No charges over G20 man's death

[dipsydoodle]

An officer who was filmed apparently pushing a man to the ground during the G20 protests will not face charges over his death.

Ian Tomlinson, 47, died minutes after being caught up in the clashes on 1 April 2009 in the City of London.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concluded that "there was no realistic prospect of conviction".

The incident and its aftermath was caught on amateur video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10723274


Apparently ? :wtf:

[Hopeless Romantic]

1. Cor, what a fucking surprise that is eh?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Someone pulled the BBC up over that 'apparently', and they've now removed it

It now reads "A police officer who was filmed pushing a man to the ground during the G20 protests will not face charges over his death."

So the reporting has got slightly better; but the decision is still crap. Surely it was assault?

[dipsydoodle]

3. I think other charges may be pending.

Good job they removed the offending word - how insensitive to have used it in the first place.

[B Whale]

4. It was more than assault it was manslaughter. that's what 2

patholigists have said. He died from internal bleeding due to blunt external force (ie the big fucking bat he was hit with) the 3rd pathologist (who was under investigation at the time) said probably a heart attack....so its two to one on conflicting medical evidence!

Juries often go to trial with this kind of evidence and all the CPS needs is a 50% balance of probabilities it will be a conviction.

It is an utter travesty this man is not in court on manslaughter charges! complete disgrace!

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Yeah, I should have said 'at least assult'

The article now says that a common assault charge should have been laid within 6 months. So it's incompetence, or the CPS protecting the police without regard to the public.

[B Whale]

10. Its also a classic establishment/political trick! What will

probably happen is there is such an outrage that people will accept anything, and there is a slim possibility that an ABH charge may stick n(which doesn;t become impossible after 6 months). he'll then be tried for that and get conditional discharge or some such nonsense.

The last thing the establishment want is a copper in court on manslaughter charges!!!

as an aside the chances of this were so slim (even though millions watched it on youtube) considering in the last 50 years 1000 people have died in custody and not one charge has ever been brought.

even if we can watch them with our iphones, they tell us our lying eyes deceive us. Its actually quite frightening!

[B Whale]

5. There is a Charge of manslughter to be answered. Simple as. Read this...

Great analysis....compete establishment corruption

Dominic Casciani
BBC News home affairs correspondent
This situation is an exceptionally unusual outcome. Keir Starmer said Ian Tomlinson was struck with a baton and "pushed very strongly in the back by a police officer".

Juries regularly hear detailed and conflicting accounts of events - so why isn't PC "A" in the dock?

In the case of Mr Tomlinson, two pathologists - one instructed by the police and the other by his family - agreed that he died partly from internal bleeding caused by "blunt-force trauma".

But the first examination was carried out by Dr Freddy Patel, a Home Office pathologist, who says Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack.

On paper that's two against one, and the CPS usually proceeds once it's got a better-than-50% chance of securing a conviction.

However, here's what the CPS sees as the insurmountable problem. Prosecutors would have to call Dr Patel as their witness.

But no prosecutor would knowingly produce witnesses who contradict each other. That only sows doubt in a jury's mind.

And no jury can convict unless they are sure "beyond reasonable doubt" that there was wrongdoing.

[LeftishBrit]

6. Surprise surprise.

And very disgusting.

[oldironside]

7. Shit, innit.

I've posted this link before, but I can't think of anything else that sums up how I feel about this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO8EpfyCG2Y

And if it had been the other way around? A member of the public had attacked the copper? They'd think about maybe letting him out about the time Fry gets defrosted in Futurama.

The whole system stinks.

[oldironside]

8. I've just watched the video of the assault again...

... and cannot believe that copper is going to get away with it. How blatant does it have to be?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/apr/07/g20-police-assault-video

Other charges are pending? Don't hold your breath.