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Hi

It was announced earlier today that the police officer videoed assaulting Ian Tomlinson who was on his way home during the G20 demonstration will face no criminal charges whatsoever. The main reason given was that there was a conflict in the post mortem results.

The first examination by Dr Freddy Patel - currently under investigation for alleged misconduct over four unrelated post-mortem examinations - found he died of natural causes linked to coronary artery disease. Patel faces a disciplinary hearing and could be struck off.

The second pathologist, Dr Nat Cary, found he died of internal bleeding as a result of blunt force trauma, in combination with cirrhosis of the liver.

The third examination agreed with the findings of the second test. It was conducted on behalf of the officer.

This strikes me as shameful. The video shows Tomlinson walking away with his back to the police and his hands in his pockets when the police officer involved shoved him in the back with as much force as he could muster.

No police officer has ever been charged with the death of a civilian in Britain. It has taken 16 months to get to the point of deciding no charge.

Cheers
D

Police closing ranks as usual.

The cirrhosis of the liver is irrelevant to this matter. It may have killed him later but surely his death was caused by the policeman who pushed Mr Tomlinson over. This was caught on video and is surely prima facie evidence. There was absolutely no need for the policeman to touch Mr Tomlinson and he (the policeman) should be tried for manslaughter.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Apparently they can't even charge the policeman with assault, because there is a time limit of 6 months, apparently from the date of the suspected offence.

Cheers
D

How convenient.

This is a case for Parliament to reinvent itself by overruling this 6 month limit. Why, I think to myself, has it taken more than this convenient 6 months to come to todays announcement?
The bastard copper who struck Ian Tomlinson should face the music. The idiot pathologist Patel, who is under investigation and likely to be struck off the Medical Register, for, it seems, 4 other cases of incompetence, should be discounted.
I would like to see a philanthropist come forward and fund Ian Tomlinson's family and prosecute the bastard copper who caused his death.
I mean ter say, it aint rocket science. The bastard struck him from behind and pushed him violently to the ground. Fact, recorded by more than one video camera. Any pathologist who found internal bleeding to an extent that would be a cause of death should be heeded. Let's not forget, two pathologists came to the same conclusion and the second one was retained by the bastard copper that struck Ian Tomlinson!!
I wish I could afford it for I would love to see Justice for Ian Tomlinson's wife and stepsons.

I believe the statute of limitations for a death caused, say, by a burglary is a year and a day. Say if you bash someone over the head while burgling them and they died 364 days later you can be charged with manslaughter. Why is the limit for police six months?

Hi
I think there are different time limits for different offences.

So if the pathologists had all agreed about the cause of death, the policeman could have been charged with manslaughter today. But because the CPS did not think there was a chance of getting a conviction because of the different views from the medical people, they did not go ahead.

The CPS had considered assault charges but prosecutors felt that they could not prove the push substantially harmed the newspaper vendor.

A charge of common assault, which does not require proof of injury, could not be brought against the officer because there is a six-month time limit so they weren't left with anything.

The family could bring a private, civil prosecution but that is very expensive and unless they got outside funding, they wouldnt be able to proceed.

That is my understanding, but I could have got the wrong end of the stick.

Cheers
D

I am sure that you are right. There is no statute of limitations on murder for example.

However, this was such a blatant case there should be a prosecution. The policeman who pushed Mr Tomlinson DID cause his death and should be brought to book. If Mr Tomlinson had gone home and drank himself to death exacerbated by his cirrhosis that is his choice, being assaulted by a copper is not.

Professional legal thuggery - join the Police Force !