Sitting alone, High Court judge Mr Justice Leveson has overturned the inquest jury verdict of unlawful killing over the fatal shooting of Harry Stanley by cops on 22 September 1999 (see FRFI, passim). This judge also refused Harry’s widow Irene leave to appeal. However, Irene is making a direct application to the court of appeal to overturn this decision.
Justice Leveson lives with Alice inside the looking glass and not in the real world like the ordinary men and women on the inquest jury. He reasons that because it cannot be proved what the officers were thinking, it cannot be disproved that they believed they were acting in self defence. All the forensic evidence disproves the cops’ story. Harry had his back to them and was unarmed.
Justice Leveson’s verdict is particularly suspicious as in a few weeks a Crown Prosecution Service decision is due on whether Fagan and Sharman – Harry’s killers – are to face criminal charges. Mind how you go when walking home from the pub.
Detention centre death
Asylum seeker Elmas Ozmico, her two children and a nephew arrived in Britain from Turkey, where she feared persecution, on 8 July 2003. While claiming asylum, she was arrested and moved to the Dover detention centre. Feeling unwell, she requested a doctor. These requests were ignored by the guards. It was only after she collapsed that she was rushed to hospital. Three days later she died of septicaemia. A sick animal would have received better medical attention than she was offered.
Since January 2000 there have been 226 deaths in police custody. In addition there have been 14 fatal shootings by police officers. These figures do not include untimely deaths in prisons, secure mental health establishments or detention centres.
Jim Wills
FRFI 185 June / July 2005
