One of the most significant police anti-corruption cases in modern times has collapsed, after two former detectives, who had both served lengthy jail sentences, were cleared at a retrial. Robert Clark and Christopher Drury were drummed out of the force in disgrace after being convicted in 2000 of robbing drug dealers and recycling the narcotics. Their convictions [...]
Police criticised after contacting innocent protesters
November 9, 2011 from Leave a Comment
This story appeared in the Independent on the 8th November 2011 Police faced criticism tonight after it emerged that they had contacted any protesters arrested at recent demonstrations, warning them to stay away from any trouble at tomorrow’s march, despite many never having been charged with or convicted of any offence. The Metropolitan Police Service [...]
A top West Midlands Police officer cleared of child sex offence charges
October 28, 2011 from Leave a Comment
A top West Midlands Police officer has been cleared of child sex offence charges. Det Insp Glen Boulton, 46, was found not guilty after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence. Judge Robert Orme directed the jury to return not guilty verdicts at Warwick Crown Court. The officer of more than 20 years experience said [...]
People could be given the power to find out from the police if a new partner has a history of domestic violence
October 27, 2011 from Leave a Comment
People could be given the power to find out from the police if a new partner has a history of domestic violence under new government proposals. The idea is similar to Sarah’s Law which allows parents in England to ask police if someone who has contact with their child is a sex offender. Another idea up [...]
Police chiefs ‘authorised undercover police officers to give false evidence in court’
October 21, 2011 from Leave a Comment
A report by Andy Bloxham in the Daily Telegraph published on 20th October 2011 says that police chiefs have ‘authorised undercover police officers to give false evidence in court’ Senior police chiefs authorised undercover police officers to give false evidence in court to protect their cover as environmental protesters, it was claimed last night. Senior [...]
Kent police officer who was accused of falsely claiming she was attacked while on duty cleared of wasting police time.
October 20, 2011 from Leave a Comment
A Kent police officer who was accused of falsely claiming she was attacked while on duty has been cleared of wasting police time. PC Fran Croucher was found not guilty following a 10-day trial at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. She was arrested after she reported being beaten unconscious in Crockenhill Road, Swanley, on 14 [...]
Police warned about rising risk of false confessions
October 10, 2011 from Leave a Comment
This article by Mark Townsend appeared in the Guardian on the 9th October (here) Police warned about rising risk of false confessions Up to 20% of convicted criminals may have owned up to an offence they did not commit”’ Police need to be more aware of the danger of false confessions, according to a study that [...]
Judge says police coached witness – case thrown out
September 21, 2011 from Leave a Comment
The Guardian have reported that that a supergrass was prompted and coached by Police in a case which was thrown out of Court Read full story here
Tribunal rules that some information on local sex offence teachers must be disclosed, rules tribunal
September 19, 2011 from Leave a Comment
There is a very interesting blog on the UK Human Rights blog about ruling that in some cases number of school teachers in specified towns who had been investigated, cautioned and charged under the Sexual Offences Act must be revealed. In Colleen Smith v IC and Devon & Cornwall Constabulary (EA/2011/0006), the requester asked for [...]
BBC report that charges have been dropped against nurse accused of contaminating saline drips at Stockport hospital
September 6, 2011 from Leave a Comment
Charges have been dropped against a nurse accused of contaminating saline at Stockport’s Stepping Hill Hospital. Rebecca Leighton, 27, of Heaviley, was arrested by police investigating the deaths of several patients in July. Greater Manchester Police have revealed they are investigating 40 cases of contamination including seven deaths. Prosecutors said there had not been “sufficient [...]
Over 900 police staff caught misusing databases
July 18, 2011 from Leave a Comment
According to an article on the Register (here) over 900 police staff caught misusing databases More than 900 police personnel were disciplined for unlawful data protection practices in the past three years, privacy campaigners have said. Figures released by 36 police forces in England and Wales under freedom of information (FOI) requests by Big Brother [...]
