gladbachwolf wrote:
It's about time that acid and loose acidic products were banned for individual sales. Industrial use only. Won't totally eradicate the problem but reduce it a lot. Same with knife sales, again it's hard or virtually impossible to eradicate but limit sales to adults over 21 only with ID and proof of age, name and address etc. I am sure that our Rozza has hard views on these sorts of crimes.
You have no idea at just how difficult it is dealing with a number of non English speaking persons in custody for a serious offence across several custody areas.
You have gaffers all over you like a bad suit trying to get arrests, when you as an investigator are desperately trying to obtain a modicum of evidence that might just allow you to put something to your "Suspects".
You know that as soon as they come into custody you will be dealing with a set of Solicitors who will use every diversionary tactic possible to delay and frustrate the process. You know that your working framework, PACE, wholly supports these obstructions.
You are up against a very vocal clock that ticks down rapidly. You know that the option of bail is not an option because A) You will never see them again. B) Your gaffers and the public expect them to be put before the Old Bailey that very afternoon without any fucking idea about how difficult or implausible that is.
All of this grief pales into insignificance when you finally have to approach the CPS for a charging decision.
The conversation go's something like this...
"Hello CPS, this is DS F. Uncletrumpet, I need a charging decision on a case I have sent electronically two hours ago"
"Hello DS, My name is Geoffrey Moononastick, I appear to be missing your file could you re-send it please, I am not one to rush things or to make any decision on matters that contain so much evidence that even a dead squirrel could prosecute it without several hours of pointless argument and conjecture"
Lost amongst all this bollocks is the victim(s)
Interesting they eventually got charged with 'Conspiracy' to commit GBH, because under law, you cannot conspire to commit an act with another when you actually committed that act!
You cannot be charged with conspiracy to murder if in fact you murdered that person.
Fair play to the bloke or girl that pulled all that together so quickly, I've bin there an it ay fun.