Friday, August 3, 2012

St. Vitus Day 2012: police brutality and violations of human rights of Serbs in Kosovo

Police 'corruption allegation' files passed to CPS

Police watchdog passes files of corruption allegations against two senior police officers to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Cleveland police chiefs arrested over corruption claims
The Chief Constable of Cleveland and Sean Price and Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard Photo: PA/NORTH NEWS
The two officers were arrested on August 3 last year and an investigation led by Warwickshire Police named Operation Sacristy began.
The investigation into alleged corruption has seen both senior officers launch legal claims that they were wrongfully arrested. Both men strongly deny any wrong-doing.
In a statement shortly after their cases were referred to the CPS, Mr Price said: ''I am sure the public are concerned that we have been suspended on full pay for such a long time with no criminal charges being brought.
''I share that concern and frustration. I would much rather be back doing the job I love.''
Mr Bonnard said: ''I am determined to clear my name and return to work.
''I am at a loss as to why it is taking so long to deal with the criminal investigation.''
The IPCC said in a separate statement that the file it has passed on ''relates to conduct allegations made against Chief Constable Sean Price and Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard''.

It added: ''The investigation was conducted under IPCC management by Keith Bristow, Director General (Designate) of the National Crime Agency.

''Mr Bristow is continuing with his separate criminal investigation, Operation Sacristy, into allegations against Mr Price, Mr Bonnard and others.

''In addition, an IPCC independent investigation into conduct allegations that Mr Price used undue influence to have an individual appointed to a role within the force has concluded and the report has been forwarded to Cleveland Police Authority.''


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9448548/Police-corruption-allegation-files-passed-to-CPS.html

57 Deaths In U.K. Prisons Through Out The Year 2011.

THERE were 57 apparently self-inflicted deaths among prisoners in England and Wales in 2011, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The figure was down one on 2010, but the MoJ said there were 20 unclassified deaths where it had not yet been possible to determine cause of death and therefore classify it as apparently self-inflicted, natural causes or other non-natural.

There also remain seven unclassified deaths from 2010.

Self-inflicted deaths include all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. About 80% of these deaths receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest.
Prisons minister Crispin Blunt said: “Every death in prison is a tragedy, and affects families, staff and other prisoners deeply.

 
“I would like to acknowledge the efforts of those who work in our prisons and those who care for the most vulnerable prisoners.

“The continued reduction in the number of self-inflicted deaths in our prisons is welcome news. This is testament to the good work being done by staff in our prisons.

“The Government remains fully committed to reducing deaths in custody



http://jaillife.co.uk/57-deaths-in-u-k-prisons-through-2011.html

Officer Walks After Shooting To Death Handcuffed Suspect.

SNIP

Still, the three responding officers should have given the agitated Marino more than five minutes to calm down, and should have taken the 5-foot-6, 160-pound man to a safer spot to subdue him, Heckler said. In addition, the senior officer should not have walked away from the scene at such a critical time.

Marino's family, in a statement issued by their lawyer, said it was not its place to second-guess Heckler's decision not to file criminal charges against the officers.

"However, the undisputed fact remains that an unarmed young man, in the throes of mental illness, was shot with his hands cuffed behind his back, with three police officers on the scene," the family said. "We intend to continue pursuit of all remedies the law provides, with the goal of securing justice for the death of our son, and reforming the procedures of the Perkasie police to prevent such senseless tragedies in the future."

Marino was shot once in the chest after kicking two of the officers, incapacitating one and dazing the other, according to a 10-page report of the investigation by county detectives.
Officer Seth Mumbauer, reeling from kicks to his head and groin and fearing Marino would grab his service revolver, shot Marino at close range, according to the report.

Based on Heckler's statement at a news conference in his Doylestown office and on the investigation report, Marino had a history of mental illness. He lived with his sister, Amber Simione, who was away that weekend. She had told a neighbor that "Mike has not been taking his medication" and that the neighbor should call police if he saw "Mike acting strange."..read more

http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-01/news/32962508_1_officers-mental-illness-unarmed-young-man

Debra Glass: Commissioner And Deputy Chair of IPCC under criminal investigation for Perverting Course of Justice Crime Ref CRIS 2314237/12

Ian Puddick@ianpuddick
Pls ReTweet Commissioner & Deputy Chair of under criminal investigation for Perverting Course of Justice Crime Ref CRIS 2314237/12

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Anaheim Mayhem: Police Brutality - Two Unarmed Men Shot Dead.




Published on 25 Jul 2012 by RussiIn the US there's been a new case of police abusing their power, this time in Southern Dallas. That's after one man was gunned down, causing angry crowds to take to the streets. It follows the shooting by police of two suspects in the city of Anaheim. RT's Ramon Galindo explores why those who're supposed to protect the people, are also killing them.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9ELqFKdZo8&feature=youtu.be

Serving Police Officer Jeffery Davies Appears In Court On Three Sexual Offence Charges.

Jeffery Davies
 
Jeffery Davies
 
A serving police officer appeared before a court today facing three sexual offence charges and four under the Data Protection Act.

