Wednesday 7th May 2008
Hi,
Once again a quick update from the Birthday Boy. Now it’s not a subtle hint (about a subtle as a brick through a window), but my cunning way of mentioning presents (in the Media they call that a segway - a seemless link if ever there was-n’t).
I don’t normally celebrate birthdays, with everything that has happened over the last few years it all seems a bit worthless and anyway its only my 22nd Birthday (keep going…I don’t think they noticed….) so not too important.
Well my present was to hear officially from the legal team that we will have our first visit to the Royal Courts/court of Appea. Its like unwrapping the first layer of my pressie though, as there is still a way to go until we get justice. Obviously though it may be not so good news (or mixed news) for Maeve’s parents, but I hope they in some way they can get some true closure. It must be so difficult to understand at times, who do they believe?
I remember Mark on the Panorama programme saying about trusting the Police, CPS and the experts. But we all do normally. So did I. But they shattered my faith completely, I didn’t give up a 20 year Police Career on a whim. So many people I have talked to or trained talk about the Police and CPS not protecting them when they had injuries, there were witnesses and CCTV etc.
I used to try and defend them (the CPS and Police). Any organisation gets things wrong at times, but the way Ruth and Mark have been treated by them has been a Rollercoaster not only did they lose Maeve but they were put through the Mill by the ’system’. Maybe the CPS et al will be more honest and say these people we pay for haven’t proven anything.
As good as they (medics) can be they don’t know everything.
No doubt the CPS will be warning their experts to be on stand by back to ‘we pay - you say’, ‘get the cheque books out’ type stuff. I will ask one day how much they spend on expert witnesses a year actually and who tops the charts in most used.
I do hear a couple (of experts) are looking to stand down as they have had enough, well I have certainly had enough of their opinions and I won’t be alone! We have had people contacting us and await to see if they have been victims of the same ‘experts’. Maybe the experts concerned don’t want to be the next Meadows and Southall?
As we get more news we will let you know.
Anyone down this neck of the woods may have heard the distinctive thud thud of RAF Chinook helicopters today, I thought it was my birthday flypast, well the Queen has one and it is the RAF’s 90th this year, I thought maybe they were doing it for all ex RAF staff on their birthdays?! Well you can hope.
Whilst channel surfing earlier I came across the City of London’s salute to Heroes, held at St Pauls, Saluting all our Armed Services and especially those injured in the line of duty. I was a bit miffed as I had let it slip by nearly but the circling Chinooks earlier had been a big clue something was going on.
But why is it they salute our Heroes midweek? On an evening when kids have to go to school the next day? It reminds me of the Trafalgar 200 Celebrations (a couple of years ago) a hell of a lot of the Big ships and events all turned up midweek, during school times.
No wonder the public and Military in some cases have lost contact, they are hidden away from us, shame on the Government, prove me wrong bring back the Royal Tournament!
But well done to the City for doing something!
Also nice to see that rather than close Headley Court Military Hospital (were friends of mine have been treated over the years), the Government has found over £20 Million to keep it going. Maybe shamed by the work of Help for Heroes and the like!
Good. People can change things, we just have to stand up.
Anyway bed calls, sleep well and think of those thousands tonight with no water, shelter, food and indeed families in Burma. We will have to see if we can’t get something together like we did as a Scout group for the Tsunami appeal, guess who was a big mover behind that…
Take care
Iain