At the committal hearing on the 20th of June 2011, TRACEY JANE MURPHY employee of the Metropolitan Police (Hillingdon division) has been sent to LUTON CROWN COURT for the charge of Perverting the course of Justice.
At the preliminary hearing on the 5th of July 2011 the case has been called for a plea hearing on the 3rd of October 2011 at Luton Crown Court.
In December 2005 I was approached by an old family friend to loan him some money (£5 000) for his business to stock his bars over the Christmas and New Year period.
He had never asked me for a penny in his life and had been a close friend. He promised to repay me by the 3rd of Jan 2006. That day passed and he ended up disappearing!
I tracked him down over the following two years via Companies House records. Along my lines of investigation, I came across a mutual old friend who had also loaned this man monies in the amount of £60 000 (which put my loan into perspective, although still relatively proportionate to our incomes).
My mutual friend was a practising barrister at the time of the loan and so by her own admission, accordingly her exposure to risk could be recovered should he default on payment. However she contacted a rare illness which meant that she could no longer practise - one of the effects of this illness is that she could no longer type or flick through files as her circulation was affected and her finger tips blistered and raw.
We both made the loans on credit in our names - my outstanding debt is now over £8 500 and hers is over £100 000. I stayed with her for a period of about 6 weeks for us both to pursue our lines of investigation against this man. Having tracked him down we had both commenced civil proceedings against him, which were both ignored.
We heard that a business partner of this man had open a bar in the town - so I went along to see how busy this said bar was, to ascertain their means to pay us back.
During this one and only visit to the bar, I sought out this said business partner and asked him where his partner was. He claimed he didn't know - finished his drink with me and then excused himself, stating that he had work to attend to.
I got chatting with an old acquaintance, whom I knew lived in the same direction as I was staying and asked him if he wished to share the cab home, to which he agreed.
I went to go outside to look for a cab whilst he finished his drink and chat with his company.
On my way out, two doormen blocked my exit and said, 'You're not coming in!' I found this a strange thing to say as I was already in and was about to leave, which I then exclaimed to them. They stood aside and I walked out onto the pavement. I looked around for a cab (of which there were none) and waited for my acquaintance to come out. As I was waiting, one of the doormen got right in my face and said, 'Why don't you 'F' off?!'
I told him I could stand here all night if I liked as it was none of his business! Then three of them came out and tried to beat me up. I stood my ground under what I thought was the relative safety of the Street CCTV.
The next thing I knew was that the police seized me by each arm from behind, without question and slammed my head into the side of their van. Then two of the three of them bent my arms behind my back at shoulder height, whilst cranking my arms inwards and screaming down my ears, stop 'F'-ing resisting. Unless you are double jointed, it is physically impossible for a person's wrists to be brought together with the arms in that position, for the purpose of cuffing.
They did this to 'make a scene' so that, if required members of the passing public could be called on as independent 'witnesses' to give evidence to the fact that I was clearly resisting arrest. One of them then kneed me in the leg, giving me a dead leg and they then lowered my arms down to the small of my back and applied the hand cuffs.
They didn't give me a ground for arrest or read their caution (anything you say maybe taken down and given in evidence etc..) and put me in a cage like an animal in the back of their van. They then started to ask me what was going on. I told them that the owners of the bar owed a friend and myself £65 000 and that I didn't wish to discuss the matter with them until I had spoken with a solicitor. It is your right to request to speak with a solicitor at anytime you are taken into police custody, as was my indication in this case.
When I got to the police station at the custody desk I was asked a series of about 12 questions like my name, address, did I take drugs, how much had I had to drink and so one. Yet in their statements they claimed that i was too intoxicated to be read or understand my rights - despite me indicating that I wished to speak with a solicitor before I spoke with the police.
I was then kept in a cell over night with the lights on high, a mattress on the floor, no pillow or blanket, a three inch gap at the bottom of the door with a draught blowing through, urine on the floor next to the toilet and someone loudly snapping up the cell 'witchet' (the letter box type observation slot in the cell door) so I couldn't sleep.
I couldn't get to sleep anyway as the pain in my leg from the dead leg the arresting officer gave me was causing me so much pain, to the extent that I worried if I might get a blood clot or something and was concerned for my own welfare. I used to play rugby to a good club standard and have taken harder knocks than this, but the pain was so much more intense than I had ever felt.
So I rang the cell buzzer and requested an examination by the doctor. This was at about 8am - it wasn't until well after 2pm that I was seen. At 11am I was brought out of my cell to the custody desk and the custody Sergeant began to read from a bit of paper, stating, 'You have the right to a solicitor, the right to have someone informed of your arrest...' I interjected at this point and said I've been requesting to speak to a solicitor since I was first brought here.
Any reasonable person would then say ok who is your solicitor and who do you want us to call. This officer just clinically repeated himself. I said, 'Didn't you just hear me?' 'I've been trying to exercise those rights since you seized me from the street!' Again he glared coldly into my eyes and robotically repeated himself in the same monotone voice.
At this point, wondering what on earth was going on, I said I am demanding to speak with a solicitor and have someone informed of my arrest, you have seized me from the streets without grounds and are detaining me against my will and I demanded that they release me at once.
The custody Sergeant then flew around the desk and along with another custody assistance stood behind me, grabbed me by each arm and frog marched me back to the cell, with my feet hardly touching the ground. I slumped down onto the 3 inch thick mattress on the floor and the Sergeant told me to take my boots off. I attempted to learn forward to remove them and couldn't reach, such was the extent of the pain in my leg - I couldn't even bend my leg to bring my foot to my hand.
