Lynette White Murder: Police Destroyed Evidence Against Police And Made A Farce Of The Law
A READER writes on how the UK is becoming a “police state”. He writes in light of the murder of Lynette White, who on 14 February, 1988, was stabbed to death in her Cardiff flat. Tony Paris, Yusef Abdullahi and Stephen Miller were wrongly jailed for life in 1990. In 1992 they were released; their convictions quashed.
Also damaged by the gross miscarriage of justice were John and Ronnie Actie, who were acquitted of any offence. Good. But before the trial they had already spent two years in prison.
In September 2000, a review of the case led to the arrest of Jeffrey Gafoor. He was trapped by DNA. In July 2003, he was jailed for life for the murder.
But why did the three innocent men get sent down? Why did the Crown Prosecution Service send the innocent men to court? Why did eyewitnesses, Leanne Vilday, Angela Psaila and Mark Grommek say they saw the Cardiff Three at the crime scene?
Did the police conspire to pervert the course of justice. Former officers Graham Mouncher, Thomas Page, Richard Powell, John Seaford, Michael Daniels, Peter Greenwood, Paul Jennings and Paul Stephen denied any wrongdoing. They have now all been acquitted. Why? Well – get this – the judge says they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial. Feel free to puke. But hold it in until you’ve heard prosecutor Nicholas Dean say:
“Deliberate destruction of documents by the senior investigating officer appears to have occurred. It would be impossible for me to give reassurances that similar evidence has not been treated the same way. I can no longer continue to prosecute and recommend the jury bring in a not guilty verdict.”
Police investigating police – and evidence goes missing. No trial ran its course. Not jury delivered a verdict.
Judge Mr Justice Sweeney chimes at Swansea Crown Court:
“When a trial become irretrievably unfair it must stop. If the defence is not presented with the material when they should be, a trial becomes unfair. That is why the disclosure process must be conducted with compete integrity.”
A reader writes:
What is it with the police in the UK?
Mark Duggan
Menezes
Lynette White
Daniel Morgan
The Guildford 4
The Birmingham 6At least most of the ‘other’ criminals in the UK don’t draw a Tax Payer funded salary or pension.
No wonder so many Russians are Anglophiles, they obviously see a lot in common. Endemic corruption, de-facto Police state, yep, just like home. Police above and beyond the law…
“The UK’s biggest trial of ex-police officers has collapsed after a judge said they could not get a fair hearing.
Eight former South Wales Police officers were accused of perverting the course of justice after the wrongful conviction of three men for murder.
Files relating to complaints by an original defendant were said to be missing, and the director of public prosecutions was “extremely concerned”.”
And Daniel Morgan?
Corrupt police are blamed for £50m collapse of pub axeman murder case:
Police have admitted corruption in the Met was a ‘debilitating factor’ in the £50million collapse of one of Britain’s most horrific unsolved murder cases.
After prosecutors offered no evidence against three men yesterday, a Scotland Yard officer ‘sincerely’ apologised to Mr Morgan’s family. He said police corruption during the initial investigation in 1987 was a key reason that no one had ever been convicted.
Maybe the tabloid phone hackers should hack the police phones..?
Posted: 1st, December 2011 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
