On 1st December last year, the biggest police corruption trial in UK history collapsed after the Judge in the case decided it would be “unfair” on the 8 bent coppers and two dodgy witnesses as a result of the way in which evidence had been handled – including the deliberate destruction of documents by the defendants’ former colleagues.

The police fitted up three men for the murder of Lynette White in 1988 – all three subsequently had their convictions quashed and another man was finally convicted in 2003. Following this the IPCC looked into the original investigation by South Wales Police, this lead to a trial of 9 men and a women on corruption and perjury charges – a trial that cost nearly £40 million and resulted in 10 not guilty verdicts (on the instruction of the Judge).

So... what happened to the evidence? Files were sent to the senior investigating officer, one Chief Superintendent Chris Coutts of the err... South Wales Police. Who ordered that they be shredded – all perfectly understandable.

Now the trial has collapsed the ‘cleared’ filth are suing for false arrest (sorry guys, must have missed that one for ‘Crap Arrest of the Week’). Oh, and the evidence, or at least part of it, has now turned up safe and sound in a South Wales police station in a big box marked ‘EVIDENCE’ so it’s no wonder they couldn’t find it when their mates were on trial...