Airport horror as body found inside BMW with car 'left abandoned for MONTHS'
A dead body has been found on the back seat of a car a mile away from Gatwick Airport. The white BMW had reportedly been parked on the Crawley industrial estate since October before cops found the corpse on Friday. Ticket inspectors had believed to have been in the vicinity of the vehicle, slapping it with a ticket, but failed to notice the body inside.
Locals said they contacted Crawley Borough Council on multiple occasions to report the parking violation. On Friday, forensic officers were seen at the estate on Whittle Way in Northgate, which is around a mile from the major international airport.
The local council's warning notice, which was issued on May 19, detailed how the car was "untaxed" and threatened it would be towed unless moved in a week. However, checking the government's vehicle tax site, it is actually taxed until January 1 next year. It also has a valid MOT until November 25.
The alarm was raised on Friday when a recovery driver, who turned up to tow the car, contacted the police about a possible body inside. It's still unclear how long the remains had been sitting in the vehicle, but locals claimed the dust-covered vehicle had been there since October.
Sussex Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious, adding that the identity has not yet been established.
In a local Facebook group, one person said: 'I reported it about four months ago but the council only put stickers on it - but it has been there for eight months now.'
Another added: 'Been there since before Christmas.'
One local resident explained what the recovery driver saw when he arrived.
He allegedly "saw a man on the back seats, with a blanket over the front two seats to build a 'barrier' across as he was lying on the backseat - most likely was sleeping in the back'.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "Police were called to Whittle Way in Northgate, Crawley, at around 10.30am on Friday, 6 June, to reports of a body found in a vehicle.
"Enquiries are ongoing to identify the individual and establish the full circumstances of the situation."
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Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Parents of trans teenager who killed himself sue 'slow and casual' police who failed to find him in time
The parents of a trans teenager who took his own life while on the NHS gender clinic waiting list are suing the 'slow and casual' police force who failed to find him in time. Jason Pulman, 15, was tragically found dead in a park in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2022, having struggled with mental health problems as well as his gender identity. Described as a 'cheeky fun ball of energy', the talented artist was born as Jessica into a family who were frequently relocated by social services in order to try and keep them safe from his violent convict birth father. Last April, an inquest jury found that the youngster's emotional and mental needs were 'inadequately assessed and provided for' by multiple services, and that police 'responded inadequately' to him going missing. Now, Jason's mother Emily Pulman and stepfather Mark Pulman, are taking High Court legal action against Sussex Police over an alleged breach of human rights. Around 10 hours passed between the time that Jason was first reported missing to the force and when an officer visited the family home. Mr and Mrs Pulman have claimed that Sussex Police 'failed properly or at all to protect Jason against the risk of suicide' after he was graded only a 'medium risk'. They also believe that there could have been a 'real prospect of a different outcome' had there been a 'reasonable response' to Jason's disappearance. The devastated pair added that the force is 'flip-flopping' over its position and whether it has learned from Jason's death. Speaking about the 'devastating' inquest and legal battle that has succeeded her son's tragic death, Mrs Pulman, 39, has now urged the force to 'actually take accountability for what has happened and what went wrong'. She added: said: 'I think about Jason and how much he used to fight for things he believed in. He used to go to protests and research and get involved in different things because he wanted to make change.' 'I want to try and get some change for kids like Jason, as I know that that is what he would want as well. 'When I feel like quitting, I have got Jason's cheeky little head in my head, with his outfit, with all his badges on, saying 'you must fight for what you believe', and that is what gives me strength.' While Jason began identifying as a male aged around 14, he never received specialist gender dysphoria treatment due to assessment delays. His parents claim that their son received 'insufficient' mental health support. In the morning of April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman discovered her son was missing from his bed at the family home in East Sussex and immediately called the police. At the time, she informed a call handler that Jason was transgender, had previously self-harmed and attempted to take his own life, adding that he may also have taken public transport. The call handler graded Jason as medium-risk, however an officer did not look at the case for more than three hours after the first call. Mrs Pulman then made two further calls to the police, telling them that Jason had informed a friend he was travelling to London, most likely by train. But Jason remained graded as medium-risk. The British Transport Police (BTP) were not notified, and an officer did not attend the family's home for almost 10 hours after the first call. Around an hour after police visited the house, Jason was tragically found dead in nearby Hampden Park by a member of the public. Nick Armstrong KC, for both Mr and Mrs Pulman, said police knew or should have known that Jason 'represented a real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm', but instead their response was 'slow, and strikingly casual'. In a prevention of future deaths report last year, a coroner said Jason died 'potentially through his mental health and gender identity issues', and that it was 'also possible Jason may have been prevented from committing suicide' if the BTP was made aware that he was missing. In the run-up to his death, Jason was regularly self-harming and abusing drink and drugs, Mrs Pulman previously told Hasting Coroners Court. By early 2022, Jason's worsening behaviour, including shoplifting and being excluded from school for cannabis, meant the family knew he needed more significant psychiatric help. 