Police have refused to apologise after finally admitting that one of their vans was following two boys a minute before they were killed in a collision that sparked violent riots in Cardiff.
Almost two days after the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, South Wales police released a timeline of the moments leading up to the tragedy that revealed how close officers were to the crash.
Officers also said for the first time that the same van that had been following the boys on an electric bike went to them after the crash, though it insisted no police vehicle was there when the pair were fatally injured.
But the South Wales force refused to accept that families and the public had been deliberately misled by claims from their police and crime commissioner, Alun Michael, soon after the riot that it had been sparked by false rumours of a chase, and said no officers had been suspended or spoken to under caution.
The timeline was released after the Guardian published footage appearing to show the police van following the boys on an electric bike shortly before the tragedy and about 400 metres from where it happened.
A member of Harvey’s family said: “They originally told our family there was no police vehicle in the area at the time and they didn’t get chased. It’s all in the video. They were lying.”
Soon after, at a police press conference at police headquarters, the deputy chief constable, Rachel Bacon set out what she said had been confirmed by witness accounts, analysing tracking data from force vehicles and studying CCTV.
She revealed that at just before 6.01pm on Monday the police van began following the bike from Frank Road in Ely. It did not activate blue lights or sirens. At 6.01 and 18 seconds it was at a roundabout, then travelled along Stanway Road before turning off on to Howell Road.
Relatives believe the van turned off as it could not follow the boys up Stanway Road because it is blocked off with bollards. The boys are believed to have wiggled their way through the bollard before the crash happened. Police put the time of the collision as between 6.02pm and 17 seconds and 6.02pm and 41 seconds.
Bacon refused to say why the police had followed the boys as the investigation is being handled by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Asked why police had not confirmed earlier that officers had been following the boys, she said: “We have done our best given the circumstances we have faced with the information we have had.”
She refused to apologise but acknowledged community anger, saying: “I’m here today to talk to the communities of Ely to let them know that we absolutely understand their concerns, that we’re listening to … their worries about the accuracy of what we’ve said.” Asked about Michael’s claims about false rumours, she said the picture had been “unclear” at the time.
A witness, whose CCTV captured the police van in Frank Road, said she and their four-year-old niece had had to jump out of the way of the bike and van.
“You could see the boys were panicking and trying to get away from the police,” she said. “The boys were petrified.”
On Wednesday, friends of the boys took it in turns to maintain a vigil at the spot where tributes had been left. Most of them continued to pour scorn on the account the police have given.
A woman at the tributes, who did not give her name, said: “Young people are always targeted by police around here.” Talking about the riots, she said they happened because the police would not let family members approach the spot where the pair died.
Another said: “The feds are telling porky pies. They treat us differently because we live in Ely.”
One message on a floral tribute read “Love you both like family” and recalled “the first time we played motorbikes”.
Harvey’s godmother, Bridy Bool, said: “Two beautiful boys lost their lives. They were loved by so many people. They grew up together from when they were babies, they ate, slept, breathed together. They say we are a deprived community but we have the same blood running through our veins. We stick together.”
The families of the two boys released tributes to them. In a statement Harvey’s mother said: “Our hearts are truly broken by the sudden death of Harvey, our much-loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, friend, and boyfriend.
“He lived life to the full, he had a big heart and deep down he truly cared. He was a best friend to Kyrees, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family also. As Harvey’s mum I want to remember our son as the fun and loving son.”
Kyrees’s family said: “Kyrees was a loving, caring handsome young man … Him and Harvey along with Niall were best friends since they were young and went everywhere together, they both had so many friends and were very well liked doing many things together, having fun and laughs. They were loved by not only their families but by their community as well.”
