Case is thrown out

Carl Russell Anson, 45, was arrested after police allegedly saw him deposit a bag in Black Dikes Lane, off the A59 near Poppleton.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Tom Storey had claimed police found a bag at the scene, which, when tested, turned out to contain diamorphine.

But Mr Anson, of Albert Drive, Morley, denied the charge of possessing heroin with intent to supply, claiming he had simply stopped at the roadside to urinate.

The jury took less than an hour to reach their decision.

Defending, Paul Greaney took the rare step of telling the jury about his client's criminal history, saying Mr Anson was currently serving a six-year sentence for conspiracy to supply heroin, and that his criminal record stretched back over 33 years.

He did so, he said, to emphasise that Mr Anson had always admitted his crimes, and had never fought a trial. That he had done so now, said Mr Greaney, showed his belief in his innocence.

Mr Greaney said the detectives leading the investigation had "lied and lied" about the allegations, in an attempt to "fit up" Mr Anson.

He said there were discrepancies in the evidence presented by different officers, and he claimed that the man leading the investigation, Detective Constable Michael Leigh, had "wanted to put Mr Anson in prison for a very long time, and had the power at his disposal to do it".

He said: "Arrange it he could, and arrange it he did."

He said details in the evidence given by the two detectives who allegedly saw Mr Anson drop the bag differed "alarmingly", and that two witnesses had given differing accounts of the colour of the substance found in the bag.

In court, Det Con Leigh had totally denied the accusations against him.

He told Mr Greaney: "You are accusing me of a criminal offence.

"What you are saying is totally, utterly wrong."

After the hearing, North Yorkshire Police declined to comment on the verdict.

Updated: 09:26 Saturday, September 07, 2002