This section, and it is huge, looks at cases, dirty cops and what the Police do not like you to see about themselves.
I will not bore you with their claims of unfairness on my part and the denials they continually issue to cover up their malpractice. They are at the moment enjoying mass coverage on TV programmes showing how wonderful they are, but some time ago we applied to a commercial TV station to present them with a show on ' corruption in the police force ' it was turned down. Firstly they gave the reason it was bad for business, then on the grounds it would sour relations. It also came about that the police would only take part if they could have a script and cases they were willing to discuss (we would be forbidden to ask anything they did not like or unexpectedly put to them of an embarrassing nature) We said no, as this would not get a proper response on air especially to cases they would prefer not to discuss. So they have declined in favour of the image they prefer to be fed to the public, the propaganda and the lie they perpetuate like the Judiciary and Lawyers. It appears that ' unaccountability ' wins.
There is so much material to cover and volumes already compiled that we will first begin with recent news items such as the 742 Police Officers arrested and another item by the Liberal Democrats announcing that 1,063 police officers have criminal records and are serving officers in the police. This might shock, but it is a fact the tip of the iceberg and not a full picture of police corruption --- it goes much deeper than those figures and encompasses all ranks -- as you will see if you go to ' The Bent Cops' list, which is just a snapshot of what we have in our files.
' BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION -- THE DAWNING OF BENT COPS '
We begin with THE BRIBERY SCANDAL OF 1877. Although the Police Force was in it's formative years and malpractice was a regular event, the conviction of four senior officers for taking bribes caused the public to doubt the integrity of a force that should have been law abiding. Paymaster and tycoon, a man called Benson, paid the officers to inform him of raids and if necessary, make evidence disappear.
Benson was an ingenious swindler. He teamed up with 'racing swindler ' William Kurr and together they issued ' Le-Sport ' which included many references to the wealthy Mr. Yonge who lived in a mansion on Shanklin, the Isle-of-Wight. Many bookies suspected Yonge and the unusual large winnings at the race course. Benson knew Yonge personally. Yonge was a trickster and he chose victim Comtesse de Goncourt for a swindle acting as the betting agent using an alias. Madame de Goncourt invested £10,000, and that was the last she saw of it. William Kurr enlisted Chief Inspector John Meiklejohn and paid him not to investigate or derail investigations into previous swindles. Second police officer Chief Inspector Nathaniel Druscovich was in financial difficulties, Meiklejohn introduced him to Kurr, who now had two cops on his payroll, this was soon followed by a third cop - Chief Inspector William Palmer. Meiklejohn warned Benson and Kurr that nosey cop Chief Inspector Clarke was getting ready to pounce. Yonge entered the plan, and got Clarke to visit him on the Isle - of - Wight. He told Clarke he had information. This turned later and Yonge said he'd paid £50 to Clarke. Clarke was trapped, he'd been to Yonge's several times on invites - they were both brother freemasons. A villain, Walters also said he had bribed Clarke and had a letter proving it. All four cops ended up on trial along with Benson and William Kurr (plus a lawyer). Wealthy businessman and Freemason Yonge escaped, he was too powerful to bring down.
DETECTIVE JOHN MEIKLEJOHN, CHIEF INSPECTOR NATHANIEL DRUSCOVICH, CHIEF INSPECTOR WILLIAM PALMER and CHIEF INSPECTOR CLARKE were committed for trial.
From this beginning, the police were never able to shake off corruption, its smell never escaped the corridors of power even though some introduced 'sweeping' and 'special teams' to eradicate it --- they were not successful, and never have been. All such investigations have been 'cosmetic' and ' a publicity stunt' in order to allay public fears. Its success lies in honesty and accountability, and that cannot be achieved even now.
' THE DRUG SQUAD/OBSCENE PUBLICATION SQUAD TRIALS '
THE 1960's and an emerging pattern of corruption in the police.
1963 saw the sensational trial of the corrupt and vicious career of Detective Sergeant Harry Challenor. The papers centred on the madness he showed before going on trial and this helped to cloud many truths of certain squads. The convenience of this state helped other bent cops and the public were led to believe that he was just ' one rotten apple.'
