I like the Daily Mail report of this best.

Commander Ali Dizaei, 47, was sentenced to four years in prison for misconduct and perverting the course of justice at London's Southwark Crown Court. A jury found he attacked Iraqi Waad al-Baghdadi before arresting and attempting to frame him.

The sentence spells the end of the Iranian officer's controversial 25-year career. It also signals the humiliating demise of Britain's most controversial ethnic minority police officer, who has brazenly challenged any attempt to bring him to book over a series of alleged misdemeanours.

He emerged unscathed from a string of earlier inquiries, including a multimillion-pound undercover operation examining claims of corruption, fraud and dishonesty.  Dizaei had also been accused of hijacking the issue of race and using it for his own ends.

But his attempt to frame a young businessman who pestered him for payment over a website exposed him as nothing more than a bully and a liar who abused his position.

The Crown Prosecution Service said his actions had been all the more 'deplorable' because of his high rank.

And Met Chief Sir Paul Stephenson declared he deserved his punishment after his 'disgraceful' acts, which had damaged the reputation of the entire police service.

The jury heard Dizaei met Mr al-Baghdadi by chance in the Persian Yas restaurant, run by the officer's friend Sohrab Eshragi, in Hammersmith Road, West London, on July 18 2008. Mr al-Baghdadi, 24, approached Dizaei and asked for £600 he was owed for building a website showcasing his career, press interviews and speeches. This angered Dizaei, who had just eaten a meal with his wife after attending a ceremony at New Scotland Yard for new recruits.

The officer confronted the younger man in a nearby sidestreet where a scuffle took place and Mr al-Baghdadi was roughly arrested and handcuffed. Prosecutor Peter Wright QC said Dizaei told Mr al-Baghdadi he would 'f*** up your life' and had 'ten witnesses' who would back him up.  In one of two 999 calls Dizaei asked an operator for 'urgent assistance' before starting to arrest Mr al-Baghdadi.

When officers arrived, Dizaei handed them the metal mouthpiece of a shisha pipe, held on Mr al-Baghdadi's key ring, and claimed he had been stabbed with it. But a doctor at Hammersmith police station concluded that two red marks on the officer's torso were probably self-inflicted and did not match the pipe.  Dizaei told colleagues he had been attacked, leaving Mr al-Baghdadi in custody for 24 hours and ultimately facing prosecution.  When Mr al-Baghdadi was told he would not face any charge, he complained about his treatment and Dizaei's web of deceit slowly unravelled.

Giving evidence, Mr al-Baghdadi . . . said many people were scared of the Metropolitan Police officer because of his status in the Iranian community.  The jury also heard that Dizaei rarely paid for his meals and left his unmarked car on a double yellow line while at the restaurant.

In his defence, Dizaei said he feared he was being targeted by his own colleagues because of his role as president of the National Black Police Association.The senior officer represented Tarique Ghaffur as he threatened to sue former commissioner Sir Ian Blair for discrimination and bullying.

Nick Hardwick, who leads the IPCC, branded Dizaei a 'criminal in uniform' who threatened the reputation of the entire police service. He warned other corrupt officers that 'nobody is untouchable' and said the case will strengthen the resolve of those charged with flushing out dishonest police employees.

Born in Tehran in 1962, Dizaei was brought up in a family steeped in policing with a father who headed the traffic police and an assistant commissioner grandfather.

He claimed police work was his destiny and joined Thames Valley Police after attending boarding school and City University Law School. As politicians and senior officers worked hard to increase the number of ethnic minority recruits, Dizaei was tipped to become the first Asian chief constable.  He continued to study, eventually earning a PhD and adding the title 'Doctor' to his police business card.

In 1999, Dizaei joined the Metropolitan Police and was promoted to superintendent, based in Kensington, South-West London. It was the year the force was accused of institutional racism after the inquiry into the handling of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. izaei was by then vice-chairman of the National Black Police Officers Association (NBPA) and cutting a dash with his smart clothes and glitzy lifestyle.

But he was suspected of corruption and became the subject of what was to become the most expensive inquiry into a single officer. Colleagues investigated him under the codename Helios over allegations he used drugs and prostitutes, and was spying for Iran. In 2001 he was suspended until his acquittal at the Old Bailey in 2003. A second trial linked to claims he made false expenses claims was dropped at the last minute.

The Metropolitan Police said the inquiry cost the taxpayer £2.2 million. Dizaei argued that the figure was more like £7 million.

September 12, 2007: Dizaei is suspended by the Metropolitan Police Authority's professional standards sub-committee. It emerges he is the subject of three inquiries. They focus on the use of his company credit card, the Yas incident and claims he gave inappropriate advice to a defence solicitor representing a woman involved in a fatal hit and run.

September 19, 2007: Members of the Metropolitan Black Police Association (MetBPA) say they have no confidence in top officers. They say colleagues are 'appalled' at the suspension of Dizaei whom they believe is the victim of a 'sustained witch-hunt'.

December 17, 2007: Dizaei files a claim of racial discrimination against the Metropolitan Police and accuses former commissioner Sir Ian Blair and MPA chief executive Catherine Crawford of colluding to suspend him.

May 21, 2009: Dizaei attends Bishopsgate police station to be charged with misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice over the clash at Yas restaurant. The allegations follow an investigation by the IPCC.

August 5, 2009: Dizaei pleads not guilty at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC sets a provisional trial date for November 30.

September 24, 2009: Substantial damages are paid to Dizaei over false claims he is a bigamist.

November 20, 2009: Dizaei is cleared of misusing his corporate credit card by an inquiry led by Dorset Chief Constable Martin Baker. It finds no evidence he acted dishonestly or without integrity.

December 28, 2009: A Sunday newspaper pays compensation to Dizaei over false claims of security breaches involving an illegal immigrant.

January 11, 2010: The trial opens at Southwark Crown Court.

February 8, 2010: Dizaei is found guilty of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice.