Met Police officer accused of stealing £170 from a dead man’s body on a bustling Hornsey street

A Metropolitan Police officer has been accused of stealing cash from the body of a man who died on a busy street in north London. 45-year-old Italian filmmaker Claudio Gaetani, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack during his morning cycle. It is reported that his body lay on the ground for six hours while two officers waited for an undertaker. More than 200 Euros (£171) that Mr Gaetani had exchanged at an airport were missing from his wallet when his belongings were collected from Edmonton Police Station.

Mr Gaetani had arrived in the UK from his native Italy the night before his death for a theatre festival in Southbank. His passport, bicycle, and backpack were recovered but his wallet was empty. One of his friends, the wife, said detectives had told her body-worn footage showed an officer counting the money at the scene. A complaint was received by Scotland Yard in October 2022, which was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC directed in January 2023 that the matter should be investigated locally. Subsequently, one of the two officers was placed on restricted duties in June. Mr Gaetani’s death occurred days before Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took over Britain’s largest police force with a mandate to root out rogue officers. Mr Gaetani’s friends say their complaint is not about the money, but about the trust people should have in uniformed officers. “I think it is really disrespectful. I was really, really upset”, one friend said.

The Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command recently passed their file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service which is expected to make a charging decision soon. A police spokesperson said, “The Met received a complaint in October 2022 following the death of a 45-year-old man in north London in September 2022. This was referred to the IOPC the same month, and in January 2023, the IOPC directed it should be investigated locally by the Met.” They added that, as a result of the investigation, an officer was put on restricted duties in June 2023 and continues to remain on restricted duties.

The spokesperson also emphasised the impact of the incident on Mr Gaetani’s family and confirmed that they have been in contact with them as the enquiries progress. They confirmed that, “A file was passed to the Crown Prosecession Service for a charging decision in March. We await their decision.” The case thus continues to unfold and awaits further developments.