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Hi Themas. Thank you for your post. To clarify matters for all I was convicted and served just under two years for doing absolutely nothing. Now I know what everybody must be thinking, an understandable but kneejerk reaction, but not an accurate reaction.
If I started to explain even a little I would need to go on all night as wheels within wheels does not come anywhere near how complex this thing is becoming. It has enough separate threads to weave a sizeable carpet.
I know that it ran for over 6 months because the 'authorisation' for the operation began in Jan. 2012 and is valid for a year. I was 'nicked' towards the end of May 2012 and a fellow resident at the Ritz was done in June. After that I do not know.
I am currently having great difficulty obtaining the case papers from my original 'solicitor'. He has sent some but refused to send others to which I am entitled. As it stands, I have posted to him this week an accurate list of the papers he must pass to me downloaded from the Law Society site. No acknowledgement let alone a response so far. Will keep people posted on this. He actually said that a defence statement was NOT prepared as I pleaded guilty. (duress of circumstance & necessity). The problem with that is that HE did prepare one which was one huge mea culpa missing out out just about everything important. Interestingly enough, he insisted that I 'DID NOT SIGN IT' in case it fell into the wrong hands. Anybody got any ideas on this?. I haven't.
I wrote out by hand an 8 A4 side defence statement which was accurate both chronologically and factually which I sent to him. He refused to put it before the court. I of course asked him why. He replied 'We do this every day of the week so leave it to us. *** patronising or what?.
I have a copy of the document which he said did not exist. Interesting.
When I asked this guy for an 'audience' with what passed for his tame 'barrister' prior to sentencing, his response....'DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT I AM GOING TO SEND BARRISTER ALL THE WAY TO HMP***** JUST TO SEE YOU???!!!.
He later blamed this observation on the barrister.
I have taken the indulgence of including the foregoing to give everybody some idea of the calibre and type of person who I had to deal with. believe me that is nothing compared to his other shenannigans.
When I appeared for my first bail hearing in a magistrates court I was 'represented' by a partner in chummy's firm.
Now this next bit is well worthy of comment.
Prior to the hearing, one of the arresting officers approached my then partner and 'suggested' that she did not put up a surety for me as 'he is not worth it'. and proceeded to give her the POLICE VERSION (Audi alteram partem) of what happened which is totally unlawful. He went on to say 'You should dump him, he is no good for you' and started to ask her very personal questions about our sex life.
In my book that is attempting to pervert the course of justice. If he wished to ask her these very personal questions he had an obligation to do this under caution and not in the body of a court.
She immediately approached the 'solicitor' and informed him of what had just taken place.
I consider that he had an absolute obligation to bring this travesty to the attention of the (stipendiary) Magistrate immediately the hearing began.
Did he?? (did he F***) He did not say a word. I was not aware of this until much later.
Now I was 63yo at the time with absolutely no record whatsoever. I had my own house so no accommodation problems, my own business so no financial problems, a very long and stable relationship too. I offered to surrender my passport. wear a tag, report to plod once a week and observe a curfew. A £5000 surety was offered despite Mr. Plod. One would have thought that I was a shoo in for bail. But NOOO. Another Mr Plod 'told the court' that they had two (completely fictitious) emails saying that I had tried to com the same offence