1 Jul 2014

‘I was hoping I’d missed,’ Groce officer tells inquest

The Metropolitan police officer who accidentally shot and crippled Cherry Groce 29 years ago tells her inquest he takes full responsibility for what happened.

Retired inspector Douglas Lovelock told the hearing at Southwark coroner’s court: “I say to the family now I am bitterly disappointed.”

The officer, now 71 years old, relived the moment he opened fire during a raid on the Groce family home in 1985.

He said: “I have had 30 years to think about it. My finger must have been quivering on the trigger.”

He added: “I was hoping the blast had gone off and missed. I was hoping to hell I had missed.”

Cherry Groce shooting: victim of ‘unreasonable’ operation

He described seeing the five foot tall West Indian mother collapse to the ground and that he was hoping it was because of shock.

‘I was a waste’

“I felt underneath her, trying to desperately to find out if she was injured. I felt dampness and quite frankly after that I was a waste.”

He denied telling the victim to get up. Asked by the Groce family lawyer if he accepted the raid on their home in Brixton, south London, was reckless and should not have happened, Mr Lovelock replied: “That was easy to say 30 years after when things have changed dramatically.”

In 1987 an Old Bailey jury acquitted Mr Lovelock of all charges. An inquiry carried out by a senior officer from another force concluded the early morning operation was unnecessary and posed grave risks to both police and the public.