South Wales Police Detective Constable Jeffery Davies, 42, of Church Street, Pontsticill, Merthyr, based at Merthyr Tydfil Police Station, is pleading not guilty to all charges.

Llanelli Magistrates Court was told two of the counts related to alleged sexual touching through clothing and another allegedly involved indecent exposure.

The magistrates were told the offences under the Data Protection Act involved allegations Davies used the national police computer to research the background of social networking site friends....read more

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/26/police-officer-appears-before-court-on-three-sexual-offence-charges-91466-31478658/

Police Shoot Man In Woking.

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-07-26/police-shoot-man-in-woking/


Police shoot man in Woking


A man is being treated in hospital after he was shot by police at a property in Surrey.

Armed response units were called to an address in Knaphill, Woking, just after 10pm last night after reports that a man was armed and was intending to harm himself and others, Surrey Police said.

Bomb disposal experts also attended over concerns that explosives may have been inside the property in Oak Tree Road.

The man, aged in his 40s, was later shot at the scene before being taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, police said. It is not known how serious his injuries are.

Another man, aged in his 30s, was arrested and remains in custody.

Officers also recovered a firearm from the scene.

It has yet to be examined by experts.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Anaheim : Victim Named Joel Acevedo As Police Shoot ANOTHER Man Dead Whilst In Handcuffs.

Updated, with info at the end of this post.


WATCH VIDEO OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ANAHEIM POLICE SHOOTING MANUEL DIAZ TO DEATH HERE.

 ORIGINAL POST, JULY 23, 12:32 A.M.: A source is telling OC Weekly five shots were heard as another man was shot by police and believed to be dead. A resident of the neighborhood off of Guinida neighborhood said the shooting happened off of Guinida Lane and Palm Drive. About 200 protesters are on the scene.

Witnesses have told the source the man was handcuffed, then shot by police. No one is being allowed to take photos, according to the source. When a group tried to take photos from an upstairs apartment, police shined a bright light onto the residents to block the view.

More details to follow; story developing.

UPDATED, 1:15 A.M.: Gustavo here. City News Service is reporting that Anaheim police shot and killed a suspected car thief late last night in the 400 block of West Guinida Lane. The family is on the seen sobbing....read more



http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/07/another_man_possibly_shot_by_a.php

Anaheim: Claims - Officers On The Scene Tried To 'Buy' Cell Phone Video Footage.

Image from twitter.com @EdJoyce 
 
Image from twitter.com @EdJoyce


Witnesses to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man in Anaheim, California say officers offered to buy up cell phone footage of the brutality that followed. The circumstances of the shooting are currently under investigation.
­
A few hours after shooting 24-year-old Manuel Diaz as he ran from police at around 4pm Saturday, officers unleashed rubber bullets and an attack dog on a crowd of witnesses – most of them women and children – who confronted police over the incident as they gathered evidence.

Diaz later died in hospital. Officials have yet to comment on what may have caused one of the officers to open fire.

The incident has resonated through the community, with demonstrations Sunday outside – and briefly inside – the Anaheim Police headquarters, as Police Chief John Welter prepared for a press-only news conference regarding the assault.

Demonstrators chanted "no justice, no peace" and "cops, pigs, murderers" as officers stood by.

And now that the story has gained national attention, the Anaheim PD claims the crowd of witnesses became unruly following the shooting, alleging that they set a fire at an intersection in the neighborhood, while others threw bottles and rocks at officers.

However, a news video posted to YouTube shows local CBS affiliate footage of what appears to be police storming a block filled mostly with women and children, many of them sitting in lawn chairs – with no fire in sight.

Local CBS reporter Jay Jackson confirms in the report that by shortly before 10pm Saturday, there was in fact a dumpster fire in the neighborhood after local residents formed a small protest, demanding answers from police. The Associated Press also now reports that dumpster fires were started on at least three occasions.  

In the YouTube video, police are clearly seen firing rubber bullets on a crowd of horrified women and children. Shortly thereafter a German Shepherd enters view, attacking a woman and her child and then a man sitting next to them.

Towards the end of the video, Jackson says that "at least four" people present during the fracas told him that officers on the scene offered to "buy" cell phone video footage of the incident from witnesses.

Anaheim police officials are refraining from commenting on the circumstances of the attack or its aftermath, as the incident is still under investigation.
The officer who shot Diaz has been put on desk duty.

Image from twitter.com @MikePrysner
Image from twitter.com @MikePrysner

Image from twitter.com @ReporterClaudia
Image from twitter.com @ReporterClaudia


http://rt.com/usa/news/anaheim-police-brutality-evidence-buying-812/

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Corrupt MET:police tried to hide PC Harwood's disciplinary record

Files contained multiple assault allegations but police lawyers said disclosing them would have breached officer's privacy

PC Simon Harwood has been cleared of manslaughter of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
 
The Metropolitan police attempted to keep the disciplinary record of PC Simon Harwood secret from the family of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper seller he struck with a baton and pushed to the ground at G20 protests, it can now be reported.