So I told him I can't do it, you'll have to do it. He didn't like that so he jumped on top of me and got me in a head lock whilst the other one jumped on my legs and removed my boots. When the FME came to examine me he was alone and began to ask me questions about the £65 000 owed, which I began to discuss at first feeling and/or perceiving a doctor patient confidentiality but soon stopped myself, when I realised that he shouldn't be asking me such questions and I hadn't volunteered such information.
I told him that I had called for him to examine me, not interrogate me and that if he insisted on pursuing this line of questioning that I would require a solicitor present, or failing that at the very least a police officer. He then asked me if I was hearing voices and I said the only voices I'm hearing are yours and mine - are you trying to get me sectioned under the Mental Health Act or something? He replied No with a smirk!
He then went off and I subsequently learn that he had issued a search on the local mental health authority record which came back negative and then a further search on my home adderss some 200 miles away! He also ordered a psychriatric nurse to attend court to further assess me! I consequently refused to speak with her when she approached me outside the magistrate’s court room!
The police then came into the cell and arrested me for assaulting one of them! I asked which one I was supposed to have assaulted and what were the extent of his injuries.
When the custody Sergeant left the cell after he had in effect assaulted me - he went to the computerised custody log and recorded that his left arm had suffered an abrasion, yet his later statement said that it was his right elbow.
I was detained for over 17.5hrs and subjected to a heroin and cocaine test which proved negative. I asked for a different cell as this one stank of urine - I was told that I must have done it as the cell was clean when I came in! I asked for a mop at least which was granted!
They fabricated the charge of assault as a reason to hold me. Their statements all said I was drunk and disorderly outside the bar, which I wasn't and they said I was abusive and threatening to the custody Sergeant and shouted over him apparently demanding 'to know' my rights, yet when he allegedly began to tell me them I continued to shout over him!!
I represented myself at first at magistrates and made requests for street CCTV to be secured and that of various times in the custody suite for everytime I was on camera (none in the cells).
The police suppressed the CCTV of the street that showed them arresting me. I called into the security centre run by the local council, in person to request the DVD of the incident. Whilst I was there waiting for the police liaison officer (the only man permitted to burn DVD's) to return from lunch, I got chatting with the camera operator who (thankfully for me) was on duty of the night in question as he so told me.
He said I saw the police arrest you and called them straight away to ask them why you had arrested him as he had done nothing wrong! I asked him if he would be prepared to make a statement to that effect to which he replied, well the evidence will have gone by now and it would be my word against theirs!
He did however say that there would still be a record of the 999 call log of the call I made to the police! So I got a copy of that! When the police liaison officer got back from lunch, he played me 5mins of the DVD to ascertain if it was me on the recording and handed it over to me for the tune of £50. He then shiftily looked over each shoulder and in a hushed voice said, 'I shouldn't really tell you this but the police have already been in for a look at this!'
I didn't realise the significance of this voluntary disclosure at the time but it soon became apparent! When I got the disc home I found that it didn't show the police arrest me as I had requested - just the doormen initially push me backwards in their unprovoked attack - then the camera pans to an empty pavement and then an empty kebab shop across the road.
The CCTV operator had therefore viewed the police arresting me on another camera. I had asked that the footage from this camera be checked also but was told that it didn't show anything! Therefore the police had suppressed this evidence, along with the audio aspect of the CCTV at the custody desk which recorded my conversation with the custody Sergeant.
Both of these recordings would have directly contradicted the police's conspired statements! The plot thickens - I initially represented myself at magistrates, however not getting replies to requests for various pieces of evidence, chiefly, the CCTV footage from the CPS, the police and the council I realised I'd have to instruct solicitors, which I henceforth proceeded to do.
It transpires that the solicitor I instructed, along with the FME was bent for the police! He gave me the wrong date for court and I was convicted in my absence, despite being in the region on the day of the trial as I had travelled up that day being told that the case was to be heard the following day!
I knew I had been stitched up when I called my solicitor on that day to arrange a meeting before court for a final run through on what was what etc - to be asked - where were you? - It was today - I've tried to contact you on your home phone and mobile with the permission and instruction of the court and left messages on both!
When I am away from home, I divert my home phone to my mobile, which bypasses the home phone answer machine - there was also no missed calls or messages left on my mobile!
The same solicitor then tried to do something similar with my appeal conference with the barrister - arranging a 30 min meeting for a two day trial half an hour before the case was to run! I told him the street CCTV footage alone is 30 mins! Notwithstanding the fact that there are 999 call logs, taped interview whilst in custody, 7 police officers statements, 2 CCTV operators statements and 2 statement/reports from the FME - I need at least 2hrs and a couple of days before the trial.
So he rearranged the meeting - but didn't send the evidence to the barrister for us to discuss or indeed turn up at the meeting! I ended up sacking them a day before court and was given leave of the court a period of 2 weeks to seek fresh legal representation.
A defence barrister approached me in court and said he was the 'in-house' barrister for an out of town firm of solicitors and gave me his card, instructing me to speak with the solicitor there - which I did at once and arranged an interview the next day.
About two months before the next hearing, this barrister who 'ambulance chased' me at court declared that he couldn't represent me as he knew the FME!!
