Spy cops inquiry: what we’ve heard so far

Mark Jenner, a former undercover Metropolitan Police officer known as Mark Cassidy, has begun giving testimony to the Undercover Policing Inquiry. His appearance follows evidence already given by his ex-wife, the woman he deceived into having a relationship, and the whistleblower Peter Francis.

Jenner is one of 139 undercover police officers being investigated by the inquiry over their infiltration of thousands of predominantly left-wing groups from 1968 until at least 2010.

What is the inquiry investigating?

The inquiry was commissioned in 2014 by the then home secretary, Theresa May, to look into allegations of serious “historical failings” in the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), with whom Jenner was associated, and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit. Both units have since been disbanded.

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One of the most high-profile “spy cop” cases was that of Mark Kennedy, who had spent seven years undercover. During that time he had sexual and romantic relationships with “at least 11 women” who knew him as a fellow activist named Mark Stone, said The Guardian.

To date, it has been confirmed that “at least 25” of the 139 undercover officers being investigated by the inquiry “formed intimate relationships” with women. Four are alleged to have fathered children with women “who were unaware of their true identities”.

The inquiry is on course to become the most expensive in British legal history, according to documents seen by The Telegraph. The cost is set to pass £200 million before its conclusion, meaning it would overtake the £191 million set by the Bloody Sunday inquiry, published in 2010, and around five times more than the investigation into the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack.

What did Jenner tell the court?

Yesterday, Jenner told the inquiry that he thought it had been necessary to have sex with women while operating undercover, but said sexual gratification was “definitely not” a perk of the job.

One of these women, Alison, whose real name has been withheld, was in a relationship with Jenner between 1995 and 2000. She believed him to be a fellow left-wing activist called Mark Cassidy. Jenner would spend the day with his then wife, then return to Alison in the evening, with each of them believing he was at work. The court had previously heard that requests made by Jenner for travel outside London to pursue the target group’s activities were actually holidays abroad with Alison.

He told the court his motivation for forming a romantic relationship with Alison was that she had “a landline telephone and knew a lot of people in Hackney, so her home made an ideal base for him to continue his undercover operation”. In response, she said that the claim was “complete nonsense” and “ridiculous”, as “everybody had a landline phone in 1995”.

After hearing Jenner’s first day of evidence, Alison said that “any illusions, or romantic memories of him being an anti-fascist, anti-racist, trade union activist” were “demolished”. Asked about the systemic extent of the “layers of lies”, Alison said: “I think his direct managers knew and covered it up. Or they didn’t know and they are entirely incompetent.” She told the inquiry that she believes there could be 50 or so women with similar experiences of undercover deceit.

Who else has testified?

Jenner’s ex-wife and mother of his children, identified only as S, said that her ex-husband and his fellow spy cops “prioritised personal gratification and their careers over the wellbeing of their families”, and claimed that the “deceit” and “collusion” of the cover up went “high up the chain”.

Earlier this month, whistleblower Peter Francis, who in 2013 revealed himself as a member of the SDS involved in the surveillance of the family of Stephen Lawrence, told the inquiry that it was “standard practice” to gather names of dead children from graveyards to create cover identities for missions.

His evidence revealed “serious wrongdoing” within the SDS, including the “targeting of black justice campaigns”, and officers were advised that “any crime up to actual bodily harm was acceptable”, said The Times.

What next?

Jon Savell, deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, acknowledged “the serious wrongdoing” and the “totally unacceptable behaviour” by some undercover officers, said the BBC. Managerial failings had caused “significant harm and distress” to the “women who were deceived into sexual relationships”.

Jenner, given the codename “Touchy Subject” by police, will be questioned by the inquiry for the next two days. Key questions are expected to centre around the “extent to which his superiors knew about, and approved, his long-term relationship with Alison”, said The Guardian.