Newswires: Jean Charles de Menezes

De Menezes family stages protest against coroner's direction on verdict

From The TimesRelatives of Jean Charles de Menezes have staged a dramatic courtroom protest during the closing stages of the inquest into his death.Five members of the de Menezes family unzipped their coats to reveal t-shirts with the slogans "Your Legal Right to Decide" and "Unlawful Killing Verdict" in full view of the jury.The demonstration, at the special court sitting at the Oval Cricket Ground, was a protest against the decision by Sir Michael Wright, QC, the coroner, to refuse to allow the jury to consider a verdict of unlawful killing in the case.The incident occurred as Sir Michael began the final hour of his summing up speech at the end of the 11 week inquest which has been held at an estimated cost of £3 million. Mr de Menezes, 27, a Brazilian electrician, was shot seven times in the head by armed police who mistook him for a suicide bomber on July 22 2005.Sir Michael opened proceedings by telling the 11 jurors that the de Menezes family's legal team, headed by Michael Mansfield QC, would no longer be attending the hearings. "The first thing you will notice is that Mr Mansfield, Miss [Henrietta] Hill and their instructing solicitors are no longer in their places," the coroner said. "The evidence and legal submissions are now all over and we have had their assistance throughout these very important stages."I understand that from this point they will no longer be here. There is absolutely no difficulty about that. No disrespect is meant by it to anyone."At that point the five family members, who were sitting at the back of the court, stood up and removed their coats. They stood silently, revealing white T-shirts with large black lettering, for a few moments as startled court staff watched uncertainly.The relatives then walked from their seats towards the jury box. Court ushers and security guards hurried forward, intercepted them and ushered the group out of the courtroom through a side door.The coroner ruled earlier this week that the jurors could consider only two verdicts - lawful killing or an open verdict. He has also given the jury a questionnaire listing a number of factors and asking whether they had any influence over the killing.The hearing is continuing and the jury is expected to retire this afternoon. See also:BBC News - Menezes family's inquest protestTelepgraph - Family protest as jury sent out to consider verdictITV News - Protest as Menezes inquest retiresDaily Mail - De Menezes family stage t-shirt protest as inquest jury retiresThis is London - De Menezes family storm out of inquest more >>

Menezes family legal team withdraws

From the Press AssociationThe legal team of the family of Jean Charles de Menezes has withdrawn from the inquest into the Brazilian's death as the jury retired to consider its verdict.Michael Mansfield QC, the barrister representing the Menezes family, and his junior, Henrietta Hill, were absent from court when the jury returned to hear the coroner complete his summing up.In Mr Mansfield's absence, the cousins of Mr de Menezes stood up during proceedings unveiling a T-shirt displaying the message: "Your legal right to decide - unlawful killing verdict."The coroner has already directed the jury to rule out a verdict of unlawful killing. The 11 jurors have now retired to consider their verdict.Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot dead by police marksmen at Stockwell Tube station in south London on July 22 2005 after being mistaken for failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman.The coroner's ruling out of unlawful killing leaves the jury with a straight choice between lawful killing or an open verdict.He told the jurors to cast aside "any emotion" over the innocent Brazilian's shooting after hearing more than seven weeks of evidence.The jurors will then rule whether a string of additional factors - including identification, photographs, communications and orders issued from the control room at New Scotland Yard - caused or contributed to the death of Mr de Menezes.They will have to decide whether differences in police officers' accounts were caused by "failure of recollection" or by "misunderstandings and failures of communication" at the time, the coroner said.The inquest at the Oval cricket ground, south London, heard from 100 witnesses, including the two men who shot the electrician dead. more >>

Menezes family's inquest protest

The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have walked out of the inquest into his death at the Oval Cricket Ground in London in protest. more >>

