UK Justice Forum 🇬🇧
Off Topic and General Discussions => Off topic, general discussions and the Wide Awake Club. => Topic started by: Nicholas on February 26, 2018, 02:56:29 PM
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It will be interesting to see how this plays out.. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/26/police-face-disciplinary-panel-over-claim-they-spied-on-janet-alder-sister-of-man-who-died-in-custody
Will officer one and officer two continue to be held to account for what their defence say was them 'following orders' or will the CPS eventually decide to change their original decision with regards all the other officers involved?
What about the other 12? https://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/nov/26/janet-alder-surveillance-sister-of-former-paratrooper-cps
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And isn't the label "campaigner" misleading? What about Janet Alder "victim of the state?" https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/officers-accused-of-spying-on-campaigner-would-have-been-following-orders-36644491.html
Ms Alder was simply attempting to get justice for her brother. The CCTV in Christopher's case shows the police watching on as her brother died. It doesn't get more clear cut than that. The CCTV clearly shows the officers involved did nothing to prevent his death or indeed dignity.
Why then spy on Janet Alder in the first place? It's alleged the spying commenced during her brothers inquest..
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She told Socialist Worker, “I have been terrorised from the start, because I have been looking for the truth.”
She is angry that despite evidence of the police spying on her—a bereaved family member—no-one will face charges.
Evidence shows that up to 14 officers followed her and her legal team in 2000 during a six-week inquest into her brother’s death.
They also spied on the small group of the family’s supporters who protested outside the inquest at Hull Crown Court.
“They are covering up for the perpetrators.
https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/41824/Cops+wont+be+prosecuted+for+spying+on+Janet+Alder
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And isn't the label "campaigner" misleading? What about Janet Alder "victim of the state?" https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/officers-accused-of-spying-on-campaigner-would-have-been-following-orders-36644491.html
Ms Alder was simply attempting to get justice for her brother. The CCTV in Christopher's case shows the police watching on as her brother died. It doesn't get more clear cut than that. The CCTV clearly shows the officers involved did nothing to prevent his death or indeed dignity.
Why then spy on Janet Alder in the first place? It's alleged the spying commenced during her brothers inquest..
and according to the press release Janet Alders barrister was also spied on http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5435975/Officers-accused-spying-campaigner-following-orders.html
The officers facing disciplinary actions – referred to as Officer One and Officer Two – are accused of carrying out surveillance on July 28 2000 “without appropriate authorisation and justification” when they followed Ms Alder and her barrister, Leslie Thomas QC, and listened to their conversations
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-43199911
Jason Pitter QC, representing officer one, said he would not try to justify the surveillance of Ms Alder and her lawyer
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"New and disturbing evidence of systematic and nationwide attempts by police to smear anti-racism campaigners surfaced last night, as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) mounted an investigation into the “improper surveillance” of the grieving sister of a black paratrooper who died a slow and agonising death in custody.
A letter to Janet Alder, seen by The Independent, reveals that Humberside Police has discovered evidence that both she and a lawyer who helped prove the force’s shocking failure to prevent her brother’s death in April 1998 were illegally monitored by officers at the time of his inquest in 2000, which returned a verdict of unlawful killing. The Independent can also reveal that the former West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable, Sir Norman Bettison, commissioned a six-page report into Mohammed Amran, a Bradford race relations worker, before he testified to the Macpherson inquiry into the death of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1998.
That evidence led the IPCC to announce yesterday that it will launch an investigation to examine whether Sir Norman was “motivated or influenced by racial discrimination”. Mr Amran’s case was first revealed by this newspaper three weeks ago
The IPCC has told Ms Alder that she appeared to be “the subject of improper surveillance during the course of the inquest following the tragic death of your brother” and that the organisation “has determined that an independent investigation should be carried out to establish what surveillance took place and the reasons for it.”
The development is potentially deeply damaging for Humberside Police, 15 years after Christopher Alder’s death – face down, in handcuffs, his trousers down around his thighs, on a Hull police station floor – became one of the most controversial in police custody. CCTV footage showed the father of two children gasping for air as officers chatted and joked around him.
His sister’s indignation initially stemmed from the fact that it took the force 14 days to inform her of his death. She felt that police were monitoring her as soon as she began asking probing questions – concerns which led her local Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike to register concerns about surveillance with the former Police Complaints Authority, a predecessor to the IPCC.
“I had plain clothes officers following me around shops and on one occasion I left out of the back door of a solicitors’ office because I thought I was being followed,” Ms Alder said yesterday. “I also had mail that went missing. They characterised me as being paranoid and over-dramatising things. This evidence only confirms what I always believed. I want to know why they were doing it and on whose authority.”
The name of the lawyer whom the force also subjected to surveillance is known to The Independent, but he does not want his identity to be revealed while he and his advisers seek a response to the force’s evidence. The IPCC will also investigate whether any other individuals were spied upon by the force at the time of Mr Alder’s inquest.
Ms Alder also has documentary evidence which suggests that police attempted to secure sensitive personal documents about her, during her long campaign, supported by the Lawrence family, to prove that her brother’s death was avoidable and to persuade the Crown Prosecution Service to bring manslaughter charges against five police officers.
Humberside Police attempted to secure social services documents which related to the period during which she and her brother were in care, as children. This evidence was not used during the inquest or the manslaughter trial, which collapsed in 2002 when a judge ruled there was no evidence to convict.
“The police wanted to go into our family history,” Ms Alder said. “They were told that kind of information is only appropriate if there is a threat to the country or if there is a criminal inquiry.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/anti-racism-smear-scandal-police-targeted-the-sister-of-black-paratrooper-who-died-in-custody-8734485.html
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and according to the press release Janet Alders barrister was also spied on http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5435975/Officers-accused-spying-campaigner-following-orders.html
The officers facing disciplinary actions – referred to as Officer One and Officer Two – are accused of carrying out surveillance on July 28 2000 “without appropriate authorisation and justification” when they followed Ms Alder and her barrister, Leslie Thomas QC, and listened to their conversations
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-43199911
Jason Pitter QC, representing officer one, said he would not try to justify the surveillance of Ms Alder and her lawyer
"Retired chief superintendent Paul Cheeseman told the hearing he did not know who authorised the surveillance of Ms Alder, despite being the Silver Commander for the operation to police the Christopher Alder inquest in 2000. Mr Cheeseman said there was no cover-up over the surveillance of Ms Alder as the officers reported it at the time. At the end of his evidence, Mr Green said to him: “Somebody, somewhere in Humberside Police, retired or still serving, the authorising officer, is squirming silently, hoping their identity is not revealed.” Speaking outside the hearing Ms Alder, 56, from Leeds, said: “My concern is not the surveillance team, it’s who further up ordered it. It’s not these two.
Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/yorkshire-officers-accused-of-spying-on-sister-of-dead-man-were-ordered-from-above-hearing-told-1-9037150
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"Retired chief superintendent Paul Cheeseman told the hearing he did not know who authorised the surveillance of Ms Alder, despite being the Silver Commander for the operation to police the Christopher Alder inquest in 2000. Mr Cheeseman said there was no cover-up over the surveillance of Ms Alder as the officers reported it at the time. At the end of his evidence, Mr Green said to him: “Somebody, somewhere in Humberside Police, retired or still serving, the authorising officer, is squirming silently, hoping their identity is not revealed.” Speaking outside the hearing Ms Alder, 56, from Leeds, said: “My concern is not the surveillance team, it’s who further up ordered it. It’s not these two.
Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/yorkshire-officers-accused-of-spying-on-sister-of-dead-man-were-ordered-from-above-hearing-told-1-9037150
Two police officers accused of spying on a woman campaigning about the death in custody of her brother would have been acting on orders from higher-ranking officers, their lawyers have told a hearing.
The two officers have not been named and appeared behind screens at a Humberside Police misconduct hearing in Goole, East Yorkshire, on Monday.
They are accused of gross misconduct over the unauthorised surveillance of Janet Alder more than 17 years ago, outside the inquest at Hull Combined Court into her brother Christopher’s death.
Mr Alder, 37, choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998.
Monday’s hearing at the old Goole Magistrates’ Court heard how a police surveillance team was deployed outside the inquest in July 2000 with orders relating to possible public order situations.
Christopher Alder choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998 (Handout/PA)Christopher Alder choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998 (Handout/PA)
The officers facing disciplinary actions – referred to as Officer One and Officer Two – are accused of carrying out surveillance on July 28 2000 “without appropriate authorisation and justification” when they followed Ms Alder and her barrister, Leslie Thomas QC, and listened to their conversations.
Summarising his client’s case, Jason Pitter QC, representing Officer One, said he will not be trying to justify the surveillance of Ms Alder and her lawyer.
He said the officer does not have full recollection of the events of 2000 but said he knows through his “ordinary working practices” he would only have acted on instructions from a more senior officer.
Mr Pitter said: “He would have been following instructions given to him by those involved in the wider investigation of the events surrounding the inquest.”
He said that although there may have been failings, “the culpability lies with others, further up the chain and parts of the wider system deployed by Humberside Police Service.
“The spotlight should not be on the individual officers brought into the investigation to perform a specific task under instruction.”
Sam Green QC, for Officer Two, said his client will also not argue that the surveillance was justified.
Mr Green said: “He is at a loss to know what he was supposed to do once instructed to carry out highly sensitive surveillance.”