'He needed more than just a conversation on the phone', Mrs Pulman told Assistant Coroner Michael Spencer in her witness statement. The family 'were done trying to get help from CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)' and Jason himself thought it was 'pointless'. While the youngster had undergone a social transition successfully, he remained 'adamant' that he wanted to see doctors at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in order to 'feel better in his body', but did not have the chance before his death. GIDS, run by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, was shut in early 2024 following a series of scandals. The night before Jason disappeared from his bedroom, Mr Pulman thought he was 'off his face' so delayed a family conversation, over a glass of whisky they had found in his room, until the following day, Hastings Coroners Court previously heard. Describing Jason's death as an 'unimaginable tragedy', Mr Armstrong said that the young teenager was a 'source of unlimited joy', with a 'funny, mischievous, artistic and unconventional' personality. Nine days after Jason's death, then-chief superintendent Katy Woolford met with the Pulmans, informing them that they had done 'everything right' and acknowledging that there had been failings by the police. However, Mr Armstrong said that there had been a 'significant and distressing shift in the police's evidence' at Jason's inquest, with the force allegedly seeking to exclude evidence related to the meeting with Ms Woolford and claiming there was 'no arguable omission by anyone'. The force accepted the inquest findings, stating that its service 'fell below the standards expected'. However, Jason's parents claim it altered its stance again when the family threatened to bring legal action. Mr Armstrong said that the force's 'reversal and re-reversal' on its position was 'shameful', adding: 'The claimants do not know whether the defendant has or has not learned from the inquest process.' Mrs Pulman described the force's 'flip-flopping' as like 'torture', while Mr Pulman, 50, said that the pair had been left feeling 'let down, hurt and confused' by the actions of Sussex Police. He added: 'No amount of money, no apology, is going to make up for three years of what they've done, because that's long-term damage.' A Sussex Police spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit or visit
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Couple sue police force at High Court over death of transgender teenager
The mother and stepfather of a transgender teenager who took his own life after going missing are taking High Court legal action against a police force whose response was found to have potentially contributed to his death. Jason Pulman was found dead aged 15 in Hampden Park in Eastbourne in April 2022, with an inquest jury finding in April last year that his emotional and mental needs were 'inadequately assessed and provided for' by multiple services, and that police 'responded inadequately' to his going missing. Emily and Mark Pulman are now suing Sussex Police over an alleged breach of human rights, with around 10 hours passing between Jason being reported missing and an officer first attending their family home. They claim the force 'failed properly or at all to protect Jason against the risk of suicide' after he was graded only a 'medium risk', and that there was a 'real prospect of a different outcome' if there was a 'reasonable response' to Jason's disappearance. They also say the force is 'flip-flopping' over its position and whether it has learned from Jason's death. The force has expressed its 'sincere condolences' to Jason's family. Speaking to the PA news agency, the couple said Jason's death, the subsequent inquest and legal battle had been 'devastating'. Mrs Pulman, 39, said: 'If the police can actually take accountability for what has happened and what went wrong, that is the only way they can start making changes.' She continued: 'I think about Jason and how much he used to fight for things he believed in. He used to go to protests and research and get involved in different things because he wanted to make change.' 'I want to try and get some change for kids like Jason, as I know that that is what he would want as well. 'When I feel like quitting, I have got Jason's cheeky little head in my head, with his outfit, with all his badges on, saying 'you must fight for what you believe', and that is what gives me strength.' Jason began identifying as a male aged around 14, but never received specialist gender dysphoria treatment due to assessment delays. In documents filed at the High Court by law firm Bindmans, Nick Armstrong KC, for Mr and Mrs Pulman, claimed Jason also received insufficient mental health support. On April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman discovered Jason was missing from their home in East Sussex and called the police. She informed a call handler that Jason was transgender, had previously self-harmed and attempted to take his own life, and may have taken public transport. The call handler graded Jason as medium-risk, but an officer did not look at the case for more than three hours after the first call, despite Mrs Pulman ringing police twice more and stating Jason had informed a friend he was travelling to London, most likely by train. Jason remained graded as medium-risk, the British Transport Police (BTP) were not notified, and an officer did not attend the family's home for almost 10 hours after the first call. This was despite there being 'other opportunities' to intercept Jason, Mr Armstrong said. Around an hour after police visited the house, Jason was found dead in Hampden Park by a member of the public. In a prevention of future deaths report last year, a coroner said Jason died 'potentially through his mental health and gender identity issues', and that it was 'also possible Jason may have been prevented from committing suicide' if BTP was made aware that he was missing. Mr Armstrong said police knew or should have known that Jason 'represented a real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm', but that their response was 'slow, and strikingly casual'. He continued that Jason was a 'source of unlimited joy', describing him as 'funny, mischievous, artistic, rude and unconventional', and that his death was an 'unimaginable tragedy'. Nine days after Jason's death, Mr and Mrs Pulman met then-chief superintendent Katy Woolford. Mr Armstrong said that Ms Woolford told the Pulmans that they had done 'everything right' and that there had been failings by the police, including not immediately grading Jason as high-risk. But the barrister continued that there was a 'significant and distressing shift in the police's evidence' at Jason's inquest, with the force allegedly seeking to exclude evidence related to the meeting with Ms Woolford and claiming there was 'no arguable omission by anyone'. The force accepted the inquest findings, stating that its service 'fell below the standards expected', but is accused of changing its stance again when the family threatened to bring legal action. Mr Armstrong said that the force's 'reversal and re-reversal' on its position was 'shameful', adding: 'The claimants do not know whether the defendant has or has not learned from the inquest process.' Mrs Pulman said: 'You feel like you're getting close to answers and closure as to what happened and what has been happening, and then it is pulled away again.' She continued: 'It's like torture, because you're getting somewhere, then you're kicked down.' Mr Pulman, 50, said the force's 'flip-flopping' left the pair feeling 'let down, hurt and confused', which, combined with the emotional impact of Jason's death, means he feels 'hopeless'. He said: 'No amount of money, no apology, is going to make up for three years of what they've done, because that's long-term damage.' A Sussex Police spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.'
