'Plebgate' Ploughs On
Now there's no doubting that 'Plebgate' at least is a good story because it's been running for more than a year - sand most people will be baffled at how it can take so long and cost so much (more than £250,000 reportedly) for the Met Police to investigate themselves.
As it stands, the outcome is pretty devastating as far as public confidence in the police is concerned - one officer is to be charged with the criminal offence of 'misconduct in public office' and five others are to face disciplinary charges which could result in all six losing their jobs.
The reason for only one officer facing criminal charges is simple - the only witnesses to what was said at the gates of Downing Street was a single police officer (PC Toby Rowland) and Andrew Mitchell himself - so there is 'insufficient evidence' under the criminal law to warrant a prosecution.
But when it comes to an internal disciplinary matter it's a different matter altogether - because the civil law applies and the standard of evidence is quite different - coming down to common sense, what looks and sounds reasonable, the balance of probabilities and the general weight of the evidence.
And on that basis these six officers are all for the high jump - because there seems no doubt to me that a minor altercation turned into an organised attempt to fit someone up (Andrew Mitchell) - and these events effectively destroyed his career.
So what were the police up to?
Well the officer involved in the original incident (PC Toby Rowland - who is not facing any criminal or disciplinary charges) reported his version of events to his supervisor, but within a short space of time details of the incident were embellished and leaked to the press.
Not only that, these details and allegations which were not criminal matters of course - were then shared with another officer who was not even on duty at the time, but who pretended he was - in a completely dishonest attempt to pass himself off as an independent witness, as if he were present at the time.
This officer (PC Keith Wallis) is the one who will be prosecuted and, on the face of things, he deserves to be found guilty and sacked from his job.
If and when that happens, the spotlight turns to who gave him details of the incident and why - what was their purpose other than to engage in a conspiracy against someone (Andrew Mitchell) who was not even accused of a crime.
The Crown Prosecution Service says there is insufficient evidence to prove a conspiracy, but no doubt they would have said the same thing, if asked, over the Hillsborough Disaster where there clearly was a conspiracy - without a single police officer being held to account for their actions under either the criminal or civil law.
So the whole business looks set to run and run with Andrew Mitchell saying he will now sue in the civil courts and you know what - I hope he wins.