He said: “He believed he was carrying out lawful orders.”
Dijen Basu, for Humberside Police, told the panel that when the officers were questioned by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Officer One refused to answer 324 pertinent questions and Officer Two refused 403 times.
He described the death of Mr Alder as “a shameful and terrible episode”.
The hearing heard how the surveillance came to light after the then home secretary Theresa May ordered police forces to search their archives following controversy over police monitoring of the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.
After the IPCC investigated the surveillance of Ms Alder, the Crown Prosecution Service decided Officer One and Officer Two would not be prosecuted.
The inquest jury in 2000 returned a verdict of unlawful killing and in 2002 five police officers went on trial. But all the officers were acquitted on the orders of the judge part-way through the proceedings.
In 2011, Mr Alder’s family were told his body had been discovered in a hospital mortuary more than a decade after they thought he had been buried.
It later emerged pensioner Grace Kamara was buried in Mr Alder’s place two years after he died.
Officer One and Officer Two face allegations that their conduct amounted to gross misconduct. They could be dismissed if the allegations are proved.
Officer One was a detective sergeant at the time of the incident and Officer Two was an acting detective sergeant.
Retired senior officer Paul Cheeseman told the hearing he did not know who authorised the surveillance of Ms Alder, despite being the Silver Commander for the operation to police the Christopher Alder inquest in 2000.
Mr Cheeseman, who was a chief superintendent with Humberside Police at the time, told the panel: “I was certainly not part of any conspiracy whatsoever.”
The former officer said he agreed with a comment he made to IPCC investigators when he said he thought the surveillance was “cock-up over conspiracy”.
He said that although he was the overall Silver Commander, he was actually on holiday on the day the surveillance took place, on July 28, 2000.
Mr Cheeseman said there was no cover-up over the surveillance of Ms Alder as the officers reported it at the time, recording on the file that there was “no product” from the operation.
At the end of his evidence, Mr Green said to him: “Somebody, somewhere in Humberside Police, retired or still serving, the authorising officer, is squirming silently, hoping their identity is not revealed.”
Speaking outside the hearing Ms Alder, 56, from Leeds, said: “My concern is not the surveillance team, it’s who further up ordered it. It’s not these two.”
She said that although the hearing is only focusing on less than two hours of surveillance, she believes she was followed by officers over a much longer period, starting in 1998.
“This is just a tiny bit of it,” she said.
“Even now I think ‘are they still surveilling me?’.”
She said: “I have always thought it’s because they had contempt for me for standing up.”
http://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/16048364.Officers_accused_of_spying_on_campaigner____would_have_been_following_orders___/
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Two police officers accused of spying on a woman campaigning about the death in custody of her brother would have been acting on orders from higher-ranking officers, their lawyers have told a hearing.
The two officers have not been named and appeared behind screens at a Humberside Police misconduct hearing in Goole, East Yorkshire, on Monday.
They are accused of gross misconduct over the unauthorised surveillance of Janet Alder more than 17 years ago, outside the inquest at Hull Combined Court into her brother Christopher’s death.
Mr Alder, 37, choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998.
Monday’s hearing at the old Goole Magistrates’ Court heard how a police surveillance team was deployed outside the inquest in July 2000 with orders relating to possible public order situations.
Christopher Alder choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998 (Handout/PA)Christopher Alder choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998 (Handout/PA)
The officers facing disciplinary actions – referred to as Officer One and Officer Two – are accused of carrying out surveillance on July 28 2000 “without appropriate authorisation and justification” when they followed Ms Alder and her barrister, Leslie Thomas QC, and listened to their conversations.
Summarising his client’s case, Jason Pitter QC, representing Officer One, said he will not be trying to justify the surveillance of Ms Alder and her lawyer.
He said the officer does not have full recollection of the events of 2000 but said he knows through his “ordinary working practices” he would only have acted on instructions from a more senior officer.
Mr Pitter said: “He would have been following instructions given to him by those involved in the wider investigation of the events surrounding the inquest.”
He said that although there may have been failings, “the culpability lies with others, further up the chain and parts of the wider system deployed by Humberside Police Service.
“The spotlight should not be on the individual officers brought into the investigation to perform a specific task under instruction.”
Sam Green QC, for Officer Two, said his client will also not argue that the surveillance was justified.
Mr Green said: “He is at a loss to know what he was supposed to do once instructed to carry out highly sensitive surveillance.”
He said: “He believed he was carrying out lawful orders.”
Dijen Basu, for Humberside Police, told the panel that when the officers were questioned by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Officer One refused to answer 324 pertinent questions and Officer Two refused 403 times.
He described the death of Mr Alder as “a shameful and terrible episode”.
The hearing heard how the surveillance came to light after the then home secretary Theresa May ordered police forces to search their archives following controversy over police monitoring of the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.
After the IPCC investigated the surveillance of Ms Alder, the Crown Prosecution Service decided Officer One and Officer Two would not be prosecuted.
The inquest jury in 2000 returned a verdict of unlawful killing and in 2002 five police officers went on trial. But all the officers were acquitted on the orders of the judge part-way through the proceedings.
In 2011, Mr Alder’s family were told his body had been discovered in a hospital mortuary more than a decade after they thought he had been buried.
It later emerged pensioner Grace Kamara was buried in Mr Alder’s place two years after he died.
Officer One and Officer Two face allegations that their conduct amounted to gross misconduct. They could be dismissed if the allegations are proved.
Officer One was a detective sergeant at the time of the incident and Officer Two was an acting detective sergeant.
Retired senior officer Paul Cheeseman told the hearing he did not know who authorised the surveillance of Ms Alder, despite being the Silver Commander for the operation to police the Christopher Alder inquest in 2000.
Mr Cheeseman, who was a chief superintendent with Humberside Police at the time, told the panel: “I was certainly not part of any conspiracy whatsoever.”
The former officer said he agreed with a comment he made to IPCC investigators when he said he thought the surveillance was “cock-up over conspiracy”.
He said that although he was the overall Silver Commander, he was actually on holiday on the day the surveillance took place, on July 28, 2000.
Mr Cheeseman said there was no cover-up over the surveillance of Ms Alder as the officers reported it at the time, recording on the file that there was “no product” from the operation.
At the end of his evidence, Mr Green said to him: “Somebody, somewhere in Humberside Police, retired or still serving, the authorising officer, is squirming silently, hoping their identity is not revealed.”
Speaking outside the hearing Ms Alder, 56, from Leeds, said: “My concern is not the surveillance team, it’s who further up ordered it. It’s not these two.”
She said that although the hearing is only focusing on less than two hours of surveillance, she believes she was followed by officers over a much longer period, starting in 1998.
“This is just a tiny bit of it,” she said.
“Even now I think ‘are they still surveilling me?’.”
She said: “I have always thought it’s because they had contempt for me for standing up.”
http://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/16048364.Officers_accused_of_spying_on_campaigner____would_have_been_following_orders___/
I agree the police are out of control in some aspect of their jobs, the gentleman who died in the police custody is an absolute disgrace and those responsible for not helping him should be charged with failing to take care of a 'suspect' he wasn't even found guilty of anything FGS.
I also agree those who unlawfully placed a woman under duress and fear for her safety and well being is also a disgrace and they should be punished.
However, racism? no evidence of race being a reason for these events to have taken place..
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I agree the police are out of control in some aspect of their jobs, the gentleman who died in the police custody is an absolute disgrace and those responsible for not helping him should be charged with failing to take care of a 'suspect' he wasn't even found guilty of anything FGS.
I also agree those who unlawfully placed a woman under duress and fear for her safety and well being is also a disgrace and they should be punished.
However, racism? no evidence of race being a reason for these events to have taken place..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-43213762
"It heard how retired Insp Michael Dixon authorised at short notice on 28 July surveillance of a small group of "large black men" who had not been seen at the inquest before.
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I agree the police are out of control in some aspect of their jobs, the gentleman who died in the police custody is an absolute disgrace and those responsible for not helping him should be charged with failing to take care of a 'suspect' he wasn't even found guilty of anything FGS.
I also agree those who unlawfully placed a woman under duress and fear for her safety and well being is also a disgrace and they should be punished.
However, racism? no evidence of race being a reason for these events to have taken place..
Do you mean the "unlawful killing" of Christopher Alder was a disgrace?
And what about the "monkey noises" made by the police officers and other related comments made in the custody suite?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VEr4F1oyiHg
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Do you mean the "unlawful killing" of Christopher Alder was a disgrace?
And what about the "monkey noises" made by the police officers and other related comments made in the custody suite?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VEr4F1oyiHg
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uWyrHEGuf9U
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I agree the police are out of control in some aspect of their jobs, the gentleman who died in the police custody is an absolute disgrace and those responsible for not helping him should be charged with failing to take care of a 'suspect' he wasn't even found guilty of anything FGS.
I also agree those who unlawfully placed a woman under duress and fear for her safety and well being is also a disgrace and they should be punished.
However, racism? no evidence of race being a reason for these events to have taken place..
What about events of November 2011?
And why do you believe Janet Alder was spied on?
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What about events of November 2011?
And why do you believe Janet Alder was spied on?
I was commenting on your post I was unaware of the actual crime or what happened. I have now watched the video and have no doubts what so ever there was racially motivated aggravated behaviour towards this young man. I am horrified beyond belief that those responsible have not been held to account - no case to answer? what was that Judge on?
