Met police forced to pay out £15,000 to a Good Samaritan who was ARRESTED after giving CPR to a dying gun shot victim

Nathan O'Brien, 23, of Woolwich, South East London, carried out CPR on a dying man

A Good Samaritan wrongly arrested on suspicion of homicide after attempting to save lots of a dying man has obtained £15,000 and an apology from police.

Nathan O'Brien, 23, of Woolwich, South East London, carried out CPR on Marcus Harmless, 35, after he was shot twice.

The skilled first-aider spent greater than two hours with the sufferer who had been shot for 'no cause' by a gang in a case of mistaken id 4 years in the past.

However Mr O'Brien was then arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Harmless.

Now, following a four-year authorized battle, he has lastly obtained a letter of apology from the Metropolitan Police and a thanks for attempting to save lots of the sufferer's life.

The previous youth employee admitted he was buddies with the sufferer and has a legal document however insisted he was not concerned within the taking pictures.

He stated: 'I really feel so relieved that this has lastly come to an finish after 4 years. All I did was try to assist save a person's life and the police hauled me in for homicide. I do know that the police do good work more often than not, however this has actually knocked my religion within the justice system.'

Mr O'Brien's two buddies Kieron Okain, 23, and Jermel Crawford, 26, who have been travelling with him on the time, have been additionally arrested in November 2012. 

Saying sorry: Now, following a four-year authorized battle, he has lastly obtained a letter of apology from the Metropolitan Police and a thanks for attempting to save lots of the sufferer's life

They every obtained £12,500 and £10,000 respectively in compensation for his or her wrongful arrest.

Mr O'Brien had dedicated 5 public order offences and considered one of legal injury, however stated he had begun to show his life round on the time of the incident.

Simply months earlier, he was charged with witness intimidation however have been later dropped when police realised it was a case of mistaken id.

Mr O'Brien's met his buddies they usually have been driving again to Lewisham after visiting his solicitor when he says they stumbled throughout the taking pictures of Mr Harmless.

He stated: 'On the way in which by means of Woolwich from my solicitor's I noticed a bunch of younger youngsters standing round a pair of legs. I pulled over to see if I may assist.

'I shortly realised that he was dying. Marcus was shot twice at shut vary with a shotgun, it was fairly messy.

Mr O'Brien (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Harmless in November 2012

'However the very first thing I did was inform the youngsters to maneuver away, then I instructed my buddies to name 999 after which I began giving him CPR.'

Mr O'Brien stayed on the crime scene to supply a witness assertion, even after Mr Harmless was pronounced useless.

However he stated he didn't wish to go to the police station after the trauma that he had witnessed.

Mr O'Brien stayed on the crime scene to supply a witness assertion, even after Mr Harmless (pictured) was pronounced useless

He stated: 'The temper in direction of me modified when me and my buddies weren't prepared to go to the police station, which was due to the emotion and exhaustion of what we'd simply witnessed.

'We have been glad offering statements on the scene. Why would we dangle round to assist if we'd simply killed the sufferer?'

Mr O'Brien was taken into custody at Lewisham Police Station, pressured to offer DNA, and held for 38 hours.

He was then charged with breaching his bail situations and brought to courtroom in a jail bus – nonetheless with blood on his palms from attempting to assist.

The costs have been dropped. He stated: 'The choices that the police made that day weren't human.

'I've been left to undergo from PTSD, I used to be pressured to depart my job, all as a result of I attempted to assist out a person on the road.

'It's taken 4 years to get the justice I deserve for being handled so terribly.'

A letter to Mr O'Brien from Debbie Ralph, head of misconduct and hearings within the Met Police's Directorate of Skilled Requirements, stated: 'I've no hesitation in acknowledging that you just had no involvement in anyway in Mr Harmless's homicide.

"Furthermore, the MPS is grateful to you for taking it upon your self to try to save Mr Harmless's life by commencing CPR and persevering with to help with first assist after police had arrived on the scene.

'Law enforcement officials coping with horrific incidents akin to this, typically must make dynamic and troublesome choices as as to whether sure individuals may need been concerned within the offence and will subsequently be arrested.

'On this occasion a call was made, in good religion, to arrest you.

'Nonetheless, in all of the circumstances, arguably you shouldn't have been arrested, and for that, on behalf of the MPS, I apologise.'

Gang members Jack Brennan, Patrick Brennan, Richard Brennan, Perry Sutton and Sonny Murphy have been jailed for his or her involvement in Mr Harmless's loss of life.

Officers stated as much as 20 males had travelled in six vehicles from Kidbrooke to Woolwich, as a part of gangland feud.

Mr Harmless, who was not a gang member, was dragged into a parking lot the place he was shot at shut vary and died on the scene on November 19, 2012.

Detective Constable Toby Carroll, of the Metropolitan Police, stated of the homicide: 'Marcus Harmless was not concerned in gangs, nonetheless he was wrongly set upon by what we consider was a 20-strong gang over a feud they'd with one other man, a couple of damaged automotive window.'

A police spokesman stated: 'The Metropolitan Police has settled a civil declare introduced by three males for wrongful arrest following the homicide of a 35-year-old man in Woolwich in November 2012.

'A settlement was reached for an undisclosed sum and Mr Nathan O'Brien has been given an apology.' 

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