Police admit 'collective failure' over vigilante murder

A senior police officer admitted there had been a "collective failure" to respond to the concerns of a disabled man murdered by a vigilante who had branded him a paedophile.

Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, had repeatedly contacted police complaining that he was the victim of anti-social behaviour and was being unfairly targeted by his neighbours.

Just hours before he was beaten to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James, 24, Mr Ebrahimi begged officers to help telling them he did not feel safe in his own home.

ITV News Special Correspondent Rageh Omaar reports from Bristol:

Mr Ebrahimi's repeated messages pleading for help from Avon and Somerset Police went unanswered, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Chief Constable Nick Gargan said that as an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation was under way into allegations of misconduct in public office, he was unable to comment specifically on the police response.

The IPCC said six police officers and six civilian communications staff had been interviewed by investigators.

Three Pcs have been interviewed under caution on suspicion of misconduct in public office, while an inspector, sergeant and a constable have been interviewed for gross misconduct.

The investigation against the inspector has since ceased.

A control room supervisor, a dispatcher and four call handlers who dealt with phone calls from Mr Ebrahimi have also been interviewed for gross misconduct.

James, of Capgrave Crescent, Brislington, Bristol, pleaded guilty to murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years' imprisonment.

Stephen Norley, 25, who lived next door to James, had pleaded guilty to assisting an offender after obtaining white spirit and helping drag Mr Ebrahimi's body to where it was set alight. He was jailed for four years.

The court heard that James believed Mr Ebrahimi, an Iranian national who lived alone with his cat, was a paedophile.

The father-of-four, who lived two doors away, had threatened to take the law into his own hands unless police "dealt with the situation".

Witnesses told police of a verbal confrontation between James and Mr Ebrahimi on the evening of July 11, with James telling his neighbour to stop taking pictures.

James was seen to enter Mr Ebrahimi's flat to confront him and was also overheard threatening to set fire to his home.

James flagged down PCSO Raymond Kelly, who was passing in a patrol car, and told him that his neighbour was "looking at my kids" and had taken a photograph of him.

Mr Ebrahimi had also called police and Pcs Leanne Winter and Helen Paris arrived at the scene, just as James returned.

"He was furious and crying in anger," Mr Langdon said of James.

As the officers arrested Mr Ebrahimi for "his own safety", he told them: "I can't believe you are arresting me when I haven't done anything."

Mr Ebrahimi was released without charge and returned home the following day.

Later that day, Mr Ebrahimi's neighbours held a party outside the block of flats, with alcohol being consumed.

That evening, James stood outside Mr Ebrahimi's flat and exposed himself to him, shouting "you think you have police protection".

Mr Ebrahimi came to the door of his flat before retreating inside, as neighbours loudly described him as a "nonce".

James and Norley's partners were overheard saying Mr Ebrahimi "was a paedophile and didn't deserve to live".

At around 11pm, James locked his partner and children inside their flat and told them not to come out.

The court heard that it was unclear how the attack on Mr Ebrahimi started, but witnesses saw James repeatedly stamp on his head with his right foot, telling him "have some of that".

At 1.35am the following day, CCTV captured a blaze starting, which burnt for 10 minutes until it was distinguished by an attending paramedic.

By this time, James and Norley had taken off their blood-splattered clothes and thrown them down a nearby lane before returning home.

A post-mortem examination report found Mr Ebrahimi suffered "multiple heavy blows to the face and head" and had died before he was set alight.