PC Simon Harwood not guilty

[Jurgen the German]

Disgraceful verdict! Caught on camera shoving a defenceless man to the ground who later died in hospital, and is found not guilty!

And the police wonder why people don't like them!

The way the case was handled by the police reeks of a cover up.

 

[Leeds Spur]

If you read all the evidence I don't think he deserved to go to prison for 10 years.

Maybe some lesser charge.

They were getting charged at by tossers all day and this guy refused to back away so he got shoved! You don't expect the guy to fall over and have a heart attack!

 

[Jurgen the German]

Of course not, but he still shoved a man to the ground who had his back to him. And the fact that not one of the other officers offered to help him to his feet is shameful too!

Sky News have been saying that he's had at least 10 charges of misconduct. The coroner disposed of vital evidence because he was convinced PC Harwood was innocent!

I remember reading about this story as it has been ongoing for years. The police intentionally dragged their feet with the case so that the officer wouldn't face harsher charges!

The whole case just smells funny to me.

 

[Leeds Spur]

Of course not, but he still shoved a man to the ground who had his back to him. And the fact that not one of the other officers offered to help him to his feet is shameful too!

Sky News have been saying that he's had at least 10 charges of misconduct. The coroner disposed of vital evidence because he was convinced PC Harwood was innocent!

I remember reading about this story as it has been ongoing for years. The police intentionally dragged their feet with the case so that the officer wouldn't face harsher charges!

The whole case just smells funny to me.

Yeah, no doubt this copper is a bad egg, we all know the type don't we?!

As you say, closed ranks as soon as anything happens. Look at Ali Desai!!

 

[Jurgen the German]

It worries me that the police can get away with things like this. They could do the same to you or me and you'd more than likely get the same outcome as we got today.

It's officers like Harwood that give the police in this country a bad name. I've had mixed experiences with the police. I've reported crimes before and felt that they genuinely cared about pursuing justice, even though the chances of solving the crime were slim. And I've had a run in with a copper on the way to a Spurs match who thought I was a Leeds fan and shoved me and threatened to arrest me. I was walking from Seven Sisters to the lane and got caught up amongst the Leeds fans who have a reputation for causing trouble. We were all marched down the middle of the road and I swerved to avoid a puddle, the copper told me "If I have to tell you again you wont go to the game." I don't even remember him telling me the first time!

 

[johnola]

I feel deeply aggrieved by this, lord knows what the poor blokes family think.

It's unsettling to bear witness to the malevolence that exists within the British State, and more fuel to the fire for a proper revolution. They've had a 1000 years almost!

I agree with the line about the police being comprised of well meaning souls, but ultimately, our contract with them to protect us becomes invalid when they become dangerous to clearly innocent folk like Tomlinson.

 

[Crawley]

Not a comment about this verdict, but................

Say you come out of a night club, where tension had been bubbling all night, and some bloke you didn't know stood in front of you and refused to get out of your way.
Eventually, after much too-ing and fro-ing, you gave him a shove and he fell to the floor, but was out of your way.

6 hours later, the police arrest you as the bloke has just died of a heart-attack.

How do you plead?

And I'm not defending anyone here...........it's a realistic question.

 

[johnola]

Not a comment about this verdict, but................

Say you come out of a night club, where tension had been bubbling all night, and some bloke you didn't know stood in front of you and refused to get out of your way.
Eventually, after much too-ing and fro-ing, you gave him a shove and he fell to the floor, but was out of your way.

6 hours later, the police arrest you as the bloke has just died of a heart-attack.

How do you plead?

And I'm not defending anyone here...........it's a realistic question.

After you had failed to come forward to admit your guilt, and CCTV footage showed you putting you full weight behind the shove fully intending to send him to the floor whilst his hands were in his pockets, I would send you to prison for manslaughter.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Not a comment about this verdict, but................

Say you come out of a night club, where tension had been bubbling all night, and some bloke you didn't know stood in front of you and refused to get out of your way.
Eventually, after much too-ing and fro-ing, you gave him a shove and he fell to the floor, but was out of your way.

6 hours later, the police arrest you as the bloke has just died of a heart-attack.

How do you plead?

And I'm not defending anyone here...........it's a realistic question.

Didn't he also hit him with a baton?

The police have a bloody difficult and thankless job, but they are supposed to be above pushing defenceless, middle aged men to the ground who aren't even facing them. Not one officer offered to help him up.

If this incident had been his only transgression, then I might have some sympathy, but the officer in question has a long list of misdemeanors involving violence.

As I've mentioned earlier in the thread, the way the police handled the case just stinks to high heaven of corruption and a cover up! I actually our police force were different from other countries, turns out they're not!

