Judges uphold unlawful killing conclusion on man carrying axe shot dead by police in Hull

Lewis Skelton, 31, was tasered four times before he was shot twice in the back by an officer as he carried an axe in Hull city centre, an inquest jury heard in 2021 before it returned a unanimous conclusion that he was unlawfully killed.

After that decision, Humberside Police said they were “disappointed”, pointing out that the police watchdog had cleared the officers involved.

The force supported the officer who took the fatal shots – known only as B50 – in pursuing a judicial review of the decisions made by coroner Oliver Longstaff which allowed the jury to consider an unlawful killing conclusion.

On Monday, two senior judges found against officer B50, saying: “We have stood back and considered whether, either singly or cumulatively, there is any proper basis for us to interfere with the conclusion of the jury. We are unable to identify any such basis.”

After the ruling, Mr Skelton’s sisters – Tia, Hayley and Laura – said they hoped the officer and the Chief Constable would accept the inquest findings.

They said in a statement: “If this officer, and Humberside Police, have any sense of decency, empathy and respect for the justice system, they will now surely accept not only the conclusion of a jury who sat through weeks of evidence, but also the judgment of the High Court which dismissed all of the officer’s grounds for challenge in respect of the way the inquest was conducted.

“It is time for him to finally accept he was in the wrong. It is time for him and the Chief Constable to finally accept what happened to Lewis was wrong.

“The danger to the public that day was an officer, who was on his first firearms callout in command, who took it upon himself to shoot Lewis twice in the back when he had not threatened a single person and, as witnesses said, was already out on his feet having been tasered.”

The family’s solicitor Neil Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, said the original investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) needed to be revisited.

The jury in 2021 heard that Humberside Police received a number of 999 calls on November 29 2016, saying a man was walking down Holderness Road carrying an axe.

Armed police were deployed and two officers caught up with him.

Officer B50 said Mr Skelton, who had struggled with mental health problems, failed to stop when challenged and the use of a Taser four times by him and a colleague – identified only as Charlie – had no effect.

B50 fired two live rounds in Francis Street from his Glock 17 pistol as Mr Skelton approached a group of workmen and he said he believed their lives were at risk.

But, in the judgment handed down on Monday, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith and Mr Justice Fordham noted that Mr Skelton appeared to be ignoring members of the public as he progressed through Hull.

The judges also said that B50’s assertion that Mr Skelton acted in a threatening manner towards him on or around Caroline Place “was not supported by the available CCTV” and “nor was there support from CCTV for a suggestion that Mr Skelton had offered a threat to the officers by raising the axe when on Charles Street or when he got to Francis Street”.

They added: “Witnesses agreed that Mr Skelton was ‘out on his feet’ and the three workmen were some distance away and crossing the road away from Mr Skelton.”

Humberside’s Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “Police officers often have to act quickly in challenging situations where there is extreme pressure and make split second decisions in a bid to protect the public from any harm.

“We acknowledge the IOPC’s full and independent investigation where they found that no police officer had either committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner which would justify disciplinary proceedings.

“This was a tragic and difficult incident and the death of any person in such circumstances is an outcome that no one would have wished. Our thoughts and condolences remain with Lewis’s family and friends.”