As predicted, the more embarrassing the PSNI witch hunt against Chris Ward became, the more inevitable it was that he would be charged.
Nothing turned up in the media frenzy cum search at Casement Park.
Arresting his former girlfriend and a fellow-holidaymaker amounted to zilch. Even the search of the home of the Chairman of the Erin Go Brágh Celtic Supporters Club turned up no more than the odd Hoops' calendar.
So how solid is the case against Chris Ward when so many patently false leads were followed up while he was held in detention? As solid as candyfloss, apparently.
The suspicion must be that the case of Chris Ward was used to push to the very limits the PSNI's ability to exercise draconian laws. Thus the PSNI made history by seeking and getting an extension to hold Chris Ward for an eighth day but, having set the precedent, there was no attempt to actually interrogate the Poleglass man on that extra day.
Chris Ward has been adamant throughout his ordeal that he was the victim of a callous gang of robbers. His story has remained consistent. Yesterday in court, he bravely spoke out against his PSNI accusers, pointing out he had been held longer in detention than any of the alleged robbers.
Who believes that if Chris Ward had been from the Belvoir estate rather than the Poleglass estate that he would be in jail today? Very few readers of this paper, that's for sure.
In the infamous case of the Birmingham Six, it emerged that the judges had been incapable of seeing through the absurd police frame-up of the men, not least because they had no conception of how ordinary Irish people conducted their lives.
Is that situation now to be repeated with membership of a Celtic supporters club and residency in a republican neighbourhood to be taken as evidence of guilt?
In the case of the Birmingham Six, the judge maintained that the men had to be guilty because otherwise an "appalling vista" of police injustice would emerge. Another appalling vista is emerging in the Chris Ward case and it must be the hope of all decent people that the defence team of this persecuted Poleglass man will be able to demolish the already porous PSNI case against him.
Those politicians who recently voted to give the police additional powers to detain "suspects" should hold their heads in shame this morning. So should those who have given the PSNI carte blanche approval.
Certainly, progress has been made in turning the corrupt, bigoted, murderous force which was the RUC into a professional, even-handed police service in the PSNI.
However, the case of Chris Ward shows that all the progress made, as Alasdair McDonnell MP pointed out this week, has turned to dust.