 

[Crawley]

After you had failed to come forward to admit your guilt, and CCTV footage showed you putting you full weight behind the shove fully intending to send him to the floor whilst his hands were in his pockets, I would send you to prison for manslaughter.

Interesting.

Personally, I suspect a good lawyer would destroy that.

However, my question was, how would YOU plead. Not how would you charge me.

 

[Crawley]

Didn't he also hit him with a baton?

The police have a bloody difficult and thankless job, but they are supposed to be above pushing defenceless, middle aged men who aren't even facing them.

If this incident had been his only transgression, then I might have some sympathy, but the officer in question has a long list of misdemeanors involving violence.

As I've mentioned earlier in the thread, the way the police handled the case just stinks to high heaven of corruption and a cover up! I actually our police force were different from other countries, turns out they're not!

Jurgen, I take your points.
But as i said in that post, dis-connect from the case making the news, and take my example on its own. How do YOU plead?

 

[Sheikh Ma Nuggets]

Just one of many jumped-up little cúnts whom are police officers.

Seen his record? Complaint after complaint.

fudging tosser.

 

[johnola]

Interesting.

Personally, I suspect a good lawyer would destroy that.
However, my question was, how would YOU plead. Not how would you charge me.

Oh really because this is a completely unrelated scenario you are drawing, what am I charged with?

Because we've already discerned I pushed him, as a consequence of which he fell, and died.

Anything else would be lying.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Jurgen, I take your points.
But as i said in that post, dis-connect from the case making the news, and take my example on its own. How do YOU plead?

I would be lying if I said guilty so probably not guilty. But that really isn't the point. Police officers are entrusted to protect the citizens of towns and cities. They have a right to defend themselves if a man or woman comes at them and threatens to do them harm. They do not or should not have the right to push people to the ground who pose absolutely no threat to them whatsoever. There are clearly too many police officers (not just in this country btw) who feel they have a sense of entitlement because they have a badge. In this country, we are quick to criticise the police forces in other nations such as Italy or America for example for brutality or corruption. I actually thought our police force we better or above that!

 

[WhoopWhoop]

So hardwood didn't kill him? I suppose the met and Scotland yard have reopened the case and are looking for the real killer then?

 

[Leeds Spur]

Just one of many jumped-up little cúnts whom are police officers.

Seen his record? Complaint after complaint.

fudging tosser.

I tend to agree. But you do know if someone makes a complaint it stays on your record, even if the complaint is dismissed. The main people who make complaints are criminals.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I tend to agree. But you do know if someone makes a complaint it stays on your record, even if the complaint is dismissed. The main people who make complaints are criminals.

Granted, but 10 complaints seems rather high doesn't it? I mean I'm no expert on police complaints, but are they many officers who have that many complaints?

His rap sheet is long and unsauvory. Violence relating to a road rage incident and unlawful arrest. Illegally using the police computer to track down the person who pranged his wife's car.

 

[Leeds Spur]

Didn't he also hit him with a baton?

The police have a bloody difficult and thankless job, but they are supposed to be above pushing defenceless, middle aged men to the ground who aren't even facing them. Not one officer offered to help him up.

If this incident had been his only transgression, then I might have some sympathy, but the officer in question has a long list of misdemeanors involving violence.

As I've mentioned earlier in the thread, the way the police handled the case just stinks to high heaven of corruption and a cover up! I actually our police force were different from other countries, turns out they're not!

No baton. A shove. You ever shoved anyone? They fall on the floor, and have a heart attack hours later. 10 years? Cool.

 

[Leeds Spur]

Granted, but 10 complaints seems rather high doesn't it? I mean I'm no expert on police complaints, but are they many officers who have that many complaints?

His rap sheet is long and unsauvory. Violence relating to a road rage incident and unlawful arrest. Illegally using the police computer to track down the person who pranged his wife's car.

As I said, the guy is one of those cops who shouldn't be in a job. I'm just saying that manslaughter was too high a bar here. Accidental killing would have git the job done.

 

[Jurgen the German]

No baton. A shove. You ever shoved anyone? They fall on the floor, and have a heart attack hours later. 10 years? Cool.

The video clearly shows Tomlinson being struck by Harwood with a baton.

Leeds I said the same thing to Crawley, the police are given the task of protecting people. Of course they have a right to defend themselves/fight back if a person is violent or has the potential to become violent toward them, but the man was walking in front of him with his back to him with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't a physically imitidating figure either, just average height and weight from the looks of it. They don't or shouldn't have the right to shove defenceless people to the ground, unprovoked.

I wouldn't shove a person to the ground who posed no threat to me.