Lawyers for the force tried and failed to argue that disclosing the litany of complaints about Harwood's conduct would have breached his privacy, saying the officer's disciplinary history did not have "any relevance" to Tomlinson's death.

Harwood, 45, who was found not guilty of Tomlinson's manslaughter on Thursday, had repeatedly been accused of using excessive force during his career, including claims he punched, throttled, kneed and unlawfully arrested people.

The jury in the trial were not told about the history of complaints, despite a submission from the Crown Prosecution Service, which argued that in two of the disciplinary matters he was accused of using heavy-handed tactics against the public "when they presented no threat".

The application was rejected by the judge, Mr Justice Fulford, who said: "The jury, in effect, would have to conduct three trials."

The inquest jury – which concluded last year that Tomlinson was "unlawfully killed" by the police officer – was also prevented from hearing the details of the complaints.

The conclusion of the trial means it is now possible to report details of a pre-inquest hearing in February last year at London's Old Bailey.

The Met, represented by Samantha Leek QC, played down the significance of Harwood's disciplinary files, and argued they should not be shown to lawyers for the family, who at the time suspected they might be of relevance to his inquest.

Arguing the files should be kept secret, the force said: "Disciplinary records concern the private employment data of an individual."

Eventually, the Met was instructed to share the files with interested parties. When lawyers from Tomlinson's family were able to inspect the disciplinary records – which filled five lever-arch folders – they discovered detailed complaints containing several allegations of physical assaults.

In one case, a fellow police officer complained that Harwood grabbed a suspect by the throat, punched him twice in the face and pushed him into a table, causing it to break.

In another, Harwood was accused of assaulting a driver after a road rage incident, and then altering his notes afterwards. In a third, a member of the public reported seeing Harwood kneeing a man in the kidney while he was handcuffed to the ground.

Nine of the complaints were dismissed or unproven, but one, in which Harwood admitted he had gone into "red mist mode" before unlawfully accessing the police national computer, was upheld.

Harwood was able to avoid disciplinary action by retiring from the Met, rejoining the force three days later in a civilian role and then reapplying to enter uniformed ranks – a move the police watchdog has said was "staggering".

Jules Carey of Tuckers solicitors said: "The Metropolitan police and PC Harwood's lawyers argued that the Tomlinson family should not be able to see PC Harwood's records as they said that they were not relevant 'to any issue to be investigated by the inquest' and that they were private.

"It was surreal being forced to argue about the potential relevance of records without being permitted sight of them. When Ian's family did finally learn of the content of the records, they were shocked at the number of allegations and complaints that had been made about this officer."

He added: "Their view remains, that if the disciplinary and vetting procedures actually worked in the forces that employed Harwood he would not have been on duty at the G20."

The Met said in a statement: "At the pre-inquest hearing into the death of Mr Tomlinson, the MPS was invited by the Coroner to offer a submission on the issue of disclosure of PC Harwood's disciplinary record.

The MPS expressed a view that this should not be disclosed as it was not relevant to determining the cause of Mr Tomlinson's death and could potentially impact on any future criminal proceedings. The MPS further submitted, however, that the balance would lie in favour of disclosure if the Coroner determined that it was of relevance to establishing the cause of death."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/20/police-simon-harwood-disciplinary-records

Friday, July 20, 2012

Women Sue Met Over Handling Of Sexual Assault Cases

Three women, including two who were assaulted by taxi driver John Worboys, say police failings breached their human rights

Two of the women suing the Met were sexually assaulted by taxi driver John Worboys. Photograph: Metropolitan police/AP
 
Women who say they were let down by the Metropolitan police when they reported rape and sexual assault, including two who were attacked by the taxi driver John Worboys, are suing the force.

The women are attempting to establish that police who fail to investigate such crimes properly are violating victims' human rights.

If successful, the claims would be landmark cases, which would confirm that the state has a legal duty to investigate rape and sexual assault thoroughly and competently, the women's lawyers said. They added that such a ruling would also help future victims and give committed officers a legal basis from which to argue for more resources.

In 2010 an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) inquiry found that Worboys remained free to prey on women because officers made serious mistakes and failed to take victims seriously. Five Met officers were disciplined.

Worboys was jailed indefinitely in 2009 after being found guilty of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women, in one case raping his victim. He has been linked to 85 sex crimes but is suspected of being responsible for more than 100 attacks.

One of the claimants who was assaulted by Worboys said she still had nightmares about what happened when she went to police. "It rings in my ears, the officer saying 'a black cab driver just wouldn't do it'," she said.

"It felt like they didn't want to know. In my dreams I'm screaming 'why won't you believe me?'.
"They need to sort this now and give me some peace of mind. I need closure."

Four officers were disciplined over the case of the third woman bringing legal action, who was 15 when she told police she had been raped. The defendant was acquitted and the IPCC said there were "significant errors" in an investigation that "fell far short of what [the woman] had a basic right to expect".

An internal inquiry into the case, managed by the commission, described a department that was "understaffed, underskilled and overburdened".

