THE latest revelations to damage the reputation of Cleveland Police came in the wake of the sacking of the force’s Chief Constable and Deputy Chief Constable for gross misconduct.
The flawed investigation into Bronson Tyers that resulted in the arrest of his solicitor James Watson, which came to light last week, started to unravel with the disclosure of a key piece of evidence withheld during his trials for kidnap.
A damning report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission described the discovery, in May 2011, as a ‘watershed’ moment – seven years after the alleged kidnap took place.
As a result of the discovery, investigators from West Yorkshire Police said ‘all the mistakes, incompetence and alleged dishonesty of the Operation Bungalow and Atterbury teams started to unfold’.
To get to the heart of the complex investigation the IPCC returned to the start of the sorry saga that cost Cleveland Police £550,000 in damages.
MARCH 2004
Hartlepool businessman Tony Pattison was kidnapped and held for blackmail after he was snatched from a car park at nearby Seaton Carew. He was held for 30 hours while his captors demanded cash from his family.
MARCH 2005
Six men, including Bronson Tyers, are charged with conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. The investigation into the alleged crime was codenamed Operation Bungalow by Cleveland Police and headed up by the-then Detective Inspector Tony Riordan.
NOVEMBER 2005
The trial of the six co-accused starts at Teesside Crown Court, where the jury hears the gang demanded £25,000 ransom from Mr Pattison’s family.
JANUARY 2006
Bronson Tyers, pictured above, was one of four men convicted following a three-month trial. The members of the gang were sentenced to a total of 42 years.
DECEMBER 2006
The four gang members launch an appeal against their convictions claiming the trial had been compromised because of flaws in directions given by the judge to the jury.
MARCH 2007
The Court of Appeal quashes the convictions and a retrial is ordered after Lord Justice Gage agreed all four men's convictions were unsafe.
JANUARY 2008
A retrial starts at Newcastle Crown Court.
MARCH 2008
Three defendants, Colin Threadgill, Peter Morrison and Michael Collins, pictured above from left to right, were all found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and blackmail. Bronson Tyers, however, was found not guilty of all charges.
AUTUMN 2008
Operation Atterbury was launched after Cleveland Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecution Counsel at the time believed the acquittal of Mr Tyers was against the weight of evidence presented during the trial.
The belief was that witnesses had altered substantially their evidence from the first trial leading to the assertion that prosecution witnesses had been coached and persuaded to tailor their evidence in support of Tyers’ defence.
Again DI Tony Riordan led the investigation using the main resources that were deployed during Operation Bungalow. The aim of Operation Atterbury was to concentrate on the activities of Bronson Tyers and his associates, most notably his brother Gareth Tyers, but also the role of his legal team, in particular his solicitor James Watson.
JUNE 2009
As a result of the investigation all three were arrested, along with a number of key prosecution witnesses who had featured in either one of both trials.
APRIL 2010
After a ten month investigation, both Bronson Tyers and James Watson were released from the terms of their bail.
JUNE 2010
The investigation culminated in charges being brought against five people, with the exception of Bronson Tyers and Mr Watson, for perverting the course of justice.
SEPTEMBER 2010
The initial letter of complaint from Bronson Tyers was received by the IPCC and an investigation was launched codenamed Operation Pomeroy.
SEPTEMBER 2011
The trial against all five people charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice collapses.
NOVEMBER 2011
It was confirmed that an investigation was launched involving Cleveland Police after officers were accused of perverting the course of justice.
OCTOBER 2012
In a seperate development, Cleveland Police’s chief constable is sacked after being found guilty of two charges of gross misconduct following a hearing which was held in secret. Sean Price had been suspended on full pay since August 2011 when he was arrested as part of Operation Sacristy, which is an ongoing investigation into alleged corrupt activities in Cleveland Police and the former Cleveland Police Authority.
MARCH 2013
Matters that came to light as a result of Operation Sacristy led to Cleveland Police’s deputy chief constable Derek Bonnard being sacked for gross misconduct after six disciplinary charges were proved following an investigation by the IPCC. He has been told he will not face any criminal charges as a result of Operation Sacristy.
MAY 2013
It was revealed that as a result of Operation Pomeroy the force was criticised for not suspending Chief Inspector Tony Riordan, who had been promoted since the start of the original kidnap case. In particular Assistant Chief Constable Sean White was singled out for not handling the suggested suspension of Ch Insp Riordan and the force allowing him to retire. As a result of the damning report solicitor James Watson received £550,000 in damages. The Northern Echo revealed that there are at least four more law suits in the offing relating to the case.
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