A watchdog investigation has ruled that police officers were not guilty of misconduct in the fatal stabbing of a man by his housemate, who was later found to be suffering from schizophrenia. The IOPC found no evidence that GMP directly caused or contributed to the death of Osagie Harrison Aimiyekagbon but identified areas for 'organisational learning' regarding how 'serious disputes' between neighbours in shared accommodation are handled.
A watchdog has ruled that police officers were not guilty of misconduct after a father was fatally stabbed by his housemate in a 'frenzied' attack. Osagie Harrison Aimiyekagbon, 36, known by loved ones as Harry, had issued several complaints about Samuel Opokiti following incidents at a shared house where they both lived in Levenshulme. Mr Aimiyekagbon suffered about 50 wounds during an ‘entirely unprovoked’ assault.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), launched following his death, has now called for ‘organisational learning’ which it said Greater Manchester Police should take on board. Opokiti, 30, was assessed by medical experts, and was ruled to have been suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the killing, on July 9, 2023. Harry had complained to police on at least six occasions about Opokiti, after his housemate had made threats to kill him and his young son. He told police that he believed Opokiti suffered from mental health problems. Opokiti pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Earlier this month at Manchester Crown Court he was sentenced to a hospital order, to undergo treatment. He is expected to remain at Ashworth High Secure Hospital for the ‘foreseeable future’. Harry’s brother Uyi Aimiyekagbon previously told the M.E.N. that he believed the police had failed his younger sibling. “They never brought him for questioning or nothing,” Uyi said of Opokiti. He added: “For crying out loud, he has been paying his taxes, he has been working, he has been doing his best for the community, he just needed protection. He did his best to stay out of trouble, but trouble came to him and he was not protected.' A GMP spokesperson previously said: “We understand the family have suffered tremendously following the loss of Osagie and the importance of listening to them. In this case, we made an arrest and brought Samuel Opokiti to justice for fatally stabbing Osagie, albeit he ultimately received a hospital order. “We know that whilst it may bring closure to the ordeal, it doesn't bring Osagie home to his loved ones. Our thoughts remain with the family.” Now the IOPC has released a full statement after its investigation concluded. The watchdog said it had found no evidence that the actions of the force had ‘directly caused or contributed to Ms Aimiyekagbon’s death’. But it said it had identified ‘organisational learning’ for GMP to consider, in relation to how ‘serious disputes’ between neighbours in shared accommodation are dealt with by officers. The IOPC said such disputes currently fall into a ‘grey area’. GMP said the learning has now been implemented. An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with Osagie Aimiyekagbon’s family, loved ones and all those affected by his tragic death. Mr Aimiyekagbon was discovered fatally injured in Rushmere Avenue, Levenshulme, on 9 July 2023. “On Tuesday 14 January at Manchester Crown Court, Samuel Opokiti, was sentenced for manslaughter. We began an independent investigation in July 2023 following a mandatory referral from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), due to the fact an officer and staff members had prior contact with Mr Aimiyekagbon prior to his death. “We established between August 2022 and 8 July 2023, Mr Aimiyekagbon contacted GMP on six occasions to report that his neighbour had made threats to his and his son’s life. He told call handlers that he lived in shared accommodation and thought his neighbour had mental health issues. After each report, crime reports were opened and then closed when it appeared he did not wish to support a prosecution. “On 9 July 2023, a call was made to GMP from another resident of the shared accommodation who reported a fight had broken out. Police and paramedics attended and found Mr Aimiyekagbon sadly dead at the scene. Mr Opokiti was arrested on suspicion of murder. “On conclusion of our investigation, in August 2024, we found there not to be any evidence to suggest GMP directly caused or contributed to Ms Aimiyekagbon’s death. However, we did identify organisational learning for the force after finding that serious disputes between residents of shared housing fall into a grey area in terms of how they should be dealt with by police. “Currently they do not fit into the force’s domestic abuse policy and we concluded the definition should therefore be reconsidered to encompass residents of shared housing to ensure all parties are spoken to and positive action taken. During the course of our investigation, we reviewed police incident logs, crime reports and telephone calls made to the force, obtained witness statements from the officer and staff involved and considered national policies and procedures.” In a statement released today, a GMP spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts remain with Osagie’s family, and the pain they have had to endure over the past 18 months since his tragic death is unimaginable
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION POLICE MISCONDUCT DOMESTIC ABUSE MENTAL HEALTH SCHIZOPHRENIA HOUSE DISPUTE FATAL STABBING
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