Menezes police will not be punished

News 02 10 2009: The Police Officers involved in the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes [ June 22, 2005 - Stockwell Tube station, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />South London ] will not face any disciplinary action through their mistake in killing an innocent member of the Public. Solicitors acting for the family asked the IPCC to reconsider taking action but the IPCC today announced that it stands by its decision in not calling for any disciplinary action.

 

British Justice has taken over four years to reach the conclusion it has while costing the Public taxpayers perhaps millions and millions in legal fees yet it begs the question as to an alternative outcome if it had been a Government family member shot and killed under the same circumstances instead of Mr Menezes. I can imagine that “swift action” would have been taken against all those involved under such circumstances but where would that have left Mr Blair whom knowingly knew that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) were being obstructed in reaching the crime scene along with Sir Ian Blair?. Thus the issue is not simply about Police Officers but others in Higher Authority whom continually blend-in against a Political back-drop in never being held to account.

The term “independent” to a lay person would suggest absolute “neutrality” but is there a conflict of interests between the CPS, a Government Department and that of the IPCC which is chaired by someone appointed by the State?. We tend to forget that most in Authority along with Solicitors, Barristers and Police Officers alike swear an oath to the Queen yet not to their paymasters – that of the British Public whom pay more on more for less through increasing complexity in sustaining “castles” of ignorance and disconnectivity from reality.

 

Research:

(1) Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is run by a Chair, two Deputy Chairs and 11 Commissioners, each responsible for specific forces. http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/index/about_ipcc/who_runs.htm

The Chair, appointed by Her Majesty, and Commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State. http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/ipcc_standing_orders__reviewed_november_2008_.pdf

Purpose: To help those who suffer injustice because of an abuse of police powers.

 

(2) Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – A Government Department whom act on behalf of the Police in England and Wales in prosecuting criminal cases.

 

 

Old News:

 03 11 2008 Menezes police 'out of control'. The officers who shot Jean Charles de Menezes were "out of control", a witness told the inquest into his death. Commuter XXXXX said she was "very, very clear" that armed officers did not shout a warning before opening fire on the innocent Brazilian.

 

06 11 2008 Blair 'aware of IPCC block'. Tony Blair was aware police were preventing independent investigators viewing the scene of Jean Charles de Menezes's shooting, an inquest has heard. Prime Minister was consulted over a decision to stop the Independent Police Complaints Commission from entering Stockwell Tube station in the wake of the killing.

Mr Costello was asked about a note in his records saying "directed by Detective Superintendent Wolfenden not to allow IPCC access to scene". Dr Kenneth Shorrock, who carried out post-mortem examinations after Mr de Menezes was killed, told how he was wrongly informed that the Brazilian "vaulted" over a ticket barrier before he was shot dead. On Tuesday a jury heard how the train driver fled into a tunnel as police shot dead the Brazilian because he believed firearms officers were terrorist "fanatics".

 

06 11 2008 Blair 'helped block Menezes probe'. Tony Blair failed to intervene when police stopped investigators viewing the Stockwell shooting scene, an inquest heard. Chief Inspector Stephen Costello revealed the then-Prime Minister was consulted over the decision to prevent the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) from entering Stockwell Tube station after Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by armed police. Mr Costello said the order was sent to Downing Street at the request of Metropolitan Police bosses.

 

8 11 2007 Blair blamed in Menezes probe delay. Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) chairman Nick Hardwick said Sir Ian Blair was responsible for "much of the avoidable difficulty" caused after the Stockwell tragedy. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Sir Ian took steps to exclude IPCC investigators from the scene - one chief inspector recorded in his log that he was told the move was "on the authority of the Commissioner and the Prime Minister".

22 05 2009 CPS Report by the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) states that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not properly maintain more than a third of files in Crown Court cases. In one incident a case was abandoned despite new evidence coming to light " – it being amongst loose papers inside a file and there was no endorsement to show that it had been seen by a lawyer before a decision to drop the case was taken.". Their report identified “poor housekeeping” and protracted problems in using CCTV evidence. Courts requesting follow-up work not undertaken leading to cases adjourned at the next hearing. An HMCPSI spokesman said: "The audit's main conclusion is that the majority of CPS case files are not maintained in a satisfactory manner. "Decisions and actions taken are frequently not recorded; the lack of information and poor organisation frequently made it difficult or impossible, for staff handling a case to ascertain what had happened previously; and it could also be difficult to locate documentation when needed.". Requests for follow-up work were missed out of 35 per cent of Crown court files and 18 per cent in magistrates' court cases. But a spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service denied cases were being dropped regularly because of poor paperwork.

 

05 09 2009 Judge severely criticised the failure of the CPS over baby case. Judge Wide said: "The CPS performance in this case is truly lamentable and they have brought grossly ill-judged charges. I am sure of the failure of the CPS."

 

07 11 2008 Request to CPS under Freedom of Information Act 2000 for statistics regarding the number of "fail to stop" road traffic incidents referred to the CPS for the Cheshire Constabulary region over the following periods Nov 2006 - Oct 2007 Nov; 2007 - Oct 2008. Reply 27 11 2008 – 476 and 407. However of these numbers the CPS could not readily identify convictions from non-convictions as it does not hold such information in a consolidated format. They state “To collate the information you have requested, would require a CPS Official to locate and retrieve every case file, examine each file to establish and record whether the case resulted in a conviction or not.”. This would take us over the appropriate limit of £600 as set for Central Government Department, or 3 ½ days for Officials to search, locate and retrieve the requested information, as defined at s12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
[ This being a Government whom promotes IT in Schools / Organisational skills for use in the Private sector to generate revenue through taxes while employing databases to profile a Nation but still using a quill in comparison to a man being on the moon!. If the CPS cannot easily supply such data to members of the Public then the same applies to Mr Brown in wanting similar information on which to make his decisions ! ].