A police chief walked free from court today after a jury threw out claims that he set fire to his own car and tried to frame his mistress' husband for the arson attack.
Chief Superintendent Jim Trotman looked visibly relieved, pulled a football style fist and shouted "thank you" as the jury of seven men and five women cleared him of three serious offences including arson and insurance fraud.
He was accused of setting fire to his Citroen C4 Picasso and pinning the blame on the husband of his married mistress Karin Gray, claiming more than £18,000 pounds on insurance for the destroyed vehicle.
However, today the jury decided that Mr Trotman was innocent and had not carried out the arson attack.
During the course of the two-week trial at Swindon Crown Court the jury had been told that the police investigation into the arson attack had been deeply flawed.
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