A former Merseyside Police officer faces charges of misconduct after allegedly snapping selfies at the murder scene of a 16-year-old boy in Liverpool.
Incident at Belle Vale Murder Scene
Ryan Connolly, 41, from Huyton, Merseyside, guarded the cordon where teenager Daniel Gee-Jamieson died in Belle Vale in 2018. Instead of securing the area, he took personal photos, including one of himself standing in uniform and another lying on the grass nearby, Manchester Crown Court has heard.
Prosecutor Peter Wilson displayed the images recovered from Connolly’s phone to the jury. The photos captured police tape at the scene but revealed no sensitive details.
Photos of Detained Individuals and Operations
Authorities arrested Connolly in February 2020 and seized his mobile devices. Analysis uncovered 24 images in the WhatsApp sent folder depicting members of the public handled by police, along with selfies of Connolly on patrol.
Some images showed people in handcuffs, on hospital beds receiving treatment, or at mental health facilities. One photo featured a found missing child at a police station, while another captured two individuals appearing asleep in bed.
A woman photographed hiding in a cupboard described the image as “degrading and upsetting” in a statement read to the court.
Additional pictures included police force systems, suspect images, and incident logs.
Prosecution’s Case on Misconduct
Wilson argued that Connolly committed willful misconduct by capturing, retaining, and sharing these inappropriate photos without professional justification. The actions crossed a critical threshold, eroding public trust in law enforcement.
Connolly claimed the images served work purposes, but none appeared on official police systems.
Trial Details
The former constable denies four counts of misconduct in public office. The trial at Manchester Crown Court is set to continue for four to five days.
