Christian, Darren

Darren Christian was convicted in September 1992 of possessing a shotgun without a firearm certificate.

Mr Christian received a sentence of three years’ imprisonment and a consecutive term of one year was passed for breach of a previous suspended sentence.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in September 1999.

Mr Christian’s arrest and prosecution had involved officers from the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad based at Rigg Approach.

Following the trial, in the late 1990s, the Complaints Investigation Bureau of the Metropolitan Police conducted a major inquiry into allegations of corruption at Rigg Approach (Operation Spain).

Two officers admitted serious criminal offences and made allegations that many of their colleagues had engaged in similar behaviour.

As a result, 25 other officers were charged with criminal offences or suspended from duty pending investigation (“A officers”).

A further group of officers, whilst not proactive in the commission of offences, were subject to a “general taint” (“B officers”).

One corrupt practice identified in Operation Spain was the use of “First Aid Kits”.

These were bags containing an imitation firearm and other incriminating items which were carried routinely in Flying Squad vehicles.

Items from these kits could be planted to enhance the case against a suspect who had been arrested.

Mr Christian alleged that evidence had been planted in his case prior to the Operation Spain revelations and one of the officers involved in his case was suspended in January 1998 following allegations of perverting the course of justice, assault, and wrongful possession of sensitive information.

The Crown prosecution Service informed the CCRC they no longer considered the officer to be a witness of truth.

The CCRC referred the conviction in January 2002.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in February 2003.