A Fife father whose son died after driving a stolen pick-up truck into Methil docks has refused to blame pursuing police for the tragedy.
On Friday Robert Purves (70) accepted the findings of an independent report which ruled officers acted in an “appropriate and professional” manner prior to his son Kevin’s death earlier this year.
But while that may be the case, Mr Purves still believes there is a chance his son’s death might have been avoided, had authorities been more alert to his behaviour that afternoon.
Kevin, a 44-year-old father of two, drowned after plunging into the water on March 17, just a short time after stealing a Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) truck from the Forth Road Bridge.
Police saw the vehicle in Methil’s South Street and followed it towards the water’s edge but were powerless to stop Kevin, who had bipolar disorder, from careering into the Firth of Forth.
Neighbouring Central Scotland Police, drafted in to review local officers’ response, have now cleared the Fife force of any wrongdoing.
Despite the report’s conclusion, Mr Purves remains unconvinced that police always kept a safe distance while tailing his son although he stressed he does not hold the officers responsible for what happened.
“I’ve seen video footage and the police were right on his tail going past the nursery but I don’t blame the police because Kevin wouldn’t have done the things he did in his right mind,” he said.
“Kevin should have stopped when they flagged him down. Whether he intentionally drove into the water, only Kevin will know, but according to witnesses he apparently accelerated into the dock and I firmly believe that.
“Kevin was wanting to end it all that day he was suicidal.
“We haven’t had anything in writing from the police or the fiscal yet but I can agree with the findings. As far as I’m concerned it’s finished and I’ve drawn a line under it.”
After stealing the vehicle on the Forth Road Bridge Kevin drove 27 miles back to the area where he lived and was spotted by officers on a routine patrol near the Bawbee Bridge shortly before 4.30pm.
Kevin, followed by police vehicles, drove into Harbour View, past East Fife’s Bayview Stadium and then along a dirt track before veering off the jetty into Dock No. 3.
No police officers dived in to try and save him as they were not equipped to do so but the coastguard and specialist divers from Central Scotland Police were alerted. However, Kevin’s body was pulled from the submerged vehicle later that night.
Mr Purves reckons more perhaps could have been made of CCTV footage which was later discovered to have tracked his son’s journey that afternoon.
Cameras on the bridge captured Kevin for some time before he took the yellow pick-up truck as maintenance staff worked on a gantry above. He was also recorded getting on a bus from Leven to South Queensferry.
Mr Purves said, “I believe Kevin was going to jump off the bridge because he was there for one hour 10 minutes and he looked distressed. I’ve seen the tapes. I feel somebody should have gone and at least said to him, ‘Are you OK son?’
“How long’s the bridge? About a mile? It wouldn’t have taken much for someone to jump in a car and go and say something to him. If the camera operators think they’ve got a jumper something should be done.
“It’s too late for Kevin but if it helps someone else then that would be good.”
Mr Purves also questions whether Kevin should have been given stronger treatment for his bipolar disorder, noting that his weight ballooned in the months before his death.
The condition is characterised by mood swings, ranging from extreme happiness to severe depression, and Kevin’s family believe he had experienced a severe episode that day.
Talking about Kevin’s disorder, Mr Purves said, “He’d always been different. We knew there was something about Kevin but we didn’t realise he was bipolar until he was diagnosed in 2008 and spent a year in Whyteman’s Brae Hospital (in Kirkcaldy).
“He was always quiet but the treatment seemed to get him on the straight and narrow.
“The only thing I was unhappy about was that his weight went from 10 stone to 16 stone and I just wonder if he was getting the same injections as he was when he was 10 stone.”
While the independent report has not been made public, a Fife Constabulary spokesman described the circumstances surrounding Kevin’s death as “both sad and tragic.”
“In line with national protocol an independent force was invited to conduct a full review of these circumstances and the response by Fife Constabulary,” he said.
“The independent report found that Fife Constabulary had acted in accordance with policy and procedure and that the response was both appropriate and professional.”
Meanwhile a spokesman for bridge operator FETA said, “This was a tragic incident and our sympathies go out to Kevin Purves’ family and friends.
“Having reviewed the camera footage from the bridge we are satisfied that our staff acted appropriately. However, we have taken steps to improve the security of our vehicles.”