DETECTIVE SGT CHALLENOR was perceived as a paranoid schizophrenic, and termed as ' a bullying and treacherous policeman' (as they would have us believe?). But there were undeniable suspicions the top brass used smear campaigns to full use, in order to throw off and deflect suspicion on themselves and other police officers. It was obviously better to do this than allow the public to believe there may be widespread corruption in the force -- but this would have been so if the public had been aware of three other officers on trial with him were being sent to jail for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The Press were actively if not covertly, encouraged to concentrate their stories on Challenor -- and unfortunately -- they did, and the three other convicted officers quietly left the court for a journey to prison by the back-door so-to-speak. Amid the furore of ' a crazy cop' little was said or printed about the police manipulating and twisting evidence to get convictions -- using criminal records on other people, who were particularly vulnerable, to beef up a thin case when they were quite aware they lacked real evidence.
1969 saw enquiries into the Lancashire Drugs Squad and six detectives were committed for trial.
THREE ENQUIRIES were going at once.
Two Senior Officers were arrested - Commander Wallace Virgo and Commander Kenneth Drury.
1973 saw Deputy Assistant Commissioner Gilbert Kelland whose inquiry led to 20 officers being dismissed.
After appointing Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Moody, Jimmy Humphreys a major pornographer was arrested. 40 officers were arrested after Humphreys Diary was found.
1976 - After police officers from the Obscene Publications Squad were seen to be too friendly with ' the dirty books brigade ' 15 police officers of Drugs and Pornography went to trial.
' OPERATION COUNTRYMAN --- THE FAILED ATTEMPT '
We now come forward to OPERATION COUNTRYMAN of 1971 to 1977. This was the biggest investigation into police corruption ever mounted, It was flawed from the start, and was headed by different Investigators. They found police uncooperative, and police officers being on leave when they were due to be interviewed. Some were being tipped off and others left. Well over 100 police were in the frame, but the Government pulled the funding and it collapsed before a conclusion could be reached.
During the four years Sir Robert Mark held the position of Police commissioner, 478 police officers left following, or in anticipation of criminal proceedings.
THE ROTTEN ORCHARD - a book by criminal John Mc Vicar was about to see the light of day. It was written in conjunction with Laurie Cork, an ex-flying Squad member. McVicar wanted to tape record his memoirs involving bent cops and Cork was helping substantiate incidents. Things fell apart between them when Cork found out McVicar had been recording with a second tape recorder strapped to his ankle. Cork would cease the accounts of police misconduct on the main tape recorder when it became too personal, and that's when McVicar turned on the secret tape recorder. Cork obtained an injunction on the publishing of the book when he saw extracts published in the Daily Express. The book was never published?
One would have thought these events should have changed police actions, and that they had learnt from them. But no,, they got better at it, and it was not just the City of London Police, Manchester Police, the West Midlands Crime Squad would be the next big story in Police Corruption. The disease was spreading throughout the whole police organisation. As one retired officer told me, and he wasn't clean either, ' if two or three officers are nicked in a sting, there are dozens of others who knew about it and turned a blind eye. This idea about one bent officer is ludicrous, the others get away with it because of a lack of evidence, and they know it.'
' The Corruption Investigations of police in 1998 '
43 POLICE FORCES THROUGHOUT THE UK HAD OFFICERS FACING DISHONESTY CHARGES AND CORRUPTION - as stated in a 'TIMES SURVEY ' and the Home Secretary at the time - Jack Straw - said this alarming situation of crooked police posed a great risk to justice. Many of the charges concerned drugs, misuse of police information, perverting the course of justice and assaults. The survey revealed that it just didn't occur at constable level with a few sergeants, it also mentioned superintendents, chief inspectors and high ranking detectives. In the light of this they said a new unit was to be formed called CIB3, and that would be assigned to root out corruption. Ten years on -- and there has been no significant cases as a result of these findings -- and are we surprised? NO.
' The mystery surrounding the killing of Blair Peach by police '
IN 1979 TEACHER AND PROTESTOR BLAIR PEACH WAS KILLED BY POLICE UNLAWFULLY. No police officer was charged with his death and the whole affair has been kept a secret for thirty years. The Met Police say that the facts will be revealed soon, but we doubt that very much. Blair Peach was murdered in Southall at the hands of the SPECIAL PATROL GROUP ---( they were involved in the beating up of the Holloway boys and thirty officers refused to give information regarding corrupt officers). One man in charge -- Inspector Alan Murray was blamed for the circumstances in which several un-named officers clubbed the man to death. He claims to this day it was too confusing at the time and denies involvement. He admits people were assaulted and thrown down flights of stairs by his officers and regrets this. The DPP now CPS said no to prosecuting any officers at the time and covered the incident in a 'secrecy tag' and files have been held in secrecy until now - thirty years after the event.
APRIL 2010 - It has now been officially revealed that an unidentified police officer did kill Blair Peach despite the many denials, and that many police officers on that day and involved lied about their accounts of what happened in order to cover-up the incident.
