Did Anyone See the Colin Stagg story on BBC1?

[The Camel]

They went out of their way to stitch Stagg up, the police knew he hadn't done it. Same as the Jill Dando suspect who went down for a few years, anyone with some mental health problems and a record is likely to be accused of it.

I'm not so sure "the police knew he hadn't done it". The media hype and resulting public pressure meant they were desperate for a result.

Stagg fitted the bill as a very likely suspect.

So they tried to make sure he fitted the bill.

[Somerled]

None of it surprises me in the slightest. http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/stevenjohnston/index.html A case I was involved in during my brief legal career. What astonished me in that case was that not only did the police suppress evidence and change people's witness statements but a jury managed to find someone guilty of murdering someone despite the fact that people who knew the deceased saw him alive & well AFTER the date of the "murder". I'll never forget the few members of the jury who disagreed looking at me & shaking their heads as the verdict was read out. He got out eventually after 10 years so yes it is just as well we don't have the death penalty. Seems to me that the higher profile a case is, the more pressure is on the police to get "a result", and the less likely they are to get the right result.
Rant over.


Despite all this I still have respect for the police, they have a tough job to do & it's only a small minority who are corrupt. They just make the job even harder for the decent ones.

[The Camel]

which paper printed the 'No Girl is Safe' headline next to Stagg's picture?

I'm not sure. It just showed the cut out.

But if I was a betting man, I would be 1-25 The Sun and 33-1 bar one.

[booder]

which paper printed the 'No Girl is Safe' headline next to Stagg's picture?

I'm not sure. It just showed the cut out.

But if I was a betting man, I would be 1-25 The Sun and 33-1 bar one.

[The Camel]

let me ask a hypothetical question,

if it could be proved that police procedures resulted in a higher cleanup rate of crime (the majority in safe convictions), but this invariably meant the odd miscarriage of justice, would you consider this a price worth paying ?

I've always thought being in prison for a crime I didn't commit would be the worst form of hell.

I would rather 10 guilty men went free than to imprison 1 innocent man.

[The Camel]

which paper printed the 'No Girl is Safe' headline next to Stagg's picture?

I'm not sure. It just showed the cut out.

But if I was a betting man, I would be 1-25 The Sun and 33-1 bar one.

There's a shocker! not.

The bookies always win.

Thanks for the find Booder.

[bolt pp]

let me ask a hypothetical question,

if it could be proved that police procedures resulted in a higher cleanup rate of crime (the majority in safe convictions), but this invariably meant the odd miscarriage of justice, would you consider this a price worth paying ?

I've always thought being in prison for a crime I didn't commit would be the worst form of hell.

I would rather 10 guilty men went free than to imprison 1 innocent man.

this

[kinboshi]

which paper printed the 'No Girl is Safe' headline next to Stagg's picture?

I'm not sure. It just showed the cut out.

But if I was a betting man, I would be 1-25 The Sun and 33-1 bar one.

Wouldn't even wipe my arse with that sorry excuse for a paper.

[Rod Paradise]

What's more disgusting is the petty way HMG acts towards the victims of miscarriges of justice. They get compensation but are CHARGED for the cost of their 'upkeep' while incarcerated!!!

There's NO councelling, help with restarting their lives, nothing - just a fecking BILL!

[The Camel]

What's more disgusting is the petty way HMG acts towards the victims of miscarriges of justice. They get compensation but are CHARGED for the cost of their 'upkeep' while incarcerated!!!

There's NO councelling, help with restarting their lives, nothing - just a fecking BILL!

Are you sure this is right?

I am absolutely gobsmacked. (and that doesn't happen too often)

[Rod Paradise]

What's more disgusting is the petty way HMG acts towards the victims of miscarriges of justice. They get compensation but are CHARGED for the cost of their 'upkeep' while incarcerated!!!

There's NO councelling, help with restarting their lives, nothing - just a fecking BILL!

Are you sure this is right?

I am absolutely gobsmacked. (and that doesn't happen too often)

Absolutely - there was a programme in Scotland about it - there's a guy who was released years after a wrongful conviction. He's pretty much a recluse but has invited others who've been in the same boat to stay with him till they've got things straight in their own heads - can't remember the guy's name though.

[Josedinho]

Can't comment on the counselling but i remember hearing that a guy who had been locked up for around 20 years got paid £1mil+ in compensation but was then charged 20 years bed and board.

[gatso]

wow rod, that is fucking appalling. do you know if that's a scottish thing or uk wide?

[redsimon]

You missed 1 point Keith,

5. Thank god theres no longer a death penalty in the UK.

[bolt pp]

theres something in place i'm sure, you get a certain amount per day, i think it's £60 a day or something if you were on remand for 6 months then found not guilty, not sure if that's a similar thing they have for if you have a conviction overturned, as well as that basic structure of payment i'd imagine you can pursue a legal action for compensation.