Plebgate Officer Jailed For 12 Months

[ChillDoubt]

Just on Sky News Ticker.
It's the officer who claimed to have witnessed the Plebgate Incident, but obviously didn't.
I hope for his sake that PC Toby Rowland has got his own story straight......

[jno]

that's probably about right. Has he resigned/been sacked yet? He can hardly be considered fit to continue.

[ChillDoubt]

If memory serves I believe his resignation was refused, sometime last week?

[Baldric]

Good news, might make some of the others think twice!

[jno]

I didn't see that - good move, as I believe he'd have been able to claim his pension if he'd retired, as if nothing had happened.

[ChillDoubt]

Refused by the Met, 2 weeks ago:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25850209

[ToraToraTora]

I just find it remarkable that someone has ended up in jail over what was a bad tempered spat between 2 public servants, beggars belief.

[mikey4444]

A Policeman being found guilty ! Well, what a turn up for the books !

Cameron should now reinstate Andrew Mitchell with immediate effect.

[mikey4444]

But why did this man tell a lie in the first place ? Was he asked to by other Officers, or did he just do it off his own back, without any involvement to anybody else in this case ?

[Peter Pedant]

3T - no I am not aghast.

all it means is that you havent seen someone lie in public office.

His defence - and it is so stupid it may be a spoof - was that he thought he was elsewhere (erm outside 10 Downing st that is ! ) and was hearing voices.....( that would be plebs ! plebs ! )

for myself I didnt believe that what he said he saw was untrue
I mean with CCTV you have to be pretty crazy to say I was there when I wasnt

But there were other incredible things - the 'top' civil servant asked to investigate didnt ask for the CCTV and when asked why not, said - he was asked to review not to investigate.

He (the toppo civil servant) is also doing Amritsar - and I have checked - he says he has read the papers on the subject this time.....

[mikey4444]

TTT...as you find it remarkable that a serving Police Officer should be tried for lying, just what do you think should have happened to PC Wallis ? A smack on the wrist perhaps ?

[ChillDoubt]

TTT, does the term 'fit-up' mean anything to you?

[ToraToraTora]

I mean, I'm surprised it came to trial etc. I'm amazed that those concerned didn't nip this in the bud. For christ sake we've all been a plonker from time to time and had to apologise and clean up the mess. I just find it remarkable that this ended up in court.

[mikey4444]

TTT.......this was clearly a bungled attempt to fit Mitchell up....no other reason would seem to make sense. Some of our Police are so stupid that they can't even lie convincingly.

I think that a charge was brought in the public interest, as the Police must be like Caesar's wife, above suspicion.

[ladyalex]

I still don't understand why Mitchell wasn't done for swearing at the police.
As I understand it, other people have been.

It's all just so distasteful.
Grown men in important positions (Government minister and policemen) swearing and lying.

[jake-the-peg]

I think he was pretty lucky considering that he lied to attempt to incriminate a cabinet minister and the amount of time and money spent investigating the matter

[ludwig]

// I think he was pretty lucky considering that he lied to attempt to incriminate a cabinet minister and the amount of time and money spent investigating the matter //

He was. It's a lenient sentence. The fact that he lost his job and pension is the real punishment. It's a shame that there's 'insufficient evidence' to find out who the other liars are in this case and punish them as well.

It's still the case that either Mitchell or the other police officers are lying. I know who my money's on.

[Zeuhl]

T3

If police officers are allowed to lie about what they witnessed people say and do - and get away with it

Or, if found out, have the matter resolved 'between the chaps' nice and quietly

How long do you think our Justice System would retain credibility or validity

Or are you suggesting this is business as usual, police officers are normally lying when they give evidence against someone and its naive to think otherwise

[ToraToraTora]

Of course not, I'd have just hoped this spat could have been resolved without one side trying to fit up the other.

[mikey4444]

The only "fitting up" TTT has been done by the Police. How did the other side fit anybody up ?

[ToraToraTora]

I said "one side fitted up the other", I did NOT say "both sides fitted up each other", do try and read what is written.

This is like a playground fight when the teacher goes over and breaks it up and says "right you two it's over shake hands or you are both in detention". That's the point I'm making surely there must have been a "teacher" somewhere who could have made them "shake hands".

Are we saying that from the outset the police contrived the whole thing to fit up the minister?