URGENT APPEAL FROM MENEZES FAMILY TO SUPPORTERS

Dear FriendsI would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you have given our family over the last 3 ½ years. We have been humbled by your support and on days like today, knowing that you are behind us, gives us the strength to carry on.Today was an incredibly sad day for our family. We lost our appeal in the High Court and it was devastating. We cannot believe the jury will not get to decide if Jean was unlawfully killed or comment on the evidence in their own words.Tomorrow all of Jean’s cousins who live in the UK and will be attending the final part of the inquest to hear the end of the Coroners summing up. We hope you can join us.Join us on the last day of this inquest to fill the public gallery in a sign of solidarity with our family. Solidarity against injustice, against lies, against cover ups, against collusion, against a system which has repeatedly blocked, silenced and stopped all the avenues we have tried to pursue for justice.We have been patient, we have been respectful, we have done everything they could have asked and we have got nothing. Another person could be shot and killed, another family could go through the horrendous ordeal we have gone through. Nothing has changed. Words cannot bring me to express how that feels after everything we have done.But we still have faith in the jury to do the right thing. They have the power to do that.I hope to see you at the inquest tomorrow. We will be holding a press conference after the jury have gone out to express our feelings at this time.Vivien Figuerdo, Cousin of Jean Charles, on behalf of the Menezes Family more >>

Menezes police photo claim wrong

Police wrongly claimed they were unable to access photographs which could have ruled out Jean Charles de Menezes as a bomb suspect, an inquest hears. more >>

The Disgraceful Sir Michael Wright, A Grovelling Tool of the Police State

One of the features of a transition to a police state is that those who should defend our liberties transfer their allegiance to the executive of the state. Viz the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Serjeant at Arms. Now we have a senior coroner. Sir Michael Wright, coroner in the Jean Charles de Menezes inquiry, who has told the jury they are not permitted to return a verdict of unlawful killing. That is of course the obvious verdict from the evidence. Were it not so, the disgraceful Wright would not have needed to serve the police by so instructing. Wright went on to give a completely one-sided summation of the evidence, restating police evidence and ignoring the evidence of many close eye-witnesses who contradicted it. In perhaps the most extraordinary passage in a summation in recent English legal history, he went on to justify the occasions where the police killers were caught obviously lying: However, Wright added, even if the jury found the officers had lied, they would not be able to blame them for the death. "Many people tell lies for a variety of reasons … [including] to mitigate the impact of what might be a … tragic mistake," he said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/02/menezes-police-inquest Read that again. However, Wright added, even if the jury found the officers had lied, they would not be able to blame them for the death. "Many people tell lies for a variety of reasons … [including] to mitigate the impact of what might be a … tragic mistake," he said. Incredible, isn't it? So it is fine to shoot a completely innocent man repeatedly in the head, and lie about it in Court, because you are only trying to "mitigate the impact". What? Read it again. However, Wright added, even if the jury found the officers had lied, they would not be able to blame them for the death. "Many people tell lies for a variety of reasons … [including] to mitigate the impact of what might be a … tragic mistake," he said. I still can't believe the disgraceful old bastard said it. I still do believe that we will come to recover from the terrible poison of the New Labour years, and return to being a liberal society. We will look back at all this as Americans now look back at McCarthyism, with horror and shame. And when historians write the history of these times, there will be a special footnote devoted to the infamous, the disgraceful, the appalling Sir Michael Wright. There is a place reserved for Sir Michael in the deepest, blackest, hottest corner of Hell. He has already had much more time on this Earth than was allowed to poor Jean Charles De Menezes, who Sir Michael wishes us to believe was quite lawfully blown away by the police. Let Sir Michael take his own good time to reach Hell. I certainly do not wish anyone to shoot him in the head while he is sitting peacefully on the Tube. But if they did, I certainly hope they deploy the defence "He was asking for it: he stood up". And I certainly hope the judge agrees, and the words filter down to tease Sir Michael in his eternal torment. more >>

What is the purpose of an inquest?

