Operation Midland ruined lives but no officer has been punished

Officers’ rewards for failure: Operation Midland saw lives ruined, homes ransacked and reputations trashed on the bogus testimony of a fantasist… but five years after the probe was shut down not one officer involved has received an official sanction

• Operation Midland saw lives ruined, homes ransacked and reputations trashed
• Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe was ennobled
• ‘Gold commander’ Steve Rodhouse is now at the National Crime Agency
• Senior investigating officer Diane Tudway is now retired
• Met assistant commissioner at the time, Patricia Gallan, is also retired
• Dame Cressida Dick had oversight of Operation Midland and is now Met chief 
• Alison Hepworth authorised applications used to raid homes and is now retired
• Eric Sword made the applications for search warrants and is also retired
• Officer James Townly is still serving after playing key role in Brittan case

 It is widely regarded as one of the worst police investigations in living memory. 

Operation Midland saw lives ruined, homes ransacked and reputations trashed on the bogus testimony of a fantasist who was not properly challenged until it was too late.

In a post-Jimmy Savile culture of automatically ‘believing’ victims, police officers and politicians saw the ‘Nick’ case as a career-defining coup, seemingly rendering them blind to inconsistencies in Carl Beech’s accounts. 

He is now serving an 18-year prison sentence for his lies.

But what of those who helped the lies take root, and initially failed to conduct the most basic inquiries to determine their veracity?

The answer is that five years after Midland was shut down not one officer involved in the scandal has received an official sanction or punishment.

As head of Scotland Yard during Operation Midland, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe regularly defended the probe

LORD HOGAN-HOWE: ENNOBLED

As head of Scotland Yard during Operation Midland, Hogan-Howe regularly defended the probe, refusing to apologise for home raids in 2016. 

He commissioned Sir Richard Henriques’ review of the scandal but announced his retirement that September, weeks before the judge’s scathing findings were made public.

He was elevated to the House of Lords where the register of interests reveals 14 paid posts including advising a legal firm and the Cabinet Office. 

Accrued an estimated £5million pension pot and owns an apartment in the Swiss ski resort of Valais.

STEVE RODHOUSE: PROMOTED

‘Gold commander’ and in overall charge of Operation Midland, then-deputy assistant commissioner Rodhouse approved decision to seek search warrants to raid homes and briefed superiors. 

Accused of prolonging Operation Vincente probe into Lord Brittan to keep Midland going. 

Cleared by police watchdog and now at the National Crime Agency on a pay package of nearly £300,000.

‘Gold commander’ and in overall charge of Operation Midland, then-deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse approved the decision to seek search warrants to raid homes and briefed superiors

DIANE TUDWAY: RETIRED

As senior investigating officer in charge of Operation Midland, the detective chief inspector reviewed and accepted the search warrants despite being aware of discrepancies in Nick’s account between his Met and Wiltshire Police interviews.

Made a superintendent in 2018 while under investigation by the police watchdog and the only officer to have a face-to-face interview. Retired on a full pension in 2019 on eve of Nick trial.

As senior investigating officer in charge of Operation Midland, Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tudway reviewed and accepted the search warrants despite being aware of discrepancies in Nick’s account between his Met and Wiltshire Police interviews

KENNY MCDONALD: RETIRED 

In day-to-day charge of Operation Midland when it was launched, the former detective superintendent infamously told reporters in December 2014 that he, and senior officers specialising in both child abuse and murder, believed Nick’s allegations to be ‘credible and true’. 

Replaced as head of Midland in October 2015 but was cleared by the watchdog of any wrongdoing. 

Mr McDonald retired on a full pension in 2019 after 30 years of service. Made no comment yesterday.

In day-to-day charge of Operation Midland when it was launched, former Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald infamously told reporters in December 2014 that he, and senior officers specialising in both child abuse and murder, believed Nick’s allegations to be ‘credible and true’

PATRICIA GALLAN: RETIRED 

As a Met assistant commissioner at the time of Operation Midland, Miss Gallan received briefings from Mr Rodhouse. 

However she has appeared to blame him for blunders, saying he had ‘operational control’.

Formerly the highest-ranking black female in British policing, she said she did not approve raids on the homes of Lord Brittan, Lord Bramall or Harvey Proctor. 

She was cleared in a judge-led inquiry and retired in 2018. She is now a non-executive director at HMRC.

As a Met assistant commissioner at the time of Operation Midland, Patricia Gallan received briefings from Mr Rodhouse

DAME CRESSIDA DICK

Had oversight of Operation Midland when it was set up, as well as Operation Vincente, a probe into a bogus rape claim against Lord Brittan. 

Left the Met for a job at the Foreign Office but returned as £230,000-a-year commissioner in 2017.

Dame Cressida Dick had oversight of Operation Midland when it was set up

ALISON HEPWORTH: RETIRED 

The detective inspector authorised the applications used to raid homes before they were submitted to the court. 

Told investigators that despite her ‘extensive’ knowledge of Operation Midland, she could not recall what she knew about inconsistencies in Nick’s claims at the time, and insisted the decision to apply for warrants was made ‘at a higher level’. 

Had already retired on a full pension before the IOPC inquiry started. Provided a written statement to watchdog.

Detective Inspector Alison Hepworth authorised the applications used to raid homes before they were submitted to the court

ERIC SWORD: RETIRED

A detective sergeant working on Operation Midland, Mr Sword made the applications for search warrants used to raid homes and attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court to answer questions when they were granted. 

He indicated he had no information that might undermine the application. 

He admitted he had been provided with a summary of Nick’s interviews with Wiltshire Police, which could have highlighted discrepancies, but said he did not read it.

A detective sergeant working on Operation Midland, Eric Sword made the applications for search warrants used to raid homes and attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court to answer questions when they were granted

James Townly played a key role in allegations made against Lord Brittan, interviewing the terminally-ill peer under caution in May 2014 as part of Operation Vincente

JAMES TOWNLY: STILL SERVING

The detective sergeant played a key role in allegations made against Lord Brittan, interviewing the terminally-ill peer under caution in May 2014 as part of Operation Vincente.

Months later he became the first Scotland Yard officer to interview ‘Nick’, where he was taken in by the fantasist’s preposterous claims. 

DS Townly became Nick’s liaison officer and took him on drives through central London to see whether he ‘recognised’ anything, insisting the star witness was the ‘real deal’. 

Avoided a misconduct probe. Still serving.

WATCHDOG THAT DIDN’T BARK 

Michael Lockwood

A former council leader and accountant, he became the first director-general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct in 2017. 

The £185,000-a-year executive ultimately presided over the ‘whitewash’ report exonerating all five Operation Midland police officers referred over alleged misconduct. 

He defended the report in a Guardian newspaper article, maintaining ‘shortcomings’ were found, but no misconduct.

A former council leader and accountant, Michael Lockwood became the first director-general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct in 2017

He was accused of cronyism in 2019 when it emerged he hired his former Harrow council colleague as his taxpayer-funded £140,000-a-year deputy. 

The IOPC said that Mr Lockwood ‘declared that he knew the candidate, in accordance with policy’.

Mr Lockwood declined to comment on Lady Brittan’s interview yesterday.

Kimberley Williams

Kimberley Williams was appointed lead investigator of the IPOC probe into Operation Midland

Appointed ‘lead investigator’ of the IOPC probe into Operation Midland just a few years after leaving university. 

In her 20s at the time, Miss Williams admitted when taking statements that she had no legal training and was not fully aware of the process for obtaining search warrants. 

She is thought still to be in IOPC employment.

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