I find this to be a horrific miscarriage of justice. What happened to that law about when you are a spectator to a crime you are involved if you do not leave to get help? that obviously doesn't apply here. That poor man- his dead body lying in that state[why were his trousers at his ankles?] - being mocked and jeered is a serious crime against humanity in my honest opinion! They all stood by each other to protect each other- disgusting bunch of cowards.
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I was commenting on your post I was unaware of the actual crime or what happened. I have now watched the video and have no doubts what so ever there was racially motivated aggravated behaviour towards this young man. I am horrified beyond belief that those responsible have not been held to account - no case to answer? what was that Judge on?
I find this to be a horrific miscarriage of justice. What happened to that law about when you are a spectator to a crime you are involved if you do not leave to get help? that obviously doesn't apply here. That poor man- his dead body lying in that state[why were his trousers at his ankles?] - being mocked and jeered is a serious crime against humanity in my honest opinion! They all stood by each other to protect each other- disgusting bunch of cowards.
The video you have watched is the shortened version.
The whole case from 1998 to now it horrific.
Christopher Alder's family buried their loved one in/around 2000.
Some time after Christopher's funeral his niece died and her ashes were scattered on his grave.
In November 2011 the Alder family were informed they (the family) had not buried Chrisptoher but instead a women of African decent.
Christopher's body had remained in a Hull mortuary and had alledgedly been used by the police for training purposes.
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The video you have watched is the shortened version.
The whole case from 1998 to now it horrific.
Christopher Alder's family buried their loved one in/around 2000.
Some time after Christopher's funeral his niece died and her ashes were scattered on his grave.
In November 2011 the Alder family were informed they (the family) had not buried Chrisptoher but instead a women of African decent.
Christopher's body had remained in a Hull mortuary and had alledgedly been used by the police for training purposes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15645008
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I was commenting on your post I was unaware of the actual crime or what happened. I have now watched the video and have no doubts what so ever there was racially motivated aggravated behaviour towards this young man. I am horrified beyond belief that those responsible have not been held to account - no case to answer? what was that Judge on?
I find this to be a horrific miscarriage of justice. What happened to that law about when you are a spectator to a crime you are involved if you do not leave to get help? that obviously doesn't apply here. That poor man- his dead body lying in that state[why were his trousers at his ankles?] - being mocked and jeered is a serious crime against humanity in my honest opinion! They all stood by each other to protect each other- disgusting bunch of cowards.
Four of five police officers at the centre of a long-running controversy over a black paratrooper's death in custody have been pensioned off after years of legal action.
The men, in their late 30s and early 40s, were all cleared of the manslaughter of 37-year-old Christopher Alder, who choked to death on the floor of Hull police station while the officers chatted and joked around him.
Humberside police authority has agreed to their retirement on medical grounds. The force's chief constable, David Westwood, who would normally settle such issues, referred the decision to the authority to ensure independence.
The tragedy in April 1998 was caught on closed circuit TV film and an inquest jury later returned a verdict of unlawful killing. But the officers, Sergeant John Dunn and PCs Matthew Barr, Nigel Dawson, Neil Blakey and Mark Ellerington, were cleared at Teesside crown court when a judge halted their manslaughter trial and ruled there was no evidence to convict.
Mr Alder, a computer studies student who was awarded a medal for service in Northern Ireland, was arrested for refusing to leave the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary where he declined treatment after being hit on the head during a fracas outside a local night club.
The five-minute journey to the police station from the hospital was thought by medical experts at the inquest to be the cause of Mr Alder's sudden, largely unexplained collapse. He had to be "partially dragged, partially carried" into police custody by PC Blakey, the only one of the five not being retired, and PC Dawson.
Mr Alder's sister Janet said last night: "They are just kicking the family in the teeth by paying these police officers off."
The family's solicitor, Ruth Bundey, said: "This is another nail in Christopher Alder's coffin. But this case is not going to go away."
The chair of Humberside police authority, Colin Inglis, said: "The applications were dealt with in the same way as any other requests for early retirement on health grounds."
Humberside Police Federation spokesman Jon Savage said: "The federation considers the matters discussed are private and confidential to the individuals concerned and will not comment further."
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"Humberside Police Federation spokesman Jon Savage said: "The federation considers the matters discussed are private and confidential to the individuals concerned and will not comment further."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/dec/24/prisonsandprobation.ukcrime
Humberside police were referring to their officers
However they did not show the same courtesy for Janet Alder's and her barrister Leslie Thomas QC privacy!
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"Humberside Police Federation spokesman Jon Savage said: "The federation considers the matters discussed are private and confidential to the individuals concerned and will not comment further."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/dec/24/prisonsandprobation.ukcrime
Humberside police were referring to their officers
However they did not show the same courtesy for Janet Alder's and her barrister Leslie Thomas QC privacy!
its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
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"Miss Alder did not find out until after the funeral that her brother’s heart and tissue samples had been kept separate from body, which has added to her distress. She said: “It’s like he’s been strewn all over with bits left here and there. His heart is in Sheffield and his tissues are wherever; I don’t even know. It’s horrible. It’s important now that we marry up his heart and his tissues with the body, if it is Christopher. We are just waiting to see.”
Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/dna-test-in-bid-to-solve-riddle-of-mortuary-body-1-4116282
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
It's worth reading up on this case in my opinion - you will most probably be shocked and appalled at the answers you will find to questions you may have.
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
Yes, I agree Davel, I don't think the initial arrest was racially motivated. He had sustained a head injury which may have caused him to become violent,delirious etc. and that behaviour could have impacted his cause of death.
A head injury can cause very placid people to become very aggressive and violent. As this was in a hospital,there is zero tolerance of such behaviour due to staff being punched ,kicked, stabbed,bitten! while trying to treat someone. However, a knowledgeable consultant on call should have recognised this!
The treatment of this man was abominable ,disgusting beyond belief and for them to be protected is a vile miscarriage of justice. Shameful.
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
Do you have a source for your comments re retraining of Christopher Alder or is this what you think happened?
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Yes, I agree Davel, I don't think the initial arrest was racially motivated. He had sustained a head injury which may have caused him to become violent,delirious etc. and that behaviour could have impacted his cause of death.
A head injury can cause very placid people to become very aggressive and violent. As this was in a hospital,there is zero tolerance of such behaviour due to staff being punched ,kicked, stabbed,bitten! while trying to treat someone. However, a knowledgeable consultant on call should have recognised this!
The treatment of this man was abominable ,disgusting beyond belief and for them to be protected is a vile miscarriage of justice. Shameful.
You are jumping to conclusions with regards your comments of Christopher's behaviour prior to his arrest.
In my opinion you should research the facts of the case because if you are disgusted now you will be lost for words with regards the treatment of Christopher Alder and his family over the past 20 years
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Do you have a source for your comments re retraining of Christopher Alder or is this what you think happened?
Sorry, one of the videos shows a man lying face down with handcuffs on his hands behind his back...was this not the case?
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Do you have a source for your comments re retraining of Christopher Alder or is this what you think happened?
First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
What if Christopher Alder were your loved one?
Have you actually watched the CCTV of the police watching on as Christopher was chocking to death on their custody suite Floor?
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Another tale of our good old British bobbies :
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/exclusive-police-tried-to-smear-cell-death-victim-christopher-alder-1-5795554
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First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
You appear naive in relation to your understanding of this thread title and indeed your beliefs and understanding of this case?
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Latest news re this weeks police misconduct hearing in Goole into spying of innocent, grieving sister of man unlawfully killed whilst in police custody https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/panel-considers-case-against-police-officers-accused-of-spying-1-9040955
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uWyrHEGuf9U
Here Janet Alder touches on the content of what she witnessed when she watched the above CCTV footage of her brother taking his last breaths in a Hull police station https://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/janet-alder.html
"it’s been horrendous. It’s been absolutely horrendous. It’s, I cannot believe that he suffered such a horrific death and everybody’s kind of tried to just close the door or hide it or sweep it under the carpet and kind of tried to project it all, as if it’s just me that’s the problem. When I saw that video – I just thought, “How lonely a death could that be.” And I’m asthmatic as well so I could relate to the way that he were (sic) breathing and. Just the way that they tret him and the way that. I saw a lot more on that video than what anybody had seen on. Yeah because most people wanted to concentrate on Christopher on the floor but I could see the way the police officers were. Do you know the body language and everything, and to throw his tooth into the custody suite and…
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First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
What happened to Christopher from the moment the police handcuffed him at the hospital and put him in the back of the police van and why was he dragged into the custody suite? What happened in that van on the journey to the police station?
Why were Christopher's pants and trousers at his ankles?
Why had the belt of his trousers been removed?
Where was it? What happened to Christopher's belt?
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First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
You appear to be dismissing the fact further injuries were found on Christopher that were not present when he was checked over at the hospital.
They could only have been inflicted on him during his journey to the police station?
Do you still think it was the doctors mistake?
What checks did you witness (from the CCTV) the police make on Christopher after unloading him from the back of their van and dragging him into the custody suite?
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What happened to Christopher from the moment the police handcuffed him at the hospital and put him in the back of the police van and why was he dragged into the custody suite? What happened in that van on the journey to the police station?
Why were Christopher's pants and trousers at his ankles?
Why had the belt of his trousers been removed?
Where was it? What happened to Christopher's belt?
