News Round-Up Week Ending 19.12.14

Three officers from Devon and Cornwall Police have been charged with the manslaughter of Thomas Orchard, a church caretaker with schizophrenia and allegedly the victim of unreasonable force when arrested on suspicion of a public order offence in Exeter two years ago.

Sergeant Jan Kingshott and custody detention officers Simon Tansley and Michael Marsden were charged after the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service last year.

“We welcome today's decision and it makes us cautiously optimistic that justice will be done for our much-loved son and brother,” Mr Orchard's family said in a statement released by campaign group Inquest. “Most importantly, we think that members of the public will get the chance to decide questions of criminal responsibility.” 

Justice Spencer, an Old Bailey judge, kept evidence of racist text messages from the jury, deciding it was not relevant to the trial of security officers accused of the manslaughter of Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan.

Terence Hughes had 76 messages on his phone offensive to Asians, Africans and Muslims. Stuart Tribeling also reportedly had racist messages stored on his phone, including:

“F**k off and go home you free-loading, benefit grabbing, kid producing, violent, non-English speaking c**k suckers and take those hairy faced, sandal wearing, bomb making, goat f***ing, smelly rag head b*****ds with you.”

The six-week trial ended on Tuesday, with the defendants acquitted.

“I absolutely understand why the Mubenga family would not just be shocked at the verdict but outraged,” the Institute for Race Relations vice chairman told the Guardian. “I don’t think it can be said they received justice.”