REVEALED: DETECTIVE WHO SAT ON CRUCIAL EVIDENCE...
THIS is the Detective Constable who led the police investigation of an innocent student accused of rape.
The Mail on Sunday has learned that he is Detective Constable Mark Azariah, 37, from the Metropolitan Police’s child abuse and sexual offences command. He has worked for the Met since at least 2009.
The case collapsed when it emerged in court that police had failed to disclose a series of graphic messages from the accuser’s phone to friends in which she discussed her fantasies of extreme sex acts, including being raped.
Prosecuting barrister Jerry Hayes later revealed that he had been told by police that the phone records – which included 40,000 text and WhatsApp messages – were not disclosable because they contained ‘very personal material; nothing capable of undermining the prosecution case or assisting the defence’.
Mr Hayes said: ‘It appears the police officer in the case has not reviewed the disk, which is quite appalling.’
The judge demanded a review of disclosure evidence by the Met and called for an inquiry at the ‘very highest level’ of the Crown Prosecution Service.
The accused, Liam Allan, said magnanimously of the detective who might have cost him the best years of his life: ‘I would like to make it clear that this man is not solely responsible for the failures of the system. He should not be used as a scapegoat.’
The Met said that the case was overseen by the officer’s line managers.