Officer gets £800,000 over false prosecution

A police officer who was wrongfully sent to prison as a result of a malicious prosecution brought by colleagues found out yesterday that he will receive a total compensation package of more than £800,000.

But ex-Pc Sultan Alam left Leeds County Court saying: “It was never about the money.”

Cleveland Police admitted liability after they were sued by Mr Alam, who has fought for 17 years after he was wrongly prosecuted and convicted.

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He was jailed for handling stolen goods in 1996, two years after first being accused of “car ringing”.

He served half of his 18-month sentence behind bars and, once free, began the long battle to clear his name while working as a taxi driver.

That culminated in 2007 with him being cleared by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Alam, 49, will receive a total of £841,430 from Cleveland Police, the court heard.

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This figure includes various types of damages plus an amount to compensate for the earnings he would probably have made if he had remained as a police officer.

In the civil case Mr Alam brought against the force, the Chief Constable admitted malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.

Speaking outside the court yesterday, Mr Alam said he was relieved the case was at an end.

Asked about the size of the pay-out, he said: “To me it’s just a number. It was never about the money.

“It’s about the principle. It’s about what’s right.

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“All that it will do is ensure that my future financially is secure and my children’s future is secure but that would have happened anyway if I had been allowed to continue with my career.”

Mr Alam said: “Seventeen years that should have been spent with family and building a career serving the public have instead been spent fighting for my rights as an individual and fighting for justice against what, at times, appeared to be insurmountable odds.”

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