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Jury fail to reach verdict on PC accused of lying

BBC PC Paul HigginsBBC
A jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court has failed to reach a verdict in the case of police officer accused of perverting the course of justice

A jury has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the case of police officer accused of perverting the course of justice.

PC Paul Higgins, 42, from Hengoed, Caerphilly county, was accused of instructing his ex-girlfriend to lie about when they first met.

He claimed he had met Jessica O’Neill on a night out in Cardiff, while she said it was when he responded to her call about a report of domestic violence.

The jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court were discharged on Thursday after being unable to reach a verdict.

Earlier in the trial, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke directed the jury to find Mr Higgins not guilty of misusing his police powers to instigate a prior relationship of Ms O’Neill.

The judge also directed jurors to clear him of three counts of computer misuse because he was the officer in the case and there was no evidence his access was unauthorised.

Mr Higgins has been suspended from South Wales Police since May 2021 when the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) began an investigation following a referral about his conduct.