Why he couldn't have told me that in the first instance at the court with a simple look at the prosecution witness list I had before me is beyond me. Anyway this firm of solicitors then arranged a new barrister for me. Their attention to my case after this declaration then declined rapidly and when I got a call from my solicitor stating that my new barrister was not confident that my abuse of process application would stand - I lost all confidence in them too!
I told my solicitor that there either is or is not an abuse of process and from the evidence I do have it can be shown that there has been such! And that I wouldn't expect my barrister to have such a defeatist attitude before he had even crossed the threshold of the court, further that if this was the case that he was merely paying lip service to my application - to which he took great umbrage!
My abuse of process application was held unanimously across the bench. The CCTV operator was brought to the dock and had the 999 call log played to him and was asked if it was his voice on the tape which he denied. Despite the fact that the tape opens with, 'Hi it's Kev here again!' and then asked how many people called Kev were working that night, to reply just me!
The judge found him to have committed perjury and perverted the course of justice and as such has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (24th Feb 2011).
After my acquittal (2+yrs and 10 court appearances later at what cost to the tax payer?!)I then walked into the police station where I was brought to in Nov 2008 and told the enquiry desk Sergeant that I wished to make a complaint of assault. He asked when did the assault take place - I said about 2yrs ago - he said you're a bit late reporting it aren't you?! I said I know but I've only just been advised to make the complaint.
He asked me who assaulted me and I said initially 3 doormen - he then asked what were their names (in front of members of the public) I said I envisaged having a statement taken from me in a private room, not to discuss these matters in public!
Half an hour later he came back and said ok I've got a room. So we sat down and he said so what are the names of these doormen? I said to be honest I don't know, although I do however know the names of the police officers that went on to further assault me!
He coughed and spluttered and said ok I better get my Sergeant and came back half an hour later with him. As I began to tell the story this Sergeant also didn't know how to deal with it and said he would have to go off and speak with the Superintendent and came back half an hour later and then took the outline of the details down and said that someone would give me a call to take a full statement from me.
This was on the 15th March 2011. He went though the details he had taken down with me and referenced them against various sections within the form he was filling out, stating, this section is relevant, this section isn't relevant and so on...
We got to section 12 which said in essence, is the matter serious enough to be reported to the IPCC and he said this section wasn't relevant. I asked him why he thought that and he came out with a load of waffle. I pointed out to him that a Crown Court Judge seems to think that this matter is so serious that he has referred it on to the Director of Public Prosecutions! He soon back tracked and concurred!
There was a box for whom ever was to forward the report to sign and date. He had left it blank and was trying to close our meeting. I said who will be passing this report on? He said that he would be doing it. I said don't you have to sign it then - he said yes I'll do it later!
I said well as you still have the pen in your hand why don't you do it now and I can take a copy with me?! Which he then reluctantly proceeded to do! To date I have yet to be contacted by the police to take the rest of my statement - I called them this morning to enquire as to why and was told I'd get a call back sometime after 5pm today when the Sergeant comes on duty!
I did however get a letter from the police stating that because the matter is over 12 months old, they are applying for the matter to be dismissed. The IPCC wrote to me and said unless I can give good reason why I've not made the report within the 12 months that they wouldn't investigate!
I wrote back stating that irrespective of whether or not they investigate the matter is being referred to the DPP and it will be investigated one way or another! There is a press gagging order on the case until 3rd August - I am in communication with a TV journalist who is prepared to do a three part documentary on the issue in due course!
I am also about to commence civil proceedings for damages against the police.
I fully support the four finger campaign and indeed as a result of my experience have already come to the conclusion that CCTV footage needs to be held and recorded independently and will be using my case as a platform to launch such a demand at Parliament, in the interests of justice and the prevention of further corruption.
There are other matters involving this case that came to light with the local Licensing Authority and the Council whom I also intend to sue for damages and found them to be either wilfully obstructive or incompetent and not fit for purpose when I attempted to get information from them relating to the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) of the Bar in question.
The DPS is responsible for holding the keys to the bar CCTV recorder and I wanted to obtain copies from the bar to see if it showed the police arrest me when I discovered the police had suppressed the only other evidence of the arrest!
I only had 28 days to get this data before it got overwritten! Needless to say my access to said data was wilfully and wrongfully denied!
If you take a look at the FOI requests under my name James McCabe you will get the gist of what I was trying to ascertain!
I have also set up a facebook group called 'Warriors for Justice' - please feel free to join there and share your unfortunate experiences.
ADDRESS SUPPLIED
The disturbing videos of an arrest in the UK at 7 a.m. while a mother feeds her baby. We think our homes are safe....but this could happen to anyone....
This has been found by the IPCC to be unlawful entry without authority.
Name and address supplied.
**
In 2008 I was violently assaulted in my home by my then partner, who had been sexually and emotionally abusing me for some seven years. These assaults only ended when, after being thrown bodily across the room, I hit my head and lost consciousness. An ambulance was called, and when asked what had happened to me, my attacker replied that I had attacked him and then inexplicably collapsed. The call-taker then marked the incident as domestic violence (me against him), and requested police.
While I was being attended to by ambulance staff, my attacker once again informed police that I had assaulted him. A very young male police officer then arrested me, without seeking my version of events, and without reference to the ambulance staff, who I had informed of the several assaults upon me. I replied that had been assaulted several times, but the police officer replied that he was not interested in that. A female police officer, who accompanied me while I was getting dressed, and must have seen some of the bruising on me then alleged that I had punched my partner, which was entirely false, and was not an allegation that my partner was making.