The woman's mother said: "We have to do this, because we don't think they should be allowed to get away with it. It's never been about money. It's just the injustice, and the fact we don't want it to happen to someone else."

The women are seeking a declaration that their human rights were breached. All three have previously received apologies from the Met over the way their cases were handled. But their lawyers said they had been caused further distress the force's attempt to block the cases by arguing they have been brought too late.

Harriet Wistrich, who represents the Worboys claimants, said she found the Met's approach "incomprehensible".

"They have been roundly criticised for extremely serious failings in their investigation, yet they are using public money to defend a case, causing further distress to my clients," she said.

Mike Schwartz, a human rights lawyer from Bindmans, said: "The government's obligations to protect its citizen's rights extend beyond simply criminalising sexual assaults and rapes. The police must properly investigate and prosecute serious allegations. The courts recognise that rights are meaningless unless they are enforceable."

Last month the court of appeal ruled that the case relating to the 2005 allegations should proceed despite being out of time. Arguments are ongoing about whether Worboys victims' claims should be heard.

Debaleena Dasgupta, who is representing the claimant in the 2005 case, said: "Our clients want acknowledgment for what has been done to them, and acknowledgment that it was wrong.

"How much better will they feel if, after all they have been through, they know that once that declaration is made, all future victims can rely on the judgment for accountability?

"The judgments would also provide clarification for the police so they know their duties and can take steps to improve their work.

"For those officers determined to do a good job but obstructed by a lack of will from others, this would give them a strong basis to argue for what they need in order to do their jobs properly."

Dasgupta said police should waive the issue of timing and "show some compassion" by arguing the cases on their facts. "Instead they argue about time limits, to prevent, it would seem, the important matter of whether they owe a legal duty to investigate from being determined.

They are causing further delay and distress to people already traumatised."

The taxi driver's victim said: "I just wish the police would have the common decency to see that I've been through enough. It feels like they're turning the knife at every opportunity, still rubbing salt in. Now I'm at the stage where I can't let it go. I can't walk away."

A spokesman for the Met said: "The matter is ongoing, therefore it would be inappropriate to discuss further."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/20/women-sue-met-sexual-assault?CMP=twt_gu

'Jobs for the boys’ row as ex-policemen are paid millions

Former police officers were paid millions in consultancy fees by the Association of Chief Police Officers, an investigation found.

Sir Hugh denied the “jobs for the boys” accusation and insisted the lack of spending control was “more for pragmatic than sinister reasons: 'Jobs for the boys’ row as ex-policemen are paid millions
Sir Hugh denied the “jobs for the boys” accusation and insisted the lack of spending control was “more for pragmatic than sinister reasons Photo: AFP/GETTY
 
One former officer was paid £602,000 over more than eight years and pay levels were as high as £1,100 a day.
The inquiry by the association found that 72 consultants had been employed between April 2009 and March 2012 at a cost of £4.1 million. Almost half, 35, were former officers, with another three former police civilian staff. In some cases, no recruitment details or contracts could be found, while there was also evidence of appointments being made on personal recommendation without any selection process.
The association president, Sir Hugh Orde, said that, in a radical overhaul, non-executive directors with no police background would be appointed to the board for the first time.
Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, who secured a Commons debate on the issue in April, said the association was operating a “jobs for the boys club” and accused the organisation of a “shoddy approach to looking after public money”.
“It’s a damning indictment of ACPO, demonstrating a lack of care over how public money is spent, particularly when it involved paying former senior police officers large amounts of money. There don’t appear to have been any guidelines on how this was being done. It’s further proof that ACPO should be scrapped and consigned to history,” he said.
“These are men who are among the most trustworthy leaders in the land and they have shown they are not up to it.”

Sir Hugh denied the “jobs for the boys” accusation and insisted the lack of spending control was “more for pragmatic than sinister reasons”.

He accepted there had been concerns over how consultants had been appointed to ACPO’s anti-terrorism team but said this was out of a desire for a speedy, co-ordinated response after the 7/7 bombings in London.

“There was massive investment in TAM (Terrorism and Allied Matters) post 7/7 to get it up and running. With no capacity they got staff up on to contract quickly and ex-cops fitted the bill because they knew what they were doing,” he said.

“I’m not embarrassed. It’s concerning in the sense that this is public money and there are procedures in place that people didn’t follow. But this is not a secretive 'jobs for the boys club’, people have been pragmatically trying to get the job done.”

The report said: “This review has found a lack of central oversight, recording or evaluation of work undertaken by contractors and consultants across business areas nationally.

It has also identified that details relating to the recruitment and/or engagement of temporary staff across the business areas were at best not accessible, or at worse did not exist at all.”
The inquiry concluded that changes to ACPO’s contracting procedures “should be adopted without delay”.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9413783/Jobs-for-the-boys-row-as-ex-policemen-are-paid-millions.html#

Ian Tomlinson Family Campaign.

A Police Thug And An Unlawful Killing.