Pupils who make malicious accusations against their teachers could face criminal prosecution
July 18, 2011 from Leave a Comment
This article by Richard Garner first appeared in the Independent here. Pupils who make malicious accusations against their teachers could face criminal prosecution under new guidance on school discipline issued by the Government. Figures show that as many as one in four school staff have been accused of wrongdoing, often claims of assault, by pupils [...]
Guidance Perverting the Course of Justice – Charging in cases involving rape and/or domestic violence allegations
July 14, 2011 from Leave a Comment
The Crown Prosecution Service have issued guidance (reproduced below) in cases where a person who says they were sexually assaulted or subjected to domestic violence retracts their statement. Guidance Perverting the Course of Justice – Charging in cases involving rape and/or domestic violence allegations Published: 7 July 2011 Contents Introduction Perverting the course of justice [...]
Calls for police officers to face open hearings
July 3, 2011 from Leave a Comment
Calls have been made for police officers to face public disciplinary hearings in line with doctors, nurses and teachers, after it emerged 48 officers in Wales have faced secret misconduct hearings in the past three years. The hearings, revealed following Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Wales’ four police forces, were all held behind closed [...]
Chief Constable calls for ban on naming people who have been arrested
June 30, 2011 from Leave a Comment
This item has been copied from the BBC website here The media should be banned from naming people when they are arrested, the head of British Transport Police has said. Chief Constable Andy Trotter said “catastrophic damage” could be done to personal lives, even if people were not charged or eventually cleared. A recent parliamentary [...]
Metropolitan Police confirm that a sexual assault case against MP has been dropped
June 23, 2011 from Leave a Comment
It has been widely reported in the press that the Metropoilitan Police have confirmed a sexual assault case against Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has been dropped. Backbench MP Mr Bridgen, 46, was arrested in central London in the early hours of 9 June after a 29-year-old woman made a complaint to police. The North West [...]
Mirror and Sun to face contempt charges
May 12, 2011 from Leave a Comment
The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, will begin court action on Thursday against two tabloid newspapers over the way they covered the hunt for the killer of Joanna Yeates, the landscape architect whose body was found dumped on Christmas Day in a country lane near Bristol. Grieve has instructed his team to launch contempt of [...]
A new professional policing body ACPO
May 1, 2011 from Leave a Comment
According to reports in the Press the Government intend to reform ACPO. News of this emerged in evidence given to Home Affairs Select Committee. A summary of the changes be found on the Police website are deatailed below. A new professional policing body will not be a “revamped” Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as [...]
A Letter of Rights to be introduced to help ensure fair trials in all EU countries
May 1, 2011 from Leave a Comment
The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee have stated that anyone suspected or accused of having committed a crime must promptly be given information on his or her procedural rights in an easy-to-understand language, said the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday, in amendments to a draft law to protect defendants’ rights across [...]
Teacher wins unlawful arrest case
April 11, 2011 from 1 Comment
Richardson v Chief Constable of West Midlands Police [2011] EWHC 773 (QB); [2011] WLR (D) 116 “Before a police officer made an arrest, pursuant to section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, he had to consider, in accordance with the requirements of section 24(4), whether arrest was necessary or whether voluntary attendance [...]
Falsely accused man still waiting for a apology from police eight years on
March 22, 2011 from Leave a Comment
This item was first reported on the BBC website here A man falsely accused of downloading child sex abuse images is still waiting for an apology from police eight years after lodging a complaint, an MP says. The unidentified man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested as part of a worldwide police operation. His details came from [...]
333 people have died in or following police custody over the past 11 years, but no officer has ever been successfully prosecuted
December 20, 2010 from Leave a Comment
An IPCC study reported in the Guardian finds failure in care of vulnerable prisoners – and says juries are unwilling to convict police officers A total of 333 people have died in or following police custody over the past 11 years, but no officer has ever been successfully prosecuted, according to a watchdog’s report. Prosecutions [...]