Dale Semper Case: Tackling Institutionalised Racism in the Metropolitan Police

Dale Semper’s case made national headlines when he was wrongfully arrested in 2017. His case has become one of the biggest cases of racial discrimination in the UK in recent years.

He instructed Holborn Adams to fight his corner. We ensured the case was brought to a close without charges, and we won him a civil claim against the Metropolitan police, which resulted in £1 million in compensation. The following case study explores Semper’s experience.

 

The arrest

On the 23rd of August, 2017, Dale Semper was driving his partner, Denise Huggan, to the train station in her Mini Paceman. On the way, they were pulled over by the police. Semper was used to police stop and searches, experiencing them at least 2-3 times per month. This time, however, was different.

“They rushed up to the car, banging on the window, shouting ‘get out, get out of the car’,” Semper recalls. “They handcuffed me. They said they were arresting me – I said ‘for what? You got the wrong guy.’”

Cuffed, he was escorted to his Enfield home in North London – alongside 15-20 police officers. Neighbours poured into the street to see what the commotion was about. Semper felt deep embarrassment.

To his alarm and confusion, the police notified him that they were searching for firearms. As a bank manager at Lloyds Bank on a £72,000 salary, Semper could not understand where the accusations of firearms arose from. He reiterated his innocence and assured them they would not find any firearms.

Police officers found £1,935 in cash in a safe in his home, which he was storing for renovating his home. When no firearms were found, the officers then announced he was being investigated for money laundering.

The officers made shocking racially-motivated comments such as “how does someone like you afford these two cars?” and “How can someone like you live here and be so successful?”. It was clear that “someone like you” meant a black person.

 

The investigation

Semper was interviewed at the police station. He was able to clearly account for every single penny he had either spent or earned. He had invoices, receipts, and income records as concrete proof.

Whilst he was released from custody, this concrete proof was still not enough to assure the police he was innocent, and the list of accusations grew to include human trafficking, drug dealing, and terrorism. The investigation continued, and in their bid for any scrap that could pin Semper as a criminal, they froze his bank account and informed his employer, who suspended him from work. His livelihood and reputation and identity were put in jeopardy on a baseless accusation.

Investigators also investigated Huggan’s home, and Semper’s mother, Linnette. They found nothing. Semper was left relying on his family to pay his bills, a harsh blow to a man who prided himself on working hard to provide for others.

 

Instructing Holborn Adams

Semper appointed Adam Rasul, prominent pre-charge solicitor of Holborn Adams to represent him and help him regain access to his bank accounts. Rasul said:

“That warrant was based on false intelligence. At the time, there was nothing, and to this date, no evidence has been provided.”

He believes it to be the worst case of malicious prosecution he has heard of, let alone defended.

By November 2017, Semper could access his bank account, but the investigation was still ongoing, and he was still suspended from work for 18 months in total.

Rasul and the rest of the team at Holborn Adams worked tirelessly to build the strongest pre-charge case possible. Rasul claimed they built “files longer than the Chronicles of Narnia to explain this case needs to be dropped.”

After two years, the Metropolitan Police informed Holborn Adams that the case was being dropped, with no further action. They did so over the phone, and with no explanation or apology for the immense strain Semper had been under for two whole years.

 

Civil claim for compensation

With the help of Holborn Adams, Semper had his freedom back. But the knock-on impact on his mental health, his family, and his career lingered. Semper, his family, and Natasha Shim at Holborn Adams agreed that he needed to take recourse against the Metropolitan police for their racially-motivated false accusations.

Holborn Adams helped Semper and two family members initiate legal action against the Metropolitan Police, seeking £1 million in compensation. The case claimed the Met Police had engaged in:

• Racial discrimination.
• Malicious prosecution.
• False imprisonment.
• Misfeasance.
• Breach of data protection.

In October 2024, 5 years after the civil claim was first brought, £1 million in compensation was awarded to Semper and his family and the case brought to a close. A statement was given by Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Stuart Cundy, stating:

“We stand by the necessity to act following information that was received, but accept some elements of this case were not handled as well as they could have been and we apologise for the impact this has had on the complainants.”

He also said:

“The Metropolitan police has already apologised during the complaints procedure for certain comments which were made by officers during the investigation and reiterates that apology.”

Moreover, the Metropolitan Police have agreed to reinvestigate aspects of Semper’s case which were dismissed at first.

Of the Met’s response, Shim noted:

“I don’t think the apology goes far enough because there’s … no accountability, and there’s a lack of transparency as well.”

Semper made the following statement following the case settlement:

“Seven years after the unjustified search of my and my families’ homes, and the intrusive steps taken afterwards, the Metropolitan Police has finally apologised for its officers’ conduct and settled my and my families’ civil claims against them.

We remain convinced that the actions taken against me were motivated by racism, both conscious and unconscious. This is a bitter-sweet moment, as although I feel some justice has been done, my and my family’s lives have been torn apart by the unjustified actions of the police, and the extreme delays in responding to our complaints, which, disgracefully, remain ongoing seven years after the events.

I hope that my case can be an example to the Met and will assist in Sir Mark Rowley’s stated intention to make the Met “truly anti-racist”. We would now welcome an invitation by Sir Mark to discuss with him how we were treated and how the Met can learn from our experiences.”

Conclusion

The Dale Semper case underscores the need for accountability and justice in situations where individuals have faced unfair treatment and wrongful accusations. It highlights a call for systemic change and fair redress for those who are affected.

As pre-charge pioneers, Holborn Adams fought tirelessly to ensure the case was dropped before any charges were formally made. Semper deserved justice and freedom. When the initial investigation closed, it was clear there was still much to do to compensate Semper for the incredible strain he had been subjected to. We are proud of the success of our civil case in restoring justice for Semper.

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