THE BRITISH INQUISITION
John Atkinson, a former detective sergeant in the police, has been cleared of a charge of threatening public order. This charge stems from a comment made that the North Wales police officer Miss Michele Williams in which he described her as a ‘dyke’. Miss Williams was not present at the time.
Mr Atkinson made the remark in a private conversation with former colleagues in the North Wales police, in October last year. He had earlier attended a funeral of another police officer and had been out to dinner in which he had had a few drinks. He stopped to talk to some former colleagues on duty in Wrexham. But the police van contained a number of new recruits, including a lesbian, Sarah Fellows, who claimed to have been ‘shocked and insulted’.
In the course of a conversation he referred to acting Chief Superintendent Williams as ‘that diverse dyke’. Miss Williams is unmarried and chairman of the force’s race and diversity forum, which has meetings between the police and various minority groups, including lesbians, gays and bisexuals.
At the time the police did not react to the remark and drove off. But 10 minutes later they returned, arrested Mr Atkinson for contravention of the Public Order Act alleging that his remark could have caused ‘harassment, alarm and distress’. Mr Atkinson was handcuffed and then put in a cell overnight. He was questioned the following day.
At the trial, the police claimed that Mr Atkinson had been drunk and had asked: ‘Where is your fucking diverse super? The fucking diverse dyke, where’s Michele?’
During the trial, Miss Fellows admitted that she had also been ‘shocked’ by the comments made by the chief constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom, who last year had described certain people as queers in relation to activities in gents toilets.
Mr Brunstrom was not charged.
The Chairman of the bench said:
Mr Atkinson made the remark in a private conversation with former colleagues in the North Wales police, in October last year. He had earlier attended a funeral of another police officer and had been out to dinner in which he had had a few drinks. He stopped to talk to some former colleagues on duty in Wrexham. But the police van contained a number of new recruits, including a lesbian, Sarah Fellows, who claimed to have been ‘shocked and insulted’.
In the course of a conversation he referred to acting Chief Superintendent Williams as ‘that diverse dyke’. Miss Williams is unmarried and chairman of the force’s race and diversity forum, which has meetings between the police and various minority groups, including lesbians, gays and bisexuals.
At the time the police did not react to the remark and drove off. But 10 minutes later they returned, arrested Mr Atkinson for contravention of the Public Order Act alleging that his remark could have caused ‘harassment, alarm and distress’. Mr Atkinson was handcuffed and then put in a cell overnight. He was questioned the following day.
At the trial, the police claimed that Mr Atkinson had been drunk and had asked: ‘Where is your fucking diverse super? The fucking diverse dyke, where’s Michele?’
During the trial, Miss Fellows admitted that she had also been ‘shocked’ by the comments made by the chief constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom, who last year had described certain people as queers in relation to activities in gents toilets.
Mr Brunstrom was not charged.
The Chairman of the bench said:
‘Considering the evidence, we do not think that Mr Atkinson intended to harassment, alarm or distress. Therefore, the prosecution have not proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.’
posted by erc @ 12:46 pm
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