I may have answered my own question. Everything surrounding Ian Tomlinson’s death carries the distinct whiff of a cover-up.
Pressure is on Coroner Professor Paul Matthews to stand down from the inquest as it has emerged that, not only did he appoint Dr Freddy Patel at the request of the Metropolitan Police (a not disinterested party at the time) — a discredited pathologist who was already under investigation by the GMC — he also banned the IPPC from attending the post mortem. On top of which, he failed to advise Ian Tomlinson’s family of their right to attend or send a representative, or inform them of the date and time of the procedure.
See also Advice to charge police officer over Ian Tomlinson death ignored. And Are the Police above the law?
Dodgy all round. Discredited pathologist and unbelievable CPS decision not to prosecute PC Simon Harwood. No police charged in Ian Tomlinson’s death at G20 demo.
Anna’s food blog here:
http://annacheneats.blogspot.com/
A coroner-y attack if ever there was one … on truth, justice and all that other good stuff the state and the system are supposed to guarantee and protect.
Good post; very good post.
Things like this remind me why I wouldn't have minded you beating me in May 🙂
There is something wrong here.
The lack of any prosecution at all – for anything – is deeply disturbing.
The first post-mortem stuff is irregular, at best.
Patel not only changed the txt of his findings, he then discarded the fluid from Ian's abdominal cavity without saving a sample. Is getting rid of the evidence legal?
I'm sure getting rid of evidence is illegal – but in this case there are a lot of people who have broken the law in one way or another in the service of the state. Could we arrest the DPP and the various policemen and others for obstruction of justice?
On a practical level the Tomlinson family have launched an appeal in order to mount a private prosecution against PC Simon Harwood. Ian Tomlinson Campaign (http://www.iantomlinsonfamilycampaign.org.uk/).
I've also noticed that a call has been made on Indymedia for a picket of the DPP this Friday the 30th of July, called I think by anarchists.
(http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/07/456110.html)
I won't be there because I'm an expat living in Indonesia but I am going to donate towards a private prosecution.
It's distressing that the police can 'on camera' baton a man and push him to his death, and the policeman involved is not charged.
I don't know all the details of this case. You talk about Dr. Patel and the lost fluid. What lost fluid are you taking about and why is Dr.Patel not a suitable doctor?
Three litres of fluid found in Ian's abdominal cavity was first described by Patel as "blood". He then changed the text of his report to say it was fluid with blood in it.
The reasons he was not suitable to carry out the postmortem are in my first article and in numerous articles linked to in that item and on the net. He was under investigation by the GMC and was already discredited.
http://madammiaow.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-police-charged-in-ian-tomlinson-demo.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/11/g20-pathologist-ian-tomlinson
Huge sigh, yet another disappointment for British Society as a whole and supposed Justice. Is it me or are these kinds of cocks up becoming more frequent less of an aboration and more of a "norm"?