' The Guildford Four Case '
This case was notorious in that it resulted in a huge payout for the four who were jailed for a total of 15 years based upon lies and dishonesty of the police. Three detectives were sent to jail for conspiring to pervert the course of justice: CHIEF INSPECTOR THOMAS STYLE, POLICE SERGEANT JOHN DONALDSON and CONSTABLE VERNON ATTWELL. To say or pretend these officers acted alone is absurd, but that's what the police want you to believe.
' Police and the Climbie Case '
Six Police Officers faced disciplinary proceedings for neglect of duty. The six worked in the Child Protection Unit at Brent and Haringey, London. The blame for mishandling the case mainly fell on the junior officers, and resulted in the senior officers able to comfortably sidestep issues.
' The James Ashley Case and Police ' - The Sussex Cops
The un-armed Mr. Ashley was killed by Police Constable Sherwood of the East Sussex Constabulary in Hastings. The Police Squad were on a drugs raid, but none were found. Pc. Sherwood got off all charges and three senior officers walked away too. Charges were dropped with the explanation ' There are wider corporate laws to consider ?'
' Sussex Officer is charged with manslaughter '
POLICE CONSTABLE CHRISTOPHER SHERWOOD was charged over the fatal shooting of a man in Hastings after a raid on a house. The incident sparked fury and led to the suspension of Police Chief Paul Whitehouse.
FOUR OTHER POLICE OFFICERS were charged with misconduct in public office relating to the shooting incident.
The Sussex Police were also involved in an incident when two Police Constables beat up a Michael Smith and were withdrawn from duty; again in Hastings.
MAN TO SUE SUSSEX POLICE after being acquitted of charges - Russell Bishop spent a year in jail due to police evidence launched against him at ' The Babes in the Wood Trial' It took a jury just ten minutes to find him not guilty at his trial. He now plans to sue The Sussex Police for wrongful Arrest and Malicious Prosecution.
Another case involving the Sussex Police came to light when they handcuffed and detained Gregory Nash over a £20 unpaid fine. He was taken by Chichester Police to Dover in a police vehicle and put in a cell until the fine was paid. The cost to taxpayers was huge. 'Wasting Police Time comes to mind, and they certainly did.
Another Sussex Police Incident involved a young man who was stopped 39 times in one year. One officer even asked him after they had pulled him over ' Are you wanted?'
162 complaints of assault were lodged against the Sussex police according to a report in July 2008.
SUSSEX - Worthing Police, topped the list of shame in respect of police misconduct in 2008, since the year 2005 they have increased with allegations of oppressive behaviour and failures in duty. The police attempted to justify this with the following comments ' we believe that a great deal of the increase is attributable to changes in the way we record complaints in Sussex -- this doesn't mean we received the highest number of complaints out of all the forces.'
2006 - 428 COMPLAINTS, 2007 - 774 COMPLAINTS and another rise in 2008.
SUSSEX POLICE came in for more criticism (which they seem to brush aside lightly these days) over the fact during police chases they killed people for a second time within a week. A pensioner was fatally wounded during a police chase in Copthorne, West Sussex. A man from Brighton died in Lancing whilst being pursued by the cops. Although these incidents have been reported to the IPCC do not expect much of a result or any prosecutions of officers --- it rarely happens.
SUSSEX POLICE TO BE SUED - Beauty Queen Linda Watson approached lawyers in a bid to sue the Sussex Police for £1million in damages following the botched investigation into the murder of her wealthy husband - when they accuse her of hiring a hitman in a malicious prosecution. After walking free from the Old Bailey, she vowed to sue police for all the trouble they had caused plus the distress.
The Sussex Constabulary
A recent look at the Sussex Police Authority handout --- newspaper goes way too far in promoting the force as being highly successful. Considering we have reported on the complaints issue in that they top the league, one can see that they ignore this completely and pretend that corruption does not exist within the force despite the many cases we have cited so far.
' Sussex Cop in Money-laundering case '
POLICEMAN DARREN GRAVEMARK is currently on trial concerning a matter of drugs and money laundering it was said on a recent news report. It appears that his money-laundering activities concern his drugs partner and at the moment the SUSSEX POLICE are remaining silent about this matter.
SUSSEX COPS IN ASSAULT COVER-UP --- Five cops including a Sergeant were moved to other duties after an assault on a man went wrong. The Police were not named and they refused to discuss the case to reporters, only that it appears to have been over a motoring incident. Since the incident there has been a 'close down of all information' and the CPS were unwilling to provide any further information.
