All four officers acquitted in Babar Ahmad assault trial

All four of the officers accused of assaulting Babar Ahmad in 2003 have been acquitted this morning at Southwark Crown Court. Detective Constable John Donohue said that he was "relieved" by the jury's decision. The officers' solicitor Colin Reynolds said that "they are hoping to put these unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations behind them."

Recordings from an MI5 bug planted in the house emerged only months before the trial began, which Mr Reynolds said had provided “very significant evidence” that had “changed a large number of matters”.

The jury took less than an hour to find Police Constables Nigel Cowley, Roderick James-Bowen, Mark Jones, and Detective Constable John Donohue not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Babar Ahmad's father Ashfaq Ahmad read out a statement on his behalf: "The Metropolitan Police admitted at the High Court that I was brutally assaulted by its officers without resisting arrest. Today’s verdict means that no police officer has been held to account for this abuse."

Babar Ahmad's lawyer, Fiona Murphy, said that the admission and compensation from the Met Commisioner in 2009 "sits uncomfortably with the jury's verdict."

On the issue of his extradition, Babar Ahmad denied any involvement in terrorist activity and said "as a British man, I should be given a fair trial in Britiain, just as these officers have received."

The findings of a Met review into the case is expected to be published soon and a misconduct hearing into the assault allegations is to be carried out. A previous Met investigation into the case resulted in no disciplinary action against any of the officers.

The Guardian has reported that PCs Mark Jones and Roderick James-Bowen "had 40 separate allegations of assault against them between 1993 and 2007, the majority involving black or Asian men." The allegations were all found to be unsubstantiated following inquiries, according to the Met.