About David Allen Green
David Allen Green's picture
David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman.  He is also author of the acclaimed Jack of Kent blog.


Simon Harwood. Photo: Getty
Simon Harwood was acquitted of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests. Photo: Getty
PC Simon Harwood, a thug, has today been found not guilty by a jury of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson, even though another jury had previously found that Tomlinson had been unlawfully killed.
The Coroner’s Inquest had previously decided as follows:
Time, place and circumstances at or in which injury was sustained:
Mr Tomlinson was on his way home from work on 1st April 2009 during the G20 demonstrations.

He was fatally injured at around 19.20 in Royal Exchange Buildings (the Passage), near to the junction with Cornhill, London EC3. This was as a result of a baton strike from behind and a push in the back by a police officer which caused Mr Tomlinson to fall heavily.

Both the baton strike and the push were excessive and unreasonable.
As a result, Mr Tomlinson suffered internal bleeding which led to his collapse within a few minutes and his subsequent death.
At the time of the strike and the push, Mr Tomlinson was walking away from the police line. He was complying with police instructions to leave Royal Exchange Buildings (the Passage). He posed no threat.
Conclusion of the jury as to the death:
Unlawful killing..  read more

 http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2012/07/police-thug-and-unlawful-killing

Chunky Mark : Forget About Ian Tomlinsin - Because Nothing Happened.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Ian Tomlinson: Dave Knight On 'Nobbled Jury Lets Killer Cop Off'.

I believe there is only one explanation for PC Simon Harwood being found NOT GUILTY for his deliberate act of brutality that killed innocent Mr Ian Tomlinson. The jury were NOBBLED. I’m going to the protest outside Scotland Yard now so I will write the rest of this article later.

I will explain then how I think juries get nobbled by our famous justice system.

http://theduckshoot.com/blog/ian-tomlinson-death-nobbled-jury-lets-killer-cop-off/

Please return to Dave's blog after this evening's demonstration.

Simon Harwood And Ian Tomlinson - Key Footage From The Guardian

Scotland Yard Corruption : Ian Tomlinson Demonstration This Evening.

Following PC Simon Hardwood's not guilty verdict in the Ian Tomlinson trial, there will be a demonstration at Scotland Yard tonight at 6pm

#MET VIDEO: #IanTomlinson's stepson: Not guilty verdict is 'a joke':

Police Corruption:PC Simon Harwood Found Not Guilty Of Killing Ian Tomlinson

Simon Harwood is a murderer and he will always be a murderer!


Met police officer cleared of manslaughter over death of bystander hit with baton and pushed to the ground

PC Simon Harwood has been acquitted over the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests in 2009. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
A policeman has been acquitted of killing Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests in London by striking the 47-year-old bystander with a baton and pushing him to the ground as he walked away from police lines.

The jury at Southwark crown court on Thursday cleared PC Simon Harwood, 45, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite public order unit, the Territorial Support Group, of manslaughter following one of the most high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct in recent years.
Harwood told the court that while in retrospect he "got it wrong" in seeing Tomlinson as a potentially threatening obstruction as police cleared a pedestrian passageway in the City on the evening of 1 April 2009, his actions were justifiable within the context of the widespread disorder of that day.

The jury's verdict, after four days of deliberations, brings about something of a legal contradiction: 14 months ago another jury, at the inquest into Tomlinson's death, ruled that he was unlawfully killed by Harwood. The inquest ruling was made on the same burden of proof as a criminal trial, that is, beyond reasonable doubt.

Neither jury heard details of Harwood's prior disciplinary record, which can only be reported now.

This includes how he quit the Met on health grounds in 2001 shortly before a planned disciplinary hearing into claims he illegally tried to arrest a driver after a road rage incident while off duty, altering his notes to retrospectively justify the actions.

Harwood was nonetheless able to join another force, Surrey, before returning to serve with the Met in 2005.

He allegedly punched, throttled, kneed or threatened other suspects while in uniform in other alleged incidents.

The verdict will come as a huge disappointment to Tomlinson's family, following a saga that began when the father of four, who was stepfather to his wife's five other children, collapsed as he tried to make his way home through police lines. It followed a day of protests connected to the meeting in London of leaders from the G20 group of nations. He died shortly afterwards.
Tomlinson had been an alcoholic for some years and was living in a homeless hostel. It was initially presumed he died from natural causes, a conclusion supported by an initial postmortem examination, which gave the cause as heart failure.

But six days later the Guardian published video footage, shot by an American in London on business, which showed a policeman in riot gear striking Tomlinson on the leg with a baton before shoving him violently to the pavement, minutes before his final collapse.

Three pathologists involved in two further postmortem examinations said Tomlinson instead died from internal bleeding associated with his liver and consistent with being pushed to the ground. While the officer was soon identified as Harwood, prosecutors initially decided against charging him, changing their mind only after the inquest verdict.

The trial hinged on two key questions: firstly, whether Harwood's actions amounted to a criminal assault; then, whether they directly led to Tomlinson's death.