' West Sussex Cops in assault attack '
TWO WEST SUSSEX POLICEMEN -- Constable Andrew Watson and Constable Iain Pearce were seen beating up a man who was a suspect thief -- the witness was a trainee police constable Darren Nagle who was shocked to see colleagues carrying out the assault.
WEST SUSSEX COPS IN FREEBIES FROM MACDONALD'S
West Sussex cops have been told they will face disciplinary action over accepting free burgers from a MacDonald's restaurant. The Deputy Chief Constable Mark Jordan stated that it destroyed an officer's integrity and could possibly be seen by the public as a sort of bribe for any possible favours that may arise out of this situation. Apart from that he said it broke the force's disciplinary code that forbids accepting gratuities without the proper consent.
SUSSEX COPS FIDDLE THE CRIME FIGURES YET AGAIN
More rubbish was doled out yet again via the Chichester News about falling crime rates in Sussex in their July to August free paper. As we once stated in RELATED TOPICS newpaper reporters are not exactly honest or accurate as said by Nick Davies in his damning investigation into the newspaper industry - in his book 'Flat Earth News' which The Chichester News ought to read sometime. Crime figures from a force that came out as the worst and most often complained about Constabulary (which can be seen on this page) have to be viewed as a lie or fiction created by them in the face of rising attacks and crime in East and West Sussex in general.
THREE COPS IN FATAL SHOOTING WALK FREE --- SUPERINTENDENT CHRIS BURTON, INSPECTOR KEVIN FRENCH and INSPECTOR CHRISTOPHER SIGGS of the Sussex Constabulary were originally suspended and charged with the manslaughter of James Ashley in St. Leonards, near Hastings. A fourth officer had already been suspended -- POLICE CONSTABLE CHRIS SHERWOOD. A whitewash was claimed as these officers walked away without any charge. Some sources say the investigation was hampered by senior legal chiefs and the Chief Constable, who remarkably left his post in a resignation.
SUSSEX COPS ISSUE LIE TO GO IN AND TAKE JAMES ASHLEY -- Just before the shooting police made references and statements to the fact they went to Ashley's residence on the suspicion he stabbed a person, but it emerged later in the inquiry that ' there was no evidence to indicate that Mr.Ashley had carried out the stabbing referred to ' and this was said by the investigation officer Tony Williams who claimed he'd been aware of various references which either stated or implied this was so.
MAN TO SUE SUSSEX COPS after horrific swoop when Sussex Police in Chichester fully armed with automatic pistols mistook visitor martin Kelly to be an armed robber. Martin, a visitor from the West Midlands attending a christening was thrown to the ground after leaving a pub in Chichester and subsequently handcuffed. When it was eventually discovered they had made a mistake, they didn't even apologise said Martin who is going to sue for compensation.
' Assault Officer to be Sentenced '
SUSSEX POLICE OFFICER CARL CHIVERALL was found guilty of Common Assault when he appeared at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court. The Officer was on duty with the Sussex Roads Policing Unit at Polegate. He is due back in court at Crawley Magistrates in September to be sentenced.
ABUSE INSPECTOR IS REPORTED -- Sussex Cop DETECTIVE INSPECTOR KEVIN MOORE found himself in trouble when he flew into a rage and hurled abuse at a constable after he sent off four members of his team at a soccer match. The Detective Chairman of Eastbourne Town was reported for bringing the game into disrepute and using foul language and abuse.
' Police pay damages to Football Manager after raid '
CHICHESTER POLICE (SUSSEX CONSTABULARY) paid £1,000 to Harry Redknapp the Portsmouth Football Manager after a dawn raid on his home. The Judge ruled the raid as unlawful and were ordered to pay £10,000 costs along with the settlement.
SUSSEX WOMAN COP TIPS OFF SUSPECT -- Woman Police Constable Grania Hale of Newbury is to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on Misconduct Charges. She was a member of the Sussex Police Haywards Heath Neighbourhood Response Team. She has been suspended and cannot enter East or West Sussex in her bail conditions. It is stated that she tipped off a suspect about a police raid.
' Shoplifting charge Detective commits suicide '
DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR JIM TORBET of the SUSSEX POLICE was found dead just hours before he was due to answer bail in connection with the theft of wine from a supermarket. Both he and colleague CHIEF INSPECTOR SHARON ROWE were to appear on the theft charges.
It is interesting to note that this case fizzled out, making the police very happy -- as no further disclosures were made and the truth was as usual; concealed and hidden from the public.
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