'I ended up in court twice after being arrested while doing my job'

WHEN Dimitris Legakis leaves the house for work each morning he does so after donning a bodycam. Everyone he now comes into contact with is carefully recorded in case he's attacked or arrested.

- JONATHON HILL

When he went to college decades ago he never thought he'd fear doing his job. But now he's become so worried he has dissuaded his son from following in his footsteps.

A freelance press photographer who usually works alone, Mr Legakis has found himself in crown court having been arrested twice while working.

A public order allegation against him was thrown out at Swansea Crown Court last year just before a trial was due to begin and last week he had a conviction quashed on appeal for breach of the peace for calling a firefighter who took exception to him taking pictures at the scene of a fire a "coward".

The photographer from Swansea who runs Athena Picture Agency was found guilty by magistrates last year of "making insulting comments" at the scene at Day's Rental in Gorseinon in August 2024 at the scene of a fire there.

That came after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had decided the evidential threshold had been met and it was in the public interest to pursue a conviction. But Mr Legakis has again won out - although he doesn't feel like it.

Confirming their intention to drop the matter Emily Bennett, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court last week that after reviewing evidence and talking to witnesses opposing the appeal was "no longer in the public interest" well over a year after the incident - during which time Mr Legakis says he's been through significant mental anguish as a result of the case.

The prosecution said the evidence in the case had been reviewed some 30 minutes before the hearing and the evidence of the police officer witness had been withdrawn after he had been spoken to and said "in the light of the words used" to the firefighter it had been decided that it was not in the public interest to oppose the appeal.