I too would like to know the answers to these questions. This is shocking, but it has to be said it happened to white people as well, but it it is usually with some kind of ism... being gay, woman refusing advances, all sorts of reasons. The fact that these s..m bags walk free is just the most vile case of miscarriage of Justice.
I am also aware of really great police who are tarred with this brush it does the force no bloody favours, and instills fear on the public they are supposed to SERVE.
My heart goes out to Christopher's family.
All my posts will get removed so screen grab fast lol
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What happened to Christopher from the moment the police handcuffed him at the hospital and put him in the back of the police van and why was he dragged into the custody suite? What happened in that van on the journey to the police station?
Why were Christopher's pants and trousers at his ankles?
Why had the belt of his trousers been removed?
Where was it? What happened to Christopher's belt?
I think you'll find that belts and shoe laces are removed from arrested persons prior to being put into a cell.
The officers were rightly cleared of unlawful killing but were guilty of a dereliction of duty. It was an unfortunate incident instigated by the victim himself which had serious consequences. The police were correct to remove him from the hospital after he refused medical treatment and refused to leave. Our hard worked NHS personnel have enough to do without pandering to difficult patients.
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I think you'll find that belts and shoe laces are removed from arrested persons prior to being put into a cell.
He was dragged into the custody suite, from the police van and wasn't placed in a cell - as the footage clearly shows.
What happened to his belt? Where did it go?
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The officers were rightly cleared of unlawful killing
The "unlawful killing" you refer to was the verdict reached by a jury at Christopher Alder's inquest in August 2000 - where it has been confirmed Christopher's sister Janet and her barrister were spied on.
This verdict was reached BEFORE the 5 police officers stood trial
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/894587.stm
"Five police officers were charged prior to Thursday's inquest verdict on counts of wilful misconduct in public duty in connection with his death.
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The "unlawful killing" you refer to was the verdict reached by a jury at Christopher Alder's inquest in August 2000 - where it has been confirmed Christopher's sister Janet and her barrister were spied on.
This verdict was reached BEFORE the 5 police officers stood trial
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/894587.stm
"Five police officers were charged prior to Thursday's inquest verdict on counts of wilful misconduct in public duty in connection with his death.
"A tape capturing monkey chants made as a black man lay dead on a police station floor was missed by investigators for nearly four years, it emerged yesterday.
Christopher Alder, 37, died handcuffed and face down in a Hull police station in April 1998 surrounded by police officers, after choking on his own vomit. Sections of the tape show the officers joking and chatting as the former paratrooper died.
Last month five Humberside policemen were cleared of manslaughter and neglect of public duty over the death.
Tapes from the custody suite cameras were seized in April 1998, but a section containing monkey chants and laughter was not investigated until March 2002, a fortnight before the trial began.
Mr Alder's family are furious that this evidence was never put before the jury. The crown prosecution service said it never tried to have this evidence admitted because it could not be determined who was making the noises.
Last night the CPS and West Yorkshire police, who investigated the case, refused to say whether any of the officers on the tape had been questioned about who made the noises.
But a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Guardian that the evidence was found so late none of the five officers was ever asked about the animal noises.
The CPS also said it could not be proved the monkey chanting was racist as someone could have been reacting or laughing at an officer who uttered the word "banana", shortly before the monkey chant is heard on the tape.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jul/23/race.world
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"A tape capturing monkey chants made as a black man lay dead on a police station floor was missed by investigators for nearly four years, it emerged yesterday.
Christopher Alder, 37, died handcuffed and face down in a Hull police station in April 1998 surrounded by police officers, after choking on his own vomit. Sections of the tape show the officers joking and chatting as the former paratrooper died.
Last month five Humberside policemen were cleared of manslaughter and neglect of public duty over the death.
Tapes from the custody suite cameras were seized in April 1998, but a section containing monkey chants and laughter was not investigated until March 2002, a fortnight before the trial began.
Mr Alder's family are furious that this evidence was never put before the jury. The crown prosecution service said it never tried to have this evidence admitted because it could not be determined who was making the noises.
Last night the CPS and West Yorkshire police, who investigated the case, refused to say whether any of the officers on the tape had been questioned about who made the noises.
But a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Guardian that the evidence was found so late none of the five officers was ever asked about the animal noises.
The CPS also said it could not be proved the monkey chanting was racist as someone could have been reacting or laughing at an officer who uttered the word "banana", shortly before the monkey chant is heard on the tape.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jul/23/race.world
"Mr Alder's sister, Janet Alder, said: "West Yorkshire police and the CPS have seen everything. How could they miss it? They just wanted this to go away.
"It's typical of the racist, inhuman and disgraceful way they've treated my family and my brother. They've added to our hurt."
In a letter to Ms Alder, the CPS says an expert determined the sounds on the tape to be "chimpanzee or monkey like". It continued: "It is not possible to infer that there was a racist motivation here."
Barrister Peter Herbert, a member of the attorney general's race advisory body, called for a public inquiry.
He said the missed monkey chants were just one example of a bungled case.
"Anybody with any common sense knows monkey noises [are] evidence of racial abuse," he added.
The officers, who now face an internal disciplinary investigation, have returned to duty after being suspended for four years.
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The "unlawful killing" you refer to was the verdict reached by a jury at Christopher Alder's inquest in August 2000 - where it has been confirmed Christopher's sister Janet and her barrister were spied on.
This verdict was reached BEFORE the 5 police officers stood trial
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/894587.stm
"Five police officers were charged prior to Thursday's inquest verdict on counts of wilful misconduct in public duty in connection with his death.
"A gross misconduct hearing into intrusive and unauthorised police surveillance of a bereaved family during an inquest opens on Monday 26 February 2018. Between 3 July and 24 August 2000, an inquest took place into Christopher Alder’s death in Humberside police custody. Without appropriate authorisation, a surveillance team was deployed to follow Christopher’s sister, Janet Alder and her legal representative. This came to light only in 2013 and an investigation by the then Independent Police Complaints Commission ensued.
Christopher was a trainee computer programmer and former British Army paratrooper who had been commended for his service. He died on 1 April 1998 on the floor of Queen's Gardens Police Station, Hull following arrest and restraint by Humberside police. The inquest into his death returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
https://www.inquest.org.uk/christopher-alder-survellance
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The officers were rightly cleared of unlawful killing but were guilty of a dereliction of duty. It was an unfortunate incident instigated by the victim himself which had serious consequences.
I disagree and I also find it suspect that Janet Alder and her barrister Leslie Thomas QC were being spied on prior to the trial of the 5 police officers
"However the surveillance that took place went far beyond the strictly limited authorised terms of surveillance. The operations commander and the deputy operations commander of Humberside Police’s surveillance team at the time, who have been given anonymity during this hearing, sanctioned intrusive surveillance. Janet Alder and her legal representative were followed away from the Court to a hotel and a car park where there was an attempt to listen to conversations between them. Those conversations included or were likely to include matters which were private, confidential and subject to legal professional privilege.
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Deborah Coles, director of INQUEST said:
“It is reprehensible that police spied on a bereaved sister and her lawyer during an inquest. This was a clear attempt to intimidate and undermine their attempt to get to the truth about the brutal reality of Christopher’s death. The unlawful killing of Christopher Alder is of significant public interest, as is the shocking treatment of his family in the following years.
We hope this hearing will identify appropriate sanctions for those involved in this gross invasion of privacy. At a time when the undercover policing inquiry is yet to hear evidence, this hearing is an important moment in the wider public understanding of invasive and inappropriate police spying.” https://www.inquest.org.uk/christopher-alder-survellance
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The officers were rightly cleared of unlawful killing but were guilty of a dereliction of duty. It was an unfortunate incident instigated by the victim himself which had serious consequences. The police were correct to remove him from the hospital after he refused medical treatment and refused to leave.
"The government has agreed to pay more than £22,000 compensation to the family of Christopher Alder, who choked to death in a Hull police station in 1998.
A judgement on the case was due to be given by the European Court of Human Rights but the government decided it would settle.
The government said it regretted the "treatment in custody" of Mr Alder, 37.
A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15837490
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"The government has agreed to pay more than £22,000 compensation to the family of Christopher Alder, who choked to death in a Hull police station in 1998.
A judgement on the case was due to be given by the European Court of Human Rights but the government decided it would settle.
The government said it regretted the "treatment in custody" of Mr Alder, 37.
A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15837490
The government accepted there had not been an "effective and independent" investigation and that amounted to a human rights violation.
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The officers were rightly cleared of unlawful killing but were guilty of a dereliction of duty. It was an unfortunate incident instigated by the victim himself which had serious consequences. The police were correct to remove him from the hospital after he refused medical treatment and refused to leave. Our hard worked NHS personnel have enough to do without pandering to difficult patients.
"A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
His sister Janet has spent the past 13 years campaigning about various aspects of his death.
She took her case to the court in Strasbourg, alleging there had been a violation of the substantive aspects of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights - Article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination.
She also alleged "a breach of the procedural guarantees" of Article 3 along with Article 2, the right to life.
The court said it had discontinued the case after receiving the government's statement.
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"A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
His sister Janet has spent the past 13 years campaigning about various aspects of his death.
She took her case to the court in Strasbourg, alleging there had been a violation of the substantive aspects of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights - Article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination.
She also alleged "a breach of the procedural guarantees" of Article 3 along with Article 2, the right to life.
The court said it had discontinued the case after receiving the government's statement.
