It’s not just our leaders who are above the law

AGAIN, a police office will not face charges after a death of an innocent man is directly linked to his actions.  In this case, Ian Tomlinson’s family is left to wonder why justice is not being served. Suddenly my previous blog on how some people were above the law seems too focused on how just our leaders.

Straight after his death the police informed Ian Tomlinson’s family that he had died of natural causes, a week later the Guardian released footage showing him walking home and being struck and pushed by a police officer during the G20 protests last year.  A few minutes later he died.  The initial post-mortem said that he had died of a heart problem (this was conducted by a man who is being investigated for returning a string of questionable post-mortem results).  This post-mortem was conducted with only one medical expert present, why? His family was not there, why? The family then ordered a second post mortem that found he had died as a result of internal bleeding and a related liver problem.  This death was compatible with being hit with a blunt object! The Police then ordered a third post mortem that supported the conclusions of the second! The CPS considers this to be reason to not push for manslaughter charges because there is “conflict” in expert opinions.

Despite being filmed striking Ian Tomlinson, the officer concerned will not face charges of common assault because the botched investigation into Mr Tomlinson’s death took 16 months.  A charge of common assault can only be given within 6 months of the offence.

Put simply, despite being filmed striking Mr Tomlinson with a police baton and then pushing him to the floor, and then these actions being directly linked to his death be two separate post-mortems, the Crown Prosecutions Service deems this not a case that they can pursue.  Is this anything other than a miscarriage of justice? In my last blog I accused our leaders of living with impunity to our laws that govern our lives, but it appears that the police also live in this world outside of the laws that govern our lives.  This verdict pleases no one.  It leaves the officer with this hanging over his head as the family inevitably launches an appeal, it leave the family unhappy as it highlights the massive problems with the investigations.  It leaves the public’s opinion in the police in question.  This is so obviously the wrong decision to have reached that it leaves no one satisfied.