‘Sex accused used as bait when arrest was leaked’
ABARRISTER representing a former police chief accused of historic sex offences accused investigators of “hanging him out to dry” by “leaking” his arrest to the media.
Tania Griffiths, QC, representing former North Wales Police superintendent Gordon Anglesea, said that within six weeks of his arrest her client’s name appeared in a national newspaper.
She accused the National Crime Agency (NCA) of “hanging him out to dry like bait on a line” hoping other people would come forward.
Anglesea, 79, of Gwynant, Old Colwyn, is on trial at Mold Crown Court accused of four historic child sex abuse offences, which he denies.
Alan Norbury, from the NCA, denied his agency had leaked information about the defendant’s arrest.
Miss Griffiths said the Operation Pallial investigation had a policy that a person would not be named until he was charged. Anglesea had been arrested in December 2013 and was charged in July of last year, but his name had appeared in the Daily Mirror in January 2014, within six weeks of his arrest.
Asked if he knew what had happened, Mr Norbury said: “I have no idea. I didn’t leak it and I don’t know if anyone leaked it.”
It was clear the press had the name but there was no suggestion it came from one of their officers, he said.
Miss Griffiths asked if he had investigated “how this unfortunate event occurred” and when he said he had not she said: “You wanted it to happen.” Mr Norbury said that was untrue. Miss Griffiths said: “You wanted it to happen so people can see it in the newspaper and come forward – that is the whole purpose of it.”
He said the suggestion that he had engineered it was not the case.
Judge Geraint Walters said investigators had a duty to keep complainants informed of developments and suggested that could be another source of disclosure.
The officer said he would not say who was told what.
If there was a suggestion that it came from within the organisation Mr Norbury said he would be concerned.
Miss Griffiths said bearing in mind the defendant had already taken out a successful libel action the press had clearly felt confident enough to report her client’s arrest.
“I told you today it has been leaked, what are you going to do about it?” she asked Mr Norbury.
He replied: “I will speak to my supervisors and if they think it is worthy of investigation it will be done.”
She put to him: “You were hanging him out to dry like a piece of bait on a line weren’t you?”
The officer said it was nothing to do with him and nothing to do with the officers in the case.
The case continues.