The court heard Kearney, 63, of Willingham Way, and Marshall, 70, of Magnolia Drive, shouted and swore at neighbour Helena Moraldo, after her dog was spotted running loose in the community garden the couple had set up.Whew! Well done, well done indeed. Thank god we have someone there to take decisive action whenever some underclass harridan feels that it's her 'uman right to let her dog run free without being disturbed by the anger of two elderly citizens.
The dog owner complained to police and the couple were arrested, bailed and charged with a public order offence six months later.
Clearly, officers, you made the right choice here. Got to fill up that DNA database one unresisting, non-threatening 'criminal' at a time, eh?
Mrs Kearney, 63, told the court: “The neighbour from hell has been removed by the council and we are getting back with the garden now.”Even the judge wasn't about to wear this without a pop at the boys in blue:
District judge David Cooper gave the couple a conditional discharge, telling them: “It is not appropriate to punish you for this ancient matter.Now, over at the police blogs you hear a lot of groaning and griping at how the underclass expect the police to sort out their problems, etc. I can agree, and sympathise. They shouldn't have to, it's true.
“You are both doing a lot of good for the community.
“It’s unfortunate such unkind things were said.
“In many ways, you are both pillars of the community.
“You have done well and it is a great shame you are here today.
“You are free to go and get back to the garden.”
But seriously, are they now incapable of recognising who is in the wrong? Has it really come down to a situation where an arrest is a tick in the box, no matter what?
The tragedy here is that the couple were prevailed upon to admit "disorderly behaviour" and were given only a "conditional" discharge. I suppose that the District Judge - or stipendary magistrate as was - had no discretion in the matter (ie he couldn't have discharged them absolutely).
ReplyDeleteIn any event it would have been nice if the Daily Gazette had named ALL the police and CPS personnel involved in this state prosecution so the citizens of Colchester would know who is protecting them from the likes of Kearney and Marshall.
Clearly, Yes.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't read this one when I commented on the following post but my comments are applicable to this one. 'Nightjack' did a marvellous post, somewhat tongue in cheek, which did contain sage advice for people who think they have nothing to fear from the police. More and more people are being arrested these days and are being criminalised. These people never ask for a sulizziter BUT THEY SHOULD. They should NEVER EVER get into a conversation with a police officer WITHOUT A SULLIZITER present. There have been several examples recently where people have ACCEPTED cautions when they shouldn't have done so and if they'd been properly represented they wouldn't have done so and quite probably that would have been an end to it.
ReplyDeleteWould it not be nice if the police arrested real criminals for a change.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that is asking too much of our poor beleaguered police forces what with form filling and all going after real criminals is too time consuming and arduous and twenty harmless innocent citizen arrested are worth one real one and look good when it comes to targets.
obvious solution, shoot dog on sight.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/8629395.stm
ReplyDeletegood
Oh deary me. In a part of my previous life I would get one of these sorts of calls every few weeks. Pretty much every time, my plan was to listen to both, seek arbitration and a mutually acceptable solution if at all possible but if not, deliver my judgement. That could range from no immediate action, keeping a closer eye on the situation, up to issuing a summons to answer any apparent criminal offences committed by whomsoever I considered to be the perpetrator. If it was a 50/50 case then both parties could well end up being brought to court to be bound over to be of good behaviour under the jolly old Justice of the Peace Act 1361. It didn't seem very difficult. These days I seem to be lending an ear or casting a friendly eye over peoples complaints against the police and guiding them on how to deal with the bullshit responses from police complaints departments. Without exaggeration I can state that most of the stuff I see should never have got to the depressing stage it did. Systemic failures writ large. I am cringeing, regularly.
ReplyDeletePeople here will remember me from around the police bloggs. And they will probably remember that I supported the police entirely.
ReplyDeleteSOME policemen, like Inspector gadget, Thinking policeman, etc, I still do.
To support the "copper on the street" is becoming EVER more difficult.
Try saying "NO" to the "bosses" once in a while.
You can not go "on strike", but FUCK, you CAN say "enough is enough"!!!
What would "they" do if you all REFUSED to "play" with their tractor stats?
They can not sack the ENTIRE police force.
Remember the "Nürnberg findings".
"Obeying orders is NO defence".
"In any event it would have been nice if the Daily Gazette had named ALL the police and CPS personnel involved..."
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
"'Nightjack' did a marvellous post, somewhat tongue in cheek, which did contain sage advice for people who think they have nothing to fear from the police. "
Yes, I think it's been resurrected somewhere. It's worth comitting to memory.
"...twenty harmless innocent citizen arrested are worth one real one and look good when it comes to targets."
I think (I hope?) that that is the real reason for this...
"Without exaggeration I can state that most of the stuff I see should never have got to the depressing stage it did. Systemic failures writ large. I am cringeing, regularly."
I feel for you. Actions like this just make everyone's job harder.
What happened to leadership? Where was the boss who could foresee the potential consequences of this one for the police's reputation?
Do they no longer have any autonomy to stop these before they get out of hand?
"To support the "copper on the street" is becoming EVER more difficult."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. And not just for the police.
The law-abiding, law-respecting majority is, I fear, slowly shrinking...