HATE ORDEAL OF CANNABIS TRIAL LAWYER

A LAWYER who suffered a hate campaign after prosecuting the trial of a
cannabis campaigner has been given a police award.

Wendy Logan, 31, was a prosecutor in the case of Colin Davies, who opened
Britain's first cannabis cafe in Stockport town centre.

Cannabis smoker Davies, who said the Dutch Experience cafe was for people
who needed to take the drug for medicinal purposes, was jailed for three
years in October, 2002, after being convicted of importing and supplying drugs.

But during the numerous court hearings before this, Wendy and police
officers involved in the prosecution case were verbally abused outside
court by cafe supporters and were named and insulted on an internet site.

Now the Crown Proseution Service prosecutor from Manchester has been
awarded the Chief Constable's Citation of Merit, in recognition of her
persistence and dedication to the case.

Crucial

At a special awards ceremony at Stockport town hall, Chief Supt Peter
Driver said: "The case was surrounded by a blaze of publicity and use was
made of offshore websites to identify and designate the officers involved.

"It was an effort to provoke responses from them, which may have harmed the
case.

"Miss Logan worked long and unsocial hours to keep this difficult case on
track in the face of relentless defence tactics - and despite the fact that
she was treated in a derogatory and insulting manner via the internet and
during the various court hearings." After the presentation ceremony, Wendy
paid tribute to the police officers who had worked on the case.

"I hadn't experienced anything like that before," she said.

"And at the end of the day, I was only doing my job.

"I was pleased to be granted the award, though. The case was hard work and
went on for about a year.

"But it was really a joint effort between the Crown Prosecution Service and
the police."

A number of police officers were also presented with long service and good
conduct medals at the ceremony.