Mother of youth who died in police chase welcomes findings of failures by officers

The mother of a gifted young footballer who died after police chased him at high speed while he was riding his moped has welcomed the findings of an inquest jury that found there were multiple failings by officers involved in the case.

- Diane Taylor

Lewis Johnson, 18, a former Crystal Palace youth player, died in February 2016 after a three-minute high-speed police chase. Officers were pursuing him after reports that he had been snatching mobile phones.

It has taken nine years since Johnson's death for the inquest to take place. During that time there have been a series of legal challenges and investigations into the fatal incident.

Johnson's mother, Ann Torpey, said she felt a weight had been lifted from her after the inquest concluded.

"The jury agreed with us. I was in shock at first after fighting for the truth to come out for nine years," she said. "I left the court and got on the train and by the time I got off a smile was spreading across my face. I felt as if a 10-stone weight had been lifted from me.