NEWS > 26 July 2006

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The Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,
26 July 2006

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TV claim: the police corrupted

The family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence have called for a new investigation into the handling of the case in the wake of fresh allegations about police conduct.
The demand follows a 12-month undercover investigation, to be shown in a BBC documentary tonight, which alleges that a senior detective deliberately obstructed the initial investigation and that the Metropolitan Police suppressed knowledge of this.
The hour-long programme also alleges that the same detective had corruptly taken money from the father of one of the five men accused of the murder who were never convicted.
Although the programme claims the allegations were reported to police, it says they never reached a public inquiry chaired by Sir William Macpherson.
The programme also claims for the first time that the suspects' alibis do not stand up to scrutiny.
It has spoken to an alleged stabbing victim of one of the gang members who, in breaking his silence for the first time, says he would now be prepared to give evidence against him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday said it would launch a fresh inquiry into retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson, the officer against whom the latest allegations are made.
The IPCC is also to investigate claims by a former police officer, made in the documentary, that his testimony about Mr Davidson was withheld from the public inquiry into the teenager's murder.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths in a racist attack 13 years ago while waiting for a bus in Eltham, London.
Despite two police investigations, a private prosecution by the family, and a public inquiry, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Reacting to the documentary, fronted by Mark Daly, the Scottish investigative journalist who exposed the scandal of racism among English police, Doreen Lawrence, the murdered teenager's mother, said: "I am angry that after all this time it has taken the BBC to reinvestigate corruption around Stephen's murder. I hope that the IPCC will prove that they are independent and will investigate the corruption like it should have been done a long time ago."
The teenager's father, Neville, said: "What the BBC has revealed is very disturbing but it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated."
Imran Khan, solicitor for Doreen Lawrence, said: "There should be a full investigation into each and every single police officer who had any dealings with this case to look at the issue of corruption."
The Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police's first attempt at the murder investigation was not only incompetent but was institutionally racist. DS Davidson was singled out for a stinging rebuke. He even refused to accept that it had been a racist murder, Sir William concluded.
The BBC investigation records that Mr Davidson retired on a full pension with a clean record. He denied the allegations when tracked down by Daly in Menorca.
Daly, 31, from Glasgow, won a Bafta for his Panorama film, The Secret Policeman, which uncovered racism among police recruits in Manchester. Ten officers quit and a further 12 were disciplined after the report which shamed senior officers with the force.
The reporter posed as a recruit for seven months with the Greater Manchester force for the BBC documentary.
Daly said last night: "People are fed up cowering from this gang.
"Many people have been brave enough not only to help me in my investigation but also to put their head above the parapet and be prepared to press charges against them."

The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence will be shown on BBC1 Scotland tonight at 10.40pm.
The family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence have called for a new investigation into the handling of the case in the wake of fresh allegations about police conduct.
The demand follows a 12-month undercover investigation, to be shown in a BBC documentary tonight, which alleges that a senior detective deliberately obstructed the initial investigation and that the Metropolitan Police suppressed knowledge of this.
The hour-long programme also alleges that the same detective had corruptly taken money from the father of one of the five men accused of the murder who were never convicted.
Although the programme claims the allegations were reported to police, it says they never reached a public inquiry chaired by Sir William Macpherson.
The programme also claims for the first time that the suspects' alibis do not stand up to scrutiny.
It has spoken to an alleged stabbing victim of one of the gang members who, in breaking his silence for the first time, says he would now be prepared to give evidence against him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday said it would launch a fresh inquiry into retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson, the officer against whom the latest allegations are made.
The IPCC is also to investigate claims by a former police officer, made in the documentary, that his testimony about Mr Davidson was withheld from the public inquiry into the teenager's murder.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths in a racist attack 13 years ago while waiting for a bus in Eltham, London.
Despite two police investigations, a private prosecution by the family, and a public inquiry, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Reacting to the documentary, fronted by Mark Daly, the Scottish investigative journalist who exposed the scandal of racism among English police, Doreen Lawrence, the murdered teenager's mother, said: "I am angry that after all this time it has taken the BBC to reinvestigate corruption around Stephen's murder. I hope that the IPCC will prove that they are independent and will investigate the corruption like it should have been done a long time ago."
The teenager's father, Neville, said: "What the BBC has revealed is very disturbing but it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated."
Imran Khan, solicitor for Doreen Lawrence, said: "There should be a full investigation into each and every single police officer who had any dealings with this case to look at the issue of corruption."
The Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police's first attempt at the murder investigation was not only incompetent but was institutionally racist. DS Davidson was singled out for a stinging rebuke. He even refused to accept that it had been a racist murder, Sir William concluded.
The BBC investigation records that Mr Davidson retired on a full pension with a clean record. He denied the allegations when tracked down by Daly in Menorca.
Daly, 31, from Glasgow, won a Bafta for his Panorama film, The Secret Policeman, which uncovered racism among police recruits in Manchester. Ten officers quit and a further 12 were disciplined after the report which shamed senior officers with the force.
The reporter posed as a recruit for seven months with the Greater Manchester force for the BBC documentary.
Daly said last night: "People are fed up cowering from this gang.
"Many people have been brave enough not only to help me in my investigation but also to put their head above the parapet and be prepared to press charges against them."

