Former H & F Borough Commander sentenced to four years

One of London's most senior police officers, and a former Borough Commander in Hammersmith and Fulham has been given a four year jail sentence after being found guilty of attacking a man outside a restaurant in Olympia, illegally arresting him and claiming the man had attacked him.

Commander Ali Dizaei, 47 was convicted on Monday February 8 of misconduct and trying to pervert the course of justice at Southwark Crown and sentenced in the afternoon.

Seven years ago Dizaei, former president of the Black Police Association, was cleared by an Old Bailey jury of similar charges after a two year police investigation which cost £7million.

Five years ago, Dizaei served as Borough Commander in Hammersmith and Fulham.

The court heard that in July 2008, Dizaei, who was wearing police uniform at the time, attacked a web designer, Waad Al-Baghdadi outside the Yas Persian restaurant in Hammersmith Road, West Kensington. The man had had an argument over a £600 payment for work the designer had done for the policeman's personal website.

When Mr A-Baghdadi tried to call 999 for help, Dizaei illegally arrested and handcuffed him. He then deliberately injured himself on the stomach and chest. When police colleagues arrived, he claimed he had been threatened and stabbed with the metal mouthpiece of a hookah pipe.

However, a doctor told the court his injuries were self inflicted and could not have been caused by the hookah pipe. Peter Wright, QC, said the officer was guilty of a "wholesale abuse of power" motivated by self-interest and pride.

Mr Al-Baghdadi described Dizaei as an "Iranian gangster", similar to the character of Tony Montana in the film Scarface and said people were too scared to give evidence against him.

On Monday afternoon, Dezaei was sentenced to four years in prison.

The cost to the taxpayer of the two cases involving Dizaei has been estimated at more than £10million.

February 8, 2010