The Ungovernable Farce
12th January 2010, 15:13
The former head of Derbyshire Special Branch's been found guilty of "using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress", but cleared of racially abusing an Asian taxi driver, despite the fact that the latter testified to the court that he'd called him a "a lying Paki bastard". Full story here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8449599.stm). ACAB.
Officer guilty of driver threat
The career of a Derbyshire former Special Branch detective was in ruins after he was found guilty of threatening an Asian taxi driver.
Det Insp Gary Tomlinson, 47, was also accused by Mohammed Anwar of calling him a "a lying Paki bastard".
But he was cleared of racially abusing the taxi driver in a row over a fare.
A district judge at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £250 prosecution costs.
Tomlinson, of Hartshorne, Derbyshire, was celebrating an imminent promotion to Detective Chief Inspector.
He now faces the conclusion of an internal disciplinary inquiry by the police force and a force spokesman said his job was under review.
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Deputy Chief Constable Alan Goodwin said: "Derbyshire Constabulary will not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind by any of its employees.
"I am disappointed that a senior police officer of this force saw fit to conduct himself in such an unacceptable way that resulted in today's guilty verdict."
The judge told Tomlinson: "How sad it is that a man who has had such an impeccable police career should find himself in the position that you do after what had been a happy celebration and at a stage in your life where everything seemed to be rosy."
But there were a "number of inconsistencies" in Mr Anwar's evidence, he said.
Threatening words
The court heard that Tomlinson had drunk several pints of bitter, half a glass of champagne and a couple of lagers during a night out with colleagues when he allegedly insulted Anwar, who accused him of failing to pay the last 90p of his fare.
Tomlinson, a married father-of-five, was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment but was convicted of an alternative charge of using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
A police officer for 21 years, the former head of Special Branch in Derbyshire told the court his promotion had been cancelled, he had been suspended and his job was on the line.
Jonathan Taaffe, who represents Tomlinson, said his client did not wish to comment after the hearing. He said: "This case should never have been brought before the courts."
Officer guilty of driver threat
The career of a Derbyshire former Special Branch detective was in ruins after he was found guilty of threatening an Asian taxi driver.
Det Insp Gary Tomlinson, 47, was also accused by Mohammed Anwar of calling him a "a lying Paki bastard".
But he was cleared of racially abusing the taxi driver in a row over a fare.
A district judge at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £250 prosecution costs.
Tomlinson, of Hartshorne, Derbyshire, was celebrating an imminent promotion to Detective Chief Inspector.
He now faces the conclusion of an internal disciplinary inquiry by the police force and a force spokesman said his job was under review.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Goodwin said: "Derbyshire Constabulary will not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind by any of its employees.
"I am disappointed that a senior police officer of this force saw fit to conduct himself in such an unacceptable way that resulted in today's guilty verdict."
The judge told Tomlinson: "How sad it is that a man who has had such an impeccable police career should find himself in the position that you do after what had been a happy celebration and at a stage in your life where everything seemed to be rosy."
But there were a "number of inconsistencies" in Mr Anwar's evidence, he said.
Threatening words
The court heard that Tomlinson had drunk several pints of bitter, half a glass of champagne and a couple of lagers during a night out with colleagues when he allegedly insulted Anwar, who accused him of failing to pay the last 90p of his fare.
Tomlinson, a married father-of-five, was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment but was convicted of an alternative charge of using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
A police officer for 21 years, the former head of Special Branch in Derbyshire told the court his promotion had been cancelled, he had been suspended and his job was on the line.
Jonathan Taaffe, who represents Tomlinson, said his client did not wish to comment after the hearing. He said: "This case should never have been brought before the courts."