A fork-lift truck was driven towards police during a stand-off at…
Good lord!
…. the gates of a Ribble Valley caravan site.
Ah. I think we know
what we are dealing with here...
Blackburn magistrates heard the vehicle was driven by Thomas Beard who was one of a number of ‘hostile’ men who had refused to let the officers in and made threats towards them and their vehicles.
And the court heard that as a result of his actions Beard had been recalled on prison licence and would be serving 28 days in custody.
Is that all?
Mike Wallbank, prosecuting, said police received a call from a distressed female, Nina Beard, saying she was being threatened by members of her family and one of them was her husband, the defendant.
“Initially two officers attended and they were confronted by locked gates and a group of hostile males,” said Mr Wallbank, adding that they were threatened and told to get off the land.
“Beard said it was his land and their vehicles would be destroyed,” he said.
Beard then went into a compound and reappeared driving a fork lift truck towards the police vehicle.
And the police promptly forgot that there
might be a terrified woman in danger, and suddenly remembered they might have left the toaster on back at the station:
Mr Wallbank said the police withdrew for their own safety but returned later with other officers and entered the site, arresting ‘a number’ of people, including Beard.
Good job the 'victim' wasn't dead by then, eh?
Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Beard had been at a pub in Ribchester with friends when he had a call saying a family member and his wife were falling out and it would be a good idea for him to return home.
He told the women to calm down, but Mr Church-Taylor added: “Unbeknown to him a call had been made from the site to the police alleging all sorts of things.”
Mr Church-Taylor said: “The more insistent the police were that they were coming in the more determined he became that they weren’t.”
Which rather begs the question why they didn't turn up mob-handed in the first place, doesn't it?
14 comments:
@JM Which rather begs the question why they didn't turn up mob-handed in the first place, doesn't it?
Actually, it rather begs the question why they even bothered to respond at all.
"What's the name Madam? ... and the address if you please? ..... yes we know who you are, you made your bed Lass, you lie in it, we've got better things to do"
Ah, the Traveller Type Domestic! From experience, the woman contacts the Police to avoid being battered to death (a minor battering merely requiring hospital treatment is an accepted part of family life amongst the quaint, harmless, itinerant caravan dwellers). The male is arrested because of a) he has subsequently thumped a copper or two, b) made threats to kill, c) been drunk or d) all three, he is remanded in custody overnight. Meanwhile the wife/woman/sister/daughter, etc, refuses to make a statement of allegation stating that she just wanted him out of the house for the night while he sobered up and states she will refuse to attend court to give evidence. Put before the court the next day for the other offences, the poor man is defended by a tame, legal aid funded, friend of travellers and made out to be a paragon of virtue and his behaviour being totally out of character. The Magistrates will bind him over for a year and fine him several hundred pounds for the assault on Police or being drunk in charge of a caravan, or whatever. He walks out arm in arm with the limping woman, who is unable to smile due to the split lip and black eye, and they go back to their caravan where they change their names, move to another green field site or cricket ground. The fines aren't paid and are written off as it's too much trouble to try and find him plus the probation is cancelled because he no longer exists (under that name). The Police officers go back to ticketing hapless motorists or threatening kids with incaceration for calling Beyonce Kylie a slag on Offyourfacebook knowing that justice has not only not been done, but has been seen to not be done. It was a wonderful life!
Anon @ 11:34, from the content of your posting, methinks wisdom comes from experience.
D'ya like dugs?
What the police should have done:
I see your forklift truck and raise you a JCB bulldozer...
Just a bit, Joe. If I had received all of the compensation for assault, awarded by the courts, I'd be able to lend money to Wonga.com!
Penseivat (sorry, missed it out earlier)
"Actually, it rather begs the question why they even bothered to respond at all."
*chuckles*
"It was a wonderful life!"
*weeps*
"What the police should have done:
I see your forklift truck and raise you a JCB bulldozer..."
/applause
Crystal ball time again Julia-unless you were present at this incident of course.
You obviously knew the following-how many hostile men there were,their previous record of violence,how many officers were avaliable at the time on that division,previous calls to this site.
You will notice the crim wasn't charged with anything in relation to the assault on his missus which experience tells me always happens.
Had they not bothered to respond-who would have cared except the one time he actually kills her?-cue the usual headlines on here and the Daily Mail.
Jaded
Jaded, much as it pains me to diss an apparently serving officer, if you spent as much time doing your job and protesting at the real enemy, the State, as you do commenting on blogs, maybe Julia wouldn't have to write those headlines you whinge so much about. Why not sign off as "Jubilant" or "Justified"? Signing off as "Jaded" merely reeks of defeat. No one likes a loser. If you have no faith in yourself why should you expect any one to?
Oh good,a new critic. Dear Old Fashioned copper-I am also an old fashioned copper but I just haven't retired yet!
Did you ever feel jubilant or justified at work? How long ago did you retire?
I do comment on blogs but in my own time.I don't do it at work if that's what you are implying.
The Govt is the enemy you are correct but I like to bring a little light into Julia's life by (vainly) attempting to let the armchair experts know the reality of policing.
Jaded.
Vote for Jaded!
XX Lynne at Counting Cats said...
What the police should have done:
I see your forklift truck and raise you a JCB bulldozer...XX
I will raise you a Leopard II!
(Which the Austrian police actualy HAVE! on the invent list!)
Having a government for an enemy is clearly not enough for the self-harming WC Jaded.
I will raise you a Leopard II!
Works for me, FT. :D
The Gardai know how to deal with situations like this too. I have seen them in action when holidaying over there and it is a wonderful thing to behold. No namby-pamby pussyfooting for them!
Jaded, I know your hands are tied and you have my sympathy.
It would help if the P in CPS stood for prosecution and not protection. Rock solid evidence is no longer a guarantee that a criminal case will get to court. Very frustrating.
Post a Comment