"The government accepted there had not been an "effective and independent" investigation and that amounted to a human rights violation.
The government has agreed to pay more than £22,000 compensation to the family of Christopher Alder, who choked to death in a Hull police station in 1998.
A judgement on the case was due to be given by the European Court of Human Rights but the government decided it would settle.
The government said it regretted the "treatment in custody" of Mr Alder, 37.
A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
His sister Janet has spent the past 13 years campaigning about various aspects of his death.
She took her case to the court in Strasbourg, alleging there had been a violation of the substantive aspects of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights - Article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination.
She also alleged "a breach of the procedural guarantees" of Article 3 along with Article 2, the right to life.
The court said it had discontinued the case after receiving the government's statement.
The government accepted there had not been an "effective and independent" investigation and that amounted to a human rights violation.
It said the treatment of Mr Alder in custody also amounted to a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The government has agreed to pay 26,500 euros (£22,770) to the family, plus 7,500 euros (£6,440) to cover legal costs and expenses.
Reacting to the compensation, Mr Alder's sister told the BBC: "I see it as an admission that what we've been fighting for for 13 years was true and that the government had failed to hold them accountable."
Ten years ago, a coroner's jury decided Mr Alder was unlawfully killed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15837490
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The bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death. I agree the police behaved despicably but then that is nothing new.
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The police were correct to remove him from the hospital after he refused medical treatment and refused to leave. Our hard worked NHS personnel have enough to do without pandering to difficult patients.
"In 2002, five Humberside Police officers went on trial accused of manslaughter and misconduct in public office but they were cleared of all charges on the orders of the judge.
Four years later, an Independent Police Complaints Commission report said four of the officers present in the custody suite when Mr Alder died were guilty of the "most serious neglect of duty".
Humberside Police Chief Constable Tim Hollis apologised at the time "for our failure to treat Christopher with sufficient compassion and to the desired standard that night", although the Police Federation said the officers involved "strongly disputed" the report's conclusions
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15837490
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
Now you've had time to think - WHY was Chrisripher Alder arrested in the first place?
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Yes, I agree Davel, I don't think the initial arrest was racially motivated. He had sustained a head injury which may have caused him to become violent,delirious etc. and that behaviour could have impacted his cause of death.
A head injury can cause very placid people to become very aggressive and violent. As this was in a hospital,there is zero tolerance of such behaviour due to staff being punched ,kicked, stabbed,bitten! while trying to treat someone. However, a knowledgeable consultant on call should have recognised this!
The treatment of this man was abominable ,disgusting beyond belief and for them to be protected is a vile miscarriage of justice. Shameful.
"Authorities also admitted to “the lack of an effective independent investigation,” and went on to acknowledge that racism played a part in Mr Alder’s treatment in police custody.
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Tye bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death. I agree the police behaved despicably but then that is nothing new.
In your opinion!
"The initial investigation into his death was carried out by a neighbouring police force rather than an independent body. Blood samples, officers’ clothing and Mr Alder’s clothing were all destroyed without being tested.
Corinna Ferguson, the legal officer for Liberty whuch took Janet Alder’s case to the European Court of Human Rights, told Channel 4 News that the apology was a “symbolic victory”, and would provide a “catalyst for better responses in the future.”
She said that although the government has implemented reforms since Mr Alder’s death, more needs to be done.
“There needs to be more accountability in these situations and in future the IPCC must take much stronger action when human rights are breached in such a way.
“The offence of misconduct in public office is completely inadequate in these circumstances – as demonstrated by the fact that these officers were somehow cleared of it. Sadly admissions and apologies will matter little if such tragic cases keep occurring
https://www.channel4.com/news/government-to-apologise-over-alder-cell-death
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The bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death. I agree the police behaved despicably but then that is nothing new.
To what "circumstances" do you refer?
Racism?
Spying?
Body mix up which was used for police training purposes?
And why did the police arrest Christopher's friend Jason Paul for his murder?
What about this?
"As part of their investigation into Mr Alder’s death, Humberside Police obtained social service records dating back to the births of all the Alder children – Christopher, Richard, Emmanuel, Stephen, and Janet, who were brought up in care. A 2006 report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission said the records “did not seem to have any relevance” to the case. The report also questioned the need for six officers to search Mr Alder’s one-bedroom flat, which was sealed off for two weeks, photographed, and a map drawn of where items were found. The report said this was “more in keeping with what might be expected if Mr Alder were a suspect rather than a victim”.
Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/exclusive-police-tried-to-smear-cell-death-victim-christopher-alder-1-5795554
Mr Alder’s sister Janet, 51, also claimed she was followed by police and her phone was tapped, although the IPCC found no evidence of this. She said she did not speak out at the time because she did not think her fears would be taken seriously.
“I couldn’t say anything to the public because people would think I was crazy and just dealing with grief, and then we see it in the IPCC report. Once again they are blaming the victims.
"They tried to blame Christopher, they tried to blame Jason Paul (initially arrested on suspicion of Mr Alder’s murder), and they attempted to smear my family by getting records from when we were born. What has that got to do with Christopher dying on the custody-suite floor?”
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4656112.stm
"A nightclubber was falsely charged with assault after a former soldier died in police custody, a court has ruled.
Humberside Police officers wanted to "deflect potential criticism" over the death of Falklands veteran Christopher Alder, Sheffield County Court heard.
Mr Alder choked to death at a Hull police station on 1 April 1998.
Jason Paul was awarded £30,500 damages after a jury heard he tried to stop a fight between Mr Alder and another man on the night the ex-paratrooper died.
Mr Paul was arrested on suspicion of murder the next day when he reported to police voluntarily as a potential witness.
He was subsequently charged with GBH with intent before the Crown Prosecution Service accepted in June that he had nothing to do with the tragedy.
I was wrongly arrested on suspicion of murder and then charged for GBH with intent because the police needed a scapegoat
The two-week civil hearing, which ended on Friday, was Mr Paul's second attempt at claiming false imprisonment and malicious prosecution against Humberside Police.
In 2003 a judge dismissed the case on the grounds there was no factual evidence of police deceit, but the Court of Appeal overturned his ruling and ordered another trial in March of the next year.
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To what "circumstances" do you refer?
The fracas outside the nightclub of course.
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The bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death. I agree the police behaved despicably but then that is nothing new.
But this case doesn't just involve the police
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The fracas outside the nightclub of course.
What was Chrisptoher Alders cause of death?
"The Government has issued a landmark apology for serious failings relating to the death of a black former British Army soldier in police custody. Father-of-two Christopher Alder, 37, choked to death on the floor in a pool of his own blood, urine and excrement while four officers stood, watched, chatted and joked at Hull Police Station in April 1998. None of the officers faced any criminal or disciplinary penalty in relation to the incident.
"The cause of Mr Alder’s death and whether, for example, he had been assaulted by any of the officers was never definitively established.https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/news/press-releases/government-issues-landmark-apology-over-christopher-alder’s-death-custody
"Why or where did Christopher sustain the additional injuries he suffered? Why was another of his teeth missing? Where was his belt? These concerns have never been investigated or addressed.
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It will be interesting to see how this plays out.. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/26/police-face-disciplinary-panel-over-claim-they-spied-on-janet-alder-sister-of-man-who-died-in-custody
Will officer one and officer two continue to be held to account for what their defence say was them 'following orders' or will the CPS eventually decide to change their original decision with regards all the other officers involved?
What about the other 12? https://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/nov/26/janet-alder-surveillance-sister-of-former-paratrooper-cps
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Oh what a surprise...
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/christopher-alder-janet-police-spying-1281507
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I agree the police behaved despicably but then that is nothing new.
And let's not forget the officers who watched on as Christoper Alder died on their custody suite floor were retired off early, with hefty added compensation payments, based on medical grounds
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"The sister of a former paratrooper who died in police custody said she was “shattered” to discover she and her barrister had been subjects of an unauthorised police surveillance operation nearly 17 years ago. Janet Alder said she “couldn’t find words strong enough” to describe the fear she felt to find police were spying on her and Leslie Thomas QC, the only Afro-Caribbean barrister during the inquest into her brother Christopher’s death.
Ms Alder, whose brother was found to have been unlawfully killed by the inquest jury in 2000, said she was disgusted that while listening to “heartwrenching evidence and slurs on Christopher’s character and attempts on the side of Humberside Police to justify his inhumane treatment and debasement, decisions were being made to spy on me.”
Mr Alder choked to death while handcuffed on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998 Ms Alder was speaking after a panel concluded there was no case to answer against two officers accused of gross misconduct over the unauthorised surveillance on July 28 2000.
The defence argued that the officers - who did not give evidence - would have been acting on the orders of more senior officers, and the spotlight should not have been on them in the first place.
Chairman Louisa Cieciora concluded: “The panel is not satisfied that any misconduct panel properly directed could find the allegations proven.”
But Ms Alder said many unanswered questions remained - as there had been about her brother’s death and how his body came to be discovered in a mortuary 11 years after supposedly being buried. “I always believed this would be a whitewash and I was proved right,” she said.
The hearing focussed on under two hours - and yet there had been two periods of authorised surveillance starting on July 3 2000 and ending in January 2001.
The first allowed observations outside the court, the second “public place surveillance,” including “mobile, foot and technical” in all areas covered by Humberside Police.
