London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 29, 2026

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
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
Conservative Party Rejects New Taxes to Fund UK Social Care Reforms
Labour Government Signals Intent to Ease Residency Restrictions for Foreign Care Workers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre Meet to Strengthen North Atlantic Defense
UK Government Plans to Revive Equity Loan Scheme to Assist First-Time Home Buyers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Radical Reform for UK Utilities and Social Care
UK Treasury Prepares Difficult Autumn Budget Amid High Debt and Energy Volatility
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Air Traffic Systems Following Digital Failure
X Reports First Increase in UK Revenues Following Advertiser Boycott
Shetland Islands Council Approves £400 Million Inter-Island Tunnel Project
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Activities on British Soil
UK Ministers Concede Chagos Islands Sovereignty Agreement Terminated After US Opposition
More in Common Poll Projects Hung Parliament with Labour Leading and Reform UK Gains
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Economic Strategy as Public Finances Face Headwinds
Tony Blair Urges Government to Set Long-Term Goal of Rejoining the European Union
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Universal Free Social Care Funded Through General Taxation
UK Diesel and Petrol Prices Surge Near All-Time Highs Amid Middle East Energy Volatility
Analysis of Reform UK conference highlights deep political divisions over welfare and immigration
Bangladesh garment exports to the United Kingdom reach $915 million in early fiscal year
Royal Navy begins sea trials for new HMS Agamemnon hunter-killer submarine
×