[Aussie Bhoy]

Thank goodness, just passed the news around my work and everyone is relieved.

It should never even have come to trial.

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

Considering that someone died of injuries in police custody, with no-one else around, I think the reaction is perfectly understandable. Of course people are going to feel angry, and of course this investigation was justified - the state prosecution certainly seemed to think so, and they've got more experience in pressing charges than you or I.

The point the police union was angry about was that originally the decision was made that no charges should be laid, there was a big protest by Aboriginal leaders, and then Beattie appointed an "independant" person to decide if charges should be laid, and voila they duly were, and the result, as the prosecuters knew in the first place was that the officer was not guilty.

It has been a politically motivated prosecution from the start.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/new...ley-go-to-trial/2007/06/21/1182019242945.html

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

^^ No just that, as said above, the prosecuters had originally came to the very same conclusion as the jury, that there was no proof that the fatal injuries were maliciously caused by the officer. The DPP and CMC, independant bodies said there was no case, and as you yourself pointed out,

"they've got more experience in pressing charges than you or I."

the prosecuters never wanted to proceed with the case, yet Premier Beattie appointed a 3rd person, described by the leader of the opposition as a hired gun, to decide that a prosecution should take place.

Perhaps you should actually read some of the information on this subject before you post anymore. You seem to have an agenda that it's a cover up for evil police officers, probably racists anyway, trying to cover something up.

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

OK, but you used some terms above that made me think that way.

I can see why there was a trial, I am pulling you up on this original comment,

"the state prosecution certainly seemed to think so, and they've got more experience in pressing charges than you or I."

When in actual fact, they didn't think so, Beattie overrode the DPP for his own political purposes. He has just admitted to also leaking the second report to the media as well, it stinks. That is what the police union is furious about.

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

Aussie Bhoy, *if* the only reason this went to trial was because of Beattie, then good on him. My estimation of him just went up.

Then you are happy for politicians to decide who should be tried for crimes, especially if there may be some votes in it for them, over and above the independent prosecutors that you earlier described (when you thought they instigated charges) as "the state prosecution certainly seemed to think so, and they've got more experience in pressing charges than you or I"..

Maybe we could also have a big brother style vote open to the public for trials. The premier can announce who is being charged, Gretel can be the judge, and channel 10 could televise it all. You could use the call in money to fund the courts system.

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

I can see why there was a trial, I am pulling you up on this original comment,

I believe this was the answer to that question, written in the next post after you posed the question.

 

[Aussie Bhoy]

Yes it is, "I can see why there was a trial", means because the media harped on at the premier to have the trial. They did it because it is a good story, guaranteed to keep papers selling and the news ratings good. The added spice is the suspicion in some people’s minds that the police in regional communities are all KKK 1960's Mississippi police style racists.

This is all getting confused, your point was that the prosecutors knew best, and my original comment is that the police unions anger is because after the prosecutors decided that charges shouldn't be laid (due to no chance of a conviction), Premier Beattie had a 3rd person (whose integrity and independence the police union doubt) review the situation and decide to lay charges.

It's all decided now anyway, so hopefully we have heard the last of it. Believe me if there were any evidence of a policeman deliberately killing an Aboriginal person (or anyone else in custody) I would be the first to want them imprisoned. I don't think Sergeant Hurley willfully tried to kill anyone. A very drunk person, who had been abusing police and resisting arrest dies from injuries sustained in the struggle. It was his own fault, not a deliberate attempt by police to hurt him. As has now also been decided by a jury, but millions of dollars ago in legal fees was also decided by the prosecutors and a CMC investigation.