The first issue was simple, the prosecution argued: Harwood carried out "a gratuitous act of aggression", Mark Dennis QC told the jury. Harwood had recklessly abandoned the police van he was designated to drive to arrest a man seen writing graffiti on another vehicle. Humiliated when the man wriggled free, he opted to join a line of other officers clearing a pedestrian passageway by the Royal Exchange complex.

But in his evidence Harwood said he had been separated from his van by a threatening crowd before following orders to clear the passage. He insisted his actions towards Tomlinson were correct at the time, a version of events supported by two other officers at the scene called as defence witnesses.

The issue of cause of death saw the testimony of the first pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, who reasserted his belief that Tomlinson died from heart failure, placed against that of Dr Nat Cary, who told the court that even a relatively small amount of internal bleeding would have caused death. The jury was not told that Patel has twice been suspended by medical authorities for mistakes in other postmortem examinations and is no longer on the Home Office's register of approved pathologists.

No police officer has been convicted for manslaughter for a crime committed while on duty since 1986.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/simon-harwood-not-guilty-ian-tomlinson

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Plumber Ian Puddick cleared of harassing wife's lover on internet


Puddick tweeted, blogged and posted videos online after being enraged by his wife Leena's 10-year affair with a City director

Ian Puddick court case
 
Ian Puddick, pictured with his wife Leena, said: 'It is absolutely a victory for the small man.' Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
 
A man has been cleared of harassing his wife's millionaire lover on the internet in "a victory for free speech and the small man".

Plumber Ian Puddick tweeted, blogged and posted videos online after being enraged by his wife Leena's 10-year affair with Timothy Haynes, a City director.

As district judge Elizabeth Roscoe dismissed two charges of internet harassment following a three-day trial at Westminster magistrates' court, he said: "I am just absolutely relieved."

Puddick, 41, now reconciled with his wife, kissed her as he said: "It is absolutely a victory for free speech and the small man. I'm a plumber and drive a Transit."

He set up several websites and confronted Haynes after finding out about the affair through reading a text message on his wife's phone, and discovering photographs of Haynes performing sex acts.

Haynes, 52, from Billingshurst, West Sussex, admitted he had been deceitful, but said Puddick should have taken up his anger with him alone.

Puddick's wife met Haynes after joining an insurance firm in 1997, with the extramarital affair beginning following a Christmas party in 2002. The court heard Haynes was sending her 30 to 40 text messages a day, some with graphic sexual detail, and they often ate out together on his expenses.

Puddick, of Enfield, north London, claimed he decided to expose the relationship after finding out Haynes was using company expenses to fund the affair, taking his wife to "wonderful places around the country".

He described his shock when his home was later raided by anti-terror police at 6am, with officers removing phones, computers and even his satnavs.

The judge ruled Puddick's actions did not form a "course of conduct" and dismissed the charges.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/17/ian-puddick-internet-cleared-twitter?CMP=twt_gu

Monday, July 16, 2012

#MET #PoliceCorruption:TSG - PC Marcus Ballard dismissed for falsifying evidence about pushing 16 year old child through a shop window.

More to follow...

#PoliceCorruption:The Home Office wasted nearly half a million pounds on rubber bullets that police are not allowed to use.

It spent £427,00 on the plastic baton rounds bought from overseas, even though they did not pass UK safety standards and cannot be used here.
The purchase was made to bolster police forces in the aftermath of last summer's inner-city riots, but the wasted money risks stretching budgets which have already been slashed.

Non-lethal force: An officer of the Metropolitan Police special firearms unit SO19 demonstrates a baton round gun on the firing range in Epping Forest

Non-lethal force: An officer of the Metropolitan Police special firearms unit SO19 demonstrates a baton round gun on the firing range in Epping Forest

It was part of more than £806,000 lost through blunders by officials, which also included a botched property transaction.
The waste was revealed in the Home Office's accounts for the year ending March 2012, under a section headed 'Fruitless payments'.
The report describes them as 'payments for which liability ought not to have been incurred or where the demand for the goods or services in question could have been cancelled in time to avoid liability'.
 

The report goes on: 'A fruitless payment of £427,000 was made for baton rounds that passed testing in the country of manufacture but not in the UK.
'This meant they could not be used in the UK.'
The news is the latest in a string of procurement disasters by Whitehall. The Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health have come under particular criticism for wasting money on botched purchases.
The Government last month announced it could bring in the private sector to take responsibility for purchases in a last ditch attempt to remedy Whitehall's spendthrift culture.

