Lies And Cover-Ups Over Tomlinson Death

Shocking results of a second post mortem into the death of G20 bystander Ian Tomlinson were held back for a week by a police watchdog, leaving the family to suffer knowing he did not die of a heart attack. 

Tomlinson's death is leaving behind a disgraceful trail of lies, deceit and cover-ups which is slowly unravelling bit by bit. 

Now a Territorial Support Group (TSG) officer suspended over the death of Tomlinson has been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter after the second post mortem, known for a week but only revealed today, showed the newspaper-seller died from internal bleeding. 

The disturbing development, which would never have come to light without the Guardian footage showing an unmarked balaclava-clad TSG officer striking and pushing him, calls into question why a home office pathologist carried out the first post mortem without the involvement of the IPCC. 

The family's solicitor, Jules Carey, said they had been aware of the results of the second post mortem for a week. They had reluctantly held the information back because the IPCC initially opposed its publication: "The family ... have had to endure the holding back of this information despite continuing reports in the press that Ian died of a heart attack."

The disturbing development will renew calls for the home secretary to hold a Scarman-style full and independent public inquiry into the death of Tomlinson, after a masked police thug without a shoulder ID number was caught on camera in a sickening unprovoked act of police brutality.

Like many, the Orange Party was taken back by the swiftness of the 'natural causes' result of the first post mortem - the result was too quick.

The video raised disturbing questions for the home secretary over police riot tactics at the G20 summit and once again calls into question the version of events which differs from the one the police gave to the media at the time. 

Wind back one week and if an American tourist had not caught on camera that crucial stage of the unprovoked police assault on Tomlinson, the original falsified post mortem report of a heart attack would have remained. 

So far police statements have been a pack of lies, a view shared by former UK ambassador and legal-eagle Craig Murray, who calls for heads to roll over the increasing roll-call of 'official' lies:

There was no police contact with Mr Tomlinson. Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack. Protesters rained missiles at police rescuing and treating Mr Tomlinson. There were no CCTV cameras covering the assault on Mr Tomlinson. There were CCTV cameras, but they were not working.

This delayed second post mortem result raises disturbing questions about the government pathologist who carried out the original post mortem examination and the police spokesmen who told lies that there was no police contact with Tomlinson and that protesters threw missiles at police treating him.

Moreover the home secretary has some explaining to do. Why were unmarked and masked TSG officers deployed at the G20 protest and why were senior police officers given the authority to use inhuman 'kettling' tactics and cordons?

The new post mortem was carried out by Dr Nat Cary at the request of Tomlinson's family and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) who sat on the results for a week.

A statement from City of London Coroner's Court said Dr Cary's preliminary report contradicted the initial findings.

Tomlinson's son Paul King said: "First we were told that there had been no contact with the police, then we were told that he died of a heart attack. Now we know that he was violently assaulted by a police officer and died from internal bleeding.

"As time goes on, we hope that the full truth about how Ian died will be made known." 

Many will share that view, not least the family of Jean Charles De Menezes with disturbing echoes of the lies and cover-ups  thrown up by that shocking killing. 

Picture: Still of Tomlinson assault from Guardian G20 footage

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Why Police Wear Balaclavas In Spring

The rise of balaclava-clad riot police, caught on camera over the death of innocent G20 bystander Ian Tomlinson, has exposed a disturbing new police tactic, with masked, unidentifiable officers now deployed in a chilling throw-back to the days of the discredited and now disbanded Special Patrol Group and the death of teacher Blair Peach. Are the police in danger of taking the law into their own hands?

The masked police thug caught on camera and seen by millions assaulting a man at the G20 protests minutes before he died, finally came forward last night.

But disturbingly the Guardian reports "fresh pictures suggested he had removed his shoulder number and covered his face with a balaclava before hitting Ian Tomlinson with a baton and pushing him to the ground last week."

The officer, from the Territorial Support Group (TSG), is part of a squad of officers who view themselves as the 'elite', now becoming common place on our streets as the unidentifiable balaclava brigade. 

Watching the Guardian video footage of the sickening unprovoked attack, the Orange Party was not alone in raising questions about the balaclava-clad assailant: "What is equally disturbing is that the officer is heavily masked with no shoulder number and only the words "MP" for Metropolitan Police on his helmet."

That  tactic of wearing a balaclava to hide the identity of specialist riot squad officers from prying eyes, is increasingly being used in crowd control tactics. 

On the surface it seems worthwhile. It prevents the officer from being identified in any reprisal in what is often a dangerous job and helps prevents any facial injuries. 

The Orange Party has no quarrel with that. Nor with the work of specialist police often at the sharp and dangerous end, dealing with the nasty criminal and terrorist underbelly which simmers near the surface of society.  

But the use of balaclava clad officers was also highly visible at the North Lindsey Oil refinery during the BJ4BW protests (opposite). Clearly then it wasn't just the cold which was being kept away. 

