Police accounts of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes have been sensationally rejected by an inquest jury.

Officers were accused of a catalogue of failings on the day of his death as jurors dismissed Scotland Yard’s claim that the killing was lawful.

With coroner Sir Michael Wright ruling out unlawful killing, the family of the innocent Brazilian labelled his inquest a “whitewash” as an open verdict was returned.

The jury dismissed claims by firearms officer C12 that he shouted “armed police” before opening fire and disputed that 27-year-old Mr de Menezes had walked towards officers before he was killed.

They concluded that six police failings caused or contributed to the innocent man’s death.

The family’s legal team confirmed a judicial appeal against the omission of an unlawful killing verdict was ongoing.

Their lawyer, Harriet Wistrich, said the Crown Prosecution Service should consider perjury action against the officers whose evidence was discredited.

Mr de Menezes’ mother, Maria Otone, said the verdict made her feel “reborn”.

The Menezes|family launched a stinging attack on the coroner, saying he ‘failed on every count’ during|proceedings

Firearms officers shot Mr de Menezes seven times at Stockwell Tube station in south London on July 22, 2005, after mistaking him for a suicide bomber.

The Menezes family launched a stinging attack on the coroner, saying he “failed on every count” during proceedings.

A family statement, released through the Justice4Jean campaign group, said: “After three months of evidence, 100 witnesses and millions of pounds, the coroner, Sir Michael Wright, has presided over a complete whitewash.

“He has failed on every count of the purpose of an inquest investigation.”

Cheers were heard from Justice4Jean campaigners in the annex at the Oval cricket ground, south London, as the foreman said the jury had roundly rejected claims made by police that the killing was lawful.

The coroner said he was preparing a report following proceedings when he would make his recommendations public.

He added: “It is only right that these proceedings conclude with me expressing sincere condolences to the family of Mr de Menezes.

“On any view in this case, this was a tragic and terrible event, the killing of an entirely innocent young man.”

As the verdict was returned, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed it would carry out a review, but said claims that any perjury action could ensue were dismissed.

Sir Paul Stephenson, acting commissioner of the Met, offered his condolences to the Menezes family, adding that he was “sorry”.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval cricket ground after the verdict, Sir Paul said: “The death of Jean Charles de Menezes was a tragedy. He was an innocent man and we must and do accept full responsibility for his death. I am sorry.”

IPCC chairman Nick Hardwick said the inquest did not “examine the broader issue of how the police should respond to the threat of suicide terrorism. “I call again for this to have much broader debate and scrutiny by the public and their representatives,” he said.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, said details of the inquest had reinforced the difficulty of the task facing the police.

‘I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH OF AN INNOCENT MAN’

AS CO19 firearms officers C2 and C12 left the blood-spattered carriage of the Northern Line Tube train shortly after 10am on July 22, 2005, their initial feelings were of relief.

Minutes earlier they had, for the first time in their lengthy careers, opened fire on a suspect and in doing so stopped a suicide bomber killing everyone on board the train – or so they thought.

But at noon the next day the pair learned that the man they had killed was not a terrorist intent on killing London commuters, but a 27-year-old Brazilian electrician who was running late for work.

“I think about it every day," C2 told the inquest. His colleague C12 added: “I am responsible for the death of an innocent man. That is something I have got to live with for the rest of my life.”

C2 joined the Metropolitan Police in 1985, became a firearms officer in 1988 and graduated to become a specialist firearms officer (SFO) in 1991.

Since 1996 he has been a national firearms instructor.

His colleague C12 joined the force in 1983, the firearms team in 1996 and became an SFO in 1998.