A veteran crime scene investigator is suing West Midlands Police for £100,000 (approximately $125,000 USD) over claims that the cumulative stress of his job led to a stroke. Paul Tebbutt, 68, alleges that the demands of his role as a forensic investigator and crime scene co-ordinator, including dealing with numerous murders and suspicious deaths annually, caused significant occupational stress that ultimately resulted in a stroke in 2023.
Tebbutt, who spent 27 years with the force, became a crime scene co-ordinator in 2012. His lawyers stated in court documents filed at London's High Court that he investigated approximately 45 murders and 100 suspicious deaths each year. Over his career, he contributed to the investigation of more than 2,000 deaths. The lawsuit cites harrowing cases, including the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy and the 1994 Coventry air disaster, as examples of the challenging incidents he encountered.
According to court documents, Tebbutt experienced "cumulative levels of harmful occupational stress." His claim asserts that West Midlands Police failed to implement a system to monitor the pressure he was under, despite acknowledging the inherently stressful nature of his work. Tebbutt reported suffering from "burnout" in the past, including an instance where he took a photograph of a teddy bear belonging to a 12-year-old murder victim.
In 2017, Tebbutt stated he dealt with up to 200 deaths in a year, working 45-hour weeks. The following year, he reportedly attended the highest number of murders in the West Midlands region, working alone after his partner left the role and was not replaced. The stress and anxiety from his work became so severe that he found it difficult to be in a police station, opting to work from home.
Following his stroke, Tebbutt was deemed permanently disabled and was medically retired in April 2024. West Midlands Police have declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter.