Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cop falsified notes and caused case to collapse
A MAN escaped prosecution after a policeman wrote a statement for a colleague – without their knowledge.
The investigating officer has now been disciplined on the recommendation of Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire.
A probe by his office found a man was due to be prosecuted after police had stopped him on suspicion of drugs offences.
The Ombudsman said no substances were found during the search in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, in 2015, but the man was arrested for obstructing police and possession of a blade.
The report added: “A file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service, which directed he should be prosecuted for the offences.”
UNAWARE
A court date was set and a summons was sent to one of the officers whose statement had been included in the prosecution file. He realised he had never written it and advised his supervisor.
The PSNI’S Discipline Branch launched a probe which established the statement was one of two which had been submitted to the PPS without the knowledge of the officers who were supposed to have written them.
The report said: “After discovering the statements the PPS withdrew the prosecution and the Chief Constable referred the matter to the Police Ombudsman for independent investigation.”
The officers in whose names the statements had been written confirmed they were factually correct, but they were unaware they had been submitted to the PPS on their behalf.
The PSNI has since disciplined the investigating officer.