G20: Getting to the truth- the death of Ian Tomlinson RIP

[paolo]

Because he could be easily manipulated is my guess.

DBs reckoned they (murder squad) hated getting Patel for a case.

Another more recent comment from Streathamite suggested it wouldn't have been the police who picked Patel, it would be the Coroner.

All in all, I don't buy the Patel-in-conspiracy idea.

One thing that *has* come out is the failure to pass on the information reported by a PC who saw the assault. The Met say they told CoL*. CoL say they weren't told. It would have pertinent to post mortem (rubbish pathologist aside).

* Fairly sure it was CoL, but might have been IPCC. On phone, can't quickly check.

 

[GoneCoastal]

Another more recent comment from Streathamite suggested it wouldn't have been the police who picked Patel, it would be the Coroner.

Correct 5th paragraph in this article from The Guardian (19 August 2010) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/19/ian-tomlinson-pathologist-not-qualified

For ref: "............................. when he was appointed to conduct the postmortem on Tomlinson by the City of London coroner."

 

[Frankie Jack]

Tomlinson death officer in court

A Scotland Yard officer will appear in court tomorrow ( Monday 20th June) accused of killing Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests.

Mr Tomlinson, a homeless 47-year-old newspaper seller, collapsed and died on the fringes of the demonstrations in central London on April 1 2009.

Pc Simon Harwood, a father of two from Carshalton, Surrey, will appear before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with manslaughter.

The Director of Public Prosecutions charged Pc Harwood over the death after reviewing an inquest jury's unlawful killing verdict.

Keir Starmer QC said new medical evidence at the inquest and the opinions of experts during the hearing helped change his mind.


Sincerly hope justice will be done and not just another wrist slap handed down.

 

[DotCommunist]

Mr Tomlinson, a homeless 47-year-old newspaper seller

Pc Simon Harwood, a father of two from Carshalton, Surrey

they're still at it.

collapsed and died on the fringes of the demonstrations in central London on April 1 2009.

just fell over and died guv.

fucks sake

 

[ymu]

Well done, CPS.

Come on, the jury.

 

[Pickman's model]

Well done, CPS.

Come on, the jury.

fyi: there is no jury in a magistrates court, where this case currently is. as for 'well done, cps', it's hardly like they've run with this case against considerable pressure to drop it, is it? they've only taken it up due to pressure from the verdict in the inquest and the fact that, unusually, there is footage of the incident. if it was up to the cps they'd sweep it under the carpet.

 

[manny-p]

fyi: there is no jury in a magistrates court, where this case currently is. as for 'well done, cps', it's hardly like they've run with this case against considerable pressure to drop it, is it? they've only taken it up due to pressure from the verdict in the inquest and the fact that, unusually, there is footage of the incident. if it was up to the cps they'd sweep it under the carpet.

Has there been a thread on the pathetic 8 month sentence that that jurer received for facebooking?

 

[DotCommunist]

Well done, CPS.

Come on, the jury.

harwood, afaik, has the right to push his hearing to crown, as have we all when nicked. Thats where he'd face a jury but will he? Three have-a-go-tories (90% of magistrates) would be preferable to a dozen unknowns given that he is part of the 'team' if you follow my meaning.

 

[ymu]

Oh, Pickman's, you have opened mine eyes. A veil hath verily been lifted.

 

[winjer]

fyi: there is no jury in a magistrates court, where this case currently is.

But cannot remain.

harwood, afaik, has the right to push his hearing to crown, as have we all when nicked.

As the charge is manslaughter it will automatically go to Crown. Only some offences offer the right to choose trial by jury, the rest are either Magistrates only (minor), or Crown only (serious).

 

[DotCommunist]

But cannot remain.

is this then a procedural matter where the charge will automatically be kicked upstairs regardless?

seen edit, cheers.

 

[laptop]

will appear before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court

To which Crown Court(s) does this send cases? The Bailey? Nice suburban ones? Snaresbrook, where juries must be rife with coppers' mates?

 

[winjer]

Normally Southwark, but the student protest cases are being sent to Kingston. Any Magistrates' can send cases to the Bailey.

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh, Pickman's, you have opened mine eyes. A veil hath verily been lifted.

for someone who makes out they know something of the law, you're remarkably ignorant.

