Media and Press

Victoria Johnson represents PC’s family in fatal shooting case
Thu 15th Apr 10 - 13:06

As featured in the Law Society Gazette, Thursday 15th April 2010 by Jonathan Rayner

Who? Victoria Johnson, 36, personal injury partner at Manchester firm Ralli.

Why is she in the news? Represented the family of PC Ian Terry, shot dead during a police training exercise in June 2008. Terry, a firearms officer with the Greater Manchester Police, was playing the role of a suspect in a vehicle that had been stopped by a police officer. Another officer, known only as Chris, was carrying a shotgun loaded with the practice version of the ammunition used to deflate car tyres. He approached the target vehicle and, seeing Terry pointing a firearm at a fellow officer, raised his shotgun and fired. Terry suffered serious injuries and died.

The jury at the end of a six-week inquest at Manchester Coroner’s Court delivered verdicts of unlawful killing on Chris and the officer in charge of the exercise. The jury was also critical of the firearms unit and its training procedures.

The Crown Prosecution Service and the Health & Safety Executive are considering their positions, and there may be further prosecutions.

Thoughts on the case: ‘PC Terry was a close friend of my colleague Stuart Page, which made the case personal to the firm. During the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation, it became clear the incident was not the tragic accident that the family had been led to believe, but was the result of a training exercise using ammunition [rather than paintballs]. It was also discovered that the procedure for approving this type of training exercise had been ignored and no risk assessment had been carried out. After hearing the inquest evidence, the family were understandably appalled... It is now for the Manchester police and other forces nationally to introduce measures to ensure this can never happen again.’

Dealing with the media: ‘The case was extremely high profile from the outset. The media in general has been supportive and respectful of the family’s wishes.’

Career high: ‘The Terry case, knowing that procedures will now be implemented, locally and nationally, to ensure this tragedy cannot be repeated.'

Career low: ‘On my first day at Ralli 10 years ago, I arrived at the office with two broken wrists. I’d had an accident snowboarding. My new colleagues assumed I was a personal injury client.’