Senior police officer found dead

Osem · 13-01-2008, 21:15

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7185769.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...ts/7016430.stm

Tragic case this - he was out on bail awaiting trial for the murder of his wife and his mother in law was apparently due to testify against him. The prosectution requested bail be denied but the judge thought better....

Derek · 13-01-2008, 21:21

Why anyone (except in the most extreme cases) gets bail for murder is beyond me.

13-01-2008, 21:23

I see he topped the MIL before himself I know this isnt funny but this is a lot of mens dream

BBKing · 13-01-2008, 21:24

Domestic crime, previous good character, if being a senior Metropolitan Police officer counts as that. Not entirely surprising, although with absolutely terrible consequences, it seems.

Quote:

I see he topped the MIL before himself I know this isnt funny but this is a lot of mens dream

Not mine, I've never met her. She's schizophrenic and has a bee in her bonnet about Jews.

v0id · 14-01-2008, 02:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek S

Why anyone (except in the most extreme cases) gets bail for murder is beyond me.

innocent until proven guilty

Derek · 14-01-2008, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by v0id

innocent until proven guilty

So then you think no one should be remanded in custody until their trial date?

punky · 14-01-2008, 11:17

I must admit I thought people were usually bailed unless they were:

1. a flight risk or no fixed abode/employment
2. imminent and proven threat to the public.
3. repeat offender.

I would have thought bail should have been granted unless there was good reason not to. Previously good character, high profile job, family life, etc. Also putting someone who could have been quite innocent and who has spent his life putting away criminals, in the same place as those criminals isn't a good idea for someone who isn't yet proven guilty.

Derek · 14-01-2008, 11:47

The most serious crimes (Murder) are normally treated as a serious threat to the public and kept on remand till trial.
Repeat offenders are quite often given bail as well. It's not uncommon for people to rack up 4 or 5 bails for separate offences before they get remanded for trial.

I might be a bit cynical but for someone where there is enough evidence for him to be tried for murder, he's known to have access to firearms, has threatened the mother-in-law of his (alleged) victim and has attempted suicide then I'd reckon letting him walk the streets isn't the best idea.

punky · 14-01-2008, 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek S

I might be a bit cynical but for someone where there is enough evidence for him to be tried for murder, he's known to have access to firearms, has threatened the mother-in-law of his (alleged) victim and has attempted suicide then I'd reckon letting him walk the streets isn't the best idea.

Yeah I suppose when you put it like that...

Osem · 14-01-2008, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek S

The most serious crimes (Murder) are normally treated as a serious threat to the public and kept on remand till trial.
Repeat offenders are quite often given bail as well. It's not uncommon for people to rack up 4 or 5 bails for separate offences before they get remanded for trial.

I might be a bit cynical but for someone where there is enough evidence for him to be tried for murder, he's known to have access to firearms, has threatened the mother-in-law of his (alleged) victim and has attempted suicide then I'd reckon letting him walk the streets isn't the best idea.

Sadly we read about such instances all too often.

Mike · 14-01-2008, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gavin

I must admit I thought people were usually bailed unless they were:

1. a flight risk or no fixed abode/employment
2. imminent and proven threat to the public.
3. repeat offender.

.

Spot on with this................

Think about points 1 & 2 relating to a police officer !

As for point 3 .....bail in these cases is not unusual (domestic murder). Think about it..........for the simple reason that the offender is 'unlikely to re-offend' because the partner is dead! That is the way it is argued in court !

Mike

Xaccers · 14-01-2008, 16:03

Not forgetting the potential risk of harm coming to him as a senior police officer in prison.

BBKing · 14-01-2008, 16:34

Quote:

That is the way it is argued in court !

Yes, exactly, and it'll be interesting to see the court transcripts and whether the CPS even opposed bail. Remember bail is decided adversarially, the defence usually arguing why he's a good chap who won't be naughty and the CPS deciding whether it's worth contesting this, then the judge deciding. On which note, the charming Evening Standard is making a big noise about the judge being unable to remember why he bailed him when he actually said he'd need to check the transcripts, which seems perfectly reasonable, that's why transcripts are kept.

Quote:

Also putting someone who could have been quite innocent and who has spent his life putting away criminals, in the same place as those criminals isn't a good idea for someone who isn't yet proven guilty.

Well, his brief is perfectly at liberty to argue this, but I'm not sure it would carry a lot of weight. Same could apply to suspected paedophiles (in the sense of being at risk in a prison situation).