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Police responses to missing people must change after teenager death, couple say
A couple have said police must change how they deal with missing person reports to better protect those at risk of harm following the suicide of a teenager who was reported missing several hours before he died. Jason Pulman's mother, Emily Pulman, told police her missing son was transgender, had self-harmed, had previously attempted to take his own life and could have boarded a train around 11 hours before he was found dead, aged 15, in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, in April 2022. An inquest into his death later found Sussex Police had responded inadequately to his going missing, one of several failings which contributed to Jason's death. Mrs Pulman and her husband, Mark Pulman, are now taking legal action against the force over an alleged breach of human rights, claiming it should have acted sooner given that Jason posed 'a heightened risk of suicide'. Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Pulman, 50, said he still feared the police had not learned from Jason's case and were too 'stubborn' to change. He said: 'Our police force seems to think 'we'll just pop round, and grab a photo and have a quick look around the bedroom, then we will go back to the station and make a decision on what to do'. 'It's not good enough.' In court documents filed at the High Court by law firm Bindmans, Nick Armstrong KC, for Mr and Mrs Pulman, said that on April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman rang police at around 9.45am and told police the teenager was missing. Jason was graded as 'medium' risk, and the call handler also noted that there was 'no suicide intent believed', contrary to what Mrs Pulman told them, Mr Armstrong said. An officer did not access the report until around 1.30pm, and after Mrs Pulman had contacted police twice more to tell them Jason was believed to be travelling to London, most likely by train. The officer maintained Jason's risk as medium, did not contact British Transport Police (BTP) and 'did not even speak to Mark or Emily or attempt to do so', Mr Armstrong added, with no further actions raised as 'urgent'. While BTP were alerted at around 6.15pm, this was after Jason was spotted by a train guard, who later told an inquest he would have attempted to intervene had he known Jason was at risk. A Sussex Police officer did not attend the family home until around 7.30pm, and around an hour later, Jason was found dead in Hampden Park by a member of the public. Mr Armstrong said calls to Sussex Police are graded by a call handler, with the first officer attending the scene then reassessing the level of risk. He added that the force's policy states the first attending officer plays a 'pivotal role' in setting the pace of the investigation, and that 'golden hour' principles of finding missing people apply. As well as a missing persons policy, Mr Armstrong said a call could be graded as 'grade one' where there 'is, or is likely to be, a risk of danger to life'. Mr Armstrong said: 'Jason was at real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm. 'He exhibited a number of characteristics, and fitted a profile, which the defendant knew or ought to have known represented a heightened risk of suicide.' He continued: 'Generally, there was a serious delay of, in the end, nearly 11 hours, during which little if any effective action was taken. 'The defendant's action was in all respects slow, and strikingly casual, given the scale of the vulnerabilities and risks being reported. 'Had there been a reasonable response, there was a real prospect of a different outcome.' Mr Pulman told Jason's inquest that he made more than 100 calls to organisations, including train operators, hospitals and hostels after Jason went missing, to circulate his details and images. But many organisations would not take the information as he was not a police officer, and it took more than an hour for a hospital to agree to take Jason's description. HE told PA the system used is 'not good enough for people with mental health conditions' as it is 'too black and white'. Mrs Pulman, 39, said that changing how police respond to missing person reports would be an indicator of learning, as missing teenagers currently 'fall through the cracks' and reports are perceived as 'flippant'. She said: 'The beginning of the process is where it all went wrong.' She continued: 'If they are not admitting to the failings that happened for Jason, then they're admitting that there is nothing wrong with their system, which isn't the case.' She added: 'Kids Jason's age have so many markers of worry and stuff they are going through, which systems made all those years ago cannot cater for.' Following Jason's inquest, Sussex Police said it had introduced contingency measures for checking reports are resourced and graded appropriately. It also said that a multi-agency group had been launched to 'put measures in place to ensure vulnerable children with complex mental health needs'. In response to the High Court claim, a spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.'