I was therefore taken in a police van to the police station while no action whatsoever was taken against my attacker. The police officer who had arrested me initially refused to allow me to bring my house keys, or any money with me, and it was only when I begged him, in tears, that he relented.
In the police station, I repeatedly told the officers what had happened to me, but again, they replied that they were not interested and that I should stop saying it. I was in some considerable shock, having never had any dealings with police before, and having just been violently assaulted by my partner and received a number of head injuries during those assaults. I requested psychiatric care, but the member of staff only laughed at me.
I was seen by a male FME some several hours after my arrest. He did not examine me, but merely wished to see my hands - presumably because of the allegation that I had punched my partner. He was grossly unsympathetic to my traumatised state, was aggressive and hostile, and appeared not to be aware of the head injuries reported to police by the LAS.
In the morning, I requested breakfast, but this was refused. I was then seen by another, female FME, who did, at my request, examine me for injuries. These she only partially recorded, and I learned later that she said in her report that my injuries were self-inflicted - including extensive bruising to my back, and to the back of my head.
The Duty Solicitor laughed when I told him what had happened, and then threatened me against making any formal allegation of assault against my partner, or any complaint against the police. He said that if I did this, I would go to jail. The interviewing officer appeared to be in agreement with this view.
When I showed the interviewing officer some of the fresh bruising, during the taped interview, he inexplicably stated for the tape that it was a greenish yellow bruise when in fact it was vividly red and purple. When I asked him why he was saying something so demonstrably untrue, he gave no explanation. Later, he refused to photograph my injuries, despite my solicitor requesting that he do so.
I was offered a caution for Common Assault - and was advised by the Duty Solicitor to accept this - despite the fact that there was no witness willing to testify to it, and in spite of the injuries I had received at the hands of the alleged (uninjured) victim.
I challenged this Caution, but it took 12 months for the police to supply my interview tapes to my solicitor. When finally we received these and confronted the CPS with them, they, and the police were forced to admit that the caution was never warranted, and should be overturned. This took another 6 months for New Scotland Yard to action, and then it was only achieved by intervention (at my request) from the Vice-Chair of the MPA. I am advised that there is no independent way to verify that my DNA and fingerprints have been deleted along with the pnc.
I complained to the IPCC about what had happened to me, and this was investigated by the DPS. However, they failed to contact any witnesses, and claimed that the custody cctv had an audio fault, so could not corroborate my story. They have refused to supply me with the cctv recordings, despite supposedly accessing it for the investigation, saying that it is 'disproportionate effort'. They claimed to have contacted LAS repeatedly to request witness statements, but that these requests were all ignored. The LAS have since verified to me that no such requests for witness statements were received, despite there being clear channels for such police requests to be made. The investigating officers also failed to request the LAS report, which recorded my allegation of assault. The officers concerned all quite falsely claimed that I had been questioned prior to arrest and had denied having been assaulted. The arresting officer's notebook had been altered post hoc to reflect this. The interviewing officer denied refusing to photograph my injuries and falsely claimed that an appointment had been made to do this, which I had failed to attend. My complaint about being denied food was not upheld, despite the police records showing that no food had been provided.
Needless to say my complaint was not upheld. I therefore appealed to the IPCC who did not seek to verify any of the investigating officers' claims. Needless to say this appeal was not upheld either. My complaint to the GMC regarding the first FME was also not upheld, as apparently it is my word against his.
While the MPA have written to me expressing regret at my experience, the Borough Commander has refused to do so. The man who attacked me has not been held to account for his actions, and has continued to harrass me. The officers who mistreated me are presumably free to repeat their behaviour with impunity, as is the FME.
I have been extremely traumatised by this matter, and am now medically unable to work as a result of the psychological injury. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Over the years i have had many encounters with the police both peaceful and not. My first encounter was when i was 21, It was a Sunday afternoon in snowy Feb. There had been a knock at the door and two constables came in. They asked to speak to me and told me i was being arrested for theft. They arrested and more or less charged me in my own house. I was taken to Lutterworth police station at around 3pm that afternoon. I was told that a car matching the description of my Fathers car had been seen leaving 3 local garages late at night on the previous Thursday. I remember i was terrified, i was told that i could have legal representation but if i choose that i would spen the night in the cells until the next day. I declined. They then played good cop bad cop. the long of this is that a witness had seen a car a blue cortina leaving a garage. The night in question i had not even been out it was the wednesday that i had been out for a drive with friends, but they got me so confused. When the witness went to view the car they immediately said no that is not the car the car i saw had a red passenger door and no tow bar. Still they interrigated me saying that if i coughed i would be let let off as being an unwilling assistant. I pleaded my innocence continually. i was put in a cell for a good 6 hours. (this may not seem long compared to some but to a terrified 21 year this is forever. I was evetually released and the charges dropped. for months after this i was continually harrassed by the police, i would get stopped breathalised car checks everything they could do. Over the years i have helped various youngsters to keep out of trouble and have had varous unpleaseant experiences which included seeing people as young as 15 being dragged and thrown in the back of police vans and cars when i tried to intervene i was often told to back off or i would get the same. I am in total support of your 4 finger campaign and if i can ever help in any way i am always here. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I have been a victim of the so called ‘police force’ of this country, I was cyber stalked and harassed for a long time – in fact it still goes on, I reported it, supplied all the relevant copies of internet postings with all the foul pictures and the threats. I had copies of the tormentor’s posts giving out my address (which he had tracked down) and then posting information about my family, I had been receiving a lot of spam which also had personal information. My local police officers took the matter seriously and said they would issue a warrant and have his computer seized to copy his hard drive
Two months later they managed to get his local police to interview him – my tormentor is an ex-cop, he was interviewed by his former work colleagues! My local officer said that the interviewing officers did not want to bring him in and interview him as he was a mate. I wrote to the chief constable of the Northumbria police 3 times and each time I received a standard letter stating my letter was forwarded to the ‘Standards officer’.
