'He shoved a gun in my mouth. It broke my teeth and hurt like hell. I thought they were going to kill me.' BRUM SIX MAN PADDY HILL TELLS OF POLICE.Byline: DON HALE Don Hale (born July 1952) is a United Kingdom journalist. He was the editor of the Matlock Mercury who became involved in the campaign for a judicial review of the murder conviction of Stephen Downing. BIRMINGHAM Six member Paddy Hill is threatening to sue West Midlands Police West Midlands Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second largest in the United Kingdom after London's Metropolitan Police [1]. It covers an area with nearly 2. for torturing him while he was held in custody. The 56-year-old, who was wrongly convicted of carrying out the 1974 pub bombings, is also demanding a meeting with chief constable Noun 1. Chief Constable - the head of the police force in a county (or similar area) Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; Sir Edward Crew with a new legal submission this week. It will outline serious allegations of brutality, including a mock execution A mock execution is a method of psychological torture, whereby the subject is made to believe that they are being led to their execution. This usually involves blindfolding the subject, making them recount last wishes, or making them dig their own grave, and sometimes it can go as , against three specific members of the now disbanded Serious Crimes Squad. The file also contains a batch of prison officer witness statements, sent to him anonymously, which Mr Hill claims proves they lied in court. In addition, he has made several similar allegations against 14 prison warders at Winson Green Winson Green is a loosely-defined area in the west of the city of Birmingham, England. It is part of the ward of Soho. It is the location of HM Prison Birmingham (known locally as Winson Green Prison or "the Green") and City Hospital (formerly Dudley Road Hospital). jail in Birmingham - where he claims he was forced to run the gauntlet gauntlet /gaunt·let/ (gawnt´let) a bandage covering the hand and fingers like a glove. and was 'kicked, punched and abused' by certain officers. Now he is demanding an immediate police investigation and has threatened to instigate To incite, stimulate, or induce into action; goad into an unlawful or bad action, such as a crime. The term instigate is used synonymously with abet, which is the intentional encouragement or aid of another individual in committing a crime. civil proceedings against the force if they are not prepared to act quickly. Convicted Mr Hill, Gerry Hunter, Billy Power, Richard McIlkenny, Johnny Walker and Hugh Callaghan were convicted in August 1975 of bombing the Mulberry mulberry, common name for the Moraceae, a family of deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, often climbing, mostly of pantropical distribution, and characterized by milky sap. Several genera bear edible fruit, e.g. Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs killing 21 people. The former painter and decorator A painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painterref>[1] History of the trade from Kingstanding received 21 life sentences but all six maintained their innocence and a campaign to secure their freedom attracted massive international publicity. Earlier this month, Mr Hill rejected a second revised assessment of compensation from the Home Office's Justice and Victim's Unit of pounds 941,942 to cover the 16 years spent in jail. Although more than 10 years since his release, he told the Sunday Mercury Sunday Mercury is a Sunday newspaper published in Birmingham, UK. A tabloid, with a sensationalist streak, it is owned by Trinity Mirror and produced in the same newsroom as The Birmingham Post and The Evening Mail. References 1. he was 'disgusted and outraged by their offer.' He is particularly incensed at the deduction of pounds 92,000 interest, a 'derisory pounds 10,000 offer' for part aggravated ag·gra·vate tr.v. ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing, ag·gra·vates 1. To make worse or more troublesome. 2. To rouse to exasperation or anger; provoke. See Synonyms at annoy. damages - including alleged misconduct - and the Home Office statement saying their offer is 'without any admission of liability.' Mr Hill, who now lives in north London North London is a part of London, England which has several possible definitions. River & geography The part of London north of the River Thames (illustrated). and is a founder member of Miscarriages of Justice Organisation The Miscarriage of Justice Organization (MOJO) is a charity dedicated to human rights and to changing the criminal justice system in order to reduce the number of miscarriages of criminal justice and increase the level of professional after-care for victims. (MOJO), said: 'None of my torturers have been jailed for what they did. 'It does nothing to account for the emotional trauma I have suffered.' He has made serious allegations against three particular officers involved with his original detention, questioning and transportation to Birmingham from Morecambe, Lancashire. Originally detained de·tain tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains 1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard. 2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement: with others while heading for the Irish ferry at Heysham in November 1974, Mr Hill says he was then taken to Morecambe police station and held until a team from the Serious Crimes Squad (SCS) arrived to begin questioning. It was at Morecambe police station, where Mr Hill alleges: 'Officers from the SCS took over the whole nick. 'I was taken there with the others and we were each then attacked individually. You could hear the screams and the shouting. 