Jean de Menezes inquest dissolving into a shambles
Coroner Sir Michael Wright, presiding over the inquest into the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes at the Oval Cricket Ground is looking increasingly isolated and incompetent.
Last week, he ruled that the jury was forbidden from considering whether the innocent Tube passenger was unlawfully killed. Since then the lawyers for de Menezes family have withdrawn from the court.
The jury will be reduced today to 10 members with one of the jurors being discharged because of overseas travel plans , according to the transcript , Sir Michael .."will give you further directions tomorrow morning upon the new majority figures that
would apply to a jury of ten" - expect more defections / gyppy tummies / deaths in the family.
Now he has said he would accept a majority verdict after the jurors have (so far) failed to reach unanimity.
The jurors who have spent 5 days deliberating have been told to cast aside any emotion in deciding between a lawful killing verdict or an open verdict. They must also answer a questionnaire the contents of which are confidential.
The BBC report that Sir Michael Wright said a majority must agree on all the points in a list of questions they have to answer "yes", "no" or "cannot decide" to.
However with an evaporating jury, disappearing lawyers, failure to arrive at a verdict (even a majority) simply pushes off any potential legal action against the state's assassins - and will no doubt even further delay the inquest into the 7/7 victims.
Which , failing an open verdict , is for the forces of law and order, after three months, 100 witnesses and a cost of £3 million pounds, a result. (BBC - Four councils, Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Greenwich in south London could have to pay a bill of more than £4m for the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest to be held, it has been revealed.)
Family Inquest Website
Mr Ralph Livock 30th October 2008 questioned by Mr Hilliard
Q. Thank you. Did you hear him say anything to Mr de Menezes?
A. Absolutely not.
2 comments:
"They must also answer a questionnaire the contents of which are confidential."
Are they?? If you go to the hearing transcripts you'll find them a few pages in on 4 December 2008, last day of Summing up.
Reading the transcripts, The Met 'had 3 suspects' in the early moring of 22nd July 2005:
1. Hamdi Isaac (Hussain Osman)
2. Abdi Omar
3. Elias Girma Eyassu (aka Jeffrey/Geoffrey Obwana/Obonwa etc.etc.)
All 3 of these were under surveillance in May 2004 at the 'Operation Ragstone' camp in the Lake District. #2 & #3 were out of the country on 22/7/2005.
See these BAILII notes on Apellant 'AP' (who is Elias Girma Eyassu)
'AP' (Elias Girma Eyassu, a brother of Yeshi Girma & Essayas Girma, both convicted for assisting the 'July 21st gang') is under a control order.
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