Here are some questions:
- Why the political commentary and UKIP’s seeming silence?
- Did the public outcry and petitions affect the decision not to prosecute this case?
- Is the public confidence in Police and CPS to act sensibly sinking?
- Will there be compensation for Richard Osborn-Brooks?
- Should police resources need to be focussed on burglaries rather than the internet?
At least three prominent Conservatives have spoken on Hither Green: Sir Christopher Chope, former vice chair Conservative Party; Bob Neill, Conservative Chairman of the Commons Justice Select Committee and David Michael Gauke, Conservative MP, Lord High Chancellor.
The Conservatives, conscious of the May local elections are covering all the bases with careful press releases.
Sir Christopher Chope Conservative MP said it was “completely unwarranted” to arrest people in circumstances faced by Richard Osborn-Brooks.
Chairman of the Commons Justice Select Committee Bob Neill praised the police for their expediency in releasing Mr Osborn-Brooks:
“It is sensible and the right result, but actually not very surprising, as the law clearly permits the reasonable use of force in self-defence (and in defence of others – such as his wife) in this sort of case.”
David Gauke made clear that the Government stands with the homeowners who try to defend themselves during burglaries:
“Our sympathies are with householders who have to defend themselves when intruders break in. That’s why we strengthened the law in 2013 to give householders greater protection from intruders.”
Many members of the public were outraged that Mr Osborn-Brooks was arrested for murder and signed petitions.
The police defended the decision to make the arrest for his own protection, to ensure he was interviewed under PACE, to access the property and undertake forensic tests.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding stressed there had been a “thorough investigation” into the circumstances of Vincent’s death. He said:
“it was important that the resident was interviewed by officers under the appropriate legislation of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act; not only for the integrity of our investigation but also so that his personal and legal rights were protected.”
So is all fine between UK justice and Richard Osborn-Brooks?
- He was arrested for murder.
- He was taken away in handcuffs.
- He was detained in custody at the police station
- He was separated from his wife. He is the primary carer for his wife.
- He has been bailed to appear at the police station in a months time.
- There will be a formal public inquest.
- His home has been subject to forensics and a police search
- He has had his picture plastered over the media and press.
- He now needs protection from the Vincent crime family and their “community”
- Mr Vincent’s family facebook made comments like ” Old Bxxxards deserve it !”
Whatever the Conservative politicians say, their current legislation is failing to protect the homeowner following a traumatic burglar injury incident.
Would you prefer to have injured, maimed or killed a burglar in Hither Green UK or Texas USA, a ‘Strong Castle Doctrine’ state?
Politics, money and state control mixing with justice is weakening public confidence with the police and the CPS.
The cases of Dennis Hutchings demonstrates politics affects justice:
“Broken British army major cleared seven times faces new Iraq probe”
Decorated officer Robert Campbell says soldiers are treated as ‘political fodder’
Some of the cases against Iraq veterans were from law firms chasing money.
Cameron wants crackdown on ‘spurious’ military legal claims
Evidence in support of defendants withheld by police:
In December, the case against Liam Allan, 22, was thrown out after it emerged police had failed to hand over text messages from a woman that proved he was innocent.
The police arresting thousands of people for online speech infringements undermines public confidence in the police.
“These figures bear out what we’ve been saying: that police are wasting more and more time investigating people for comments online that are offensive but not criminal,” Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of Index on Censorship, told the Times.
What if the homeowner was a member of Britain First rather than a retired manager for the RAC? What if the deceased burglar was a from a minority and a campaign like “Black Lives Matter” became involved?
What if the homeowners were younger, physically strong: would there be less public outrage and petitions to force the Police and CPS’ hand in their favour?
In today’s pc environment justice can be hijacked.
Police are sometimes viewed as wanting to make an easy arrest, ie the homeowner, whilst failing to tackle burglars. Hither Green suffered multiple burglaries. Mr Vincent was already wanted by the police after a distraction burglary in Kent last November.
The reality is that burglars have no mercy on the elderly, do cause serious injuries and in certain instances deal death to their victims:
- Man arrested after D-Day veteran, 96, seriously hurt in ‘claw hammer’ attack in his home.
- Paul Kohler beaten to a pulp by four masked men inside his £2 million London home.
Surely any person finding a stranger on their premises is entitled to take pre-emptive measures.
How is anyone at home to know what burglars will do? Why must the homeowner prove they were in fear of their life to legally defend themselves? Why must the homeowner be expected to act rationally when thrown into shock and turmoil during a burglary with adrenaline kicking in?
Victims are not trained for these situations. Criminals make a career of it. Why is it expected that victims use proportionate force? A live burglary is not the time for a family to hold an ethics committee meeting and debate reasonable force responses.
Richard Osborn-Brooks and his wife Maureen deserve substantial compensation from public funds. First it is traumatic to have to kill someone. Their home is now wrecked, unsafe and presumably lost some value. The deceased burglar’s family and “community” could well seek revenge. The couple will need protection, support and possibly a house move.
UKIP is seemingly silent – where is the commentary from UKIP?
UKIP should campaign for a “Strong Castle Doctrine”!
Ironically, common sense is being replaced by political correctness.
Why did we close down our lunatic asylums?
While the police, like many other public services, are continually measured on ‘targets’, they will continue to go for ‘easy wins’ so they can meet their ‘targets’.
