George Michael: Investigation launched into 999 tape leak

Two ambulance service staff were interviewed by police after a 999 call reporting the death of George Michael was leaked, an investigation has revealed.

Thames Valley Police were drafted in after South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) launched an inquiry into how the tape surfaced.

The emergency call — made by the former Wham! star’s partner, Fadi Fawaz, who found him dead on Christmas Day 2016 — was leaked to The Sun newspaper in February.

Following the leak, Michael’s family said they were “truly appalled” that the audio recording had been made public.

The official report — released in a Freedom of Information request to SCAS by Highbury College Journalism department — said Thames Valley Police CID had ‘sufficient suspicion’ to interview the members of staff and investigate their financial accounts following its inquiries.

Both were interviewed voluntarily under caution but no further action has been taken or arrests made, police say.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said:‘[We] launched an investigation in May 2017 following the release of a 999 call which had been made to South Central Ambulance Service.

‘A man and a woman were voluntarily interviewed under caution as part of the investigation. No arrests were made and no further action was taken in relation to the two people. The investigation concluded in October.’

Michael was found dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames,Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day 2016, aged 53.

A post-mortem confirmed that he died of natural causes.

He had a dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.

The leaked recording featured an excerpt of the conversation between Mr Fawaz and the emergency call-taker.

In the audio of the leaked call, Mr Fawaz can be heard saying: “I’ve been trying to wake him up but it was not possible. He’s gone. He’s blue.”

He’s later heard saying: “It’s George Michael. I think he’s dead. He’s dead.”

In its report, SCAS said there was no evidence the leaked 999 call was sent out of the organisation.

However, it said if someone had recorded the call using a mobile phone or covert recording device then it could not be traced.

In its report, SCAS said the leak was a ‘serious breach of patient confidentiality’.

It recommended that a ‘full lock-down’ of emergency calls regarding high-profile people should take place sooner, so staff can only download it with permission from a senior manager.

In a statement, SCAS said: ‘Following an internal investigation appropriate action has been taken in accordance with our internal processes and the matter has now been concluded.’

Solicitors acting on behalf of George Michael’s family did not want to comment when approached.

Investigation: Six staff played 999 call

South Central Ambulance Service launched an internal investigation into the leak of the 999 call after it appeared on The Sun’s website in February.

It was informed of the leak when a Daily Mail journalist contacted the press office about it.

During its investigation, SCAS interviewed six staff members believed to have accessed the database to either download or play the 999 call. Each was given a code name in the official report.

NH01 — had permission to download it in response to a request from Thames Valley Police

SH02 — accessed it without any permission to do so by the management team but insisted he did it as part of an audit of calls.

When asked if he had played the tape to another person, he initially denied doing so. But after discussions with his union representative, he revealed he had in fact played it to a colleague — identified as SH05 — a female staff member who was one of two staff members later interviewed by police

SH03 — had accessed the 999 recording with permission after a request by the SCAS legal services manager

SH04 — the investigation showed that their login details were used to play the 999 call, but they denied doing so. SH04 was with SH05 in the same room at the time of the download. SH04 was interviewed by police

SH05 — the inquiry found that the 999 call was downloaded using SH05’s computer but using SH04’s login details. She was asked if she had downloaded the call and sent it to the newspaper, but she denied doing either.

Investigations revealed that on two previous occasions she had accessed the system and searched for calls on 25/12/16 from 1.25pm-1.48pm -the time when Fadi Fawaz made his call to the ambulance.

She initially claimed that she had been undertaking audits but investigators put it to her that this seemed ‘too coincidental’.

Following discussions with the union rep, she changed her story and said that she had in fact ‘just been nosey’. She then apologised for not being truthful at the start.

NH06 — was asked to play the tape by management after it had been put on The Sun’s website