Permabanned
Yet another total disaster from the police who must have wasted millions of tax payers money on an absurdly long investigation they have comprehensively failed to administer properly. Early retirements on a full and hefty pension incoming? Couldn't run a drinking session in a brewery comes to mind, no wonder they squander time and resources trawling the social media sites for people calling others names, it's about their mark. As Nick Freeman, the solicitor who is famous as Mr. Loophole for getting celebrities off driving charges says, it's not rocket science, I just find the sloppy casework and none adherence to protocol, and often it's remarkably easy to find this.
A speeding offence brought by traffic cops, who are often far from Inspector Morse's or the sharpest knives in the drawer is one thing, a huge case like this? Disgraceful. Totally incompetent. Risible.
I await them blaming the government cuts or "Brexit".
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/new...umbria-police-failings-grooming-gang-15939049
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Police failings have led to the dramatic collapse of a series of trials against a group of men accused of trafficking, grooming and raping girls in Newcastle.
A number of people were charged with extremely serious offences as part of Northumbria Police's Operation Optic, which involved allegations of vulnerable girls being sexually exploited and abused.
Reporting restrictions have meant we were unable to report anything about the cases until a series of three trials were complete.
The first trial has been taking place at Newcastle Crown Court since January but, we can now reveal, has been beset with problems and five separate juries have been sworn in to try the case.
However, it has now emerged that police failings on how evidence was recorded, secured and disclosed to defence teams left prosecutors with no alternative but to drop the case against all defendants.
As a result, all of those who were standing trial or were due to stand trial, have been acquitted of all charges and walked free.
It is estimated the police blunders will have cost taxpayers huge sums after the four-year investigation ended in embarrassing failure.
Police said they have apologised to the complainants in the case and are carrying out a review.
Chief Superintendent Scott Hall, head of Northumbria Police’s safeguarding department, said: “First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the bravery of the victims in these cases and we remain committed to ensuring they receive any support they may require.
"We have visited each to apologise for police failings which resulted in the cases not going ahead at court.
"These centred around how some evidence had been secured without meeting strict guidelines governing investigations.
"We will now conduct a review to understand how the failings occurred and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.”
It is understood that, independent of the wider review, Northumbria Police's professional standards department are conducting an investigation and if any misconduct issues are identified as a result, these will be addressed appropriately.
Operation Optic came about as a result of Operation Sanctuary, for which seventeen men and one woman were jailed in 2017 for the sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and young women in Newcastle.
The case against the men who had been on trial since January collapsed on Monday but we had to wait until the charges were dropped against the other defendants before we could report what had happened.
On Monday, trial judge Robert Adams told jurors: "There has been a significant development in this court.
"The prosecution have a duty to review the case continually during the trial, against each defendant.
"In respect of counts where there is no evidence at all, you have already returned not guilty verdicts.
"In respect of the remaining counts, there was some evidence given by the complainant to you but in respect of each allegation, you may have concluded there were some problems concerning the evidence given by (the complainant).
"During last week a number of officers were cross-examined about the investigation process in relation to the recording of inquiries made, or, as the case may be, not made.
"The investigation must be transparent and must be fair.
"There must be integrity and the process must be able to stand up to scrutiny.
"Very properly, prosecutors have reviewed the case and concluded there is no reasonable prospect of a proper conviction in respect of any individual."
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A speeding offence brought by traffic cops, who are often far from Inspector Morse's or the sharpest knives in the drawer is one thing, a huge case like this? Disgraceful. Totally incompetent. Risible.
I await them blaming the government cuts or "Brexit".
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/new...umbria-police-failings-grooming-gang-15939049
############################################
Police failings have led to the dramatic collapse of a series of trials against a group of men accused of trafficking, grooming and raping girls in Newcastle.
A number of people were charged with extremely serious offences as part of Northumbria Police's Operation Optic, which involved allegations of vulnerable girls being sexually exploited and abused.
Reporting restrictions have meant we were unable to report anything about the cases until a series of three trials were complete.
The first trial has been taking place at Newcastle Crown Court since January but, we can now reveal, has been beset with problems and five separate juries have been sworn in to try the case.
However, it has now emerged that police failings on how evidence was recorded, secured and disclosed to defence teams left prosecutors with no alternative but to drop the case against all defendants.
As a result, all of those who were standing trial or were due to stand trial, have been acquitted of all charges and walked free.
It is estimated the police blunders will have cost taxpayers huge sums after the four-year investigation ended in embarrassing failure.
Police said they have apologised to the complainants in the case and are carrying out a review.
Chief Superintendent Scott Hall, head of Northumbria Police’s safeguarding department, said: “First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the bravery of the victims in these cases and we remain committed to ensuring they receive any support they may require.
"We have visited each to apologise for police failings which resulted in the cases not going ahead at court.
"These centred around how some evidence had been secured without meeting strict guidelines governing investigations.
"We will now conduct a review to understand how the failings occurred and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.”
It is understood that, independent of the wider review, Northumbria Police's professional standards department are conducting an investigation and if any misconduct issues are identified as a result, these will be addressed appropriately.
Operation Optic came about as a result of Operation Sanctuary, for which seventeen men and one woman were jailed in 2017 for the sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and young women in Newcastle.
The case against the men who had been on trial since January collapsed on Monday but we had to wait until the charges were dropped against the other defendants before we could report what had happened.
On Monday, trial judge Robert Adams told jurors: "There has been a significant development in this court.
"The prosecution have a duty to review the case continually during the trial, against each defendant.
"In respect of counts where there is no evidence at all, you have already returned not guilty verdicts.
"In respect of the remaining counts, there was some evidence given by the complainant to you but in respect of each allegation, you may have concluded there were some problems concerning the evidence given by (the complainant).
"During last week a number of officers were cross-examined about the investigation process in relation to the recording of inquiries made, or, as the case may be, not made.
"The investigation must be transparent and must be fair.
"There must be integrity and the process must be able to stand up to scrutiny.
"Very properly, prosecutors have reviewed the case and concluded there is no reasonable prospect of a proper conviction in respect of any individual."
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