I’ll never forget a burglary attempt at home when I was a teenager; my brother was at home alone, and saw two men in our back garden, they had come through the hedge from next doors driveway. He’d chased them off with a golf club shaft and contacted the police, who then came around, and after giving them a full description of the two men, as well as a description of their getaway car and number plate, was told “there is nothing we can do as they didn’t enter the property” and then warned that if he had hit them with the golf club shaft, he would have been liable to have been charged with assault himself. I lost a lot of faith with the police after that, and its no wonder we’re in the mess we are in nowadays.
The whole thing is an outrage. They could have interviewed him under caution without an arrest.
Now, are they idiots or evil? That’s the real question.
I have lost almost all confidence in the Police.
In addition to acting as a political tool, and in addition to having their uppermost ranks infiltrated/occupied by political appointees and ‘Common Purpose’ apparatchiks – the whole structure is rotten.
I honestly cannot see how any decent, honest and intelligent person could wish to belong to such an organisation (the “intelligent” is needed, because the stupid might not realise
The well-brought-up son of a very good, elderly friend (non-UKIP, but very sympathetic) of mine joined the Met and is now approaching the time he can leave. The lad says he hates the Police, that most of his colleagues are either idiots or liars or both, that doing politically-correct nonsense and pursuing “new” types of crime (read – thoughtcrime) fills their time – when they’re not trying to fit people up, bully them and so on…
What an indictment.
The Police serve as the best friend of muggers, burglars, murderers – and especially paedophile gang-rapists of a particular persuasion. Didn’t you know of one of the fathers of a gang-raped girl of 15 in Rotherham went to the house he found her daughter was being confined in, managed to retrieve her (no one else was in) – and got arrested by the Police.
But they’re good – no, great – at catching motorists doing 35 in a 30 at a time the road’s empty and the speed is perfectly appropriate to the environment and driving conditions (I’ve had a clean driving licence for at least a decade and a half, by the way).
Useless, expensive and by and large a force for evil.
When this story first broke my reaction was despair and of course why have they arrested him ?
I made a comment at the time the news broke on Wednesday 4th April. I was outraged.
https://independencedaily.co.uk/news-review-wednesday-4-april-2018/
The police made a few posts on newspaper comment sections and probably other social media outlets, stating unequivocably that the “legislation” left them no option, but to arrest this elderly victim.
There must have been some political noise in the upper levels of the conservative party for the 3 statements I quoted to be released. They certainly gave this case political attention to finance, action and get the two CCTV masts installed within 4 or 5 days of the arrest.
The arrest you recounted, of the man retrieving his daughter is another example why public outrage must be heard to help people like that father who are caught up in these nigtmare situations with the “State” courts CPS Police EAWs and the rest. I have no doubt that petitions, media attention are a factor the Police and CPS take notice of.
I have suggested many times on here that UKIP should get behind and support these people, Its not as if there isn’t a regular supply of “State” victims, be it over rubbish collections, car parking and more severe events like these.
Freddy nails it on the head.
The reason they arrest all the time is that they then have absolute control. They can search your house without a warrant ( and they always do) and keep you in conditions in a cell that soften you up for the subsequent interrogation and fit up. No mattress, no reading materials, no shoes, no belt to hold up your trousers , no toilet paper (really) and bright lights. THAT is what that poor man had to go through. For days.
Now the Met allow a pikey shrine to be made, in order to intimidate the victim, which they will not take down as they are scared of the lawless scum that put it up and who roam our towns and countryside stealing, conning, intimidating and generally stinking up everywhere they lurk.
No wonder the police are distrusted, or even hated now by a lot of law abiding citizens.
Useless, expensive and by and large a force for evil.
“Hither Green pensioner WARNING: Henry Vincent friends ‘won’t rest until they get REVENGE,
He said Vincent’s associates “won’t rest until they get revenge” for killing ‘one of their own’.”
It is not over for the victim Richard Osborn-Brooks or his wife.
I was unaware the police and authorities were allowing a shrine to emerge near the victims home. Another dimension allowing the deceased ‘community’ to return repeatedly to the area, which in itself will become intimidatory. From experience these people will not back down or remove themselve from your property when asked.
If you complain the police arrest you for ‘hate crime’.
When a law abiding citizen takes steps to defend himself against an intruder then the first blow (or whatever) needs to incapacitate the intruder. Most of us don’t know what constitutes a fatal blow and must use what is to hand to do the job. If that results in the death of the intruder then so be it.
It is good that the career of a criminal has ended and unfortunate that the rest of his family are still free to carry on their evil ways. It is time we had a totting up of points for career criminals; reach a set target and its the death penalty.
The USA has a ‘three strikes’ law in many states. It works…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-strikes_law
Do we know for sure that UKIP have not made a statement on this or is it the case that MSM are selective in whose statements they publish? I would like to think that this is the reason; if not, then lessons must be learnt.
No, I am not sure about UKIP presence on this issue. I just did not come across any evidence of it in the media or on the UKIP website. I did check out whether the spokesman (Home Affairs) had said anything in the media but drew a blank. There are two justice related news items on the UKIP website .
UKIP calls for the abolition of the CPS Published Apr 03, 2018 (Gerard Batten)
Government rudderless over murder wave Posted on April 09, 2018 (Gerard Batten)
However, I emphasise, this is absolutely NOT a criticism of Gerard Batten who is demonstrably doing his level best to help UKIP progress.
Having said that, whilst I agree that the CPS is (pc) driven and failing as highlighted by Gerard Batten, I also do not think the police can be trusted either, as the case of Liam Allan proved. Liam Allan faced a “justice” nightmare when the police failed to pass over evidence in his favour which in that case was spotted by CPS, who highlighted the breakdown of justice and called for other cases investigated by that department of the police to be reviewed.