Many happy returns

ACAB of the day - Ryan Coleman-Farrow

As a detective constable, working for the specialist police Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Unit (SAPPHIRE) Coleman-Farrow failed to investigate 10 rape cases and 3 sexual assault cases. This included at least one case where witnesses confirmed a rape had taken place.

He also falsified witness statements, didn't bother forwarding evidence for analysis (and falsified false results from forensic tests) and falsely claimed one victim had dropped the charges.

Coleman-Farrow was first investigated when a sex worker complained that he had failed to investigate a stalker that she had reported. She committed suicide a few days later.

He was today sentenced to 16 months, a ridiculously light sentence, given the damage he caused to so many people; but indicative of the state's attitude to both rape and to bent coppers.

If anyone's still wondering why so few rapes get reported, and why the conviction rate for reported rapes is so low,this is a good example of why - the experience of Coleman-Farrow's victims is hardly uncommon. ACAB.

A new series - ACAB of the day - PC Alex McFarlane

Alex McFarlane, the pig who was recorded in August last year racially abusing a black man in back of a police van last year was today discharged after a second jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge of criminal racist abuse.

The recording includes McFarlane saying to Mauro Demetrio "The problem with you is that you will always be a n***er." It also includes one of his colleagues boasting about strangling Demetrio. Even through Demetrio reported the assault, and marks were left on his neck as evidence of it, no charges were brought. The CPS had tried to bring no charges at all. Indeed, when Demetrio handed his phone in to Forest Gate police station, PC Joe Harrington, another of the pigs who had been present at the assault arrested him on a trumped up accusation of theft from an ATM during the London riots. McFarlane was only charged following the publication of the recording on the internet, where it quickly went viral. You can listen to it here.

In case anyone's wondering how a jury can fail to reach a verdict in a case like this, it's worth bearing in mind that 90% of juries in this country are vetted by Special Branch (as revealed by Newsnight some 20 years ago).

The problem with PC Alex McFarlane is, he'll always be a copper. ACAB.

For your information

Norman Bettinson, the man who ran the Hillsborough police 'liason' unit that spread ugly lies about Liverpool fans after the disaster, has also been in charge of PREVENT, and Vice Chair of ACPO's Terrorism and Allied Matters committee. This:

puts him at the heart of state snooping against Muslim, Kurdish and Tamil communities, as well as 'counter-terror' strategies against LWX (left wing extremists) and anarchists.

In his PREVENT role he has shown evidence of some rather unpleasant views. When the Met was found guilty and fined in a corporate prosecution for the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, he described it as "a triumph for health and safety, a lucrative new territory for lawyers, a disaster for common sense."

He has also claimed that that schoolchildren as young as 13 are being groomed for terrorism, said that it will “probably take 20 years” to prevent the “infection” of extremism spreading within Britain’s borders", and blamed Muslim communities for not doing enough to prevent terrorism. He's not averse to a bit of the high life. In July he was criticised for spending £300,000 of his force's money on seven high performance executive cars for the 'personal and professional use' of senior officers, including himself, despite moaning on about police spending cuts. His crusade against 'all forms of extremism' has also taken him on all-expenses paid trips to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Abu Dhabi.

It's alright for some, isn't it?

Something that may interest you...

Speaking of police and anti-fascist demos. Two police officers have been summonsed by York Magistrates on a charge of perverting the course of justice:

Insp Robert Cantrell, 39, a member of Greater Manchester Police’s elite Tactical Aid Unit, was praised for his bravery after last year’s riots. But the M.E.N can reveal he has been summonsed to appear before magistrates following an investigation into policing of a demonstration by the far-right English Defence League.Pc Alan Glover, 31, a member of the same TAU team, has also been ordered to appear at York magistrates court to face a charge of perverting the course of justice...The IPCC probe, which lasted 16 months, investigated ‘the apparent difference between the footage and the account given by officers which resulted in criminal charges’ as well as the level of force used in Mr Clough’s arrest...A CPS spokesman said: "Both have been summonsed to appear before York magistrates court on charges of perverting the course of justice."The footage - shot by Granada TV - emerged after Mr Clough was charged.Police admitted that the video ‘appears to show a man being inappropriately struck during his arrest’.

The footage appears to shows an officer taking hold of Mr Clough by the neck.A second officer wearing a riot helmet and uniform, apparently hits him once in the jaw.

Yep, and this is the footage:

It's good to have the cops on the back foot but don't hold out too much hope, this is the British 'justice' system we're talking about. These are coppers. Odds are they'll be back on the streets and beating people up before you can say "there's no intelligence to suggest the EDL march will result in violence".

About Friday's Critical Mass

The point about the Critical Mass arrested (drawn from an excellent article in the Bike section of the Guardian online). The Metropolitan Police tried to limit the ride under Section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986, which allows police to impose limits on such an event when "it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community". The Critical Mass ride has been happening monthly in London for 18 years without even a hint of “public disorder”.

The Metropolitan Police tried to limit the ride to a certain ‘agreed’ route. The route was not agreed. It never is. The direction of Critical Mass is decided by consensus on the day. Critical Mass is intended to promote cycle use and cycle users rights on public highways. It operates within the law and is therefore entitled to the road, and in 2008 the High Courts agreed with this.

The significance is this:

1. The police are an unelected body.
2. The police assume the right to practically define the meaning of the law. In this case that a demonstration that has never resulted in “serious public disorder” suddenly might and that a procession that doesn’t have to define its route beforehand suddenly does.
3. If you want to live in any kind of democracy you have to challenge this assumption by the police.

Like bad pennies in broken jar

They just keep turning up! ‎"Make sure you do a lot with your 60 grand because you're not gonna get it no more bruv..." Well done the lad for standing up to racist bullies. He is an absolute hero! Take down PC Alex MacFarlane, racist PC Alex MacFarlane, violent racist PC Alex MacFarlane, take him down, all the way. While we're on the subject DISBAND THE MET!