'I was beaten, kicked and knocked about. They grabbed me by the hair and I was pulled all around the room. 'They used their fists and I was repeatedly kicked. Blood was splattered splat·ter v. splat·tered, splat·ter·ing, splat·ters v.tr. To spatter (something), especially to soil with splashes of liquid. v.intr. on the walls.' Mr Hill told the Sunday Mercury: 'They kept me there for 12 hours from 9am and worked in relays. I was never asked about the bombings. 'One of the officers said he knew I was innocent and said he was told to get a confession A Confession is a short work on questions of religion by Leo Tolstoy. It was first distributed in Russia in 1882. Consisting of autobiographical notes on the development of the author's belief, A Confession and conviction. They kept coming in and out. 'I wasn't allowed to sleep. I couldn't eat for 10 days. My mouth and face were so badly swollen. I was black and blue but told not to complain. 'They kept saying they were out to get a conviction. They didn't like the Irish and were racially abusive. 'In the cell, it didn't matter if I shouted or screamed. There was no-one to hear or care.' Their team had taken over the place. There were about a dozen men from the SCS and they meant business. Attacked 'We were all beaten and I didn't see the others - but I could hear them being attacked. 'They knew I was innocent but didn't care. They said they were under orders.' He added: 'On the journey back to Birmingham two officers sat in the back and I was handcuffed to the car roof and quite helpless. 'I was beaten up again and then attacked by another officer who sat in the front passenger seat. 'He hit me twice on the head with a gun and then shoved it into my open mouth. 'It hurt like hell and I couldn't breathe. It broke several teeth. They said they would blow my ****ing head off. 'I was also hit in the eye. He did this a couple of times and repeatedly threatened me. I thought they were going to kill me. 'It turned out to be some sick joke. A mock execution to scare me. I was so dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. and badly injured that in the end I just didn't care anymore.' Mr Hill alleges his rough treatment continued at Winson Green Prison where he claims he was kicked, punched, abused and racially intimidated on the way to the bathhouse. 'They really laid into us,' he claimed. 'I was black and blue. They were determined to kick the **** out of us. The floor and walls were running with blood.' 'The case against the prison officers went to court and they were found not guilty. About 10 years later while still in prison, I suddenly received a brown envelope with copies of the statements many of the prison officers had made. 'It was received internally and anonymously. It was dynamite dynamite, explosive made from nitroglycerin and an inert, porous filler such as wood pulp, sawdust, kieselguhr, or some other absorbent material. The proportions vary in different kinds of dynamite; often ammonium nitrate or sodium nitrate is added. . Several had admitted to the assaults but the authorities deliberately suppressed this information. 'The Home Office and Prison Service obviously knew what had gone on. It was a mass cover up. 'These statements prove they knew and I'm determined to see these officers are charged with perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. . 'I am seeking the help of the Prison Officers Association (POA) but will carry on alone if need be. I would like to find out what it was all about. 'I am optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op about presenting this submission. The chief constable should also want to see justice done. 'I just want to see something done about these crooked cops and the prison officers who committed perjury. Compensation 'I am sick of police officers walking away from miscarriages of justice. My compensation offers shows the Home Office are plainly not interested.' But a West Midlands police source cast doubt on Mr Hill's allegations against SCS former officers saying that an independent medical examination had failed to find evidence of brutality. He told the Sunday Mercury: 'After he was arrested and before Mr Hill entered the prison system, he was physically examined for evidence of any marks sustained while in police custody. The tests showed that he had not been physically abused in any way before entering prison though it could be true that he was treated badly once locked up. 'Surprisingly police officers involved in the case had strict orders from those at the top that none of the six should be manhandled in any way. 'Officers were told that if anyone was found to have laid a finger on them they would be dismissed. 'Considering that in 1974 suspects had very few rights as compared with today, such an order from high up was unusual.' Two other members of the Birmingham Six have already been offered more compensation that Mr Hill. Gerry Hunter, 52, will receive pounds 1.1million and Billy Power, 54, will receive pounds 1,025,000. The other three men have been made undisclosed offers. Gareth Pierce, Mr Hill's solicitor, agreed that any compensation offer failed to take into account the damage done to his family life. Mr Hill is expected to visit the West Midlands Police headquarters to meet with the chief constable on Friday and will take Hazel Kuirle, a legal representative from MOJO with him. CAPTION(S): SPEAKING OUT... Paddy Hill has told of police torture and a mock execution I'M FREE... Paddy shows his delight after his release for wrongly being convicted of carrying out the pub bombings THEN... Paddy Hill at the time of his arrest |
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