CPS News Brief

Former Met police specialist detective faces 13 charges of misconduct over rape & sexual offences investigations

Rosemary Fernandes, specialist lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“I have authorised the IPCC to summons Ryan Coleman Farrow, a former detective constable with the Metropolitan Police Service, specialising in rape and sexual assault cases, with 13 counts of misconduct in a public office.

“The charges relate to 13 separate allegations that between January 2007 and September 2010 Mr Coleman Farrow wilfully engaged in conduct amounting to an abuse of the public’s trust in a public office without reasonable excuse or justification. The 13 charges include allegations that Mr Coleman Farrow failed to perform his duty in investigating rape and sexual assault cases, falsified entries on the police’s Crime Report Information System and falsified records of CPS decisions which had never actually been referred to the CPS.

“The decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. After very careful consideration of all the evidence, I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case.

“Mr Coleman Farrow will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2012.

“Mr Coleman Farrow now faces criminal charges and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could prejudice this trial.

“Proceedings are now active.”

Former Lloyds Banking Group head of digital banking fraud and security charged with defrauding her employer

Andrew Penhale, Deputy Head of the CPS Central Fraud Group said:

“We have authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Jessica Harper, the former head of fraud and security for digital banking at Lloyds Banking Group, with one count of fraud by abuse of position, contrary to section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006.

“The charge relates to an allegation that between 1 September 2008 and 21 December 2011, Jessica Harper dishonestly and with the intention of making a gain for herself, abused her position as an employee of Lloyds Banking Group, in which she was expected to safeguard the financial interests of Lloyds Banking Group, by submitting false invoices to claim payments totalling £2,463,750.88, to which she was not entitled.

“This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and a prosecution is in the public interest.

“She will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 31 May 2012.

“Jessica Harper now stands charged with a criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could prejudice this trial."

CPS celebrates May’s ‘Successes of the Month’

The CPS is celebrating the outstanding work of teams and individuals up and down the country by publishing their stories on the CPS website.

In our 'Successes of the Month', we congratulate those colleagues who have gone beyond the call of duty or who have made a real contribution to their communities by working hard to see justice done.

This month, we feature the CPS East Midlands team which successfully countered a sleepwalking defence in order to convict a rapist, The CPS Thames and Chiltern lawyer who secured an important update to the country's most prominent legal textbook, the CPS West Midlands team which acted quickly to convict a gang member of manslaughter, and members of CPS staff who have been leading the drive towards a digital future for the Criminal Justice System.

You can read about May's 'Successes of the Month' here on the CPS website.

DPP welcomes guidance on metal theft as four convicted for stealing metal from railways

John Gowland and Dominic Wallis have today pleaded guilty to the theft of copper railway cabling in Warwickshire following the earlier guilty pleas of Flame Redshaw and John Brunozzi-Jones on 30 January 2012. Between August 2010 and March 2011, their criminality caused some 500 hours of delay and affected 58 train services.

These convictions follow the launch of Crown Prosecution guidance for lawyers on tackling metal theft, highlighting the significant and damaging impact it has on communities and industry.

Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said:

“The impact of metal theft on the railway network can be particularly severe, with serious disruption to services and the threat to safety for all those who use, and work on, the rail network, not to mention the cost implications. In this case alone, the cost to Network Rail for repairs and compensation was £135,000.

“Metal theft is far from a victimless crime; it causes frustration and disruption to commuters and can be a real burden on taxpayers who are forced to fund, directly or indirectly, costly replacements, especially on the railway network. Not only does it cause problems for business and the railways, it indiscriminately targets homes, churches and memorials. I am determined my prosecutors take a firm stand on this issue and that is why we have issued guidance specifically to deal with this crime.”

The CPS guidance reminds prosecutors that whilst the scrap value of the metal concerned is sometimes negligible, the public harm it causes is widespread. Prosecutors will highlight the full facts of a case, actively obtaining information on the impact and effect of such thefts which may go far wider than the direct loss or damage caused, allowing the courts to sentence appropriately.

Mr Starmer said:

“Victims and witnesses of metal theft play a crucial role in helping us to prosecute and I urge them to report these crimes to the police as soon as possible. The sooner the police are able to act, the more likely it is that they will be able to gather the evidence we need to prosecute.”

Prosecutors are reminded of the range of charges available to them, including criminal damage, money laundering and handling stolen goods as well as theft. Prosecutors can also ask the court to consider deprivation and disqualification orders, denying thieves of their car or van where a vehicle and driving license is vital to the success of their criminal activity.

“When metal theft occurs, whether it is railway cables, lead from a village church roof or commemorative metal plaques honouring our war dead, we want to mount a robust prosecution of those responsible. A number of prosecutions resulting in tough custodial sentences, compensation and confiscation of vehicles have already been achieved. We are now building on this success, keeping up on the pressure on criminals who blight the lives of all those affected,” Mr Starmer added.

The CPS Theft Act Offences guidance can be read in full on the Legal Guidance section of the CPS website

Joint CPS and Met police statement into report on Operation Abelard II

Joint statment from Cressida Dick, Assistant Commissioner at the Metrolitan Police Service and Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London

The Metropolitan Police Service and Crown Prosecution Service have today, Monday 21 May, released their joint review commissioned in March 2011 following the withdrawal of the most recent trial into the murder of Daniel Morgan.

This case, as the trial judge said, was of an exceptional scale and complexity, with over three quarters of a million documents gathered over 20 years being examined. The issues around the disclosure exercise were such that we could not guarantee that all relevant material had been identified, considered and disclosed so as to ensure a fair trial. A further factor related to the unreliability of critical witnesses.

To this end, the purpose of the review was to identify potential good practice and learning for both police and prosecutors for future cases.

What the review was not was an investigation into allegations of corruption; nor was it intended to serve the purpose of an investigation for police disciplinary purposes.

Those recommendations identified within the review will now be implemented by both agencies.

You can see the report here