London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Uxbridge police officer watched film while rough sleeper froze to death outside

Pericles Malagardis, who was just weeks away from flying home to see his family, was kicked out onto the street despite temperatures being below freezing
A police officer who kicked a homeless dad out of Uxbridge Police Station watched a film with a colleague while the man froze to death.

Pericles Malagardis, a 63-year-old Greek national who often slept rough at Heathrow Airport, attended the police station on March 4, 2016 to collect his dog, Django, who had been in kennels.

Mr Malagardis, known to many as Peri, was told Django would be brought to the station the next day, and he remained in the reception area until 12.40am on March 5.

PC Bhupinder Kalsi, who was the senior officer working, threw Mr Malagardis out onto the street, despite temperatures being around -1 degrees.

He was found unresponsive five hours later, with a core body temperature of 26 degrees. He was pronounced dead an hour later.

At a gross incompetence hearing organised by the Metropolitan Police in November 2018, PC Kalsi was dismissed from the force with immediate effect.

It was found that, despite being aware he was outside the station in sub-zero temperatures, PC Kalsi failed to monitor Mr Malagardis’ condition while he was outside for nearly five hours.

She was also found to have been watching a film on DVD with a colleague throughout the night.

The case was also proven against her for unsatisfactory performance for viewing a DVD while on duty, following Mr Malagardis’ ejection from the front office/reception area.

A police staff member, also involved in ejecting Mr Malagardis, had a separate finding of poor performance following a management investigation hearing in December 2018. The staff member, who has not been identified, was instructed to update their emergency life support treatment training.

A jury inquest into Mr Malagardis’ death at West London Coroner’s Court began on Monday (September 28) and ended on Thursday (October 1).

It found that Mr Malagardis died of pre-existing medical conditions accelerated by hypothermia.

IOPC regional director, Sal Naseem, said after the inquest: “This was a particularly tragic case as, so it turned out, Mr Malagardis was close to returning to home as money had been raised by local well-wishers to buy his flight back to Greece.

“The lack of care towards Mr Malagardis by the officer and the staff member was particularly cruel and the failings of the officer to give adequate first aid was the major reason for her dismissal.

“Police officers have a duty of care for people they come into contact with, and Mr Malagardis was clearly failed by this officer.

“More than four years on, the impact of Pericles Malagardis’ tragic death lives on. Our thoughts remain with those who knew him.”

Mr Malagardis moved to London in 1989 and worked as a delivery driver for 11 years before falling on hard times.

After the breakdown of a relationship he started living in his car, but it was impounded seven years ago and he was forced to live on the streets.

But due to Mr Malagardis' "larger than life character" he became known in West London and was well liked by anyone he came across.

So much so that staff at Cockfosters station would top up his Oyster card so he could travel to Heathrow Airport and spend most nights in Terminal 5.

Staff at the airport, who became close to him over the years, would give him food so he wouldn't go hungry.

Some of the British Airways crew, along with a minister at Wembley who took Mr Malagardis under his wing, started crowdfunding for him to get a flight home to family he hadn't seen in years.

More than £6,000 was raised at the time of his death, and it's believed he was just weeks from booking the flight.

An inquest into Mr Malagardis's death revealed he died of pre-existing medical conditions accelerated by hypothermia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prison Officer Sentenced for Inappropriate Conduct with Inmate
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
×