The Metropolitan Police have reached a £2 million settlement with family of murdered private detective Daniel Morgan, admitting liability for a “cycle of corruption and incompetence” that mired investigations into his 1987 axe killing.
The payout is one of the largest in British policing history.
In a statement, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who vowed to clean up the force after a series of scandals, said on Wednesday: “I unequivocally and unreservedly apologise for the failure of the Metropolitan Police Service to bring those responsible for the murder of Daniel Morgan to justice.
“From the earliest stages, his family have been repeatedly and inexcusably let down by the Metropolitan Police.
“This case has been marred by a cycle of corruption, professional incompetence, and defensiveness that has repeated itself over and over again.
“Daniel Morgan’s family were given empty promises and false hope as successive investigations failed and the Metropolitan Police prioritised its reputation at the expense of transparency and effectiveness.
“No words can do justice to the pain and suffering that has been a feature of the family’s lives for more than three decades as they have fought for justice, a fight which no family should have to endure. Their tenacious campaigning has exposed multiple and systemic failings in this organisation.
“I have met with the family and listened to vivid and moving accounts of the devastating impact those failings have had on their lives. They have explained how their trust in policing has been eroded. The personal commitment I made to tackling corruption in this organisation when I took over as Commissioner has never been stronger.”
Mr Morgan, 37, was found with an axe embedded in his head in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south east London 36 years ago.
A string of unsuccessful investigations into his death have been mired with claims of corruption.
An independent panel set up to look into the case published a scathing report in June last year in which it accused the Met of “a form of institutional corruption” for concealing or denying failings over the unsolved murder to protect its reputation.
Mr Morgan’s killing is the most investigated case in UK history, with five police inquiries costing £50m. The Met has admitted that corrupt officers shielded suspects and that later investigations did not adequately chase down leads or examine wrongdoing claims.
The financial settlement brings to an end a decades-long battle by Mr Morgan’s relatives.
Brother Alastair, 74, sister Jane, Mr Morgan’s widow Iris and her two children, Sarah and Daniel Jr, started a civil claim alleging misfeasance in public office and breaches of the Human Rights Act.
A lawyer for Mr Morgan’s family said: “As a result of a formal mediation process in July 2023, the parties were able to agree a mutually satisfactory settlement of the proposed claims, including an admission of liability on behalf of the Commissioner in respect of the conduct of his officers in response to the murder.
“At the request of the family of Daniel Morgan, all other terms of the settlement are confidential to the parties. Accordingly, the parties will not be making any further comments to the media about the terms of settlement or the mediation.”
