Ed Cornes was found dead in October 2021. Just two days after his first term at University College London. (Facebook)

The Metropolitan Police apologised to the family of 19-year-old Ed Cornes on Monday (29 June) after acknowledging serious failures in its handling of the investigation into his death, nearly five years after he was found deceased in a London hotel room.

Ed, who was gay and had just begun his first term at University College London, died in October 2021 after leaving his student accommodation and meeting two older men he did not know.

An inquest heard he was found with dozens of injuries and high levels of GHB in his system. Although the two men present were arrested on suspicion of murder, they were later released without charge.

Following a January ITV News investigation and years of campaigning by Ed’s family, the Met has now admitted that parts of the original investigation “were not handled correctly” and announced that specialist officers are reviewing the case to determine whether any further investigative directions remain.

Ed’s mother, Miriam Blythe, described the apology as “too little too late” to ITV in a 29 June statement, saying she spent years being told by police that there was nothing more to investigate despite what she believed were glaring failures.

As reported by ITV News, an internal police review previously identified 27 failings, while Miriam has alleged that key evidence was lost, important witnesses were never interviewed, and officers made homophobic remarks to her, including one telling her that “with man-on-man sex, anything can happen.” The Met has since acknowledged those comments and apologised.

Alongside the renewed police review, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is continuing its own investigation into complaints surrounding the Met’s handling of Ed’s death, including the original investigation, communication with his family, and evidence presented during the inquest.

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