July 7th People's Independent Inquiry Forum -> Plod Watch

Plod Watch, Spotting the Chequered Force

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indisguise

Posted: May 12 2008, 04:15 PM

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Police escape justice as CPS refuse Ogboru prosecution
Sun 11 May 2008

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released a statement claiming that there is �insufficient evidence to charge any individuals with any offences in relation to the tragic death of Mr Frank Ogboru, 43, who died after police restrained him in Woolwich

The CPS is the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by British police and is responsible for deciding, preparing and presenting these cases in court.

Following the violent passing of Frank Ogboru in the custody of the Police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) conducted an investigation into his death but concluded the arrest was �lawful� and that �officers were entitled to use such force as was reasonable in the circumstances� which includes that which led to his death.

The CPS also claimed to consider whether the officers had been grossly negligent in their restraint violating their duty of care to Frank Ogboru. It concluded that a �jury would have to be satisfied that the officers had acted in a way that no reasonable officers would have done in the circumstances. Although a number of witnesses were critical of the police, there were other witnesses present who were not�.

The incident was witnessed by several people including Sean Pops, 26, who said; "The officers were on top of him, you could tell he was in a lot of pain. The guy kept saying 'I can't breathe'." Another witness said he saw one officer standing with his foot on the victim�s neck as another officer attempted to handcuff him.

An anonymous witness, who saw the incident from her window said; "First there were two officers, then four, then more. It was like they were squashing him. They were pinning him down and handcuffing him. I saw officers with their knees on him and their feet on him. He was just wailing - the kind of sound a dog would make if it was kicked. I thought there were too many of them on him."

Allens Agbaka, the Ogboru family lawyer told the BBC that the Metropolitan Police has claimed 'we were trying to restrain him, in the course of which he died'. However having viewed the available facts Agbaka has concluded that it was �excessive� and not reasonable force that led to his death.

ligali.org

Bridget

Posted: May 18 2008, 09:42 PM

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QUOTE

From The Times
May 19, 2008
Anti-terror unit loses surveillance powers to deflect Stockwell criticism

Sean O�Neill, Crime and Security Editor

Scotland Yard�s anti-terror unit has been stripped of its control over covert surveillance teams in an attempt to ward off further criticism over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Times has learnt.

Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, ordered the overhaul of undercover policing, despite stiff opposition from inside the force. Senior sources are concerned that the loss of dedicated counter-terrorism surveillance units, which can be deployed anywhere in the country, might undermine future security operations.

The force was criticised heavily for the failure of its surveillance teams to identify Mr de Menezes, 27, as a civilian on July 22, 2005. Firearms officers shot him dead at Stockwell Tube station, South London, in the belief that he was a suicide bomber.

Surveillance officers from Special Branch, now part of Counter Terrorism Command, had followed him from a block of flats linked to Hussain Osman, one of four men who had tried to detonate explosives on the Underground the previous day.

The officer who saw Mr de Menezes leave the building was urinating into a plastic container at the time and unable to photograph or film him.

Other surveillance officers followed Mr de Menezes on foot and on two buses but were never able to identify him, although some said that he resembled Osman. However, commanders at Scotland Yard became convinced that Mr de Menezes was Osman and gave the order to stop him. Officers shot Mr de Menezes in the head seven times from close range.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission demanded a policy review on joint surveillance and firearms operations. Last year at a trial for breaches of health and safety laws, prosecutors told the Metropolitan Police that �a properly executed strategy would not have led to the mis-identification of Jean Charles de Menezes and his shooting�.

The force is braced for further disclosures about the operation when an inquest is held for Mr de Menezes in September.

The Times understands that Sir Ian, who denied weekend reports that he had recent discussions about extending his contract as commissioner, was determined to push through the reform of surveillance operations before the inquest.

All surveillance teams, covering terror and criminal activity, will fall under the covert policing command within the Specialist Crime Directorate.

Counter-terrorism sources told The Times that they were alarmed by the decision. They argued that anti-terrorist surveillance was different from other types of covert police work, often requiring many months of observation, sometimes with the aim of disrupting the activity of terror cells rather than making arrests.

The work some teams have carried out, in photographing and filming suspects, has proved vital at recent terrorism trials. The units also play an intelligence-gathering role, watching the activities of extremists suspected of involvement in terrorist recruiting.

One source said: �It�s not the same as watching some guys planning a bank robbery � it�s more long term.�

It is believed that the decision to unify surveillance units has also caused unease in the intelligence services and military intelligence, both of which work closely with Counter Terrorism Command�s surveillance teams.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard insisted that the changes would not affect counter-terrorism operations and had been agreed jointly by the management board of senior officers and staff.

�The Metropolitan Police Service is continuously looking at ways to improve its covert policing capability,� the spokesman said. �We will be enhancing our surveillance response through the coordinated management and deployment of these teams by the Covert Policing Command. These structural changes will improve operational response, health and safety, and broaden expertise. There will be no reduction in capability of dedicated surveillance teams available for counter-terrorism. This change is designed to improve our operational response to such matters.�

matt

Posted: May 18 2008, 11:47 PM

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QUOTE (Bridget @ May 18 2008, 10:42 PM)

QUOTE

The force was criticised heavily for the failure of its surveillance teams to identify Mr de Menezes, 27, as a civilian on July 22, 2005. Firearms officers shot him dead at Stockwell Tube station, South London, in the belief that he was a suicide bomber.