I was informed that the ex-cop had been asked to come in for a ‘chat’, I was then asked who certain people were who this ex-cop had named, they were members from another site who had nothing to do with him or me – just pure fabrication on his behalf. I asked if I could see what his response was to my charge – they said NO, I was then informed no further action would be taken – when I asked why not they said I would have to apply and pay for the information and it still may not be granted.
I asked the superintendent (who was the standards officer) to answer my questions as to whether he was asked about the cyber stalking, whether he was asked about the libellous remarks, I also asked him whether he was asked about giving out all my personal details over the web and just how he got them.
I also asked why this ex cop can get away with copying a site I had launched called ‘friends of the universe’ which was for adults to talk to one another of the bullying and harassment they had received, as there is very little around for adults I felt this was a much needed site, however, the ex cop copied the entire site, it’s design and layout and then put it up as a mock site called ‘friends of eldrick’.
I believe this man is DANGEROUS and the fact he has an entire police unit running to his beck and call is a major worry, I am greatly concerned for any poor soul who has been locked up by this person without just cause.
I got a reply back saying ‘your complaint will not be recorded’, since then I have suffered continual harassment from this ex-cop and now he has gathered many to join in with this harassment, of course many will when they know they are protected by senior officers who decide which laws will be upheld and which laws DON’T count in the eyes of the Police. I am thoroughly against the police force now and see just how corrupt it is, I am 51 years of age and suffering badly with depression, this ex-copper is trying his hardest to send me over the edge – just because he knows no matter what he does he is protected 100% by his copper mates. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Some years ago I acted as a spokesman for a neighbourhood group opposing the sale of land for an unsuitable development by a distant neighbour. I was successful but the man never forgave me and unfortunately his son , who lived with him, was a policeman. Various dirty tricks aimed at my learning disabled son followed. By a stroke of bad luck his new neighbour was a bigot who could not stand having a learning disabled young man, IQ 60, living next to him.
Every time my son was in the garden foul abuse followed. Eventually my son retaliated through the hedge in kind. We also had a lot of false, silent phone calls. One day the caller forgot to block his number. Both my son and I called the number which seemed to be a business phone, several times, and left messages to call us back or we would call the police. We did not know but it was the abusive neighbour's business number.
That evening a large police van with four large policemen arrived on my drive. They ignored me but grabbed my son who was very afraid, forced his hands behind his back, and handcuffed him. He was then locked in a very small cage in the police van. I explained he was learning disabled and claustrophobic and the response was pull the other one. I was told my son's call to the unknown number was witnessed by the policeman's son of my other neighbour and my son was being arrested for harrassment.
They then took my son at high speed on a long round about route to the distant custody suite. I arrived at the station as he was removed from the van in the rearyard. I heard screaming and recognised my son's voice. Badly shaken I told the desk again he was disabled and demanded to see him but they refused. Much later I did see him. He was bruised and limping and his wrists were cut from the handcuffs.
He had a torn blue paper 'prisoner suit' on and his genitals were visible. He told me that he had complained about their driving and had said he would report them. The young policeman then applied ,what he admitted later was, a ' knee strike' to my son's thigh to shut him up, paralysing his leg. They then dragged him screaming to a cell. My GP next day found a huge bruise on his leg and a cut lip.
In the investigation that followed it turned out that the CCTV camera covering the areawhere he was assaulted was, strangely,not operational that day and the young policeman changed his statement and denied an assault.The IPCC concluded there was insufficient evidence to take action, but then 96% of complaints against the police are rejected. I later discovered that 50% of deaths in police custody are of mentally impaired people. This is a death rate 9 X that of normal prisoners. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Like you I’ve always respected and trusted the police and have no doubt there are still many excellent officers, but my faith in the institution as a whole has been shaken. Some time ago a friend of mine witnessed a gang attack on a youth and phoned the police. When they arrived they proceeded to assault the victim, and when she protested they gave her the same treatment. She was later convicted of assaulting a policeman (she weighs about 8 stone) and the experience had a devastating effect on her life, from which she is only just recovering.
By chance I came across a news item in the Independent in which, responding to a statement by Boris Johnson that the streets are too dangerous now for anyone to intervene in trouble, asked an array of public figures if this was the right advice to give the public. Former Conservative Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe began her answer as follows:
“It is a great pity that we have lost our have-a-go attitude. One of the reasons we have lost it is not because of fear of the criminal but FEAR OF THE POLICE.’
A few weeks ago I read that the taser stun gun was being introduced across the country as a ‘readily available’ policing tool in ‘conflict management’. Soon afterwards I read an account in a local paper of a man being tasered in a pub car park late at night. He was probably drunk and disorderly but was unarmed and not threatening anyone and there were several policemen present. I wrote to the Home Office to find out what guidelines were in place governing the use of tasers and what assessments made of their medical and neurological consequences. Despite being sent a flood of information, mostly repetitive, I came to the following alarming conclusions:
The taser can be used in virtually any situation, the only clear exception is if the subject is armed with a firearm.