Deaths in custody inquests have special status. The purposes of such inquests have particular requirements as they engage Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (as incorporated in the Human Rights Act 1998).The leading legal judgement on what the purpose of an article 2 inquest is came after a ruling in the case of the racist murder of Zahid Mubarek in Feltham Young Offenders Institution. In R (Amin) v Home Secretary [2003] UKHL 51 Lord Bingham summarised the purposes of an inquest which engaged article 2 of the Human Rights Act:“The purposes of such an investigation are clear:

• to ensure as far as possible that the full facts are brought to light;
• that culpable and discreditable conduct is exposed and brought to public notice;
• that suspicion of deliberate wrongdoing (if unjustified) is allayed;
• that dangerous practices and procedures are rectified;
• and that those who have lost their relative may at least have the
• satisfaction of knowing that lessons learned from his death may save the lives of others.”

MENEZES FAMILY TAKE FIGHT ON VERDICTS TO HIGH COURT

Lawyers for the Menezes family are going to the High Court today to apply for a judicial review of the Coroner's decision on the verdict options being left for the jury. Earlier today, members of the Menezes family and their supporters walked out of court at the beginning of the Coroner's summing up to express their dissatisfaction with the turn of events at the inquest.A spokesperson for the Jean Charles de Menezes Family Campaign said,"It is essential in a case of this significance that a jury is given the widest opportunity to comment on all the evidence they have heard. We await the decision of the High Court and hope a just outcome will prevail." An application for judicial review is taking place this afternoon.We cannot comment on proceedings anymore at present due to legal technicalities but send our heartfelt thanks to all the members of the public who are contacting us with messages of support and expressing their disgust at the situation as it is.J4J CampaignITN News Coverage: more >>

De Menezes - judge tells jury what it must find

the judge has decided on the verdict in the De Menezes case more >>

Menezes verdict choice restricted

The jury in the inquest of Jean Charles de Menezes will not be able to consider a verdict of unlawful killing, the coroner says. more >>

UPDATE ON INQUEST PROCEEDINGS

Although the Coroner's summing up was scheduled to start on 1st December it has been delayed as further submissions on verdicts are taking place on 1st.For Justice4Jean supporters who are unfamilar with the inquest system, at an inquest a Coroner has the power to decide what verdicts can be left for a jury to consider. He can leave short form verdicts such as 'unlawful', 'lawful' or 'open' but also has the option of leaving what is known as as a 'narrative verdict' whereby the jury have the option of answering a set of agreed questions or where a jury can return a verdict where in their own words they can comment on the evidence they have heard.After his summing up, a Coroner will direct the jury over these possible verdicts that he believes they should consider. Though if course as jury's are the 'finders of fact' in an inquest, that is to say they are the ones who have to decide on the evidence, it is ultimately up to them what they choose to return.After 3 and 1/2 years of cover ups, lies, let down's by the state bodies who have been investigating the death such as the CPS and IPCC, the Jean Charles de Menezes Family Campaign believes it is essential that the jury are able to fully comment on all the evidence in order to deliver a meaningful result.We await the Coroner's decision with anticipation.J4J Campaign more >>

Justice4Jean Present Sir Ian Blair With Indictment on Last Day of Office

Above: Banner unfurled outside New Scotland YardThis morning members of the Jean Charles de Menezes Family Campaign marked Sir Ian’s Blair’s last day by delivering him a leaving present of a large blown up indictment. The indictment listed six acts Blair has been guilty of during his time in office.Members of the campaign read the indictment outside New Scotland Yard and unveiled a 3 metre long banner which contained a picture of Jean Charles and the message “Sir Ian Blair – This is your legacy”. The indictment was accepted by officers at New Scotland Yard.A spokesperson for the Justice4Jean Campaign said,“We are delivering this indictment as a reminder of Blair’s failings over the Menezes shooting and to ensure that his successor understands that until there is justice for the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, this case will continue to blight the Metropolitan Police Service.It is particularly pertinent that we delivered this indictment today as next week the jury at the inquest return to begin deliberating their verdict. We hope the jury will be given the opportunity to consider a verdict which is appropriate to the injustice of the killing and that these ordinary members of the public deliver a verdict which will finally allow some justice to prevail over this tragedy”You can download a copy of the indictment here [PDF, 2Mb]For further information please contact 07709656251 or 07931337890 or email justice4jean@gmail.com more >>

