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| Cardiff Three police corruption case collapsed 'due to disclosure failures' | Cardiff Three police corruption case collapsed 'due to disclosure failures' |
| (2 months later) | |
| Prosecutors and police were overwhelmed by more than 1 million pages of evidence during the trial of eight former South Wales police officers that eventually collapsed, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. | Prosecutors and police were overwhelmed by more than 1 million pages of evidence during the trial of eight former South Wales police officers that eventually collapsed, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. |
| But key documents that went missing relating to the investigation of the murder of Lynette White in Cardiff in 1988 were not destroyed by officers, an inquiry into the case concluded. | But key documents that went missing relating to the investigation of the murder of Lynette White in Cardiff in 1988 were not destroyed by officers, an inquiry into the case concluded. |
| The five-month-long, high-profile trial into alleged police corruption had to be abandoned in December 2011 after two sets of paperwork could not be found and the prosecution acknowledged that it had failed to disclose material. The documents were found the following year. | The five-month-long, high-profile trial into alleged police corruption had to be abandoned in December 2011 after two sets of paperwork could not be found and the prosecution acknowledged that it had failed to disclose material. The documents were found the following year. |
| Reports from the Independent Police Complaints Commission and HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI), released on Tuesday, reveal the failure of police and prosecution to control files. | Reports from the Independent Police Complaints Commission and HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI), released on Tuesday, reveal the failure of police and prosecution to control files. |
| The history of the Cardiff Three case has been complex. Three men were wrongly convicted in 1990 of the murder of White, described as a sex worker. The 2011 trial involved officers who had worked on the original investigation. | The history of the Cardiff Three case has been complex. Three men were wrongly convicted in 1990 of the murder of White, described as a sex worker. The 2011 trial involved officers who had worked on the original investigation. |
| Publishing the HMCPSI report, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it accepted that "some elements of disclosure were not adequately managed from the outset, leading to the prosecution team of police and prosecutors being overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of the disclosure exercise". | Publishing the HMCPSI report, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it accepted that "some elements of disclosure were not adequately managed from the outset, leading to the prosecution team of police and prosecutors being overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of the disclosure exercise". |
| The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer QC, added: "In the most difficult cases, prosecutions will stand or fall on the quality of disclosure, and failings can leave the court with no choice but to acquit defendants who have a case to answer. | The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer QC, added: "In the most difficult cases, prosecutions will stand or fall on the quality of disclosure, and failings can leave the court with no choice but to acquit defendants who have a case to answer. |
| "The [Cardiff] case … was an incredibly complicated prosecution, involving close to 1 million pages of material, generated over almost 25 years of criminal proceedings, which failed due to significant issues around disclosure."The DPP said Sue Hemming, head of the CPS's special crime and counter-terrorism division, had been appointed as "national disclosure champion", her role being to "disseminate best practice and ensure that it is complied with". | "The [Cardiff] case … was an incredibly complicated prosecution, involving close to 1 million pages of material, generated over almost 25 years of criminal proceedings, which failed due to significant issues around disclosure."The DPP said Sue Hemming, head of the CPS's special crime and counter-terrorism division, had been appointed as "national disclosure champion", her role being to "disseminate best practice and ensure that it is complied with". |
| Tony Paris, one of those convicted of White's murder, who was later acquitted, said: "In December 2011 I was robbed of the chance to see justice done to the police officers who stood accused of fitting me up for murder. | Tony Paris, one of those convicted of White's murder, who was later acquitted, said: "In December 2011 I was robbed of the chance to see justice done to the police officers who stood accused of fitting me up for murder. |
| "I was let down by the system all over again and I had no confidence that these inquiries, which I was shut out of, would give me the answers that I deserved. I have been proved right. Only a public inquiry stands the chance of getting to the truth and of bringing those that have failed me to account." | "I was let down by the system all over again and I had no confidence that these inquiries, which I was shut out of, would give me the answers that I deserved. I have been proved right. Only a public inquiry stands the chance of getting to the truth and of bringing those that have failed me to account." |
| John Actie, another of the Cardiff Three, said: "It seems that it is impossible for people like me to get true justice against the police where they have seriously abused their power and devastated people's lives. These investigation reports do not get to the bottom of all that went wrong." | John Actie, another of the Cardiff Three, said: "It seems that it is impossible for people like me to get true justice against the police where they have seriously abused their power and devastated people's lives. These investigation reports do not get to the bottom of all that went wrong." |
| Their solicitor, Kate Maynard, of the law firm Hickman and Rose, said: "The investigations indicate a disturbing degree of complacency and incompetence on the handling of disclosure by the prosecution team. This is hard to understand in a trial of such importance and expense, following an investigation that had dragged on for years." | Their solicitor, Kate Maynard, of the law firm Hickman and Rose, said: "The investigations indicate a disturbing degree of complacency and incompetence on the handling of disclosure by the prosecution team. This is hard to understand in a trial of such importance and expense, following an investigation that had dragged on for years." |
| The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry MP, said: "Today's report confirms that substantial disclosure failures by the CPS triggered the collapse of this country's largest ever police corruption trial. Sadly, it is still the case that disclosure errors, under-resourcing, and weak case management, are putting a strain on criminal trials." | The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry MP, said: "Today's report confirms that substantial disclosure failures by the CPS triggered the collapse of this country's largest ever police corruption trial. Sadly, it is still the case that disclosure errors, under-resourcing, and weak case management, are putting a strain on criminal trials." |
| The Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Peter Vaughan, said: "We welcome today's reports and their conclusions. They clearly show how disclosure issues in such a complex case and the mishandling of a small number of documents played a part in the discontinuance of proceedings against former South Wales Police officers. | The Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Peter Vaughan, said: "We welcome today's reports and their conclusions. They clearly show how disclosure issues in such a complex case and the mishandling of a small number of documents played a part in the discontinuance of proceedings against former South Wales Police officers. |
| "Over the last decade the force has transformed its approach to major cases ike this and has successfully reinvestigated a number of murders and other undetected crimes. These include the conviction of Jeffrey Gafoor for Lynette White's murder. | "Over the last decade the force has transformed its approach to major cases ike this and has successfully reinvestigated a number of murders and other undetected crimes. These include the conviction of Jeffrey Gafoor for Lynette White's murder. |
| "The reports conclude that although questions around some documents could not be answered satisfactorily during the trial, the documents were not destroyed and their destruction was not directed by the Senior Investigating Officer. It is clear from the reports that there was no misconduct on part of officers and prosecutors." | "The reports conclude that although questions around some documents could not be answered satisfactorily during the trial, the documents were not destroyed and their destruction was not directed by the Senior Investigating Officer. It is clear from the reports that there was no misconduct on part of officers and prosecutors." |
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