Wednesday 10 March 2010

And The Oscar Goes To….

An off-duty police chief inspector whose car struck a university student on a dual carriageway failed to stop and claimed he thought he had hit a post, despite having the victim's blood and skin on his shattered windscreen, a court heard today.
Odd kind of ‘post’, that. The ones I know don’t bleed…

It’s not as if he was to blame, either:
Malcolm Morse, prosecuting, told jurors that Jones was not to blame for Mr Cheung's death as the student emerged on the road just a second or two before the collision.

The inspector is charged with misconduct in a public office for failing to stop at the scene and dangerous driving.

The charge of dangerous driving relates not to his driving before the collision, but to the allegation that he continued to drive with a smashed windscreen.
So, when did he stop?
The court heard that after the collision Jones, of Allesley, Coventry, drove home and called a police station in the city.
He told officers he needed someone to come to his home and said he believed he had hit a post.
A post that bled…
When two police officers arrived at his home he told them he had heard a ‘loud pop’ as his windscreen smashed and he hoped he had not struck a person, Mr Morse said.

He added: ‘In response to their silence he said words to the effect of, “Oh God, it was a person wasn't it?”'
‘Beautiful, daahling, just beautiful! On the next take, could we see some tears? A quivering lip? Super!’

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least he didn't say (in a camp voice) 'OH.......My.......God' - or did he?

Having read the reports and see a photo it looks like the Warks Poh-leece are going to lose another MARVELLOUS diverse member of staff!

Brian, follower of Deornoth said...

"It’s not as if he was to blame, either"

Perhaps he was, and perhaps he wasn't. I await with interest the court hearing evidence on this point; after the Menendez affair, I no longer believe a single word the police say.

English Viking said...

Leaving the scene of a fatal accident, at speed, with a smashed windscreen with blood and skin on it.

Not even accused of causing death by dangerous driving. Not a hint of responsibility for a death.

Mmm.... is it cos I is black?

Ross said...

I initially misread the story and thought that Michael Morse was the Inspector not the Prosecuter so I wasted 5 minutes trying to think of an Inspector Morse joke.

Anonymous said...

His promotion is now ruined, and for people like that, that is the worst punishment. Snigger. Another SMT bites the dust.

Area Trace No Search said...

Numpty.
A room in Gaol next to Ali Dizaei maybe...?

staybryte said...

English Viking

I know this road very well and drive the route frequently. I'd say honestly that death by dangerous driving seems very unlikely here. There is no scope for any pedestrian access between the old entrance to Brum airport and the junction of the A45 with Broad Lane in Coventry (about a 14 mile stretch I reckon). I'm guessing the lad was looking to kill himself.

Obviously post-crash the defence is a crock.

BTW it's more or less across the road from where Lee Hughes ("disgraced" footballer now earning thousands a week at Notts County), killed one man and maimed another, after drinking a skinful at the Poacher's Retreat then smashing into a family car at speed and going AWOL for three days to let the booze clear his system in order to reduce the inevitable custodial sentence.

staybryte said...

In other Coventry news, the city's guardians of law and order are making sterling efforts to position the place at the top of the "scumbag with a gazillion convictions spared jail" league.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2010/03/10/dad-beaten-with-nunchucks-and-baseball-bat-in-spon-end-attack-92746-26001471/

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2010/03/10/dj-armed-with-meat-cleaver-avoids-jail-92746-26001304/

John Pickworth said...

If this was a mere member of the public, they'd throw the book at him... and rightly so.

But this case involves one of the elite, a chief inspector no less. So misconduct in a public office; mmmm what's that worth? No bonus for 6 months? A small contribution to the widows and orphans fund? Busted down the rank of Inspector?

Whatever he gets, it won't be much.

Leg-iron said...

If the driver had been smoking, he'd be done for.

If the 'post' had been smoking, the driver would get a commendation for stopping him.

Funny old world.

JuliaM said...

"I'm guessing the lad was looking to kill himself."

That certainly appears to be te case, so makes his failure to stop even more odd...

"In other Coventry news..."

Great place! Another one off the 'Must move there someday' list!

"Funny old world."

Increasingly, of the 'funny peculiar' rather than 'funny ha ha' variety...

Barman said...

I can't help but wonder if he rushed home and helped himself to a stiff, calming drink before calling his colleagues...

But perhaps I'm being overly cynical...