Innocent Man Goes Free

So Sergeant Mark Andrews has won his appeal and walks free, a totally exonerated man. The result serves to confirm what I said in my post on 11th September that, in my experience, it's extremely difficult to convict a serving police officer. I felt that cctv had made it somewhat easier, but clearly by this judgement I got that bit wrong. No doubt there are a few red faces at Thames Valley Police Headquarters, especially following the forthright comments by at least one Assistant Chief Constable. Not only will there have to be some grovelling apologies from his employers, but possibly an expensive compensation claim to settle relating to his six days in custody. 

I guess it will not surprise some that over on the Inspector Gadjet blogsite there is much gloating and unbounded praise for a very sensible Judiciary that for once has handed down an eminently appropriate judgement, and so soon after the G20 'successes'. Normally of course sentencers come in for a fair bit of derision by Gadjet for basically 'letting scrotes off scot-free'. It's funny, but I seem to recall a rather different line from him in the beginning, together with some comments from other police officers who were horrified by the cctv images. There was a feeling that Sgt Andrews had 'lost it' due to the stressful nature of the role. Nevertheless Gadjet now says he's particularly pleased at the result because it will really upset the 'handwringers'. I wonder what came of the two officers whose evidence so upset the District Judge that he reported them to their Chief Constable? 

I think it's interesting to contrast this result with the recent outburst from the Daily Mail about 'what it actually takes to get sent to prison.' An interesting point, especially on the same day this news broke about another police officer. If I'm not mistaken, isn't former Commander Ali Dizaei lodging an appeal?