Expensive mistake: Home Office officials spend nearly £500,000 on the baton rounds which were not cleared for use in the UK

Expensive mistake: Home Office officials spend nearly £500,000 on the baton rounds which were not cleared for use in the UK

David Hanson MP, Labour's Shadow Policing Minister, told the Daily Telegraph: 'The level of incompetence demonstrated in wasting £427,000 of taxpayers' money on rubber bullets without thinking to check whether they meet UK safety standards is frankly breathtaking.
'The Home Office is lurching from one shambles to the next on an almost daily basis, with an utter lack of effective leadership from Government.
'What will concern people most is that the Home Secretary is either unwilling or unable to get a grip on her department to deal with these failures.'
The blunder has emerged as the Home Office struggles with the G4S Olympic security fiasco and its UK Border Agency has come under fire for its handling of queues at Airports.
The Home Office's accounts also reveal that it expects to spend £11.2million renovating a grade 1 listed used as a police training centre.
It has also been calculated that the summer riots could cost the Home Office nearly £100million in damages, mostly in propery insurance claims.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174168/Home-Office-wastes-500-000-plastic-bullets-dont-pass-UK-safety-tests.html#ixzz20ojCFADs

#PoliceCorruption: George McNaught falsely issued hundreds of fines to be successful at work.

An award winning police community support officer was jailed for six months today for issuing hundreds of false fixed penalty notices.

Desperate for success: Policeman George McNaught falsely issued hundreds of fines to be successful at work

Desperate for success: Policeman George McNaught falsely issued hundreds of fines to be successful at work

PCSO George McNaught, 48, was found guilty of targeting unwitting members of the public, mainly cyclists, and fining them in what the Judge called an abuse of trust and power.
The sentencing came after the Scot was the first PCSO in London to be awarded the commendation of the High Sheriff of London for wrestling a gun out of the hands of a woman as she pointed it at a young boy at Victoria station in 2009.
But the Westminster-based PCSO was so desperate for success he started inventing bogus notices, usually for cycling on the pavement.
Mr McNaught targeted unwitting members of the public after finding their details on items of lost property.
Some victims paid the fines – which ranged from £45 to £320 - while others spent hours arguing about them in court.
One ticket was issued to a man who had suffered nerve damage to his arm in an accident and could not even ride a bike, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
Bailiffs were also sent to the home of another woman who had been handed a false notice.
Although the exact number of false notices issued is not known, investigating detectives found at least 350 suspect tickets between February 2010 and September last year.
 

He was caught out after a complaint was made by a man, fined for cycling on the pavement at the Strand.
When police searched Mr McNaught’s home they also found a canister of CS gas, known as tear gas, which had been reported missing from a police locker room.
Humiliated victims: One woman was falsely fined £320 by Mr McNaught and was left embarrassed and humiliated

Humiliated victims: One woman was falsely fined £320 by Mr McNaught and was left embarrassed and humiliated

Prosecutor Fallon Alexis gave several examples of individuals who had received the notices.
She said: ‘One woman, Hailey Harrington, had been stopped at Victoria Coach station with friends, had bailiffs come to her house after she was ordered to pay £320 in fines.
‘She had to come to a subsequent court hearing and in her own words felt embarrassed and humiliated, due to Mr McNaught.
‘Another man, Chris Stamp, who paid a £45 fine later told police that in fact he had an accident in 1997 in the Cambridge area and he had suffered nerve damage to his left arm and shoulder and he said in a police statement that he could not use a bicycle if he wanted to.’
Judge John Hillen told Mr McNaught his actions were ‘crazy’.
He said: ‘It’s an abuse of power by someone who is given power and then decides to use that power in a bad way.
‘As a PCSO he had a power and used it in a crazy way which is extremely harmful.

Lost property: Mr McNaught targeted cyclists using personal details found on lost property

Lost property: Mr McNaught targeted cyclists using personal details found on lost property

‘You have a positively good character, for some seven years as a PCSO in which I’m told you loved, and indeed did extremely well in.
‘You were serving the public but that trust placed in you, you abused.
‘What motivated you is and remains entirely unclear.
‘There was no financial gain, there was no corruption, there was no acting on behalf of criminals or friends.
‘It seems to me, what you chose to do having been given power, was to abuse that power.
‘The public have to be confident in the fixed penalty notice system and you undermined that confidence.
‘Confidence in the PCSO community has also been undermined.’
Ann-Marie Talbot, defending, said Mr McNaught had since been sacked after working as a PCSO for seven years and moved back to his native Scotland where he worked as a part time cleaner.
She said: ‘This was not misconduct for financial gain.
‘It would appear there was no motivation other than a desire to be successful in his job.
‘I don’t think he understands himself though what led him to take these actions.’
Mr McNaught admitted one count of misconduct in a public office and possession of a prohibited weapon.




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174402/Award-winning-PCSO-craving-success-jailed-issuing-hundreds-false-fixed-penalty-fines.html#ixzz20ogPZWtQ

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Georgia:Warren Hill - A 52-year-old mentally retarded man is slated to be executed in just around one week by prison officials in the state of Georgia, despite pleas from the family of the man he was convicted of killing more than 20 years ago. Warren Hill Is Of Course BLACK !


