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In this our 100th show we continue our reasoning on the most recent developments in the Sean Rigg case. For those still unfamiliar, Bro. Sean was killed while in custody at Brixton police station on 21/08/08. A damning narrative verdict returned by an inquest jury later concluded that the police’s “unsuitable and unnecessary force… more than minimally contributed to his death.” (1)
The case has gone on to make a number of significant judicial landmarks, including:
· The first ever external review into an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation;
· The first time criminal charges for perjury have been bought against a serving police officer following a death in police custody;
· The first ever use of the Victim’s Right of Review (VRR) to change an original CPS not to prosecute a police officer.
The VRR has brought us to most recent juncture in this near decade old saga, the perjury trial of officer Paul White. White was one of the custody sergeants at Brixton police station on the night Bro. Sean died and whose accounts to both the IPCC in 2009 and under oath at the inquest in 2012 was contradicted by CCTV footage.
As clear cut as the perjury case seemed to be, for some commentators the outcome furrowed the same “perverse and incomprehensible” terrain of the inquest jury verdict into the death of Mark Duggan (2) – exoneration of the police. When seen in context with cases like the Cardiff 3 debacle or unauthorised spying on victims’ families like the Lawrences and Janet Alder, it certainly gives the impression that there are few laws that the police are subjected to. (3)
However, as revealed on the previous show it gets worse. There were reports of (mainly European) jurors, re-entering the court after lightning quick deliberations smiling and even winking at the defendant, Sgt White. This raised real concerns in some quarters about whether the jury system, supposedly impartial, is an active element of the state’s advocacy when it fails to snuff out troublesome cases through its usual means (IPCC, CPS, etc.) What is clear is that the UK has not yet, in any circumstances, convicted a police officer involved on the death of an Afrikan.
“There have been 10 unlawful killing verdicts at inquests or inquiries involving deaths in police custody or following police contact since 1990. There have been eight attempts to prosecute police following a death in police custody or following contact in the same period, none of which have been successful.” (4)
This has been compounded by the virtual conspiracy of silence, or “whiteout”, as one commentator referred to it, by what is generally regarded as the mainstream media (in reality, simply the white media). A cursory Google search of “Sean Rigg perjury” provides results on the trial verdict from just three major news outlets – The Guardian, the BBC and the London Standard. Perhaps more disturbing is that, The Voice, which promotes itself variously as “Britain’s as top Black Newspaper” and “Britain’s Favourite Black Newspaper” has not seen fit to cover the case in either of its two editions or any of its online content since the verdict.
The paper devoted its front page and several inches inside of its most recent edition to a wildly speculative account of a Michelle Obama 2020 bid for the White House. Elsewhere we are treated to features such as “Who was buff or busted this week?” Moreover, it’s also probably too much to expect any coverage from leading columnist Dotun Adebayo since announcing his “retirement from the struggle” in January 2014. In his own words, after standing up “like a mighty lion, like a man of iron” for the last 20 years, “Britain has lost its most potent critical black voice of the BBC and the black community has lost a militant soldier.” (5) The lack of coverage of the Sgt White trial verdict has left some wondering if the paper has now followed the example of its veteran columnist.
In her exclusive interview on our last show, her first since the verdict, Bro. Sean’s sister Marcia Rigg revealed that, when the time is right, she plans to right a book about the case and its impact. The least the Afrikan community can do is ensure that she properly resourced to ensure its completion as it will certainly serve as a guide to combating some of the UK’s legal sins of the 21st century.
The significance of the Sean Rigg case reverberates on so many layers central to our formation as a community and we need to take note of the lessons it provides not only for the next phase of the Sean Rigg case but other live cases such as Kingsley Burrell-Brown, Olaseni Lewis, Sheku Bayoh, Mzee Muhammad and others. (5)
(1) Vikram Dodd (01/08/12) Sean Rigg death in custody: police used unnecessary force, jury finds.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/aug/01/sean-rigg-police-used-unnecessary-force.(2) INQUEST (08/01/14) Jury in Mark Duggan inquest concludes he did not have a gun in his hand when he was shot. http://www.inquest.org.uk/media/pr/jury-in-mark-duggan-inquest-concludes-he-did-not-have-a-gun-in-his-hand-whe.(3) Duncan Campbell (17/09/12) The Cardiff Three: the long wait for justice.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/sep/17/cardiff-three-five-wait-justice. Rob Evans (19/04/15) Surveillance operation targeting sister of former paratrooper ‘not properly authorised’.https://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/nov/26/janet-alder-surveillance-sister-of-former-paratrooper-cps.(4) INQUEST, Op. cit.(5) Dotun Adebayo (07/01/14) ‘Black Community Has Lost Me As A Militant Soldier’. http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/black-community-has-lost-me-militant-soldier.(6) Alice Ross (26/08/16) Activists occupy CPS offices over Kingsley Burrell’s death.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/26/uk-black-lives-matter-kingsley-burrell-death-protest-cps-birmingham-police. Vikram Dodd (19/04/15) Theresa May admits justice system fails families over deaths in police custody. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/19/theresa-may-admits-justice-system-fails-families-deaths-police-custody-sean-rigg-olaseni-lewis. Mark Daly (15/10/15) Sheku Bayoh custody death officer ‘hates black people.’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-34529611. Frances Perraudin (18/07/16) Mzee Mohammed death: Liverpool mayor promises transparent inquiry. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/18/mzee-mohammed-death-liverpool-mayor-transparent-inquiry.
So tonight we ask the question:
Sean Rigg – Justice delayed, denied and demolished? Part 2
1. Are the police effectively above the law?
2. Why would jujors smile and wink at a defendant?
3. Has there been a virtual media whiteout on the case?
4. Why are some Black media outlets not covering the case?
5. How can the community better support this and other campaigns?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Sis. Askale Miriam (Marcia Rigg): is the older sister of Bro. Sean Rigg who died in Brixton Police station on 21/08/2008. Sis. Askale has lead the campaign to get justice for her brother, compelling her to give up her 20-year career as a legal PA in the City, as leading the campaign “has been like a full time job.” Although the campaign is ongoing it has scored some significant legal victories against the state. Sis. Askale is the current Chair of the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.
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