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| Police 'pursued vendetta' against lawyer awarded £550,000 damages | Police 'pursued vendetta' against lawyer awarded £550,000 damages |
| (4 months later) | |
| A defence solicitor who was awarded £550,000 in damages from a police force after he was wrongly arrested says officers mounted a vendetta against him after one of his clients was acquitted. | A defence solicitor who was awarded £550,000 in damages from a police force after he was wrongly arrested says officers mounted a vendetta against him after one of his clients was acquitted. |
| James Watson said Cleveland police officers spent three years pursuing him, costing millions of pounds, without finding any evidence against him, before admitting a series of mistakes. | James Watson said Cleveland police officers spent three years pursuing him, costing millions of pounds, without finding any evidence against him, before admitting a series of mistakes. |
| "Cleveland police have wasted millions of pounds of public money on this vendetta against me. It spent three years investigating me when – as it now accepts – there was not a shred of evidence against me." | "Cleveland police have wasted millions of pounds of public money on this vendetta against me. It spent three years investigating me when – as it now accepts – there was not a shred of evidence against me." |
| Watson also criticised the Cleveland force for allowing a senior detective to retire on a full pension rather than suspend him. He said that if the officer had been suspended, he could not have retired and could then have faced any potential disciplinary action. | Watson also criticised the Cleveland force for allowing a senior detective to retire on a full pension rather than suspend him. He said that if the officer had been suspended, he could not have retired and could then have faced any potential disciplinary action. |
| The solicitor said his treatment by the officers followed his involvement in a prominent criminal case. Following the defendant's acquittal, detectives decided to investigate whether he was involved in getting witnesses to change statements. | The solicitor said his treatment by the officers followed his involvement in a prominent criminal case. Following the defendant's acquittal, detectives decided to investigate whether he was involved in getting witnesses to change statements. |
| He said: "Why were Cleveland police so desperate to have me convicted of a crime they never really believed I had committed? Was it just sour grapes at the police losing a high-profile kidnap trial or did important and powerful people have other reasons to want rid of me?" | He said: "Why were Cleveland police so desperate to have me convicted of a crime they never really believed I had committed? Was it just sour grapes at the police losing a high-profile kidnap trial or did important and powerful people have other reasons to want rid of me?" |
| Watson said he was arrested early in the morning on 3 June 2009 on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. | Watson said he was arrested early in the morning on 3 June 2009 on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. |
| He was taken to a police station and detained for 29 hours. His lawyers said the new chief constable of Cleveland, Jacqui Cheer, had admitted there were no reasonable grounds to suspect him of any offence and that he was falsely imprisoned. | He was taken to a police station and detained for 29 hours. His lawyers said the new chief constable of Cleveland, Jacqui Cheer, had admitted there were no reasonable grounds to suspect him of any offence and that he was falsely imprisoned. |
| Watson said that while he was in custody dozens of police officers spent over 12 hours searching his home and his solicitors' firm, Watson Woodhouse. | Watson said that while he was in custody dozens of police officers spent over 12 hours searching his home and his solicitors' firm, Watson Woodhouse. |
| He said they took away 26 boxes of documents, which, he says, was outside the scope of warrants they had obtained. | He said they took away 26 boxes of documents, which, he says, was outside the scope of warrants they had obtained. |
| Watson said his wife and children were detained in their home while the searches took place. He said the chief constable has now admitted that they were falsely imprisoned. | Watson said his wife and children were detained in their home while the searches took place. He said the chief constable has now admitted that they were falsely imprisoned. |
| He said the sum of £550,000 included £80,000 in exemplary damages – the maximum amount allowed. The chief constable has also agreed to pay Watson's legal costs and to correct police records to confirm that "no vestige of suspicion" remains against him, his family or partners. | He said the sum of £550,000 included £80,000 in exemplary damages – the maximum amount allowed. The chief constable has also agreed to pay Watson's legal costs and to correct police records to confirm that "no vestige of suspicion" remains against him, his family or partners. |
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