At about half past three in the afternoon of Friday, 12 August 1966, three plain clothes police officers stopped their unmarked 'Q' car, in Braybrook Street in Hammersmith, West London. Two of the three officers, Sergeant Christopher Head and Constable David Wombwell, went to check out the occupants of a Standard Vanguard, while Constable Geoffrey Fox remained at the wheel of the police car.
The Vanguard was occupied by three small time criminals: driver John Witney sitting alongside Harry Roberts with John Duddy in the rear. The three were intent on stealing a car for use in a robbery. Roberts was carrying a gun while two other weapons were in a bag next to Duddy.
Eye witnesses described what had happened: having spoken to Witney, David Wombwell noted Witney's and Roberts' details in his note book. Meanwhile, Christopher Head moved to the back of the vehicle and asked Duddy about the contents of the bag. Given their previous criminal records, discovery of the guns would have been likely to have led to long terms of imprisonment.
Without warning, Roberts fired his luger pistol and Wombwell fell dead from a shot to the head. The next shot missed its target, but a third mortally wounded Head as he tried to run for cover behind the police car.
Moments later Geoffrey Fox fell victim to Roberts and Duddy, who both fired several shots as the officer attempted to reverse the police car at them.
Responding to calls from the public, on-duty colleagues of the dead officers discovered the tragic scene in Braybrook Street. Never before in the history of the Metropolitan Police had so many officer's lives been lost in a single incident; nor, indeed, were losses on such a scale to be repeated until the atrocity of the Harrods bombing of Christmas 1983. Such was the spirit and determination to apprehend those responsible for the outrage that, on hearing the news, off-duty officers immediately reported for duty.
On 12 December 1966, following a six day trial at the Old Bailey in which overwhelming forensic and fingerprint evidence was produced, Roberts, Duddy and Witney were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. Duddy died in prison. Witney was released in 1991. Roberts is still in custody.
So great was the public outrage that an, initially anonymous, donation of £250,000 from the late holiday camp pioneer Mr. (later to become Sir) Billy Butlin soon swelled to over £l million. The Trust was in business.
Of course, the drama has not ended there. Regrettably, some officers still lose their lives while others sustain serious injuries the effects of which can, and often do, bring disaster to themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
Nor is it just the headline-making events, such as the Tottenham riots, the miners' strike or Hillsborough which continue to take their toll of the police. Hundreds of equally harrowing, but less high profile stories are held in the PDT's files.
The Trust exists solely for the purpose of helping police officers and/or their families, who are either killed or seriously incapacitated due to the special hazards of policing.
Its Trustees included the Permanent Secretary of State at the Home Office, the Metropolitan Commissioner and representatives from all sections of the police service and retired officers. They meet at least twice a year to consider the general direction of the Trust's affairs. The Trust's Management Committee meets six times a year and has the task of considering applications for financial assistance.
In a large number of cases, beneficiaries receive grants on a regular basis, either because they are living on low incomes (elderly widows in the main), or because they need help with expenses of bringing up children. Such grants are reviewed each year and their levels determined by the trustees. Otherwise, the Management Committee has full delegation to decided the amount of individual grants.
In most cases, applications are for help towards the cost of providing something to improve the quality of life for officers who continue to suffer from the effects of injury on duty; such as a specially adapted car.
A sub-committee meets on a ad-hoc basis at very short notice to deal with urgent applications, which cannot await the full committee meetings. The sub-committee has been convened on several occasions over the past year and, amongst other grants, has made four initial awards of £5,000 each to families of officers who have been killed in the line of their duty.
The generous support both of the police and the general public has enabled the Police Dependants' Trust to continue to expand its charitable work over the years. In 1981 the trustees approved a scheme enabling the scope of the Trust to be extended to RUC Officers. But it has to be said that much of this would not have been possible had it not been for the support given to the Trust by its two appeals committees, which were set up at the Trust's inception and which have kept it in the public eye throughout its twenty six year history. Both committees- the Scottish Appeal Committee, which through its regional network covers all of Scotland and the Islands, and the Special Appeal Committee in the south of England, give their time and energies freely to help raise funds for the Trust.
The Scottish Appeals Committee regularly organise regional events in aid of the Trust. In the south, the Special Appeal Committee's most recent noteworthy event was the 1990 Royal Film Premiere, held jointly in aid of the Variety Club's Children's Charities and the Trust, at the Odeon Leicester Square in the presence of the Trust's patron, Her Majesty the Queen.
Two former officers, because they were confined to wheelchairs and unable to join the main line-up on the first floor, were presented to the Queen in the foyer.
The families of many former police officers, as well as some still serving, owe much of the present quality of their lives to the Police Dependants' Trust. So far, some 3,674 cases have been brought to the Trust's notice. But the task can only continue with the help of its many supporters. This year alone, grants are expected to total £l.2 million. That is a lot of money - but equally high is the debt owed by us all to the families of those who have lost their lives, or to officers whose health has been destroyed.
If you, or someone you know, wish to know more about how you can help the Police Dependants' Trust, please contact us.
