Assaulted Cop: Accused Not Guilty

[evo]

Hysteria is a pretty strong word. Because of the not guilty verdict there has been a lot of assuming that the police acted unlawfully. Is that also hysteria?

From the video at least it is hard to see that the police did anything at all wrong.

That QC has to be worth every cent he charges.I can't believe he got off something that blatant.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Yes, but the incompetence of one Detective hardly equates to the preposterous claim you are making.

We both know it isn't just one.

 

[vealesy]

Well if the whole story has not been reported in the media - How did you get your information ? What is your source ? What brought you to conclude that the media has been biased in this case?

A) You were on the jury?
B) You attended the trial as an observer or participant
& watched the whole proceedings?
C) A Friend from A or B told you?
D) A McLeod family member?
E) A McLeod family friend?
F) Other - please elaborate

Which option mate? Its a simple question.

refuse to answer that, you will just have to take my word.

 

[skipper kelly]

From the video at least it is hard to see that the police did anything at all wrong.

Operationally they probably did plenty wrong. Well they did because a bloke is in a wheelchair and when that happens something has obviously gone wrong. Legally everything looked fine.

That QC has to be worth every cent he charges.I can't believe he got off something that blatant.

No doubt he is. Right up there with J K Rowling one would think.

 

[Goldenblue]

Just what we need in Perth more lynchmobs - where is howard sattler when you need him. I suppose he is on 24 hours a day talking up the "crisis in the judicial system"

It was not a lynchmob at all, it was support for the police, the people who put their lives on the line to protect people like you and I from those gutless thugs like the McLeod ones.

There is a crisis in the judicial system, thugs like the ones I mentioned are getting off lightly.

 

[Goldenblue]

Agree 100%


Where would you rate the framing of Andrew Mallard of the Pamela Lawrence murder by Caporn?

I'd rate that as one of the biggest injustices in WA history, wouldn't you? Especially considering the man gets 13 years in prison, and Caporn gets another high paying job.

If you bothered to actually read my post, I said "one of the greatest injustices" not "the greatest injustice". The Mallard case was an injustice too. There is corruption in the police force, I agree, but I truly believe most cops out there are doing the right thing.

I would prefer the police out there protecting us from violence in the streets, especially the "gangsta" type who are piss weak and gutless and attack people for money and mobile phones and use the help of 15 of their mates to stomp on the victims head. Seriously, I felt safer on the streets when I was in my late teens early 20s than I do today. At least back then if I got into a fight, it was one on one, no knives or gutless king hits from behind.

 

[vealesy]

Yeh but how is mandatory jail terms for assaults on police going to curb that problem goldenblue?

the death penalty has never stopped murder.

 

[Goldenblue]

Vealesy,

I believe it will be a bigger deterrent than a slap on the wrist and a fine, and after the Butcher verdict, I really see no other choice.

Lets simplify this. If you DO NOT want to go to jail, don't hit a cop. The Butcher verdict was wrong, how can anyone tell me that a king hit from behind is self defence?

Since the verdict, cops are being assaulted everywhere in the state, is that right? Do cops deserve no protection at all?

Yes there is corruption in the police force, but most of the cops are just doing their job, the majority are not corrupt.

Everybody expects the be protected in their workplace.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Since the verdict, cops are being assaulted everywhere in the state, is that right? Do cops deserve no protection at all?

No. It's just being publicised more.

Mandatory sentencing is not the answer, as it will be abused and circumvents one of the most important parts of the judicial system.

It seems like we are hellbent on going down that course though, so I hope they make a distinction as to what qualifies for a "serious assault", worthy of the mandatory sentence, as opposed to say say pushing a police officer off you who may not be doing the right thing (assaulting you, using excessive force or wrongful arrest).

 

[Chops_a_must]

I believe it will be a bigger deterrent than a slap on the wrist and a fine, and after the Butcher verdict, I really see no other choice.

Nonsense.

The new laws would not have changed the result at all.

 

[Ted38]

Watching the local ABC News it would appear that another, not dissimilar, case will be in the Court in the not too distant future.

 

[vealesy]

Nonsense.

The new laws would not have changed the result at all.

exactly.

so wtf are people cheering them in for?

do they understand this at all?