Warren Hill (Photo: murderpedia)
Warren Hill (Photo: murderpedia)


The judge that oversaw the murder case against Warren Hill back in 1991 agreed that the defendant was “mentally retarded” by a “preponderance of the evidence,” but the Georgia State Supreme Court insists that that’s not enough to spare the inmate from an execution scheduled for July 18. The high court of the state says Mr. Hill’s intellectual disability needs to be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt,” making Georgia the only state in the US that requires such strict interpretation when considering killing its prisoners. Now unless the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles steps up to the plate, Mr. Hill will be killed in just over one week.
"Executing Warren Hill, a 52-year-old man whom a court has found to be more likely than not mentally retarded, would be a terrible miscarriage of justice," attorney Brian Kammer, one of Hill’s layers, tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Intelligence tests offered to Mr. Hill have put his IQ score at 70, the upper cusp for what the American Association of Mental Retardation considers mental retardation. Kammer says that he will ask the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant his client clemency, but at this point the date of execution is only a week away.

Hill’s 1991 conviction was brought back up in 2003 when the state’s Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision and reinstated the death sentence against the inmate because the severity of his disability could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. It went to the Eleventh US Circuit Court of Appeals, only for those justices to agree that federal law "mandates that this federal court leave the Georgia Supreme Court decision alone — even if we believe it incorrect or unwise."

In that same ruling, one justice even expressed, “we hold that the conclusion reached by the Georgia Supreme Court — that the Eighth Amendment protects only those capital offenders whose retardation is ‘significant enough’ to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt — eviscerates the command of the Eighth Amendment that the mentally retarded shall not be executed.”

The case was sent to the US Supreme Court earlier this year, but in June they denied examining the particular of Mr. Hill’s convictions, allowing the execution to be established for next week.

Amnesty International has created a petition to be sent to Albert Murray, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles chair, asking for the state to reconsider the execution. Because Georgia is the only state that requires mental disability to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, Amnesty International notes that “Mr. Hill would not likely be facing execution had his crime been committed outside of Georgia.”

“Several jurors who sat on Warren’s original jury have since stated under oath that they would have sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole had that been an option at the time of his 1991 trial, particularly after learning of the evidence of his intellectual disability and history of childhood abuse,” Amnesty International adds.

In an editorial published by Law.com, Eric E. of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities writes, “granting mercy to Hill would finally acknowledge the nationally recognized safeguards for defendants with developmental and intellectual disabilities on death row, and protect the constitutionally mandated rights of men and women with these disabilities.”

Harris was sentenced to death after killing a man behind bars while already in jail for murder.


http://rt.com/usa/news/state-georgia-man-court-852/

#Clacton: Peter REEVE Dead - Unconfirmed reports a body has been found in a church in Writtle, near Chelmsford. Armed police are at the scene.

More to follow...


Monday, July 9, 2012

Clacton:PC Ian Dibell from Essex Police shot and killed intervening in dispute whilst off duty.

Peter Reeve 
Peter Reeve is believed to be armed
The hunt for a gunman suspected of killing an off-duty policeman in Essex has continued through the night.
PC Ian Dibell, 41, was shot dead in Clacton-on-Sea on Monday afternoon - his chief constable said he had been a "brave neighbourhood officer".
Essex Police have vowed to "not rest" until the man suspected of the attack, Peter Reeve, 64, has been detained.
PC Dibell is thought to have been killed when he tried to intervene in a dispute. A second man was wounded.
Mr Reeve, who is believed to be armed, has been described as dangerous by police, who said he should not be approached.
He is described as white, about 5ft 10ins tall with short, greyish hair, wearing jeans and possibly glasses. He comes from the Clacton area.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday night, Essex Police Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle said PC Dibell was "an experienced and professional neighbourhood police officer" who "deliberately intervened in what he knew was an extremely deadly situation".
'Woman's scream'
The chief constable said: "Policing is a family and we are all hurting.
"This dreadful event reminds us all that policing is a mission that ultimately some die for.
"We will not rest until we have Peter Reeve in custody - the investigation will continue round the clock."
Residents of Redbridge Road in the seaside town described hearing shooting and screaming at about 15:40 BST.


Ian Dibell 
PC Ian Dibell was an "experienced neighbourhood police officer"
A 45-year-old woman, who lives yards from the scene, said she heard "a lot of commotion" and saw a man running up the road.
Hazel Field, 75, who lives in Redbridge Road, said: "I was in the garden at the time and heard a gunshot, followed by a woman's scream.
"Then I heard another gunshot, followed by about five more."
Eric Long, 80, said he saw the gunman from his window: "I saw him standing with some kind of revolver.
"He was chasing somebody, firing as he went."
When police arrived at the scene, they found PC Dibell dead and another man with serious leg injuries lying in the street. He is receiving hospital treatment for gunshot wounds to the leg.
A white tent now stands where the police officer was shot.
Paying tribute to him, Mark Smith, chairman of the Essex Police Federation, said: "Constable Ian Dibell was a dedicated professional officer who, even though off duty, has paid the ultimate sacrifice for his bravery and selfless actions in trying to protect his local community."
Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "The death of our colleague in Essex is deeply sad news for the police service.
"PC Ian Dibell died while knowingly walking towards danger, as police officers are called upon to do on behalf of the public they serve.
"The courage he showed in stepping up to do his duty, without thought for his own safety, sums up what it means to be a police officer."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-18778574