Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve backs G20 protest decision (From Bucks Free Press)

Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve backs G20 protest decision

11:56am Tuesday 27th July 2010 in

By Andy Carswell »

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ATTORNEY General Dominic Grieve has backed the decision not to prosecute a police officer following the death of a man at the G20 protest last year.

The Beaconsfield MP told the House of Commons yesterday the Crown Prosecution Service had concluded there was “no realistic prospect” manslaughter charges could be brought against the officer after the April 2009 death of Ian Tomlinson.

Video footage showed Mr Tomlinson being pushed to the ground by a police officer during a demonstration in London. He later died after collapsing.

Mr Grieve told the House on Monday: “No one who has seen the pictures of his treatment that day could fail to be disturbed by them. The facts were rightly and thoroughly investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

“In recognition of the strong public interest in understanding how that decision had been reached, last Thursday the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has responsibility independently of Government for the decision, made a detailed and lengthy statement explaining it.

“Once the IPCC has concluded its report, an inquest will follow into the death of Mr Tomlinson under the direction of Her Majesty's coroner. The Metropolitan police will also consider whether disciplinary or any other action should be brought.”

He added: “From the outset, the CPS and the IPCC approached this case on the basis that there may be evidence to justify a charge for manslaughter. Expert evidence was obtained with a view to establishing the cause of death.

“After the original pathologist, who was appointed by Her Majesty's coroner, provided a second statement about his findings, the factual basis on which the other experts had given their opinions about the cause of death was seriously undermined. The CPS concluded that there was no realistic prospect of conviction for manslaughter.”

Mr Grieve was responding to a request from Labour's Islington South and Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry to comment on the Crown Prosecution Service's announcement no charges would be brought.

In response to Mr Grieve's remarks, she suggested someone would have been charged if the roles were reversed and a member of the public had assaulted a police officer.

Ms Thornberry said: “We have all seen the film. The man was clearly assaulted. I suggest that that would not have happened if the tables had been turned and this shows that there is no equality before the law.”

Mr Grieve replied: “I have no reason to think that that is the case.”

He added another police officer was charged with common assault after hitting a woman twice with a baton during the G20 demonstration. He said: “That officer was of course recently acquitted by the courts.”

Comments(9)

wayneo says...
12:29pm Tue 27 Jul 10

"no realistic prospect” manslaughter charges could be brought against the officer"

Try assault then, thugs like this discredit the Police and should be off of the streets. I would also be very concerned as to why with the technology we have, that the post-mortems were inconclusive.