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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Police target driving 'loopholes' | Police target driving 'loopholes' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Reckless drivers who use legal loopholes to avoid conviction are being targeted in a new police initiative. | Reckless drivers who use legal loopholes to avoid conviction are being targeted in a new police initiative. |
| The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is training police and CPS lawyers to make stronger cases. | The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is training police and CPS lawyers to make stronger cases. |
| Police are frustrated that lawyers well versed in motoring laws are using small print to win acquittals for those charged with reckless or drink-driving. | Police are frustrated that lawyers well versed in motoring laws are using small print to win acquittals for those charged with reckless or drink-driving. |
| Acpo is also introducing a team made up of a lawyer and a former police officer to help prosecute speed camera cases. | Acpo is also introducing a team made up of a lawyer and a former police officer to help prosecute speed camera cases. |
| The association hopes motorists will avoid contesting their speeding charge because if they lose, their costs will include up to £4,000 for the cost of the team. | The association hopes motorists will avoid contesting their speeding charge because if they lose, their costs will include up to £4,000 for the cost of the team. |
| And police say they will be keeping a close eye on drivers who they think have been wrongly acquitted of crimes. | And police say they will be keeping a close eye on drivers who they think have been wrongly acquitted of crimes. |
| There have been a number of cases where people feel that justice has not been done Meredydd HughesSouth Yorkshire Police Send us your comments | There have been a number of cases where people feel that justice has not been done Meredydd HughesSouth Yorkshire Police Send us your comments |
| Meredydd Hughes, the chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, said officers were becoming increasingly frustrated with lawyers who used legal small print to help win acquittals for clients. | Meredydd Hughes, the chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, said officers were becoming increasingly frustrated with lawyers who used legal small print to help win acquittals for clients. |
| He said it was the police's responsibility to prosecute offences correctly. | He said it was the police's responsibility to prosecute offences correctly. |
| But he said: "There have been a number of cases where people feel that justice has not been done, both in the drink-driving world and in other cases where people have evaded the law having driven cars recklessly and at very high speeds. | But he said: "There have been a number of cases where people feel that justice has not been done, both in the drink-driving world and in other cases where people have evaded the law having driven cars recklessly and at very high speeds. |
| Celebrity acquittals | Celebrity acquittals |
| "I think my colleagues in the roads policing groups will share my anger when people are unjustly acquitted and I'm sure they'll be looking for those drivers. | "I think my colleagues in the roads policing groups will share my anger when people are unjustly acquitted and I'm sure they'll be looking for those drivers. |
| "And if they haven't mended their ways we have an attitude in the police service that we'll see them again sometime." | "And if they haven't mended their ways we have an attitude in the police service that we'll see them again sometime." |
| Jane Thomson and her family were involved in a head-on collision with a lorry which left her husband badly injured. | Jane Thomson and her family were involved in a head-on collision with a lorry which left her husband badly injured. |
| Another car driver was arrested for drink driving but procedural errors by police meant he was not prosecuted. | Another car driver was arrested for drink driving but procedural errors by police meant he was not prosecuted. |
| She told BBC News: "Matt had a broken neck in five places. He's got memory loss now, his personality's changed and, also, our 18-month-old baby had actually gone unconscious and stopped breathing." | She told BBC News: "Matt had a broken neck in five places. He's got memory loss now, his personality's changed and, also, our 18-month-old baby had actually gone unconscious and stopped breathing." |
| She told Radio 4's Today programme: "The police should be doing their job properly and they need further training to make sure this doesn't happen." | She told Radio 4's Today programme: "The police should be doing their job properly and they need further training to make sure this doesn't happen." |
| 'No justice' | 'No justice' |
| Lawyer Nick Freeman, dubbed "Mr Loophole" owing to his talent for finding unusual technical defences, told BBC News it was "disgraceful" that culprits could escape punishment on minor technicalities. | Lawyer Nick Freeman, dubbed "Mr Loophole" owing to his talent for finding unusual technical defences, told BBC News it was "disgraceful" that culprits could escape punishment on minor technicalities. |
| "For certain people who may have been involved in a serious road traffic accident, the person who has caused that accident is arrested, he's processed by the police, the police make a mistake, get it wrong and that person walks away. | "For certain people who may have been involved in a serious road traffic accident, the person who has caused that accident is arrested, he's processed by the police, the police make a mistake, get it wrong and that person walks away. |
| The chief constable [Meredydd Hughes] seems to be being a bit vague as to exactly what he's saying in these cases James Welch, Liberty Profile: Nick Freeman href="/1/hi/uk/5341720.stm" class="">Q&A: Driving dangeously | |
| "From a moral standpoint, there's absolutely no justice in that situation." | "From a moral standpoint, there's absolutely no justice in that situation." |
| Mr Freeman says he abhors drink drivers but that his job is still to defend his clients. | Mr Freeman says he abhors drink drivers but that his job is still to defend his clients. |
| Campaign group Liberty raised concerns that police may unlawfully target individuals who they believe have been unfairly acquitted of motoring offences. | Campaign group Liberty raised concerns that police may unlawfully target individuals who they believe have been unfairly acquitted of motoring offences. |
| There have been some high-profile examples of people avoiding punishment for driving offences, including cases where couples have argued that they could not remember who had been driving at the time. | There have been some high-profile examples of people avoiding punishment for driving offences, including cases where couples have argued that they could not remember who had been driving at the time. |
| Liberty spokesman James Welch told BBC News: "If [Mr Hughes] is suggesting that police officers are going to target people they consider have been unjustly acquitted - meaning they are going to stop them on a number of occasions when they don't have a good reason - then that should be wrong in principle and probably is almost certainly illegal as well." | Liberty spokesman James Welch told BBC News: "If [Mr Hughes] is suggesting that police officers are going to target people they consider have been unjustly acquitted - meaning they are going to stop them on a number of occasions when they don't have a good reason - then that should be wrong in principle and probably is almost certainly illegal as well." |