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Police are accused of lying on oath
SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers testifying at Sheffield County Court have been accused of lying on oath by their own colleagues.
Insp Gary West, who denies he rigged the outcome of a ballot for a senior position with the force's police federation, yesterday claimed officers had lied about who they voted for.
Insp West also admitted he had previously substituted his own fingerprint in the place of a suspect's early in his police career.
The case revolves around the bitterly disputed outcome of an election for the position of secretary with the South Yorkshire branch of the federation.
The official result, declared in January 2005, had Insp West, who held the position at the time, receiving 17 votes and his opponent, Pc Tom Goodhill, receiving nine.
Pc Goodhill is suing his own force for damages after allegedly suffering ill health and financial loss as a result of the outcome.
A total of 14 serving and former South Yorkshire Police officers have testified they voted for Pc Goodhill.
Insp West was asked by Stephen Simblet, counsel for Pc Goodhill, for his explanation of the discrepancy between the result and evidence given by officers.
"I don't believe they have told the truth," he said.
Mr Simblet asked: "Who do you say is lying?"
Insp West responded: "I don't know. The only two possibilities are, they are lying or I am lying. I've come here to tell the truth."
Mr Simblet then queried whether Insp West always told the truth and brought up the substitution of his fingerprint for a suspect's he had omitted to take early in his career.
Insp West said he had been "hauled over the coals" for his action and admitted bursting into tears when interviewed by a senior officer about the transgression.
He insisted he had not colluded with Insp Judith Clapham, who oversaw the ballot procedures as a federation trustee, to fix the result.
Insp West denied Mr Simblet's suggestion he had invented "a cock and bull story" to explain why a padlock belonging to Insp Clapham was used to secure the ballot box instead of an original padlock, which he had provided to an internal police inquiry into the alleged vote rigging.
The officer denied he had "dreamed up" an explanation for the emergence of the second lock and denied his colleague, whom he also acknowledged as a friend, had helped cover up his dishonesty.
Insp Clapham, who retired immediately after the election and is now Judith Bland, is not giving evidence at court as she is on holiday.
A witness statement from her says she considered she and fellow federation trustee Glenn Pashley "had taken all reasonable steps to make the vote secure, accessible and fair".
She also said she provided her own padlock for the ballot box because Insp West had been in possession of an original lock and keys which "could leave him open to challenges of integrity".
Sgt Pashley told the court he also believed one or more of his
colleagues had lied to the court.
Asked by Mr Simblet for an explanation of the difference between the recorded vote and the evidence of officers, he said: "I think one or more people are lying. I don't know who they are."
Pc Goodhill is suing his own force – through the office of the chief constable – on the grounds that, legally, the most senior force officer is held responsible for the actions of officers.
The chief constable denies any officer interfered with ballot papers and also denies responsibility for the actions of police federation officials.
The hearing continues.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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