a vague confirmation that we're all on the front line of their war "against" terror

justthefacts	Posted: May 19 2008, 12:53 AM
Group: Members Posts: 1,985 Member No.: 598 Joined: 5-July 07	If this news is what it appears, Blair seems to have done a good thing for once. Anything that gets the army out of policing, I would agree with. It might just be a reshuffle and a change of name though. Interesting use of the word civilian, I didn't notice that at first. What was the war, did we miss the declaration? When the armed forces 'Resilience' set up mass mortuary trucks, to take control of post-mortem examination away from Home Office pathologists, you would expect some nation had declared war on this one. It's suggested in court that the two July plots were linked via a time period when two people both disappeared into Pakistan. No evidence was shown that they had met each other. And Pakistan is officially our ally of course. It would be interesting to know which non-civilians the firing squad were looking for.

justthefacts

Posted: May 19 2008, 03:14 PM

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QUOTE

Detective is suspect in investigation of prostitute killed quarter of a century ago

May 18 2008 Exclusive by Charles Lavery

A FORMER detective has been interviewed by cold case colleagues about the murder of a hooker 25 years ago.

Ex-detective sergeant Ronnie Wilkinson has been sensationally identified as a suspect in the killing of vice girl Sheila Anderson, who was found crushed to death in Edinburgh in 1983.

The murder of the 27-year-old will be officially reopened on Tuesday.

But the Sunday Mail can reveal:

Wilkinson was interviewed just weeks ago.

Police have analysed his DNA.

Tragic Sheila's family have been informed of the new probe.

Wilkinson, 57, did not work on the case but found the murdered woman's handbag shortly after she was killed.

He handed it in to police at the time - but the same bag is now the focus of new DNA checks by Lothian and Borders detectives using advances in forensic science to examine samples.

Last night Wilkinson told the Sunday Mail: "I've been interviewed again and it is correct that I found the handbag back in 1983.

"I don't know anything about being considered a suspect or about new DNA tests. You had better be sure of your facts."

Wilkinson was a detective sergeant at the time of the murder but retired in 1993 on ill health grounds after a stint in the now defunct Scottish Crime Squad.

Senior detectives are due to formally announce the reinvestigation on Tuesday.

Sheila's broken body was found in a rubble-strewn path near the sea wall at Gypsy Brae, Granton, by CB radio hams, at 11.55pm on April 7, 1983.

It was so badly crushed it was first thought she had been run over.

It later emerged her killer reversed his car over her limp body at least twice to disguise the murder.

It is not clear how much time elapsed before the handbag was handed in - reports range from 12 hours to two weeks. The case has since baffled detectives.

Sheila's brother Harry Gillie said: "We are aware the case has been reopened and there will be a press conference on Tuesday morning.

"I have no idea about suspects."

Sheila's husband Alan died from cancer six years ago.

His son, John Anderson, 23 - born two years after Sheila's death to second wife June Flynn - said: "My big brothers Alan and Michael, Sheila's sons, would be delighted to see their mum's murderer brought to justice after such a long time."

Woodcutter's daughter Sheila lived a torrid life on the streets of Leith and was well known to police.

She was known for arguing with punters and police had seen her getting out of cars and standing in front of them screaming until clients paid up. The last people to see her alive were two beat bobbies in Commercial Street - then a favourite haunt for kerb crawlers.

Half an hour later she was found dead.

Her death certificate states "multiple crush injuries to chest and pelvis".

She jumped or was pushed from a moving car. When she got up, it had come back at her, smashing into her before driving over her repeatedly.

Days after her death her so-called minder John Gray claimed Sheila had been beaten up by a man who demanded kinky sex from her a week before the murder.

Wilkinson's colleagues carried out a huge investigation.

A white Rover was spotted near the scene so police traced every registered keeper within 50 miles.

But red paint had been found on Sheila's body and police realised they had been chasing the wrong vehicle.

A mystery woman phoned a hotline claiming she had vital evidence but failed to meet cops on two occasions.

Police believe this mystery woman may still hold the registration of the car Sheila got into on April 7, 1983.

It was common practice for girls working the streets to buddy up and take notes of registration numbers. If one got in a car the other scribbled the number down.

A Lothian and Borders police insider said: "They are reopening the case and an appeal for witnesses early next week would form part of that.

"The Crown Office has asked that all possible avenues of investigation be followed again.

"The cop who has been interviewed is retired on a police pension. Although he has had involvement in the case because he found the handbag he was not interviewed as a witness and is considered a suspect. It is obviously a difficult case to handle and everyone is anxious that it is done properly.

"It will hopefully bring closure to the family of the dead woman."

Sheila's murder highlighted the dangers for hookers and led to a groundbreaking policy.

Edinburgh created tolerance zones for working girls that were policed and regulated.

Source

Staraker

Posted: May 20 2008, 12:02 PM

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QUOTE (justthefacts @ May 19 2008, 12:53 AM)

Interesting use of the word civilian, I didn't notice that at first. What was the war, did we miss the declaration?

It can't necessarily be regarded as a purely a military term, as the police use it interchangably with "member of the public" as opposed to "criminal" all the time. Just been wading through this, by an ex-ARV copper, and he uses "civilian" in this context frequently.

matt	Posted: May 20 2008, 03:23 PM
Group: Members Posts: 3,034 Member No.: 157 Joined: 12-September 06	i think you're missing the point that even 'behind the lines' we're still on the front line and that the nomenclature of the war zone is being normalised it shouldn't be in this never ending war "against" terror, there is no thin red line, the front line of this perpetual battle is three [four] dimensional and infinite, and it runs through you in several axes This post has been edited by matt on May 20 2008, 03:24 PM

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