Police chief punished over failed murder investigation

The family of murdered City tax expert Jay Abatan today welcomed disciplinary measures against a senior detective who bungled the investigation into the killing.

A police tribunal found Detective Superintendent Alan Ladley guilty of five counts of serious misconduct while leading the inquiry into the 1999 killing of Mr Abatan, 42, outside a Brighton nightclub.

Mr Ladley, who has been in the force for more than 30 years and led the successful Sarah Payne murder probe, had pleaded guilty to the charges. The tribunal found that he had failed to follow up crucial leads, taken a long time to investigate others and made basic managerial errors.

The three-person tribunal of senior officers, which met at Sussex police HQ in Lewes yesterday, stripped Mr Ladley of 26 days' pay and issued three reprimands over his conduct.

Tanya Haynes, 34, Mr Abatan's fiancé¥ and mother of his two children, said: "This is the first success we've had in our five-year battle to ensure officers are held to account."

Two detective inspectors have denied misconduct charges and face a tribunal next month.