Daryl McLune’s life was ripped apart in an instant. A bright student with no prior run-ins with the law, the 16-year-old was cycling home from his grandmother’s house when he was confronted by a nightmare no one could have imagined. His mother, Annette McLune, had attempted to take her own life, plunging five storeys from their Wandsworth flat and landing in a pool of blood. Daryl, horrified, could only watch as paramedics scrambled to save her life. But before he could even process the shocking scene, the unthinkable happened: police arrived and arrested him on suspicion of attempting to murder his own mother.
Bodycam footage from the encounter captures the sheer terror of the moment. With his hands in handcuffs, Daryl repeatedly pleaded, “Arrest me for what? I wasn’t even here,” his voice cracking with fear. He dropped to the ground, crying, “Why am I getting arrested? I wasn’t even here!” Despite being at his grandmother’s during the tragic fall, Daryl was taken to Wandsworth police station and held in custody for almost 24 hours. The ordeal left him terrified, humiliated, and completely bewildered.
The teenage student had never encountered the police before. Known for his excellent grades and good character, he found himself caught in a system that treated him as a suspect simply because of the colour of his skin. The Met Police’s handling of the incident would later be called into question, and Daryl decided he would not stay silent. He filed a countersuit against the force for unlawful detention and racial discrimination, seeking justice for the trauma he endured.
The events unfolded in July 2021. Annette McLune had been struggling with her mental health following a Covid-19 infection. After climbing through her bedroom window and walking along the guttering, she fell from the five-storey building, suffering catastrophic injuries to her brain, hip, and arm after hitting an iron railing at the bottom. Paramedics were on the scene immediately, working to stabilize her, while officers began their investigation. They initially questioned Daryl’s father, Travayne McLune, who had discovered the open window, blood on the sill, and his wife missing. Daryl arrived shortly after, unaware that he would soon become the centre of a nightmare.
Almost half an hour after witnessing the aftermath, Daryl was handcuffed and informed he was under arrest for the attempted murder of his mother. He was taken to the station, where he was held overnight, left in distress without clear information about his mother’s condition. It wasn’t until less than a week later that he was released, and police confirmed no further action would be taken once they discovered a suicide note and bloodied razor blades in the flat.
Throughout a seven-day trial, a jury found that Daryl had been racially discriminated against and treated less favourably than a non-black teenager would have been in the same situation. The court determined that his human rights had been breached, and he was falsely imprisoned. Now, the Met is liable to pay compensation for the immense suffering he endured, a payout that could reach £130,000.
Daryl’s barrister, Frederick Powell, argued passionately that race had played a role in how police officers perceived and treated Daryl during the crisis. He told the jury: “This was not careful, fair policing. This was premature criminalisation of a child in crisis. Daryl was a son arriving at a catastrophic scene, frightened, distressed, and desperate for information. His race influenced how quickly he was treated as a suspect.” Powell highlighted that officers failed to consider alternative explanations for the incident, such as self-harm or mental health issues, which became evident with the discovery of the suicide note and razor blades.
The psychological toll on Daryl was profound. The bright student, once focused on his studies, found himself unable to attend school. He developed PTSD and nightmares, a direct result of the traumatic arrest and detention. The experience affected not only his education but his life trajectory, altering prospects for future employment and personal growth. Powell stressed that the treatment Daryl received was unnecessary and discriminatory, and that his arrest was a heavy emotional burden that continues to impact him.
The judge will decide the exact amount of compensation at a later date, but the case has already sent a clear message about the consequences of racially biased policing and the importance of treating children in crisis with care and humanity. Daryl McLune’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the devastating effects that mistakes—or worse, prejudices—by those in authority can have on innocent lives.
His mother survived the fall, but the scars from that day will stay with both of them forever. What should have been a day of family tragedy, approached with compassion, became a nightmare compounded by injustice, leaving a once-bright young boy to fight not just for his mother’s life, but for his own dignity.
This is the story of how an innocent teenager was wrongly criminalised, how a family tragedy was mishandled, and how justice, albeit delayed, was finally pursued. Daryl McLune, a boy who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, fought back—and now the system must answer for its failures.
