The police force for my home town (Lothian and Borders Police) have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax payers money on one case over the last year. Did they spend this money on fighting serious crime such as rape or murder? (Here’s a clue, the successful prosecution of rape cases is under 2%, the worst in the country).
They have spent the money on investigating the former socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan after he had the cheek to sue Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World “newspaper” in 2006.
Tommy was arrested in the street and questioned for 8 hours while NINE police men raided his house where his wife and 2 year old daughter were alone. Funnily enough the press had been tipped off and got lots of nice pictures to appear in the papers.
It was previously unheard of in Scotland for anyone to be investigated for perjury in a defamation case, but today’s arrest of Tommy’s wife Gail and her father makes it 6 arrests in this case.
At the same time there has been no noticeable moves forward in the investigation into Tommy’s car being bugged while he was a serving, democratically elected MSP. I think I know of a potential suspect…
I don’t agree with Tommy Sheridan’s politics and I have no idea if he lied in court or not, but would Lothian and Borders police act in the same manner if it had been a legal action taken by The Big Issue? Do all cases get the same treatment? I hope that they do…
What do you think?
Well it was either Tommys seven or the Eleven who lied.
The police were right to pursue it
Your question about the big issue makes no sense. The News of the World took no legal action. Sheridan did.
And of course they had to act – the suggestion that an MSP (a lawmaker) had committed perjury was gravely serious.
The investigation arose because the trial judge, Lord Turnbull, reported the matter to the authorities – noting that the discrepancies in evidence were such that one group of witnesses was lying. AT the time the investigation began it was not clear if this was going to be the News of the World witnesses (including the various SSP executive committee members and 4 MSPs who had seen one of their number go to court to avoid the release of the incriminating minute) or Sheridan’s witnesses (including 2 MSPs). Obviously the evidence has suggested the latter – but do not be surprised if at least one of the News of the World witnesses is charged.
You could view the seriousness of the case as relating to Sheridan’s action in suing. If he lied, and persuaded others to lie on his behalf (or others did this of their own volition) this is tantamount to seeking to obtain money by deception, and fraud would always be treated seriously by the police.
I’d be very surprised if a News of the World witness was charged. I mean, who would be the witness against such a person? Tommy?
It’s Solidarity spin that someone from the other side faces charges.
Well, if you want to drive traffic to your website, write about this subject. I got a weeks worth of hits within 24 hours.
I imagine that when there is a legal case where there are two sets of witnesses with two opposing versions of the truth, it can often be assumed that someone is committing perjury. Investigations and tactics like this should therefore be happening all the time. If they don’t then it looks like special treatment and journalists like Iain McWhirter in the Guardian call it “histrionic” and “extraordinary”…
(http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/iain_macwhirter/2007/12/the_king_of_the_swingers.html)
One good thing from all this will be that it will probably end up in court and we will all find out the compelling evidence against T.S that has led to these arrests. I suppose only then will we truly be able to comment on whether or not the police put their resources to the best use…