Policeman denies Reynolds vendetta

Superintendent John Blake had been accused by the multi-millionaire chairman of Darlington Football Club of orchestrating an operation to unlawfully detain Mr Reynolds after his arrest in August 1992 for allegedly making threats of violence to the family of his former wife.

Supt Blake agreed he had told other officers of Mr Reynolds' past record and that he urged that Mr Reynolds be held in custody because of a separate investigation into an aggravated burglary - a crime he was never charged with.

But Supt Blake refuted claims that he had carried out a long- standing vendetta against him and stressed that complaints from Mr Reynolds had been investigated.

Teesside Crown Court heard allegations that Mr Blake, who serves with Durham Constabulary, had advised Cleveland Police not to grant Mr Reynolds bail because he had two previous convictions for criminal damage in 1980.

Mr Reynolds, who is suing Cleveland Police Chief Constable Barry Shaw for wrongful arrest, unlawful imprisonment and malicious prosecution, told the court on Monday: ''This has been created by an officer with a vendetta."

But, Supt Blake told the court yesterday: ''I have heard you use the word vendetta, that I have had a vendetta against you. I can assure you that there is no vendetta, I have not gone out to get you. This call that came from Cleveland to arrest you was out of the blue.''

Supt Blake said: ''As far as I was concerned, before 1992 you were a successful businessman who had a criminal past.''

Superintendent Blake also told the court that he recalled a meeting with Mrs Susan Reynolds and her mother, Mrs May Firth, in 1992, though he could not remember what was discussed.

Mr Reynolds, who is conducting his own case, said that both his wife and mother-in-law were adamant that the person they had complained to had introduced himself as John Blake, but was not the same man as the person on the witness stand.

The hearing continues