EVER since it first came to light at Teesside Magistrates Court in May 2006, we have kept a close eye on the Stephen Whenary case.

Mr Whenary was badly beaten with a baton, sprayed in the face with CS gas, and dragged from the shower after 19 police officers were summoned to his house in Stockton. That was every officer on duty in the area at the time.

He subsequently walked free after being cleared of charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. The judge who threw out the case said the police evidence was riddled with discrepancies.

The court also heard that details of the incident were lost when one officer's notebook was accidentally destroyed in the wash.

Initially, Cleveland Police declined to comment on the judge's comments but, after a direct call from The Northern Echo, the then Chief Constable Sean Price promised a full investigation.

An investigation was launched under the auspices of the Independent Police Complaints Commission but carried out by officers from the Cleveland force. Given the clear need to restore public confidence, that was a strange decision indeed.

The conclusion was that the officers involved had no case to answer and would not face criminal or misconduct charges. Only one officer faced a superintendent's warning.

Mr Whenary went on to take legal action against the force and today we have revealed on our front page that the case has finally been settled, with a five figure sum being paid out.

All in all, it has been a disturbing and unsatisfactory affair.