The family of a murdered police officer have visited a new facility named after him. PC Christopher McDonald was only 19 when he was killed in May 1978 as he attempted to apprehend multiple burglary suspects in Worksop.
In 1980, PC McDonald was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. Twenty-year-old Albert Loveday was later convicted of PC McDonald’s murder and was jailed for life.
The original Newark Digitally Recorded Interview suite, which is used to support sexual assault survivors and other victims of crime by providing a safe environment, was named in his honour in 2007. The facility has been completely refurbished and relocated as part of ongoing developments at the site but the name has remained, with PC McDonald’s family recently welcomed back to view the improvements.
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Nottinghamshire Police now has a network of seven DRI facilities in different parts of the county, with each meeting or exceeding expected national standards. Detective Inspector Gail Routledge, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “DRI suites are extremely important to our work and can prove absolutely invaluable in bringing some of the most serious offenders to justice.
“It is likely that the victims and witnesses we interview at these locations will very recently have experienced extremely traumatic events and it is vital that we get an evidential account from them as soon as possible.
“These recordings can then be used in court and in many cases will be the only time people have to talk about what happened to them.
“They are extremely valuable resources and I am delighted that we have been able to maintain the link with PC McDonald. I hope that as the years go by the officers who make use of this facility will take the time to think about PC McDonald, to learn about what happened to him, and also to contemplate their role in the wider policing family.”
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