(posted 7111 days ago)South Londo Press
Mothers share anger four years after deaths of sons
Oct 29 2004PROUDLY looking at photographs of their sons, Maria Miller and Dawn Allimi describe the past four years as "a living nightmare".
Time is meant to be a healer, but for both mums the painful memories of the tragic accident that claimed the lives of the two lads is still fresh in their minds.
On the evening of August 1 2000, motorbike rider Dean Miller and pillion passenger, 15-year-old Tunde Allimi, became involved in a high-speed police chase after officers suspected the bike was stolen.
Just 30 seconds after the powerful Suzuki vanished from the sight of police, it crashed into a vehicle in South Norwood Hill, South Norwood, killing Tunde and leaving Dean, a college student from Greenwich, with a brain injury.
Recalling the night, Mrs Miller, from South Norwood, told the Advertiser: "Under my curtains I could see a swarm of light coming down. I just thought there had been a match played at Crystal Palace."
The light was actually coming from the traffic tailbacks outside following the accident involving her son, which happened nearby.
Shortly afterwards, she got a phone call from her daughter saying there had been a motorcycle accident involving Dean.
He clung to life for 11 weeks at Atkinson Morley's Hospital, in Wimbledon, as his family prayed for the 23-year-old's recovery. But he died on October 11, 2000.
A tearful Mrs Miller said: "The consultants told me he had suffered such severe brain damage that it would be a miracle if he came round.
"At times there seemed to be signs that he was coming around.
"But the staff made him comfortable as they could see he was slipping away.
"Dean was so kind-hearted and a wonderful son."
His passenger, Tunde Allimi, a pupil at Selhurst High School for Boys, was killed after he was flung into the path of a car.
His mum, Dawn, from Upper Norwood, said: "He was such a helpful boy, he was willing to help anybody he met.
"He was a fun-loving boy who was very well cared for."
It was over a year before an inquest was opened into the deaths of the two boys.
At Croydon Coroners' Court, both families were left shocked by many of the things that emerged from the hearing.
Police officers said they had given chase because they suspected the bike was stolen. But although Dean was the lawful owner of the machine, he had been disqualified from driving.
Eyewitnesses described the bike roaring past at 90mph and the victims' legal representatives claimed the officers' continued pursuit was in defiance of Metropolitan Police safety rules
But the pursuing officer said circumstances had not warranted giving up the chase.
The inquest also heard one police driver had been disciplined by his supervisors for trying to block the speeding motorcycle by positioning his patrol car at an angle across the street.
And the Met was criticised by the victims' legal representatives for leaving a trainee control desk operator in charge of monitoring the pursuit.
A jury returned a verdict of accidental death, with coroner Dr Roy Palmer saying this finding would not prevent the families exercising their right to take civil proceedings.
Mrs Miller said: "For us, the inquest left a lot of gaps and the matter had not been closed."
Both families later approached the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), who looked into the case for a year. But they were satisfied the matter had been fully investigated.
Still unsatisfied, the Miller and Allimi families are still pursuing the case and feel that somebody should be made accountable for the accident.
They are angry that the police pursuit was not called off at an earlier stage.
Mrs Allimi said: "You can't really move on.
"For both of us it's been sheer hell since this happened. It's like living in a nightmare - you think it is all really a bad dream."
It was alleged at the inquest that the chase was raciallymotivated because officers could not accept two young black men could be riding a high-powered bike legally. Police witnesses denied any racial motive.
The families have now approached the Monitoring Group, a registered charity, which is now investigating the incident.
Mrs Miller added: "My eldest daughter has lost her only brother. She used to take him to school - she certainly hasn't got over this. You just have to get on with your life the best you can, but it's so difficult."
* A special memorial service for Dean Miller and Tunde Allimi is being held on Tuesday, November 16, from 6.30pm. Anybody who knew the boys is invited to attend St Mark's Church, 56 Kennington Park Road, London.