Inspector Collin Baker: Misconduct Finding

 Inspector Collin Baker: Misconduct Finding

• Verdict: Found guilty of misconduct by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for decision-making failures during the search for Matthew Caseby, a psychiatric patient who died by suicide after escaping from Priory Hospital Woodbourne in Birmingham in September 2020.
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• Key Failings Identified:

  • Classified Caseby as a medium-risk missing person, despite information indicating high risk (mental health history, past self-harm, running on railway tracks).

  • This assessment led to a delay in launching a full search, contributing to the tragic outcome.
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• Timeline:

  • IOPC investigated following a complaint from Caseby’s father in October 2022.

  • Misconduct meeting held privately in July 2025, at which Baker was disciplined.
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• Outcome: Baker received a written warning lasting 18 months, which will remain on his record.
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 Context & Implications

• The misconduct finding follows an inquest jury in April 2022 that concluded neglect—both at Priory Hospital and in police response—contributed to Matthew's death. The hospital later received a £650,000 fine under healthcare regulations.
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• The IOPC concluded that inadequate risk assessment and failure to act on family concerns fell below professional standards, namely:

  • Duties and Responsibilities

  • Authority, Respect and Courtesy

  • Discreditable Conduct
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• West Midlands Police noted that the case prompted broader force learning—specifically around missing-person protocols for overnight shifts with reduced staffing.

• Final Takeaway

  Inspector Collin Baker’s misconduct finding underscores critical concerns over how risk is assessed in police responses—especially involving mental health and missing-person cases. The disciplinary action serves both as a personal sanction and a catalyst for procedural improvements within the force.

  Would you like help exploring:

  • Public access to the IOPC’s full report or hearing summaries?

  • Broader trends in police accountability for missing persons?

  • Legal grounds for misconduct decisions and how appeal processes work?