A former detective’s whistleblowing claims have gained further support as an ex-colleague recently confirmed the truth behind allegations of evidence tampering after the death of a baby. Tom Coling, who served four years in the South London Child Abuse Investigation Team, publicly disclosed the disturbing incident in 2021.
According to Coling, he and a fellow colleague had seized evidence, but they were subsequently ordered to return it and re-stage the scene by another team that was taking over the investigation from scratch. While he refused to comply with the order, his colleague chose to follow through, potentially compromising all the evidence in the process. These allegations formed part of a series of formal complaints made by Coling, although the Metropolitan Police Service rejected every concern he raised.
The police force claimed to have “thoroughly investigated” Tom’s allegations in 2021, finding no evidence to support the claims of evidence tampering. However, recent revelations have brought to light a witness, Jan Pyle, who worked alongside Tom for several years in the child abuse unit. Jan confirmed that Tom had immediately raised concerns about the incident, expressing his horror at the instruction to tamper with evidence.
Jan attested to Tom’s integrity, stating, “With Tom, what you see is what you get. He doesn’t lie. He wouldn’t do anything that was wrong or against the law. He wouldn’t do it.” Despite the corroborating witness account, the colleague involved in the alleged incident refused to speak up, fearing the consequences for her job and pension.
The Met Police claimed in 2021 that the witness did not support Tom’s version of events, yet it was the same colleague who allegedly obeyed the tampering order. The force’s assertion of a thorough investigation was disputed by Jan, who emphasized that no investigator had ever contacted her, despite being part of the same team as Tom.
Tom maintained that no one had ever spoken to him about the incident, casting doubt on the police force’s claim of a thorough investigation. He submitted a comprehensive statement and numerous photos he had taken of the evidence being seized and bagged, which he believed would have provided substantial evidence to support his claims.
When asked about Jan Pyle’s statements, the Met Police did not address them, merely reiterating their previous statement from 2021. They emphasized that the matter had been “thoroughly investigated” and asserted that Tom’s colleague did not support his version of events. The force also affirmed that any allegation of evidence tampering is taken extremely seriously.
As this matter continues to unfold, it is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability to uphold the integrity of the justice system.
About The Author