Despite this no evidence has been found of any surveillance other than on July 28 2000, something Ms Alder find impossible to believe, given her brother’s high-profile funeral was that November.
Detective Chief Superintendent Judi Heaton of Humberside Police said: “We know that this has been a distressing time for Ms Alder and her family. We do understand her frustration that the exact details around the case have not been able to be established.”
Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/hearing-branded-a-whitewash-after-police-officers-cleared-of-spying-misconduct-claims-1-9042553
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For anyone interested in this case, Janet Alder will at some point be speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, who has also been following the case https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qqk5c
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I think you'll find that belts and shoe laces are removed from arrested persons prior to being put into a cell.
Christopher was still wearing his belt when he died, as was proved from the CCTV footage - the sparkly buckle was identified so it was still attached to his trousers
The belt went missing - presumably destroyed by the police at the time
Now why would the police destroy items worn by Christopher Alder and then wrongly arrest and charge his friend for murder?
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The bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death.
Furthermore, Christopher died of positional asphyxia NOT a blow to the head
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280805832_Positional_Asphyxia_and_Death_in_Custody
Refer to Dr Clarkes (Home office pathologist) evidence point 8.29
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=b6f_bZRhFxEC&pg=PT66&lpg=PT66&dq=jason+paul+arrested+over+christopher+alder+death&source=bl&ots=IMhNe4zBJF&sig=exRb7qWKK1eKSy3tox4_c5rVMCk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQmvSkvcvZAhVlD8AKHccuBhYQ6AEwBnoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=jason%20paul%20arrested%20over%20christopher%20alder%20death&f=false
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Ruth Bundey, Alder’s solicitor, said: “This entire process marginalised and disrespected Janet. Humberside police ignored her rights as an interested party and declined to communicate with us.” .
It later emerged that up to 14 officers were involved in the surveillance operation on 28 July 2000 during the inquest.
The misconduct charges were brought against the operations commander and deputy operations commander who were alleged to have gone “far beyond the strictly limited terms” of what had been authorised.
Barristers for the men denied misconduct, arguing that culpability lay with their superiors as they believed they were carrying out lawful orders. The pair, who held the rank of detective sergeant and acting detective sergeant in 2000, did not dispute that the surveillance had taken place.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/01/officers-accused-of-spying-on-sister-of-man-who-died-in-police-custody-cleared
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15645008
Humberside Police Federation chairman Stuart Downes said he has already applied to senior officers in the force to reinstate the five men, who have been suspended since Mr Alder died.
Mr Downes said: "I'm delighted because the officers have maintained from day one that it was nothing more than a tragic accident.
"They did all they could to assist Christopher.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2057719.stm
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409 page IPCC Report into death of Christopher Alder in police custody
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/27_03_06_alder.pdf
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Humberside Police Federation chairman Stuart Downes said he has already applied to senior officers in the force to reinstate the five men, who have been suspended since Mr Alder died.
Mr Downes said: "I'm delighted because the officers have maintained from day one that it was nothing more than a tragic accident.
"They did all they could to assist Christopher.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2057719.stm
"Nothing more than a tragic accident?"
"Analysis of the tapes taken from the custody suite covering the period prior to the arrival of Mr Alder has revealed that at around 01.34 PC Barr made one, and possibly two, telephone calls which appear from the context to be to other police stations in Hull.262
In those telephone calls, he claimed to be from the Hull Daily Mail, which is the local newspaper, and to be enquiring about a death in custody. This is evidently intended to be an April Fool’s Day joke
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The bottom line is that Christopher Alder was the unfortunate victim of circumstances which resulted in a blow to his head outside a nightclub which in turn led to his death.
With regards the comments made by police officers threatening to discharge CS spray on Christopher before he was put in the police van -
"there is no method of examination which would be able to show categorically that a canister had, or had not, been used”.
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With regards the comments made by police officers threatening to discharge CS spray on Christopher before he was put in the police van -
"there is no method of examination which would be able to show categorically that a canister had, or had not, been used”.
How Humberside police, CPS & UK govt conspired to cover up racist killing of Christopher Alder
"Given that Christopher died at the hands of Humberside police, the investigation into their role in his death was carried out by West Yorkshire police. However, they proved unable – or more likely unwilling – to follow even the most routine of procedures. Whether he had been assaulted by any of the officers he encountered that night was never investigated. Worse, all the evidence which would help to establish this was allowed to be destroyed. The police van was cleaned, blood samples and clothing – both Christopher’s and the officers’ – were destroyed without being tested, and CS gas canisters from the police van were disposed of. Christopher’s missing belt and tooth were never located.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/311384-christopher-alder-police-brutality/
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"A separate probe is under way after a mortuary mix-up led to the wrong person being buried at Mr Alder's funeral.
Police were accused of "unwitting racism" over the death of Mr Alder, a former paratrooper, after he was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary for an alleged breach of the peace.
He had been injured in a scuffle outside a hotel in Hull city centre before being taken to the hospital for treatment.
His sister Janet has spent the past 13 years campaigning about various aspects of his death.
She took her case to the court in Strasbourg, alleging there had been a violation of the substantive aspects of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights - Article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination.
She also alleged "a breach of the procedural guarantees" of Article 3 along with Article 2, the right to life.
The court said it had discontinued the case after receiving the government's statement.
"Coverage of the scandal at the time tended to describe it as a “mix-up” and a “mistake,” which only came to light when Christopher’s body was “discovered” in the mortuary in November 2011. We now know this is false. Once again, it fell to the family to discover the truth. A Freedom of Information request to the Human Tissue Authority, lodged by Janet Alder, revealed that Christopher Alder’s body had the correct documentation attached to it all along; it was even signed off under his name when it had been moved to another mortuary in 2005. It had not been mysteriously “discovered” in 2011; the authorities had known exactly where he was from the start. Janet has her own explanation: as she told Press TV last year, “I don’t believe it was a mistake. I believe it was a punishment to me personally for fighting against the system
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For anyone interested in this case, Janet Alder will at some point be speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, who has also been following the case https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qqk5c
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/victoria-derbyshire-janet-alder-christopher-1286666?utm_source=google_news&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=google_news&utm_content=sitemap
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First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
Your comments show your naivity and ignorance of this case
Why do you think it was the doctors fault?
Your appear to have misinterpreted the facts and instead put your own slant on the events that actually occurred..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mjhZgeSx-_k
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First I don't know why the subject is being discussed here.... It's totally off topic..
It seems he got into a fight and was injured..... Including hitting his head on the pavement
He was taken to hospital for treatment where he was abusive to staff... He refused to have x rays taken of his injury.... He was warned by police, are his conduct but continued the abuse... It may be his actions, we're caused by his head injury.... Who knows..
The police checked with the doctor who confirmed he was fit enough to be arrested... Probably the doctors mistake... He was arrested and died in custody... If his injuries had been recognised and treated he would probably still be here...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iuaStydja5Q
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For anyone interested in this case, Janet Alder will at some point be speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, who has also been following the case https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qqk5c
The recent interview can be seen at around 37 minutes -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09t29cg/victoria-derbyshire-02032018
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its worth thinking about why the suspect needed to be restrained in the first place...the police have a tough job dealing with powerfully strong people resisting arrest and needing restraint
What are you suggesting; that's it's okay for the police to use enough force to kill?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/07/police-spy-operation-janet-alder-probably-influenced-by-racism-ipcc
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What are you suggesting; that's it's okay for the police to use enough force to kill?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/07/police-spy-operation-janet-alder-probably-influenced-by-racism-ipcc
The police are legally entitled to use as much force as is necessary to restrain someone if they pose a risk to their own wellbeing or others. The police are not clinicians and when confronted by someone who is clearly aggressive they must deal with them decisively. It was unfortunate what happened to Christopher Alder initially but imo the police followed procedure throughout.
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The police are legally entitled to use as much force as is necessary to restrain someone if they pose a risk to their own wellbeing or others. The police are not clinicians and when confronted by someone who is clearly aggressive they must deal with them decisively. It was unfortunate what happened to Christopher Alder initially but imo the police followed procedure throughout.
There are similarities in this case re the father of Poppy Worthington http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5504563/Poppi-Worthingtons-father-NOT-prosecuted-death.html to that of the police in Christopher Alders case IMO.
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The police are legally entitled to use as much force as is necessary to restrain someone if they pose a risk to their own wellbeing or others. The police are not clinicians and when confronted by someone who is clearly aggressive they must deal with them decisively. It was unfortunate what happened to Christopher Alder initially but imo the police followed procedure throughout.
And another case:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43486361
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https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/twenty-years-after-brothers-horrific-1389831
https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/46337/Janet+Alder+speaks+out++++Hold+cops+to+account+over+deaths+in+custody
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Unlike supposed "Human Rights Campaigner" Michelle Bates nee Diskin (sister of Barry George), who to me appears solely focused on monetary gain as opposed to truth and justice;
Janet Alder is today campaigning in memory of her brother Christopher, who died in the hands of the police 20 years ago http://lucas.leeds.ac.uk/2018/02/25/justice-for-christopher-alder-campaign-statement/
Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign
STATEMENT
February 2018
COMMEMORATION PROTEST
20 years since Christopher Alder died in police custody at Queens Gardens Police Station, Hull
Assemble 1 pm Saturday 31st March 2018 (Easter Saturday)
Queen Victoria Square, Hull
Called by the Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign
20 years ago Christopher Alder died in custody in Queens Gardens Police Station, Hull. He was a fit and active 37 year old black man who had served as a paratrooper in the 1980’s.
