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'Patronising' apology, says arrested photographer

The photographer, Dimitris Legakis
Image caption,

Dimitris Legakis was arrested and held in custody for 15 hours while reporting on a murder in Swansea

  • Published

A press photographer says he is not satisfied with what he described as a "patronising" apology after being arrested while doing his job.

Dimitris Legakis was arrested while covering a breaking news story in September 2023, but Swansea Crown Court later heard "there was no evidential basis" to charge him.

Judge Geraint Walters said it seems a police officer "took offence" to him taking pictures.

A District Crown Prosecutor has now sent a letter of apology to Mr Legakis.

Mr Legakis, a freelance photographer, said he's had "better apologies from retailers".

"It's a plain and dry letter," he said.

"I asked them specific, pressing questions - things like how much time they had spent reviewing the file of evidence.

"I wanted to know what happened to the lawyer who looked at the file.

"They cocked-up big time".

The apology from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) comes after Mr Legakis was detained with "considerable force" at the scene of a murder on Sketty Lane, Swansea, and held in custody for 15 hours.

The CPS said after a review of Mr Legakis' case, there was "no longer sufficient evidence and the prosecution should be stopped" and acknowledged that it "should have happened sooner".

Mr Legakis said his case was looked into by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, but it has been sent back to South Wales Police for an internal standards investigation - which is ongoing.

"I'm giving them time to carry out their process," he said.

"But I expect there to be compensation. I'd rather not instruct a solicitor because of the cost, but if I need to I will".