Damilola Taylor

Former Member

Verdict

Innocent? Or simply acquitted?

It seems to me to be a case where the police know exactly who did it, but didn't have the evidence to secure a conviction - so they made it up <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">.

Sloppy policing, but inevitable really under the circumstances.

Thoughts?

Former Member

Well theres no evidence whatsoever that puts those two guys at Damilolas death. The only reason they are accused is down to the testimony of a confessed liar who had been bribed by the police and the testimony of a convicted and imprisoned criminal inside the detention centre.

The whole this is a disgusting fuckup by the police who were too eager to appease the politicians. They were willing to do whatever it took to close the case.

I just feel very sorry for Damilolas parents.

Former Member

There is evidence to say that they were <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

I also feel bad for his parents, and for the people of Peckham, who still have murderers wandering around, and two thugs back on the streets <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

[ 26-04-2002: Message edited by: Kentish ]

Former Member

Originally posted by Kentish:
[QB]There is evidence to say that they were <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
QB]

Oh?

Former Member

Come on you know there was.

The detention centre guy.
The fact that they made a phone call less than a mile from the scene a short time later.

Former Member

The detention centre guy? Sorry but thats crap...Not only was he a criminal who was looking to reduce his sentance, but the details of the crime were wrong. He said that the guys said they stabbed Damilola with a knife. Its standard proceedure in these youth detention centres to act hard so anything they did say can easily be written off as bravado anyway..

The phones...You need to read the facts mate. The fact that their phones were used a short time after is part of the DEFENCES evidence. They made a call from their phones 2 miles away from the murder and 6 minutes later...Now, unless they can a)run a 3 minute mile or b)fly, then theres no way in hell they could travel 2 miles through London in 6 minutes. Going by car, they wouldnt have got 200 yards in 6 minutes, let alone 2 miles.

Former Member

I'm not saying the evidence was good enough to convict. It evidently wasn't <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">. (It wasn't 2 miles, and it would have been possible - the time was from the 999 call, not the time of the [alleged] stabbing).

I'm not saying that the jury made a mistake, I am saying that the thugs who have now been released could be responsible - but the police were unable to get any witness statements from the local community.

Read this
If that doesn't bring a tear to the eye, then you are a stronger person than me. <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

Likely enough, Damilola's murder will go unpunished.

Former Member

Originally posted by Kentish:
<STRONG>(It wasn't 2 miles, and it would have been possible - the time was from the 999 call, not the time of the [alleged] stabbing)..</STRONG>

Yawn....How petty...The guardian article describes the distance as over 1.5 miles.

Im sorry mate but there is absolutely ZERO evidence here.

The telephone evidence is irrelevent for the simple reason that the ONLY reason these two guys are implicated is because that dumb bitch decided to name some guys she knew.

If that girl had given the names of another couple of boys then the whole thing wouldnt have got off the ground.

Do you realise how stupid this whole thing is...There was never any doubt they would be aquitted, it should never have even got to court.

You posting that transcript proves what this whole thing is about...Emotion.

I dont believe those boys killed him but seeing as the police had polarised around those boys, theres never going to be any real justice as they cant be fucked to look for other leads.

Former Member

You're probably right.

It's just so disappointing.

And BTW, of course a murder trial is about emotion, there's no getting away from that. If there was no emotion there would be no drive to get a conviction.

Former Member

Yes its very disappointing but personally I wouldnt feel better knowing that the two 16 year olds that are serving life in prison might not have done anything wrong other than getting on the wrong side of a vindictive little bitch.

Some emotion is necessary, the massive obsession with it in the case is well out of order. Yes it was horrific but theres never gonna be any justice if the police and courts are ruled by their emotions rather than the facts.

Former Member

I don't want to go on about this, and don't laugh because it's from the Sun:

VITAL evidence questioning the brothers’ mobile phone alibi never made it to court — because of an amazing police blunder.

A cop ran 1.3 miles in seven minutes in a bid to scupper the youngsters’ claim they were nowhere near the crime scene. But amazingly his boss was never told — so prosecutors were left in the dark

Former Member

As far as im aware, a 7 minute mile is something done by an extremely fit man. I believe the army fitness test requires an 11 minute mile. Could the boys have run that far? Possibly...

BUT, can it be proven beyond reasonable doubt that they did so? No way in hell. That means they should walk..

but again.....the phone evidence is irrelevent to the prosecution because the only reason its there is because of the girls lies. If she didnt lie about those boys then they wouldnt have even been spoken to by the police.

Former Member

Undoubtedly. She wasted everyone's time.

At the end of the day, there were a number of police cock-ups and short cuts which meant that the witnesses were easily discredited, and the case inevitably thrown out.

What should happen to the idiot-girl now? I vote for head-on-a-stick outside the Tower of London.

Former Member

Originally posted by Kentish:
<STRONG>What should happen to the idiot-girl now? I vote for head-on-a-stick outside the Tower of London.</STRONG>

Not her fault...shes just a stupid kid...Its that godamn fuckin policewomans fault.

Nothing will change as a result of this..

Former Member

I feel for the family, if I lost a kid in those circumstances not knowing what really happened it would haunt me forever <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

Former Member

This should never have been made into a political issue. The case is still open but it could remain unsolved which is a shame......

Former Member

Reading the papers this morning makes me think the accused probably did, in fact murder Damilola but unfortunately the tiny amount of evidence coupled with the massive ineptitude of the police means they will never be done for it.