Background

Mr Matthew McConville, Head of Irvings Law’s specialist Actions Against the Police and Data Breach Departments, has successfully represented a client in a claim for compensation against Greater Manchester Police but due to confidentiality, the client will be referred to as Mr F.

Mr F’s (pregnant at the time) partner received a telephone call from Greater Manchester Police’s Safeguarding Department in regard to arranging a meeting with her. At the same time, Mr F’s said (pregnant at the time) partner was told that Mr F’s criminal record contained fourteen convictions, that Mr F had spent time in prison and also had Restraining Orders enforced against him despite Mr F never being arrested before. After this, Mr F’s said (pregnant at the time) partner confronted him to which Mr F quite rightly protested his innocence to the same. In a desperate attempt to support his assertions, Mr F purchased a DBS Certificate and also voluntarily attended the Police Station to discuss this issue with Greater Manchester Police. Within such a meeting, Mr F was informed that his criminal record had been wrongly merged with someone of the same name and after he left the said Police Station, he received an email confirming the same too. Specifically, it was stated that ‘…I just wanted to confirm that we hold no information on you as a Domestic Abuse perpetrator and as discussed, the disclosure made to [Mr F’s (pregnant at the time) partner] was in regards to a different [person]. I can only apologise at the confusion and the upset this has caused and as a result, I have referred this breach of data to our compliance team. Again, I am very sorry that this error occurred and caused you distress’.

Representation

Given the above, Mr F approached specialist Actions Against the Police and Data Breach Solicitors, Irvings Law, for assistance. Mr McConville immediately acknowledged that what had happened was completely wrong and without hesitation, offered to act for Mr F by way of “no win, no fee” presenting a claim to Greater Manchester Police for a human rights infringement as well as for a breach of GDPR, confidence and misuse of private information.

Resolution

In response to the claim, Greater Manchester Police wished to settle which culminated in Mr F agreeing to resolve matters in the sum of £7,500.00.