The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence will be shown on BBC1 Scotland tonight at 10.40pm.
The family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence have called for a new investigation into the handling of the case in the wake of fresh allegations about police conduct.
The demand follows a 12-month undercover investigation, to be shown in a BBC documentary tonight, which alleges that a senior detective deliberately obstructed the initial investigation and that the Metropolitan Police suppressed knowledge of this.
The hour-long programme also alleges that the same detective had corruptly taken money from the father of one of the five men accused of the murder who were never convicted.
Although the programme claims the allegations were reported to police, it says they never reached a public inquiry chaired by Sir William Macpherson.
The programme also claims for the first time that the suspects' alibis do not stand up to scrutiny.
It has spoken to an alleged stabbing victim of one of the gang members who, in breaking his silence for the first time, says he would now be prepared to give evidence against him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday said it would launch a fresh inquiry into retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson, the officer against whom the latest allegations are made.
The IPCC is also to investigate claims by a former police officer, made in the documentary, that his testimony about Mr Davidson was withheld from the public inquiry into the teenager's murder.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths in a racist attack 13 years ago while waiting for a bus in Eltham, London.
Despite two police investigations, a private prosecution by the family, and a public inquiry, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Reacting to the documentary, fronted by Mark Daly, the Scottish investigative journalist who exposed the scandal of racism among English police, Doreen Lawrence, the murdered teenager's mother, said: "I am angry that after all this time it has taken the BBC to reinvestigate corruption around Stephen's murder. I hope that the IPCC will prove that they are independent and will investigate the corruption like it should have been done a long time ago."
The teenager's father, Neville, said: "What the BBC has revealed is very disturbing but it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated."
Imran Khan, solicitor for Doreen Lawrence, said: "There should be a full investigation into each and every single police officer who had any dealings with this case to look at the issue of corruption."
The Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police's first attempt at the murder investigation was not only incompetent but was institutionally racist. DS Davidson was singled out for a stinging rebuke. He even refused to accept that it had been a racist murder, Sir William concluded.
The BBC investigation records that Mr Davidson retired on a full pension with a clean record. He denied the allegations when tracked down by Daly in Menorca.
Daly, 31, from Glasgow, won a Bafta for his Panorama film, The Secret Policeman, which uncovered racism among police recruits in Manchester. Ten officers quit and a further 12 were disciplined after the report which shamed senior officers with the force.
The reporter posed as a recruit for seven months with the Greater Manchester force for the BBC documentary.
Daly said last night: "People are fed up cowering from this gang.
"Many people have been brave enough not only to help me in my investigation but also to put their head above the parapet and be prepared to press charges against them."

