De Menezes inquest jury rejects police claims

[Albus]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/12/de-menezes-verdict

The jury at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes today rejected Scotland Yard's claim that he was lawfully killed as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

Banned by the coroner, Sir Michael Wright, from returning a verdict of unlawful killing, the five men and five women decided on an open verdict – the most critical that was available to them.

In a series of answers to a list of crucial questions, they dismissed the testimony of the senior firearms officer who shot De Menezes – suggesting they did not believe the officer was acting in self-defence.

The jury found that the firearms officer, C12, did not shout "armed police" before shooting De Menezes and that the Brazilian did not move towards him aggressively, prompting the fatal shot.

Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the De Menezes family, said the officers who claimed to have shouted warnings should be investigated for possible perjury. "There was certainly evidence of perjury by certain officers and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) should look at it again at this stage and I am sure they will."

In a statement, De Menezes's cousin Patricia Armani da Silva said the jury would have gone further and recorded a verdict of unlawful killing "had they not been gagged by the coroner".

"The jury's verdict is a damning indictment of the multiple failures of the police and the lies they told," she said.

The conclusions of the jury leave Scotland Yard in turmoil. Sir Paul Stephenson, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner, said the force needed time to give "proper consideration" to the verdict.

[non sociopath skin]

1. Good for them!

We ain't a dictatorship yet.

The Skin

[Matilda]

2. I'm amazed that the coroner can direct the jury in this way.

I imagine it's the same in Australia, as we inherited the British legal
system, but I've not been aware of it before. It's really saying to
the jury "whatever the evidence tells you, you can't make up your own
minds as to the truth of the matter, but do as you're told".

This whole thing has been a fiasco from the beginning, and this is surely
proof that the cover-up goes all the way to the top.