 

[Pickman's model]

Normally Southwark, but the student protest cases are being sent to Kingston. Any Magistrates' can send cases to the Bailey.

the bailey's formal title being the central criminal court, of course

 

[winjer]

It was the Central Criminal Court for 20 years before it could hear cases from elsewhere. For someone posting pointless personal attacks about legal knowledge etc etc

 

[Pickman's model]

It was the Central Criminal Court for 20 years before it could hear cases from elsewhere. For someone posting pointless personal attacks about legal knowledge etc etc

geekiness and pedantry in one short post - i'm impressed.

 

[Corax]

Pros and cons to it going to Crown. Sentences are more severe, but conviction rates are lower.

Only for info. As winjer points out it's not an 'either way' offence so Harwood gets no choice in the matter.

 

[laptop]

Case gone to Old Bailey. Go jury! Go Bailey jury!

 

[TopCat]

The jury will have been well sifted. Remove all undesirables, all Guardian readers, all leftie looking types. Check remainder against daily mail subscribers list. Let Harwood off "due to procedural irregularities and the passage of time".

 

[jakethesnake]

The jury will have been well sifted. Remove all undesirables, all Guardian readers, all leftie looking types. Check remainder against daily mail subscribers list. Let Harwood off "due to procedural irregularities and the passage of time".

Gosh, you're cynical

 

[claphamboy]

Gosh, you're cynical

Indeed, let's remember that Lords & MPs have gone down this year, and not in the way you expect to read about, something I didn't expect TBH.

 

[ymu]

Indeed, let's remember that Lords & MPs have gone down this year, and not in the way you expect to read about, something I didn't expect TBH.

The black one and some MPs with limited personal wealth, yes. Any of the toffs gone down yet?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Gosh, you're cynical

That's not cynicism, that's realism.

 

[ViolentPanda]

The black one and some MPs with limited personal wealth, yes. Any of the toffs gone down yet?

Only on their manservants.

 

[winjer]

The Met Police sent 3 TSG at a cost of £2,300 to "support and transport" PC Simon Harwood to the Tomlinson inquest.

http://bit.ly/jhx3DR

 

[DaveCinzano]

The City of London very helpfully sent along this officer to watch out for any protesters at the inquest, which was nice of them, seeing as he was a witness to the Tomlinson assault and appears not to have made a statement about what he saw or heard:

 

[DaveCinzano]

Trial starts on Monday.

Trial of PC Harwood, charged with the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson, begins on Monday 18 June

10am Monday 18 June 2012
Southwark Crown Court, 1 English Grounds, London, SE1 2HU

The trial of PC Simon Harwood is to begin on Monday at Southwark Crown Court. Mr Harwood is charged with manslaughter following the death of Ian Tomlinson, a newspaper vendor, at the G20 protests in London in April 2009.

At the inquest into Mr Tomlinson’s death in 2011, a jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing, leading the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against PC Harwood.

INQUEST is working with the family of Ian Tomlinson and their representative, Jules Carey of Tuckers Solicitors. The trial is listed for five weeks.

http://inquest.gn.apc.org/website/category/press-releases/press-releases-2012

 

[DaveCinzano]

The trial has begun of Simon Harwood, the police constable accused of killing Ian Tomlinson, who died shortly after he collapsed amid a major Metropolitan police operation around the G20 summit in London in April 2009.

Harwood, 41, denies the manslaughter of the 47-year-old newspaper vendor, who was attempting to make his way home through the police cordons on the evening of 1 April when he collapsed.

Harwood's case began after a New-York-based businessman, who was in London and observing the protests, handed the Guardian video footage of events linking the constable and Tomlinson shortly before the latter collapsed.

Following a morning taken up with legal discussions at Southwark crown court, the prosecution is expected to open its case on Monday afternoon.

A number of Tomlinson's family attended the opening court session. Harwood, a father of two from Carshalton, Surrey, entered the court building hand in hand with his wife. The trial is scheduled to last up to five weeks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/18/trial-begins-police-ian-tomlinson

 

[paolo]

Much as I hate urban cynics (oh she's a millionaire's daughter, she'll get off! - she got two years custodial)... I'm not having much hope for this. The assault was clear as day, but can't be tried because of the elapsed time. Manslaughter will be far harder to prove. My guess is, because the authorities collectively sat on their hands, this will be a bad case for justice. I'm not ACAB but on this one I'm already angry