The Met Police has paid out £10,000 in damages to a Christian evangelist preacher for wrongful arrest and unlawful imprisonment.
Hatun Tash was twice arrested at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park after reporting to officers that she was being harassed and threatened by Islamic demonstrators.A good win for freedom of speech? Yes, undoubtedly. But the police aren't paying it, are they?
And until they are, personally, there's no reason for them to ever stop, is there?
It's shame that the damages were paid "out of public funds", i.e. the taxpayer, as lessons will not be learned, despite the Met's assurances. Perhaps, if the damages should have been paid by the arresting officers and, as everything the Met do, is with that person's implied knowledge and permission, the Met Commissioner. This would have two effects. The first is that on the street coppers would learn the law and how to apply it in an arbitrary fashion, and two, the Commissioner would learn that the buck really does stop there, and will ensure that the 'first' takes place.
ReplyDeleteAlso, good luck in finding the man in black. No doubt hordes of followers of the RoP are coming forward with information towards that person's identity.
Penseivat