Merseyside Police Officers’ Trial Over Scene Selfies in Teen Murder Case Delayed

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The trial of a Merseyside Police officer accused of taking selfies at the scene where a teenager was fatally stabbed has been delayed until next year. Ryan Connolly was originally scheduled to face a three-day trial at Manchester Crown Court earlier this year, but the hearing has now been postponed.

Connolly, 41, faces five charges of misconduct in public office, alleged to have occurred between December 2014 and February 2020. He is accused of taking selfies at the location where 16-year-old Daniel Gee-Jamieson was stabbed to death during a violent fight in July 2018.

Daniel, known as Danny to his friends, was unarmed when he was stabbed in the leg in front of many witnesses at Nook Park, Gateacre. As his mother, Mandy Jamieson, arrived and held him during his final moments, Daniel reportedly said, “I just want to go to sleep.”

Owen Cousins, then 17 years old, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2019 in connection with Daniel’s death. A jury acquitted him of murder but convicted him on the lesser charge. Cousins was sentenced to 11 years in prison but has since been released after serving half of his sentence.

Mandy Jamieson has expressed deep frustration over the lengthy delay in Connolly’s trial: “This cannot go on any longer. I don’t have any peace until this ends.” She also acknowledged the efforts of Merseyside Police to push the case forward, saying, “I will give Merseyside Police their due, they have done all they can to get this done on their side and have been pushing for the trial.”

The delay means that the officer has yet to face trial for the alleged misconduct at the crime scene, prolonging the anguish for Daniel’s family. The charges against Connolly relate to the serious misuse of his position as a police officer during a tragic event.

No new trial date has been confirmed other than it being set for some time next year. The case remains under close scrutiny as the community awaits justice for Daniel and seeks assurance that police conduct is held to the highest standards at crime scenes.