He died slowly, surrounded by police officers, and on camera in the early hours of 1st April 1998. The custody suite video records him being dragged in unconscious from a police van in the back yard and placed face down with hands cuffed behind his back, and his trousers and shorts pulled down. His belt is missing and there is mud on his legs. The tape records his breathing getting slower and more laboured as his life slips away. Police officers can be heard laughing and joking and later on monkey noises can be heard nearby. Eventually Christopher’s condition cannot be ignored any more and paramedics are called but it is too late to save him. Eleven minutes have elapsed since he was dragged in.
Christopher’s death had followed a night out at the Waterfront Club near his home and an altercation outside the club with a man he knew called Jason Paul, which culminated in a punch which knocked Christopher down, striking his head on the cobbles. An ambulance is called and Christopher is taken to Hull Royal Infirmary for treatment. He is conscious but disturbed by his head injury and the situation he is in. Police officers who have come to the hospital to follow up the assault on Christopher and take a statement end up arresting him and dragging him out backwards to be taken away in a police van. Christopher, at this point, is lucid and standing and speaks to the hospital security guard before stepping unaided into the police van. The police claim the journey of a few minutes duration to Queens Gardens was uneventful and uninterrupted, but Christopher’s unconscious condition and disarrayed clothing on arrival suggest otherwise.
From the moment of Christopher’s death a police cover-up kicks in. The officers involved are able to confer amongst themselves and by the time Jim Elliott from the Police Complaints Authority, arrives on the scene on the morning of the 1st April they have a story for public consumption. The version of events they give out is that Christopher must have died as a result of the punch in the street and that his death in police custody was unforeseen and in no way the responsibility of any police officer. Later that day Jason Paul goes to the police to find out what has happened and is arrested on suspicion of murder and is sent out of Hull to a bail hostel in York for a month. Subsequently he is freed without charge (not even assault) and he is eventually compensated for wrongful arrest.
Meanwhile the police stage an elaborate pantomime of looking for Christopher’s missing tooth outside the night club. Years later unreleased police station video appears to show the tooth being picked up from the custody suite floor after his death.
It also emerges in the course of the inquest, that the police van in question was cleaned out on the afternoon of the 1st April, and recent blood stains which were seen on the morning of the 1st had disappeared by the time the van was properly examined forensically. It also emerges that Christopher’s clothes were destroyed in the weeks after his death. Superintendent David Holt of West Yorkshire Police, leading the police investigation of the death, admitted at the inquest to ordering the destruction of the clothes rather that preserving them in evidence bags pending future enquiries and court cases. Other mysteries, still unexplained, were the question of why Christopher’s flat was taped off like a crime scene for days after his death, and his computer hard drive was analysed. Why? And the question of CS gas canisters, and whether any had been discharged? It appears very likely from the subsequent exchange of empty canisters that at least one was used. Plus there is the question of why the uniforms of those police involved were sent to be cleaned as soon as possible? Two of them went to hospital for treatment for minor injuries, which were never explained.
At no point were the scenes relevant to Christopher’s death treated like crime scene nor was potential evidence preserved for proper forensic analysis.
Also not adequately explained was the crucial question of why Christopher’s body was removed to Sheffield for the post mortem which was attended by 11 people, including senior police officers. No family members were present or legally represented as was their right. This would not have happened if it was believed that Christopher’s death was just the unfortunate outcome of a fight in the street.
Years later Christopher’s heart was found in a drawer at the Sheffield Pathology laboratory despite a request from the Alder family that all the body should be returned for burial. Why did this happen?
About 2 weeks after his death Christopher’s sister, Janet, is notified at her home in Burnley. The policeman who calls late in the evening to give her the news gives a vague and confusing version of what may have happened. Janet then travels to Hull the next day to find out more and the hostile and defensive reaction of Humberside police officers to her questions convince her that she is not being told the truth and when they follow and watch her in central Hull she is certain they have something to hide.
Janet then tells this story to sympathetic friends and supporters in Burnley and by July 1998 the “Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign” is launched. It carries Janet’s quest for the truth and justice out into the world – to Hull and the rest of Britain and to campaigners and trade unionists that will support her.
Neville Lawrence, Stephen’s father, meets Janet and makes a statement backing her in October 1998.
From the beginning the press and broadcasting media take a great interest in the case. The immediate outcome of the campaigning is that five police officers are suspended and charged with “misconduct in public office”, a relatively minor charge, but proceedings are adjourned until after the inquest.
The inquest, in July and August 2000, was unusually long, hearing more than 70 witnesses and involving detailed questioning of pathologists and forensic witnesses but the police officers facing charges all declined to answer questions about what had happened. Citing rule 22, which allows anybody charged over a death to refuse to answer questions put to the them at an inquest. The inquest was a major event in Hull and was attended by many friends and relatives of Christopher and many supporters of Janet’s campaign for the truth.
The coroner sat with a jury of Hull citizens and when the jury gave its verdict that Christopher had been unlawfully killed, it made the front pages of several national newspapers. It should have followed that the unlawful killing verdict would lead to a renewed investigation and a serious attempt to bring those responsible to justice. This did not happen.
It’s true that Janet Alder’s vigorous campaigning did push the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) into adding gross negligence manslaughter charges to the indictment against the 5 police officers already charged with “misconduct in public office”. But when the case came to court in 2002, it was sent to Middlesbrough, inconveniently far for the Alder family and the witnesses, and it was out of the focus of a lot of the mainstream media. Also the move to Middlesbrough virtually guaranteed an all–white jury.
In the event the case was badly presented by the CPS with deliberately conflicted expert witnesses and no attempt to put racism, institutional or otherwise at the heart of the case. Not surprisingly, the judge threw the case out at the halfway stage, and the 5 defendants walked free having still not answered any questions in public about the death of Christopher Alder.
Later the European court found in Janet’s favour – Christopher Alder had been unlawfully deprived of his right to life – a damning indictment for the British legal system.
It should also have followed that when the inquest verdict in 2000 cleared the way for the Alder family to go ahead with a public funeral for Christopher in November 2000 it would be an event that commemorated Christopher properly and give the family some sense of closure. Not so. In 2011 Christopher’s body was discovered in a Hull morgue; the wrong body having been sent to the funeral in 2000. The body of Grace Kamara, aged 77, had been sent instead. The body swap could not have been accidental but no-one has been charged with anything in relation to this prevention of a lawful burial.
Not only was the alleged racist motivation of some of those involved in the burial process not followed up, but also it emerged that Christopher’s body whilst in storage between 2000 and 2011 had been exhibited to police trainees when they went to the mortuary as part of their training. No-one has been charged in relation to this. It also became clear that the non-burial of Christopher’s body was known as a fact or a rumour to a number of people in Hull, including some who were of enough standing to have blown the whistle and got the whole issue exposed. The body swap only came to light because the family of Grace Kamara insisted on seeing the body before burial.
Another outrage that came to light in 2011 was the fact that was admitted by Humberside police that Janet Alder and some of her supporters had been under surveillance during the inquest in 2000.
Police disciplinary proceedings are pending on this, but no criminal charges have been brought against them for treating a grieving relative at an inquest like a criminal suspect.
The injustice of Christopher Alder’s death in the custody of Humberside police is still unresolved, as are the injustices visited on Janet Alder in her campaign for Justice:-
The cover-up of evidence
The flawed police investigations
The failed prosecution by the CPS
The institutional racism of the CPS in their dealings with Janet
The swapping of Christopher’s body (probably at the morgue)
The surveillance of Janet and her supporters
The failure to identify racism in individuals and institutional racism in all the organisations dealing with the case.All these are still unresolved issues, which is why the 20th Anniversary of Christopher’s death will be commemorated by a protest gathering at 1pm on Saturday 31st March 2018 ( Easter Saturday).
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ITN NEWS Piece from Yesterday
"Janet Alder vows to never give up fight for justice 20 years since brother's death"
http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2018-03-31/janet-alder-vows-to-never-give-up-fight-for-justice-20-years-since-brothers-death/
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"The sister of a man who died in police custody has vowed to continue her quest for justice as a commemoration takes place marking 20 years since his death".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-43581781
"A moving silent march has been held in Hull city centre for Christopher Alder's death
Christopher Alder was unlawfully killed in police custody on April 1, 1998
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/moving-silent-march-been-held-1406308
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She told Socialist Worker, “I have been terrorised from the start, because I have been looking for the truth.”
She is angry that despite evidence of the police spying on her—a bereaved family member—no-one will face charges.
Evidence shows that up to 14 officers followed her and her legal team in 2000 during a six-week inquest into her brother’s death.
They also spied on the small group of the family’s supporters who protested outside the inquest at Hull Crown Court.
“They are covering up for the perpetrators.
https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/41824/Cops+wont+be+prosecuted+for+spying+on+Janet+Alder
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/17/stephen-lawrence-police-officer-allegedly-spied-family-identified-david-hagan
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/17/stephen-lawrence-police-officer-allegedly-spied-family-identified-david-hagan
The importance of the naming #spycop N81 as Dave Hagan
http://undercoverresearch.net/2018/04/17/the-importance-of-the-naming-spycop-n81-as-dave-hagen/
25 years
This week it’s 25 years since teenager Stephen Lawrence was killed in a racist attack. Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks were on their way home when they were attacked by a gang in Eltham, south east London. Stephen was stabbed twice and managed to run more than 100 yards before collapsing and bleeding to death.
