Iraq murder trial charges dropped
 

Iraq murder trial charges dropped See Gilbert Blades was involved, how old is he now?

Good. Let's see the same media coverage on the result as the original trumped up charges ? I doubt we will though.

If only he'd been carrying a table-leg, we could have saved all this time and trouble ......:rolleyes:

I'd have agreed. However, main headline on BBC Six O'Clock News.

The linked story on the BBC site is horrifying; could you imagine some Lincolnshire swamp donkey, who works in a chicken factory, judging your actions during a conflict? Oh my God........................ I think I would rather be judged by a GCM thanks very much.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4404086.stm

So, for all those who were spitting blood at lawyers and politicians for hanging these guys out to dry, it now transpires that it was the Royal Military Police SIB who insisted on enforcing this prosecution and putting the guys in the dock.

Thankfully, and somewhat ironically, it appears that their rather ham-fisted and allegedly amateurish investigative attempts were the main reason it was slung out of court at the earliest possible opportunity.

A time to look a little inwardly before casting aspersions externally methinks………………..

While many of the witnesses were talking utter bol.locks, the victim didn't beat himself to death, splashing his blood onto one of the para's rifle butts in the process.

No-one should ever be found guilty unless it can be properly proven, but even when there's a 'Not Guilty' verdict, one can be left feeling uncomfortable.

JN,

The body was never found, one of the key weaknesses in the case!

Dear PPRuNers,

Apologies if I'm wrong, but there's still a dead 18 year-old Iraqi attracting flies out there somewhere.

And I don't think he tripped over and banged his head after a boozy night out at a Baghdad go-go bar

Wasn't there DNA evidence linking the rifle butt of one of the soldiers to the deed geeza?

I, like most of you, find it abhorrent that our soldiers stood trial for a "murder" committed in one of the most hostile and difficult environments imaginable.

But in the same breath we have to make sure our troops don't ever let their reputation for 100% professionalism slip.

Because isn't that what separates the British Armed forces from the Yanks? And look at the problems they're having!!

At least our guys remove their shades when they speak to locals?!

Kind regards,

Spawn of Satan / Bile of Beelzebub / Dribble of Detritus*

*delete where necessary

PS- If you could avoid mentioning the Daily Mirror 'pictures' in your replies it would be very much appreciated.

I thought you weren't going to write any more:)

Yes..I know...but I just couldn't help myself.

But I got a surprising amount of supportive messages which convinced me to contribute from time to time.

Better the devil within?!?

It doesn't really make a difference because judging by the last two journos' posts on this thread we say roughly the same things but in slightly different ways!

Kind regards,

Spawn

Hi again RedTop

Valid points mostly. I think, if I got the BBC report correctly, that the RMP are being criticised, inter alia, for not obtaining DNA samples from the dead man's relatives. By inference there was no DNA evidence from the bloodstains.

Sven

Dear PPRuNers,

From the Guardian (06/09/05)

"Boot marks on the clothes of the injured Toyota driver, Athar Saddam, matched those worn by several patrol members, the court heard.

Blood recovered from the screw recess of Private May's rifle butt matched the DNA profile of Mr Abdullah's family. Private May was second-in-command of the patrol, which was led by Corporal Evans.

Radio messages sent from the patrol that day confirmed they had followed a car from a checkpoint, Mr Heslop said.

Later two of the accused - Privates Di-Gregorio and Vosloo - acknowledged there had been an incident that day."

Questions have to be asked...don't they?

Kind regards,

Bile

Can't see that the Grauniad would make that up. Must have misheard the Beeb (they couldn't be wrong - could they?)

Sven

RedTop,

No body, no grave, no death certificate........................................

Perhaps we need the Scottish "Not Proven" verdict, whcih I once heard described as "we can't prove it but don't do it again!"

You missed a bit Redtop - surely the Guardian journo isn't deliberately twisting the facts to suit his/her agenda and leaving out the inconvenient bits......:hmm:

Hey ORAC, did you ever get an answer about Gilbert Blades?

Don't know him so is/was he military aircrew? If not, why gift this thread to Red Top?

Maple01
In fairness to the Guardian journo, the piece from which I quoted, was taken from early on in the trial before the Iraqi 'witnesses' had been cross-examined (06/09 I think?).

And, yes, you are right, the witness confessions did 'wobble' the prosecution's case......just a tad, though.

But when all this dies down, and I hope us in the media let it happen quickly for the sake of the lads still out there, the Paras have to be sat down in a quiet room and told that if they are going to dish out a bit of street justice again they should do it in the privacy of their own homes.

They should also be reminded of the two golden rules of the South African police circa 1972.....never touch the face........and he tripped down the stairs M'Lud.

Kind regards,

Bile

PS- Apologies for being a real technophobe, but if I want to quote other posters in my replies on this forum, how do I lift them? At the mo, and don't laugh, I'm typing them out word for word which is a bit of a drag.

Data Lynx,

You said:

"Hey ORAC, did you ever get an answer about Gilbert Blades?

Don\'t know him so is/was he military aircrew? If not, why gift this thread to Red Top?"

Explain???

Kind regards,

Dribble

Apologies for that last post.......

Data Lynx,

You said:

"Hey ORAC, did you ever get an answer about Gilbert Blades?

Don\'t know him so is/was he military aircrew? If not, why gift this thread to Red Top?"

Explain???

Kind regards,

Dribble

Gilbert Blades is a barrister who for at least the last 20 years has specialised in Courts-Martial.

Sven