More revelations about secret shoot-to-kill policy at de Menezes inquest

The inquest into the shooting of innocent Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes on July 22, 2005, has revealed more about Britain's secret shoot-to-kill policy. Jean Charles was shot nine times in the head at Stockwell station by anti-terrorist squad officers following-up the failed explosions on London's transport system the previous day. more >>

Statement on the costs to local councils of the Menezes inquest

The Justice4Jean campaign wholeheratedly supports calls for the estimated £4m cost of the inquest into Jean's death to be met by the central government and the Metropolitan Police Authority.Under Ministry of Justice rules, four local councils - Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark and Lambeth - will share the costs, which will ultimately be borne by local council tax payers. However, Jean's death has important implications for national policy and practice on policing and anti-terrorism, which has required a lengthy inquest and a venue suitable for the level of national and international interest it has attracted.The government should make an exception for what is an exceptional situation and reimburse the four local councils for the financial burden they face.J4J campaign more >>

Councils face de Menezes bill

It could cost four councils in south London more than £4m to pay the bill for the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest, it is revealed. more >>

In Staggeringly Poor Taste

We would imagine that, in the midst of the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, publications aimed at and widely read by serving police officers would show greater sensitivity in the way they talk about fatal shootings by the police.But evidently not. The magazine Police Review, in its 14 November edition, decided that the introduction of new rules preventing firearms officers from conferring after a shooting was best illustrated by this appalling cartoon.Is this how the police view Jean's death too - as little more than the extermination of vermin?E-mails of complaint to the Police Review Editor, Chris Herbert, at chris.herbert@janes.comJ4J campaign more >>

Menezes family react with 'dismay' to final evidence at inquest

The Menezes family responded with 'dismay' to evidence heard during the final day of evidence at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.Evidence given by DI Kevin Southworth, an SO13 anti-terror branch officer, revealed that police had significant intelligence about Hussain Osman prior to the 22nd of July 2005 including a report of suspicions by a member of a local mosque. He also revealed that further photographs of Osman were available - but there were delays in obtaining them because the police were using an office-hours only contact in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).Alessandro Pereira, cousin of Jean Charles De Menezes, today said:"If the police had acted on all the intelligence they had about Osman before July 22nd, then it could have prevented the misidentification of Jean and he would never have been shot. This new information adds to our personal devastation and dismay at the police."EndsNotes to editors:1. After today's close of evidence, the jury have been sent out until the 1st of December. The family's legal team will now be making their submission as to the verdict that should be left to the jury.2. For more information contact Justice4Jean campaign: 07944069956. more >>

'Picture delay' in Menezes death

Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead before pictures identifying the real terror suspect arrived, an inquest hears. more >>

Menezes shooting 'changed little'

From the BBC websiteA police firearms chief has said that "very little changed" after the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.Chief Supt William Tillbrook told an inquest that training for marksmen at Scotland Yard had remained "broadly the same" since the Brazilian was killed.But he said police looked at how they could improve every day.Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot on a train at Stockwell Tube Station, south London, after police mistook him for one of the failed 21 July 2005 bombers.The inquest has heard officers had thought the electrician was failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman when he was shot at close range on the day after the attempted attacks.Mr Tillbrook told the hearing at the Oval Cricket Ground, south London: "There were tactics available to my staff which would remain broadly the same."I really do not wish it to appear arrogant in any way that we think we have got it absolutely perfect. We all look at what we do every day to see if, in any way, we can improve."If I sounded either defensive or arrogant, it really was not meant to and I understand why the family would wish to ensure there would not be a repeat."The inquest continues. more >>

Menezes shooting 'changed little'

A firearms officer tells an inquest that training for marksmen remained "broadly the same" after the shooting of an innocent man. more >>