Page 19 - WMPF Federation AUG-SEPT 2019_Neat

Gathered at the West Midlands Police tree on The Beat at the arboretum.

Greg Lashmar, son of PC Brian Lashmar (39) after his death the grief was overwhelming
of the Met, who also died in a crash on his and she felt she was in a wilderness.
way back from night duty, on 24 January “You missed so much,” she told him,
1989, and Donna Cox, sister of PC Jo-Ann adding that him not seeing their son grow
Jennings who was 23 when she was killed in up was the greatest sadness of all.
a patrol car responding to a disturbance on Greg had just turned 14 when his father
12 November 1989. died and admitted keeping a lot of his
George, who was three when his father emotion inside.
died, told those gathered at the service “I was the man of the house, I had to be Wreaths honour fallen officers.
about the good times he and other officers’ the strong one,” he said.
children had at Drayton Manor during the His grief nevertheless left its mark. stroke while on presidential protection duty
COPS survivors’ weekends and discussed the Having heard a bugler play The Last Post at a in Scotland;
firm friendships they formed. funeral, to this day he can’t bear to hear it PC Joseph Cooke (39) of the Met who injured
He also praised the Police Unity Tour played. his shoulder while making an arrest. While
cyclists saying that he hadn’t realised how He had initially not engaged with COPS having surgery on the injury, five months
much it would mean to him to be presented but was encouraged by the charity’s founder, later, he suffered a brain injury which proved
with a wristband bearing his father’s name Christine Fulton, to do so around four years fatal on 25 December 2018;
by a PUT cyclist and urged everyone in ago when Paul Spencer rode the PUT for PC Daniel Clayton-Drabble (24) of Thames
policing to tell colleagues about COPS’ work. Greg’s father. That led to a ‘teary hug’ that Valley Police, who died in an accident as he
George finished his speech by paying allowed him to let out some of the built-up drove home from work on 26 December
tribute to his Mum, Kate: “She’s an amazing emotions and speaking to other families 2018;
woman. I am so proud to have her has my who had lost officers made him realise he PC Kevin Flint (52) of Thames Valley Police
Mum.” was not the only one to feel how he did. who died on 15 January 2019 when his
Angela’s speech began with her talking Donna gave an emotional, but at times motorbike was in collision with a car as he
about the night ‘the love of her life’ died, light-hearted, tribute to her older sister, best drove home from work; and
acknowledging that she had got the knock summing it up by saying: “I just miss her.” PS Colin Michael Fox of the Metropolitan
on the door that no-one wants. She now takes part in the Police Unity Police who died on 1 May 2019.
“Gary went to work that morning and Tour and this year, the 30th anniversary of The service also featured two songs
didn’t come home,” she said, adding that her Jo-Ann’s death, rode the extra 79 miles from performed by soloist Diane Whylie and the
world was shattered with his death had left Essex Police HQ. laying of wreaths led by a Staffordshire
her heartbroken and nearly broke her. At the During the service, Denis Gunn, past Police Cadet.
time of Gary’s death, COPS was not in president of COPS, read out the names of the After the service, which was closed by Sir
existence so she didn’t have the support officers added to the roll of honour since the Peter Fahy, the COPS chair of trustees, guests
network she has since been able to forge last COPS service in July 2018: headed to The Beat, an avenue with a tree
through the charity. Special Agent Nole Remagen (42) of the dedicated to each force, to pay a further
Angela read out a letter she had penned United States Secret Service, who died on tribute to their fallen officers.
to Gary, telling him that in the early days 17 July 2018, two days after suffering a Feature continued on Page 20

www.polfed.org/westmids federation August/September 2019 19