 

[Black Ball]

Watching the local ABC News it would appear that another, not dissimilar, case will be in the Court in the not too distant future.

You are correct in fact the similarities are very interesting what will also be interesting is who the defence legal team consists of. Suffice it to say there is already one namely Tudori who was the instructing Solicitor in the McLeod case.

 

[Theeighthhamster]

We live in a capitalist society. The side who could afford the most 'justice' won. Hardly suprising.

 

[Contra Mundum]

Bollocks absolute bollocks! Back it up with facts.

Look at the outrage at sentencing decisions. They are judge alone decisions.

If you think judges are better judges than ordinary punters on questions of fact then you obviously have not been around senior members of counsel from whom they are chosen - Scotch college, Ormond College, Big City Law firm, bar to bench is not the sort of life experience that lends itself to being good judges of people or their conduct - unless of course you are talking about the theft of polo mallets

You have too much faith in the State if you want to dispense with trial by jury

 

[Ted38]

We both know it isn't just one.

True just as we both know that those types are in a minority and are far outnumbered by honest and well intentioned Police Officers who have the best interests of the community at heart. Just like Constable Butcher.

 

[Black Ball]

Look at the outrage at sentencing decisions. They are judge alone decisions.

If you think judges are better judges than ordinary punters on questions of fact then you obviously have not been around senior members of counsel from whom they are chosen - Scotch college, Ormond College, Big City Law firm, bar to bench is not the sort of life experience that lends itself to being good judges of people or their conduct - unless of course you are talking about the theft of polo mallets

You have too much faith in the State if you want to dispense with trial by jury

I dont see any facts in that response, just a less than intelligent bagging of those who are and who aspire to be judges.

 

[Contra Mundum]

I dont see any facts in that response, just a less than intelligent bagging of those who are and who aspire to be judges.

I deal with these people all the time mate!

 

[JimDocker]

The McLeod's seem like absolute tools. Since the trial, it has come to light that the father has a conviction for assault and one of the sons has a conviction for theft and has served time. They do not seem like the sort of bloke that I would want to hang out with.

Constable Butcher seems like a lovely bloke. His wife seems lovely too. They will need a lot of the strength of character that both have shown since the incident to get them through the challenges ahead.

None of the above changes the fact that a trial was held in which the prosecution and the defense had an opportunity to put their respective cases forward. The defense was able to show that their was doubt on the validity of the prosecution case. That is how the justice system works in all free Western democracies ( at least, that I am aware of).

The West Australian police force has a terrible record in recent years for presenting credible evidence in court and maybe this is one of those occasions.

I think it stinks if people believe that they are free to attack the police, but this case was not about that. It was about the police presenting evidence and the defense presenting evidence to be judged by people that have sat in the court for the entire trial.

I admit that the verdict leaves me uneasy. But we cannot go changing the laws because a verdict does not go the way casual observers expect.

As for the rally. Mandatory sentencing is a ridiculous concept in an impartial justice system. The judiciary should have discretionary powers.

Good luck to Matt Butcher in his future endeavours.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Good post.

 

[Goldenblue]

I wonder at times what would have happened if it was a judge who was beaten cowardly by a thug.

 

[Goldenblue]

Nonsense.

The new laws would not have changed the result at all.

SWo you think it's ok to bash a cop and get away scot free? What's your answer??

 

[Freo Big Fella]

The West Australian police force has a terrible record in recent years for presenting credible evidence in court and maybe this is one of those occasions.

This is what amazes me.

Both the police and the DPP have terrible records in this regard. I think there are at least a dozen cases over the last few years which have collapsed due to police screwing up their handling of forensic evidence alone. Not to mention the fact that the DPP seems to make a habit of losing every high profile case that comes up to them (Stirling Footbridge Murder comes to mind in this regard) - and yet peoples reaction is "Communist judges - we should shoot everyone!"

 

[Goldenblue]

So it seems to me, that many on here think the Mcleods deserved to walk free.

They should have been jailed for 5 - 10 years.

 

[Chops_a_must]

SWo you think it's ok to bash a cop and get away scot free? What's your answer??

WHAT THE **** KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT???

Of course I do not. Just like I don't think it's ok to hit anyone unprovoked.

But I think I would like also like to be able to defend myself, no matter who it is that is physically harming me.