And that raises the sinister spectre of a political police force used to control the 'English mob' during legitimate and justified protests.

The TSG is an operations unit of the Met, specialising in public order. It is no stranger to the streets of London nor the provinces and replaced the controversial Special Patrol Group (SPG) in 1987. 

Officers should be identified as TSG from the 'U' in their shoulder or 'collar' number, which was not visible in the assault on Tomlinson who was not part of the demonstration and was assaulted from behind and pushed to the ground by a masked baton-wielding TSG officer.

Senior police officers have condemned the assault saying there is no excuse for what he did and at the very least he had committed a serious disciplinary offence and a criminal assault.

The rise of the balaclava brigade marks a disturbing trend reminiscent of the disreputable antics of the SPG which it replaced and the death of innocent bystander Blair Peach. 

The SPG's most controversial incident came in 1979 when teacher Blair Peach died as a result of alleged police brutality during a demonstration in London. 

Inquiries found SPG officers with baseball bats, crowbars and sledgehammers as part of their armoury. 

Police brutality was never proven but it was claimed Peach had fallen to a blow from a lead-filled cosh or rubberised police radio belonging to the SPG.

The current trend towards a police state is unacceptable but the danger lies when the police, as agents of the state, take the law into their own hands with tacit approval of their political masters. 

UPDATE 7pm: The TSG officer at the centre of the assault has been suspended.

Top Picture: Still from Guardian video footage of Tomlinson assault

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Smith Must Act Over Police Death Thugs

The home secretary is facing calls for a Scarman style inquiry into the death of bystander Ian Tomlinson after a masked police thug was caught on camera in a sickening unprovoked act of police brutality.  

Police brutality is laid bare in shocking video footage obtained by the Guardian which reveals the newspaper seller, who was not a protester, being viciously attacked from behind and thrown to the ground by a masked baton-wielding police officer in riot gear during last week's G20 protests. 

The video raises disturbing questions for the home secretary over police riot tactics and once again calls into question the version of events which differs from the one the police gave to the media at the time. 

What is equally disturbing is that the officer is heavily masked with no shoulder number and only the words "MP" for Metropolitan Police on his helmet. The  tactic of wearing a balaclava to hide the identity of specialist riot control officers from prying eyes, is  increasingly being used and was evident  during the BJ4BW protests. 

The video, obtained by the Guardian, along with eye-witness accounts,  contradict the official version of events given by police and has led to calls from LibDems for a criminal investigation and inquiry into Tomlinson's death.  

In a completely different version of events to that given by police, the video clearly shows the man sauntering home, hands in pockets, in a submissive pose, not making eye contact, before he's viciously attacked.

Police then stand round making no attempt to help and only a protester comes to Tomlinson's aid. Moments after the assault was captured on video, Tomlinson suffered a heart attack and died.

In an official statement on the night of Tomlinson's death, Metropolitan Police made no reference to any contact with officers and simply described attempts by police medics and an ambulance crew to save his life after he collapsed.

In a staggeringly toothless and useless gesture, the police complaints watchdog, the IPCC is only 'monitoring'  an investigation by City of London police.

At the time, IPCC commissioner, Deborah Glass, said: "Initially, we had accounts from independent witnesses ... who told us that there had been no contact between the police and Mr Tomlinson when he collapsed."

"However, other witnesses who saw him ... have since told us that Mr Tomlinson did have contact with police officers.

As in the Jean Charles de Menezes shooting, police seem to have briefed the media before establishing the full facts and made claims which simply do not stand up to eye-witness accounts and video scrutiny.

A precedent for a judicial inquiry is well-founded. In 1975 a Labour home secretary set up a judicial inquiry under Lord Scarman into the riots in Red Lion Square that led to the death of student Kevin Gately, the  first demonstrator to be killed on the UK mainland for half a century.

A coroner's inquest concluded Kevin's death was the result of a blow to the head from a blunt instrument. The Orange Party like many journalists was convinced his death was due to an attack by mounted baton-wielding riot police. 

The circumstances surrounding Tomlinson's death must be investigated, criminal changes brought and a full jury-led inquest held, if only to restore some confidence in the police who have taken a severe battering by their disgraceful actions.

The shocking video is a terrible indictment of police brutality and unwarranted riot control tactics. On this matter the home secretary cannot bury her head in the sand. As was the case over the death of Kevin Gately, it is the duty of a responsible home secretary to order a full judicial inquiry. 

UPDATE 5pm: According to Guardian the IPCC has finally decided to reverse its earlier decision and will now "independently investigate" the brutal attack as a criminal investigation. Meanwhile it is still "trying to identify" the mystery masked 'officer'. The home secretary has been noticeable by her absence of any meaningful comment.

Picture Stills and Video: Guardian

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