It can be used not only to briefly disable a subject but applied repeatedly in ‘drive-stun’ mode, when it becomes an instrument of torture.
It can be used on children and pregnant women. Children have already been tasered and in seven of these cases ‘drive-stun’ was applied.
There have been no studies of the psychological effects of taser use on the victims. The only medical studies confine themselves to the risk of death, estimated as ‘low’. Given the situation that the police are increasingly using violence and brutality almost as a matter of routine I regard the introduction of tasers as a very worrying development and am greatly troubled by it.NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
My mother died in hospital, 5 years ago. I was there with her every day for as many hours as I was allowed. Because the hospital messed up, when she died, they needed a scapegoat, so they chose me. I was taken away for questioning and advised to get a lawyer. While she was dying I was told I was up for attempted murder, as I had tried to overdose her on morphine? I was kept way from my dying mother for hours, and was treated with insults and rudeness. it was the typical scene you see on the TV, *good cop, bad cop* scenario. One was barely able to conceal his boredom, but was at least relatively polite, the other was vile, rude and threatening. I knew my mother was dying, but they didn't give a monkeys, they just went over and over the same questions, trying to trip me up. The lack of humanity left me with no respect for the police. I did not suffer violence, but then I am white, middle class and live in a respectable area. How different would it have been if I had been black, young, lower class? I dread to think, especially after reading some of these other poor people's terrible stories.I have always tried to teach my 4 children to have respect for their fellow human being, but the police now have lost my respect, and because of it, the respect of my husband and children.I had to pay for help in and around the home for 6 months, as this treatment, and the fear of jail for something I had not done, made me fall apart physically and emotionally. I ended up having psychiatric help, after becoming suicidal. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I have been a foster mother for most of my adult life in addition to working as a medical artist and most recently in a school for children with special educational needs, and I have to say that your experience mirrored what has happened to one of my African Caribbean foster sons, who is nearly 24. I have fostered him since the age of two and a half and he regards me as his mother.
During the last two years he has been kicked in the stomach by the police, had his arms forced behind his back so that the handcuffs bite into his wrists on numerous occassions (and then released without charge), been gassed twice in the face with captor spray (which is 300 stronger than jalpeno peppers) and been sent to prison for an offence he didn't commit ( the truth of this assertion can be verified by a barrister who sat in the court with me).
Added to this he has been repeatedly stopped by the police and then released without charge, most recently on his way to the Liberal Democrat call centre where he works in the evenings. I am in the process of buying a new car, which he is allowed to drive and a month ago he was stopped, arrested, the car parked in a car park, taken to the police station and later, yet again, released without charge. Last Thursday he was giving a lift to a friend, who was accompanied by someone he didn't know. The car was flagged down and all three were arrested. According to my foster son the young man unbeknown to him was wanted by the police, so it is understandable that the car was stopped. However, although my foster son and his friend were released without charge the car was impounded at huge cost.
We went to retrive it on Saturday from the police pound (out in the middle of the country) and although we had the insurance papers, driving licence , identification papers etc. were told because we hadn't brought the log book (no one mentioned it was needed when I enquired the previous day ) I was rudely told we couldn't take the car. I suggested phoning the DVLA, but was told they were closing and that if I didn't leave immediately I would be arrested. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, as we had been dropped off in the middle of the country, with no means of getting back without walking along the M40. We walked to the nearest service station and as we couldn't manage to contact friends, I had to pay over £40 to get back to Oxford.
The car has already been completely de-valued, because in August my foster was stopped in the centre of Oxford, where one the police proceeded to smash the side of the car with a trunchon, damaging the window and door. They then grabbed my foster son, sprayed him in the face with pepper spray , tore out all the lining of the car and took him to the police station, where they found a tiny amount of cannabis in his pocket. While I admit he shouldn't have had cannabis in his pocket, to treat him in this manner was deplorable. He told me he put his face in a muddy puddle because the captor spay is so excruciatingly painful. This is in broad daylight, in front of tourists and the solicitor who saw the cctv footage told me he could not believe the police were acting in this manner. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
The story of my own arrest, for a non-existent driving offence, after 50+ years of motoring without even incurring a parking fine, is hardly worth repeating to you, except to say that I am prevented from pursuing a claim for unlawful arrest due to a surfeit of medical conditions. Just one word of opinion though, do not put your trust in either an internal police complaint investigation nor the IPCC, as they are both dead-end roads. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
While in town I stopped a gang of youths attacking two girls. I am a teacher and have experience in 'challenging' schools, so to step in was a natural thing for me to do. Unfortunately, one of the security guards was friends with one of the youths and gave the police inaccurate information. My husband and I waited for over 10 minutes to speak to the police only to find that the first thing they did was handcuff my husband without even saying hello. I was thrown into a wall by several officers and found my breathing restricted. I panicked and bared my teeth as it was all I could do as there was at least one officer on each arm and another special holding me around the torso. I could have bitten if I wanted to but did not. I just wanted to breathe. Another PC who I will call PC B, stood back, said 'That fat bitch just tried to bite me!' then punched me in the face. I sustained a catalogue of injuries from PC B and none of the other officers stepped in. I was charged with and found guilty of obstructing the police even though none of the officers could say in court that I pushed anyone. Saying that all of the several officers who were holding me at the time of the punch said that they did not see PC B deliver the punch either. I sincerely hope that you pursue your complaint. It is so important that unacceptable behaviour of officers is dealt with appropriately. I fear that only weight of numbers of complaints will solicit a change. For my experience, even though an internal report stated that PC B had used excessive force there would be no disciplinary procedures brought against him. My