Stephen’s murder has come to represent much more than one incident of tragic brutality by a racist gang. In the last 25 years the Metropolitan Police failure to investigate the murder properly has become a symbol of corruption and institutional racism.
The allegations that (mostly black) families campaigning for justice of loved ones who had died at the hands of the police had been spied upon with the intention to smear them were made by Peter Francis, the former undercover officer turned whistle blower. A subsequent investigation by Mark Ellison, QC confirmed that these families were indeed targeted. On the day the Ellison Review was published, in March 2014, Theresa May, then still Home Secretary, announced that a public inquiry into undercover policing would be set up.
Using the name Pete Black, Francis was instructed to target anti-racist groups in London. Francis told the Channel 4 Dispatches current affairs programme that his brief could ‘be summarised in two words, and that is Stephen Lawrence.’ He had been tasked to spy on the Lawrence family to find information with which to discredit them and thereby reduce their considerable public sympathy. In August 2014 Francis told The Guardian:
From being in two groups, Youth Against Racism in Europe and the Movement for Justice, I – along with help from other SDS Officers, via their groups – managed to monitor about 12 different well-known black justice campaigns when I was deployed from 1993 to 1997.
On 30 July 1997 Home Secretary Jack Straw announced a judicial inquiry into the mishandled police investigation of Stephen’s murder, and to identify lessons for police in dealing with racially-motivated crimes. It was chaired by Sir William Macpherson, a retired High Court judge.
In 2010, Peter Francis, then as Officer A, recalled how the political and personal pressure on him reached its peak at that point:
When the Macpherson inquiry was first announced there was huge, huge internal concern whether or not the remit of the Macpherson inquiry would actually mean that we had to disclose that the entire time there was actually undercover police officers devoted to the black campaigns. The SDS come Special Branch Senior Management decided that there was no way could anybody actually know there was undercover officers deployed in those campaigns.
The Macpherson Inquiry was a defining moment for the Metropolitan police, and policing in general. It ruled that the police were institutionally racist, and the Lawrence family’s description of the police behaving like ‘white masters during slavery’ accepted as fact.
Covering up the undercovers
As such, the Metropolitan Police could not afford to be seen as hiding things from the Macpherson Inquiry; yet they chose not to disclose the SDS spying operations, let alone the extent of it. An important question for the current Inquiry would be who in Special Branch took the decision to not to reveal this.
In 2013, then Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe declared he was ‘personally shocked’ by Mr Francis’s claims, saying: ‘If these allegations are true, it’s a disgrace, and the Metropolitan Police Service will apologise. Smearing the family of a murder victim would never be acceptable to me or my officers.’ The Commissioner at the time of Macpherson, Paul Condon however, denied the claims: ‘I can say categorically that at no time during my time as commissioner did I authorise or condone or was aware of the sort of smear operation that’s been described in the Guardian’.
Three weeks later, Mick Creedon, head of Operation Herne, the police’s own investigation into the undercover scandal, told the Commons Home Affairs committee that his investigation had recently found documents recording ‘covert deployments which reported intelligence which relate’ to the Lawrence family and that Hogan-Howe had been made aware of this. The intelligence had been collected as the undercover officers were spying on what he said were ‘violent protest groups’ campaigning for a proper police investigation into the teenager’s murder, adding that such groups ‘may well hook on to any high-profile incident as a vehicle for their violent protests’. As we will note in another article, this is a mischaracterisation verging on libel.
Further comments from Creedon show the police continuing to try wriggle out of the accusations they were spying on black justice campaigns: ‘The fact that an undercover deployment made a reference to the Stephen Lawrence family does not mean there was an undercover deployment against the Stephen Lawrence family.’ This is a word-game, the actual target according the SDS reasoning would have been the organisation trying to ‘hijack the campaign’, while information gathered on the Lawrences and other black families would have been stored almost accidentally, the Assistant Commissioner for Professionalism Martin Hewitt called it ‘collateral intrusion’ (about as cynical as calling civil casualties of an American airstrike (collateral damage’).
Of course this was a lie. And in fact, the reality was far worse.
Secret meeting in the garden of Bob Lambert
Two investigations were set up into the allegations of spying on the Lawrences. One was conducted by Operation Herne, the other by Mark Ellison QC. The findings were presented a year later, both on the same day. Unsurprisingly, Operation Herne concluded there was not enough evidence to back up what Peter Francis had said. Ellison however, based on largely the same material, ruled that indeed there was a case to make. And this is where N81 comes in.
Ellison zoomed in on a meeting between N81 and Det. Insp. Richard Walton that took place in August 1998. At the time of the meeting Walton was part of the Lawrence Review Team, a group of officers tasked with preparing Commissioner Condon’s submissions to the MacPherson Inquiry, while N81 was infiltrating a political group in London involved in anti-racism campaigns and was active around the Inquiry, including visiting it.
Ellison considered the meeting between an active undercover officer and the Lawrence Review Team highly inappropriate, labelling it wrong-headed. It showed that information gathered by spying was used to mould the Commissioner’s response to what was supposed to be an independent inquiry. While worries about possible riots are used by those responsible as the main reason for the infiltration of campaign groups back in the days, Ellison concluded there was no conceivable ‘public order’ justification for it. On the contrary, the spying itself amount to that the risk – if it had come out at the time. Ellison wrote ‘the MPS may itself have caused the real risk of the public disorder and the kind of ‘meltdown’ it so feared.’
Spying on black justice campaigns
We learned today that N81 was deployed from 1996-2001 into – amongst other ones – the Movement for Justice, a group aligning itself with black family campaigns fighting for justice for relatives who died in police custody (– we detail the campaigns they were involved in another blogpost today). Peter Francis had been one of the founding members of the organisation in 1995, coming from another anti-racist organisation Youth Against Racism in Europe; he was pulled in 1997. N81 probably replaced him.
All that was publicly known of N81 to date was based on the material lifted from the Ellison Review. Though relatively scant, we were nevertheless been able to put together a relatively comprehensive profile of N81, based on it and other small bits of information that leaked into the public domain.
The fact that N81 was well-placed in relation to the Lawrence family campaign is clear from the Ellison Review, and undisputed. Whether he targeted the campaign or not is an issue exclusively of police semantics. The facts are clear from the type of intelligence he gathered, summed up in the Ellison report:
* Material on the relationship and intention of the target group;
* Decisions by the Lawrence family on whether to allow demonstrations outside the (Macpherson) Inquiry venue;
* Reports of protests;
* Who was and who was not supporting what the Lawrence family wanted, including the call by Doreen Lawrence for the resignation of the Commissioner in August 1998;
* The internal working of the Lawrence family campaign;
* Personal details of the Lawrence family;
* Escaping accountability
It is in this context that the meeting between N81 and Richard Walton took place. It was set up by Bob Lambert who was the Detective Inspector with responsibility for N81 within the SDS in 1998 and happened on a Sunday afternoon in the garden of his house. Lambert at that moment in time was also the acting Detective Chief Inspector – effectively in charge of the Squad.
In the late 1990s – as Ellison documented – nobody had any second thoughts about the meeting. It was only after Richard Walton was informed that he was going to be criticised by Ellison that he understood he was in trouble. His attempt to change his account was dismissed by Ellison, and the subsequent fall-out would lead to Walton being temporarily removed from his post as Commander of Counter Terrorism Command in March 2014.
The case was referred to the Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) to investigate his ‘discreditable conduct and breaches of honesty and integrity’ and the ‘inconsistent accounts to Mr Ellison’s review team regarding his actions’. The then Detective Inspector Bob Lambert and then Commander of Operations for Special Branch Colin Black – both identified in the Report as having played a part in facilitating the meeting with the undercover N81 – would be also be investigated, though only for “discreditable conduct”.
Two years later, the IPCC ruled that both Walton and Lambert would have had a case to answer, because their actions could have potentially undermined the public inquiry into the case and public confidence in it. Walton announced his retirement days before the findings were made public, while Lambert had long left the Met, so nothing happened.
Was the spying on family justice campaigns steered by undercovers?
However, an important question is not being asked. Was the involvement with the family justice campaign a genuine plan of the group, or was it – intended or not – the result of N81 undercover efforts? An ‘SDS briefing note’ dated 2001 (towards the end of N81’s deployment) emphasises the success of the operation, saying:
N81 is quite candid in admitting that (N81) was largely responsible for (N81’s group’s) adoption of the Stephen Lawrence case, and the rest, as they say, is history.
However, N81 does not remember saying such a thing, or so he told Ellison. While, as we consider elsewhere, the main activity of the group ‘Dave Hagan’ was infiltrating seems to have been supporting family justice and anti-racism campaigns. All in all, this indicates that N81’s deployment was part of a far more deliberate targeting of those seeking to hold the police’s own crimes and racism to account.
To find out that the police targeted family justice groups rather than seeking murderers has been a further twist of the knife for many who lost loved ones.
With N81’s cover name now in the public domain, it’s time to get answers – particularly on how the anti-racism campaigns of the late 1990s were targeted.
Though there is one final twist. While N81’s cover name is being released, the Inquiry Chair, John Mitting, has chosen to withhold the name of some other key officers in the SDS at the time. The battles are not over yet, this just one step in the right direction.