Aaron Davies, who spent a year behind bars for the manslaughter of financial adviser Gareth Davies before his conviction was overturned, has lodged an appeal with the High Court claiming a detective constable within the force “developed an unreasonable fixation” against him and “set out to improperly manipulate, conceal and twist the evidence” in order to implicate him.

Mr Davies’ claim form also alleges that the detective constable, named only as DC Crocker, “misled the coroner” in an inquest into the 26-year-old amateur footballer’s death and “advanced a criminal case that was rejected by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)”.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “We can confirm we have received a claim and legal proceedings are progressing. We deny any liability and will defend our position at any future hearing.”

The claimant, of Greenmeadow, Cwmbran, Torfaen, is also suing the force for alleged breach of his human rights.

He was jailed for three years in April 2010 at Cardiff Crown Court after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Gareth Davies – a claim he had always denied.

The court heard how Gareth Davies, from Llangibby, Monmouthshire, died on October 30, 2007, two days after being injured in a car park outside a Wetherspoons pub in Cwmbran.

Mr Davies, who was studying for banking exams as part of a HSBC graduate scheme, had been dressed as one of the stars of hit 1980s film Ghostbusters while out raising money with his football teammates in the town on October 28.

Following an alleged fight in the pub car park Mr Davies fell and struck his head after being punched, later dying of his injuries.

Aaron Davies was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but was told in December of the same year that there was insufficient evidence for him to be prosecuted.

Yet in July 2009, following an inquest into the death, Mr Davies was charged with manslaughter and was later jailed.

He spent a year in prison before his conviction was quashed at the Court of Appeal on April 7, 2011, when he was aged 25. There was no retrial.

He has now filed a claim form for malicious prosecution and breach of his human rights against the chief constable of Gwent Police.

The form claims that in January 2008 – a month after Mr Davies was told there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him – DC Crocker prepared a report for the coroner.

“It advanced a case that had been rejected by the CPS,” the claim form states.

“It is averred that DC Crocker had developed an unreasonable fixation against the claimant and that he set out to improperly manipulate, conceal and twist the evidence to implicate the claimant as being responsible for the death of the deceased.”

The form also alleges that shortly before the inquest, which took place on May 28, 2008, “DC Crocker and another police officer privately consulted with the coroner and it is averred that they were told what the result would be”.

The claim adds: “The defendant is called upon to provide details as to how long the said police officers were with the coroner in this private consultation, what exactly was said and whether there was any further occasion in which discussion about the inquest took place.”

According to the form, “DC Crocker misled the coroner in a number of respects” during the inquest, including allegedly failing to provide a description of the person who dealt the key punch because it exonerated Mr Davies.

The form also claims DC Crocker failed to provide the inquest with a statement from a naval officer “that gave an account consistent with a simple fall” and alleges that the detective constable did not tell the coroner about another person “who bears a striking resemblance to the claimant” seen on CCTV at the pub.

Read the full story at: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/aaron-davies-wrongly-jailed-killing-6647308