husband wrote on facebook a blog about his experiences. It described his frustration with faceless complaint systems and discussed personal accountability for members of the force. Within 48 hours a sergeant came to the door demanding that he remove it. When he refused and edited the post to emphasise that he meant none of the officers involved any harm, the police came to our home mob handed to arrest him on the grounds of harassment. My local police station is xxx. The officers who travelled across the borough knew PC B personally. My husband went with them willingly but then they demanded to enter my home ostensibly to take the computers from the house. I explained that since the original incident I was phobic of the police. I offered to go and get the two computers for them. They refused and broke into my home and put me in handcuffs and took them. I asked about my basic human rights to the home and I was told that they did not apply here. Ironically, my husband never denied posting the blog. It seemed to me that they had little interest in gathering evidence more that they wanted to punish us for challenging one of their own. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I am a retired police officer having served for 15 years and was a thorn in their side from day one. I joined with high ideals and expectations and was shocked at the reality of modern day policing,(very similar to what you experienced). I stuck to those high ideals throughout my time with them but at great cost to my personal health from the grief that was dished out to me from within the police service. The only thing that kept me going was the fantastic positive feedback that the general public and even career criminals, gave to me, including all of the people that I arrested. They would write letters of thanks just for being treated like a human being, I did not think that I was doing anything out of the ordinary, but it obviously was to them. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Recently I had a awful experience with the XXX constabulary, late that night after many months of depression I took an overdose in my own home, my husband was asleep and I was very determined and aware of my actions, iIreturned to bed, for the first time I can recall he awoke and went to get a drink of water and discovered what I had done ( I think someone was watching over me that night ) then calling for the ambulance service,when they arrived I refused care and asked for a release form. I just wanted to be left alone. The paramedics attitude to me was horrific ! They treated me like I was filth. Then they were told I had had some wine and instantly there attitude changed towards me. They called for the police as I was still refusing treatment. When the police arrived they informed them that I had excessive alcohol and was non compliant, which was not the case. I was in bed under the covers and peaceful. They informed me that I was a stupid silly woman who they did not believe had taken the amount of tablets I quite clearly had. They informed me that they thought I was faking it, to which I answered " if that was the case they had no problem leaving me alone. " I was then assaulted first by the paramedic who was aggressive and threatening to me then by a male officer who also put his hands on me hurting me repeatedly. They used their full force and body weight to grab and twist my shoulder all the while I was compliant lying in my bed ! I asked them quietly not to touch me and that they were hurting me very badly to this they continued to assault me. I was informed that I was going to be arrested! I told them I wanted no help and no action taken. I was being quiet pleasant, and not throwing myself around being drunk or aggressive . The police man then became even more aggressive towards me and tried to drag me out of my bed telling me it was not going to end well for me , and that he had the right to do as he pleased with me and in the form he saw fit ( i.e. violently ). I was under no illusion as to his intention. I always thought the police were protectors not abusers! I have been sexually assaulted in the past and I believe it is my right as a human being not to be threatened and battered! The police and ambulance service are there to give aid and assistance as they are, after all a PUBLIC service not an assault squad. In the end I was pulled from my bed and escorted to an ambulance against my will with clear aggressive and hateful behaviour. I have been left feeling violated and utterly humiliated by these people. Even upon arrival at A&E the paramedics attitude was so awful that the nurse receiving me saw how distressed I had become at their hands and ordered them out of the department and upon further discussion with her I was informed this was not an unusual incident from the two paramedics and the attitude of the police. I am forever in the debt of the staff at A&E for their understanding and compassion. The choice to end my life was not taken for the gain of attention. I was very clear i did not want to carry on any further. It is clear to me that the police service has some major issues and fundamental problems within its self and with many of the officers ! I was brought up and have gone through life to believe the public services were to be respected and the law to be followed. I have never even been breathalysed in my life, I live in a right and good way and now I have been left utterly disgusted and appalled with a very different view of the police. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
The police are nothing but bullying power hungry control freaks. the police force is nothing to what it used to be, its all about lock up lock up lock up and stuff the consequences. I myself was arrested some years ago when i returned home from my partners. My ex partner who I was at that time putting up in MY home was there. When I came back I found my things thrown out the window and locked out of my own home. I shouted up to be let in but was met with abuse, my then 1 year old son was in there too. On reflection maybe i should just left but it was my home. I got a neibour to let me in eventually and went in my flat to a lot of being shouted at, moments later the police turned up and arrested me for ....wait for it, false imprisonment?? Yeah what a joke, so i got dragged off for 12 hours messed around and made to feel like a criminal, no charges were made. My ex actually phoned the police up and had a go at them for arresting me and told them she would refuse to cooperate as it was a silly personal argument. I was released in the evening just in time to go to work for the night, a total waste of time. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I too was arrested and treated appallingly. I had been attacked by a drunken woman at my own door - I told her to go or I would call the police. I tried to use my mobile to phone but she wrenched my hand and started biting it and biting my back. I defended myself by pulling on her hair to get her teeth out of my back. I screamed to a neighbour to call the police. When they came I said I wanted her charged with assault. They then arrested her. I was told I needed also to come to the station. I was treated appallingly at the station. I had been given no rights - they were not read to me - but at the station I was assumed arrested and put in a cell. Left there without a solicitor. When eventually the solicitor came I told them that the police officer had lied when he said he had arrested me and that I had also asked for pen and paper in the cell so I could record what was happening. It was refused. The solicitor insisted I accept a caution! I was the aggrieved person and yet I was cautioned! Later, after months of wrangling , the police withdrew the caution. They are supposed to serve us. Their whole training is based on watching each others backs at the cost of true justice. Many years ago I complained to the police about some hooligans who had broken my window, I had a description of the culprit. The police later told me they had cautioned the boy and that his mother had said she would pay for the damage. However I KNEW they had the wrong person. I told them so. They said `look it doesnt matter, if he is not guilty of this, he is guilty of other stuff` . Recently a neighbour was arrested on a false charge, made against him by the woman who had been harrassing me and was about to be evicted. He had recently suffered a triple heart attack. The police woman who had come to question him told him he had no choice but to accompany them to the station. He went to get his heart tablets and she refused to let him have them. They took him to the station even though he had told them that a complaint had been lodged against this woman if thats what it was about! Instead of doing the intelligent thing and checking - which would have resulted in them realising they had made an error - they assumed he was lying and took him in for questioning. Later we complained and the offricer concerned was `given advice`. The thing is they dont learn from this .... they continue to act without regard based on the principle that they are always right and operate on the basis of guilty until proved innocent. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I too have found the police to be brutal. They threw my foster daughter across our hallway, she bounced from wall to wall, when they returned her home after absconding after she had beaten me up - thinking no doubt they were helping me eah?. (She had on another occasion kicked in the door of their police car)I warned them not to physically touch her but to call me to pick her up but no they have to be the big macho heroes - what does this teach these children? Treat violence with violence? Last year I saw their brutality when I worked in a children's home - way over the top. And when I ran a youth club many years ago after a break in they burst into the home of the most violent family on the estate saying that I had named their sons as the culprits! (untrue) but from then on instead of running the club on my own I had to arrange to have some older lads 'protect me' as I locked up. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Shocking. Many years ago, I too had an unfair and harrowing experience at the hands of the police. That also changed my view of the police force as a force for good only. Prayers are with you at this difficult time. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
I have had an experience of poor treatment from the police. Very different circumstances to your own - except the poor standards from the police.I won't go into detail here, but I would not accept anything less than a court appearance. The police were openly criticised by the Sheriff (it was in Scotland), and he asked why the perpetrators were not before him instead of me. The police found it very difficult to deliver the apology they had to issue. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
So,so sorry 2 hear about your appalling experience, just wanted 2 say I am thinking of u and know exactly how u feel as I had a very bad experience like this happen 2 me. I was very upset and traumised by what happened. So any campaign I will help u with. Just don t know wot has happened 2 innocent until proven guilty! I felt 4 me all my dignity had been taken away. Yet had no chance 2 defend mYself. Was just treated guilty, b4 they even asked me. Brings bk such bad memories. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Although the circumstances were very different I had one nasty brush with the police many years ago when they fabricated allegations. Happily I had an acquaintance who was a barrister; needless to say he made the police look foolish & he followed up the withdrawal with a complaint to a Board which was upheld. We ought to have asked for compensation for the stress & misery caused. The whole process of being arrested & taken to a police station, statements,charges & above all fingerprinting is quite humiliating & must have been awful for you & your family. I cant imagine the distress involved. I have always seen the police as the guardians of the establishment & my treatment then & now yours many years later seem to indicate that nothing has changed. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
When I got arrested, I was made guilty b4 I could prove otherwise. I was put in a cell and left. I weren t even aloud 2 make a phone call 2 my older daughter who was fifteen then. 2 Let her know where I was, which is illegal in its self. I was cautioned and left off in end but stays on ur record 4 so many yrs. My argument is where is the law 4 innocent until proven guilty. I was emotionally in a bad way after, worse nitemare! I have no confidence in a police force after this. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Last year I was also subject to similarly inexplicably stupid police action. Having called the police, and failed to get a prompt attendance, I had to confront a group of yobs outside my home. Feeling afraid for my safety I had a stick in my hand, but I was never the less attacked and my property kicked in. When police eventually turned up - I’m sure you can guess - they arrested me and let the yobs walk. I refused to accept the proffered ‘caution’ and took the case to the crown court, where it was dropped when the prosecution offered no evidence, following a thinly veiled telling off of counsel by the judge. I have, of course complained through the appropriate channels, and now await the conclusion of the (Long and drawn out) investigation. Probably be a whitewash you might think!? Time will tell, but as part of the case against me I was provided with a copy of the HEADCAM video as worn by the police officer. This shows every failing made by police, and is potentially dynamite!! As you will probably know, any arrest must be ‘necessary’ in one of several ways as described in PACE, amended by SOCPA 2005. I’m damned if the video evidence in my case can show the arrest to be necessary!!!? The arrest is therefore illegal. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Two years ago I started a local website and obviously needed pictures to help illustrate the website. One sunny day I made my way into the local town taking pictures and happened to spot some vandalised children's pictures of a local building hanging on a railing.
Quite openly I took some pictures, without stopping to think because it should have been obvious what I was doing. However, I was naive, some woman assumed I was up to no good because the pictures happened to be on school railings.
I called the police to ask them about the law on photography Imagine how I felt, when not only did they confirm that it was perfectly legal to take pictures anywhere, but THEY ARRESTED ME.
The incident left me so traumatised that in the months following I could hardly leave the house and I even contemplated suicide "to save the family" because I really believed the social services would come and remove the children as the police clearly thought I was some kind of paedophile. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
