Anthony Crook , 37 , who said his reputation was destroyed when he was listed as a 'most wanted ' rapist has won almost £70,000 in damages . A former high-flying City banker who said his reputation was destroyed when he was listed as a 'most wanted ' rapist has won almost £70,000 in damages from police . Anthony Crook , 37 , from Clacton , Essex , was working in Dubai when his image was wrongly released by Essex Police as one of their 'ten most wanted ' in 2010 . He claimed the worldwide coverage left him 'unemployable ' and said the stress led to him drinking heavily and having suicidal thoughts . Mr Crook sued the force and in a hearing at the High Court today , Judge Deborah Taylor said the release of his name and image was a breach of his human rights . 'His details were published to the world at large , ' she told the court . 'Whilst the press release was to local media , no consideration was given to the realities of modern technology : firstly , the potential for information to spread across the internet , and secondly , the difficulty once spread in eradicating that . 'The police lost control of the data . It was not on posters they could take down and photographs they could take from shopkeepers . ' The court heard Mr Crook had been warned by a friend that a 'malicious ' complaint might be made against him and had called Essex Police . But he was told by officers that no such allegation had been received and thought that was the end of the matter , he said . He only found out about the article - alleging he was wanted and at large over an alleged rape in Clacton - through his family . The article was accompanied by his address from his City days in Clapham and a photo which had been taken when he was a dreadlocked teenager . Mr Crook said the allegation was 'malicious ' and there was no need to publicise it , as he had already offered to speak to police to clear it up . The result was that he was left 'unemployed and unemployable ' , his lawyers told the High Court . 'There was a level of shock and embarrassment . You are defined by the career you have , ' he told Judge Deborah Taylor . ' I was financially in a very good place and that 's completely wiped out overnight . 'It 's an allegation of a sexual assault . There 's a stigma attached to that which stays with you forever . 'The fact they did n't remove these things for such a long period of time made it impossible to get back into work and rebuild my life . ' Mr Crook contacted the force , which ultimately agreed to have the story removed , but it had already spread via other media around the world . He told a hearing at the High Court ( pictured ) that the worldwide coverage left him 'unemployable ' and said the stress led to him drinking heavily and having suicidal thoughts . He was horrified to find his name was even featured on the website of a newspaper in India , he told the judge . 'We were having to constantly search to find these links and provide them to the police , ' he continued . 'The fact that they were there until 2013 , three years after I contacted the police , just is n't satisfactory . ' The stress led to him drinking heavily and having suicidal thoughts , he added . He sued for breach of confidence , in publishing the old photo , and for breaches of the Data Protection Act and a violation of his human right to privacy . Essex Police claimed the publication was in the public interest , but the judge said it was not 'reasonable , necessary and proportionate ' . The judge rejected his claim that the publication directly led to him losing two good jobs - but said it had adversely affected his ability to get another . She awarded £5,000 for his psychiatric problems , £57,750 for loss of earnings , £2,000 basic damages and £3,000 aggravated damages . Speaking outside court , Mr Crook said : ' I am extremely happy that I have been vindicated and the police have finally been held to account . ' I now feel my name has been cleared and there has been an acknowledgement that the police had done wrong . 'Had they held their hands up in the first place and given me some kind of apology , we would n't have ended up in the High Court . '
Former banker Essex Police , 37 , claimed his reputation was destroyed . He was listed as a 'most wanted ' rapist in 2010 after a 'malicious complaint ' Mr Crook claimed the worldwide coverage left him 'unemployable ' He said the stress led to him drinking heavily and having suicidal thoughts . Ex-City banker was awarded £67,750 damages including loss of earnings .