.
“The events surrounding Saul’s death have been difficult to hear and process, but it is important to reflect on the actions that led to this tragedy,” the family’s statement read. “On the day he died, the police were following Saul at considerable speed.
Saul Cookson
(Image: MEN Media)
“To any reasonable bystander, Saul was being pursued. However, due to the wording of police policies, such actions are not officially classified as pursuits. We take comfort in the fact that the jury acknowledged this distinction, explicitly stating that the follow of Saul was not a pursuit ‘according to police policies’.
“This distinction is important because only when an incident is formally classified as a pursuit do the police seek authorisation to continue their actions.
“This creates a dangerous grey area where high-speed ‘follows’ are unregulated. Addressing this gap is necessary to ensure policing can balance its important role with safeguarding the public, those being followed, and the officers themselves.”
GMP officers, the court heard, can engage with a vehicle in four ways. At the lowest level, officers can approach a vehicle to glean further information, for example a registration number to check insurance, MOT or road tax status.
The next level is a ‘covert follow’, though in practice, such instances may not be ‘covert’ in a general sense. In these cases, officers have an active interest in a vehicle, but keep their distance while they gather more information. That is the level officers said they considered themselves to be at with Saul.
Tributes at the scene following Saul’s death
(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
During a covert follow, officers may request a vehicle stops. If that request is ignored, officers enter an ‘initial pursuit’ – the next level. Finally, there is the ‘tactical pursuit’, in which advanced tactics are used, such as boxing in. Support helicopters may be deployed.
Only officers qualified as ‘tactical drivers’ are permitted to engage in that level of pursuit. ‘Initial pursuit’-trained officers are instructed to call for back up once the ‘tactical’ level is reached.
Saul’s family argue a ‘dangerous grey area’ exists in the scale. The court heard officers were engaged in a ‘covert follow’, according to police guidance, but matched Saul’s speed – well over the limit. Saul’s loved ones argue the risk was elevated, despite the fact police were keeping their distance.
The day after the inquest concluded, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) delivered its findings. Its probe determined that although the police presence may have affected the manner of Saul’s riding, there was no indication any officer had behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or had committed a criminal offence.
According to the IOPC, the first time the driver of the ambulance would have been able to see Saul was 0.6 seconds before the collision.
The ambulance following the incident
(Image: Sean Handsford / Manchester Evening News)
Regional director Catherine Bates said: “Any death on our roads is a tragedy and sadly in this instance a boy has lost his life and our thoughts remain with his family, friends and all those affected.
“Our investigation was independent of the police and aimed to understand events leading up to the collision. We found the officers acted appropriately and in line with procedures.
“The evidence we gathered was provided to the coroner to assist with the inquest proceedings, which we hope has helped answer some of the families’ questions about that day.”
Saul’s death led to an outpouring of grief. Tributes poured in and flowers and cards were laid at the scene of the tragedy.
In a statement released the day after his death, Saul’s mum Emma Frendo said: “Saul was a much-loved son, brother, grandson, and nephew, loved by all that met him. He was the sweetest, most kindest boy ever, and always had the biggest infectious smile and was full of love.”
Saul Cookson
(Image: PA)
Ms Frendo and her family added in the statement following the inquest: “The events of June 8, 2023 have forever shaped our lives. Not a day will pass without us thinking of Saul, his infectious laugh, and the love he brought to those around him.
“After his passing, we were overwhelmed – though not surprised – to learn how many people knew and loved him. Saul will always be remembered as the bright and wonderful person he was, and we hope his story inspires the changes needed to save others in the future.”
They added: “Saul was, first and foremost, our son. He was an intelligent, bright, and funny young lad, deeply loved by all who knew him. At the time of his passing, Saul was focused on his GCSEs and had an interview for college arranged for a date not long after he died.
“His presence brought light to everyone around him and the loss of him has left a void in our lives that can never be filled.” Addressing the actions of paramedics, they added: “We are deeply grateful to the North West Ambulance Service for their swift and professional actions on the day.”
Greater Manchester’s head of operations at the North West Ambulance Service, Dan Smith, said: “This was an incredibly tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with Saul’s family and friends at this very difficult time. We are saddened by what happened and offer our condolences to everyone involved and will continue to support our colleagues who remain deeply impacted by the events of that day.”