The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence will be shown on BBC1 Scotland tonight at 10.40pm.
The family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence have called for a new investigation into the handling of the case in the wake of fresh allegations about police conduct.
The demand follows a 12-month undercover investigation, to be shown in a BBC documentary tonight, which alleges that a senior detective deliberately obstructed the initial investigation and that the Metropolitan Police suppressed knowledge of this.
The hour-long programme also alleges that the same detective had corruptly taken money from the father of one of the five men accused of the murder who were never convicted.
Although the programme claims the allegations were reported to police, it says they never reached a public inquiry chaired by Sir William Macpherson.
The programme also claims for the first time that the suspects' alibis do not stand up to scrutiny.
It has spoken to an alleged stabbing victim of one of the gang members who, in breaking his silence for the first time, says he would now be prepared to give evidence against him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday said it would launch a fresh inquiry into retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson, the officer against whom the latest allegations are made.
The IPCC is also to investigate claims by a former police officer, made in the documentary, that his testimony about Mr Davidson was withheld from the public inquiry into the teenager's murder.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths in a racist attack 13 years ago while waiting for a bus in Eltham, London.
Despite two police investigations, a private prosecution by the family, and a public inquiry, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Reacting to the documentary, fronted by Mark Daly, the Scottish investigative journalist who exposed the scandal of racism among English police, Doreen Lawrence, the murdered teenager's mother, said: "I am angry that after all this time it has taken the BBC to reinvestigate corruption around Stephen's murder. I hope that the IPCC will prove that they are independent and will investigate the corruption like it should have been done a long time ago."
The teenager's father, Neville, said: "What the BBC has revealed is very disturbing but it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated."
Imran Khan, solicitor for Doreen Lawrence, said: "There should be a full investigation into each and every single police officer who had any dealings with this case to look at the issue of corruption."
The Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police's first attempt at the murder investigation was not only incompetent but was institutionally racist. DS Davidson was singled out for a stinging rebuke. He even refused to accept that it had been a racist murder, Sir William concluded.
The BBC investigation records that Mr Davidson retired on a full pension with a clean record. He denied the allegations when tracked down by Daly in Menorca.
Daly, 31, from Glasgow, won a Bafta for his Panorama film, The Secret Policeman, which uncovered racism among police recruits in Manchester. Ten officers quit and a further 12 were disciplined after the report which shamed senior officers with the force.
The reporter posed as a recruit for seven months with the Greater Manchester force for the BBC documentary.
Daly said last night: "People are fed up cowering from this gang.
"Many people have been brave enough not only to help me in my investigation but also to put their head above the parapet and be prepared to press charges against them."

The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence will be shown on BBC1 Scotland tonight at 10.40pm.
The family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence have called for a new investigation into the handling of the case in the wake of fresh allegations about police conduct.
The demand follows a 12-month undercover investigation, to be shown in a BBC documentary tonight, which alleges that a senior detective deliberately obstructed the initial investigation and that the Metropolitan Police suppressed knowledge of this.
The hour-long programme also alleges that the same detective had corruptly taken money from the father of one of the five men accused of the murder who were never convicted.
Although the programme claims the allegations were reported to police, it says they never reached a public inquiry chaired by Sir William Macpherson.
The programme also claims for the first time that the suspects' alibis do not stand up to scrutiny.
It has spoken to an alleged stabbing victim of one of the gang members who, in breaking his silence for the first time, says he would now be prepared to give evidence against him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday said it would launch a fresh inquiry into retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson, the officer against whom the latest allegations are made.
The IPCC is also to investigate claims by a former police officer, made in the documentary, that his testimony about Mr Davidson was withheld from the public inquiry into the teenager's murder.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths in a racist attack 13 years ago while waiting for a bus in Eltham, London.
Despite two police investigations, a private prosecution by the family, and a public inquiry, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Reacting to the documentary, fronted by Mark Daly, the Scottish investigative journalist who exposed the scandal of racism among English police, Doreen Lawrence, the murdered teenager's mother, said: "I am angry that after all this time it has taken the BBC to reinvestigate corruption around Stephen's murder. I hope that the IPCC will prove that they are independent and will investigate the corruption like it should have been done a long time ago."
The teenager's father, Neville, said: "What the BBC has revealed is very disturbing but it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated."
Imran Khan, solicitor for Doreen Lawrence, said: "There should be a full investigation into each and every single police officer who had any dealings with this case to look at the issue of corruption."
The Macpherson Inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police's first attempt at the murder investigation was not only incompetent but was institutionally racist. DS Davidson was singled out for a stinging rebuke. He even refused to accept that it had been a racist murder, Sir William concluded.
The BBC investigation records that Mr Davidson retired on a full pension with a clean record. He denied the allegations when tracked down by Daly in Menorca.
Daly, 31, from Glasgow, won a Bafta for his Panorama film, The Secret Policeman, which uncovered racism among police recruits in Manchester. Ten officers quit and a further 12 were disciplined after the report which shamed senior officers with the force.
The reporter posed as a recruit for seven months with the Greater Manchester force for the BBC documentary.
Daly said last night: "People are fed up cowering from this gang.
"Many people have been brave enough not only to help me in my investigation but also to put their head above the parapet and be prepared to press charges against them."

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Article sourced from

The Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,26 July 2006

TV claim: the police corrupted

EiP Comments:

The Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,
26 July 2006