Thursday 31 December 2015

Getting An Arrest Is More Important Than Saving A Life

Ian Louden died in police custody.

The officers who arrested him knew he was unwell but rather than take him to hospital where he should have been, they locked him up in a cell. All he was allowed was a 2 minute check over by a police duty doctor - and then locked back up in a cell again.

Target based policing is to blame.

It was more important to Police Scotland to hit their arrests target for that night. So Ian Louden was taken to the cells rather than to a hospital.

Ian Louden died in police custody.

At the fatal accident inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Andrew Normand ruled his death could have been avoided if police had taken him to hospital.

Is there anyone out there who still thinks Police Scotland work for our benefit and not their own?

Anyone?

Hello...?

No-one...?

Didn't think so.

http://www.scotsman.com/regions/glasgow-strathclyde/police-custody-death-could-have-been-prevented-1-3981205

Wednesday 30 December 2015

The Brain Drain

There's good news for untrustworthy Police Scotland. They will be pleased to know that for once I am not going to make comment on their latest actions. The bad news for them is I don't have to - because my army of readers are about to do it for themselves on this occasion.

Here's the story.

Tayside police have had a brainwave. I'm not sure which particular police officer in Tayside is the one with the brain but, anyway, here's his brainwave.

Faced with not enough police in call centres to answer the public when they call police for help, some brilliant brainiac at Tayside has found a way to solve the problem.

They've decided to take coppers off the beat and put them in the control rooms to answer calls.

This is the part in the post where I would normally ask how they are going to be able to respond to calls for help if all the patrol coppers are busy answering the phones? But I know you, dear reader, were already waaaaaayy ahead of me by the end of the last paragraph.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/bobbies-off-the-beat-in-tayside-to-sit-at-call-centre-desks-1.915969

Tuesday 29 December 2015

A Rise In Serious Crime But Police Not Worried

There was a rise in serious crime in the first half of 2015 but Police Scotland are not worried.

The reason?

Well, Police Scotland tell us that the rise in serious crime is statistically insignificant as far as they are concerned.

Now I don't know about you, but I believe if untrustworthy Police Scotland were doing their job properly there would be a REDUCTION in serious crime, not a rise.

Police Scotland seem to think the public are just as stupid as the incompetent neanderthals they put in uniform.

Because you'd have to be stupid to seriously believe that any rise in serious crime in our society is insignificant.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/police-dismiss-rise-in-serious-crime-as-insignificant.11313

Monday 28 December 2015

Alistair Darling Is A Banker

It seems congratulations are in order to Alistair Darling, the former UK Chancellor of The Exchequer, on his new job with Morgan Stanley Bank.

It certainly makes sense that a man with such an illustrious financial background would be suited to working for one of the worlds most illustrious financial institutions.

But hang on a minute.

Wasn't Alistair Darling the chancellor who presided over the biggest global economic crash the world has ever seen in 2008/2009?

And wasn't Morgan Stanley one of the 'too big to fail' banks that had to be bailed out by the Federal Reserve to the tune of just over $100million and were forced to cough up $2.6 Billion by the Justice Department earlier this year for selling dodgy sub prime securities they had bought from New Century knowing they were junk?

Perhaps Alistair is joining them in an effort to show them the error of their ways. I suppose a bit like one of those principled and conscientious volunteer citizens who does charitable work in order to help rehabilitate others.

After all, there's been no mention of Saint Alistair's proposed salary with Morgan Stanley so maybe he's working for them for free? How noble.

However, call me cynical, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there may be a little bit of renumeration involved here.

Is it possible Morgan Stanley feel enough time has passed for us to forget what went on nearly a decade ago and it's now an appropriate time for them to dish out a wee 'thank you' to global politicians who saved their global bacon in 2008/2009?

Either way, his old buddy Tony Blair gets a reported $2million a year from JP Morgan as a part-time adviser.

I suppose until we actually get wind of Alistair's new salary from Morgan Stanley we'll have to toss a coin to see whether it's Mr Darling or Mr Blair who wins the prize for the most blatant prostituting of ones self.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/business/business-news/former-chancellor-alistair-darling-join-6979371

Sunday 27 December 2015

Why Bother? The Crown Office Will Just Ignore The New FAI Law

The new 'modernised' Fatal Accident Enquiry law which has been passed by the Scottish Parliament contains a 'family liaison charter'.

The idea is that the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service will now keep bereaved families fully informed of how they are progressing during investigations in to FAI's, including whether criminal proceedings will be taken against anyone.

In reality, and from my experience of the corrupt Crown office, it will make little difference to the way the Crown Office conduct themselves in FAI's.

In the bin lorry tragedy the families of the 6 innocent people who died got no justice because the Crown office decided to do nothing and deny them justice. This new law will only make the crown office keep the families informed regularly that they're going to do nothing and deny them justice.

Big deal.

And don't be surprised if Procurator Fiscal David Green gets the job heading up the family liaison department.

Don't laugh, the corrupt Crown office really are that arrogant.

http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2015/december/modernised-fatal-accident-inquiry-law-passed-by-scottish-parliament/

Saturday 26 December 2015

Police Scotland Consider £25m In-The-Red A Success

While giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee, Police Scotland's Deputy Chief Constable Neil Richardson told MSP's that the new single force Police Scotland has been 'a success story' - despite a projected £25million overspend.

Could someone in the classroom give the Deputy Chief Constable a calculator please?

And while you're at it, give him a reality check - along with his P45.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/police-scotland-a-success-story-despite-25m-overspend-1-3964504

Friday 25 December 2015

Cops Will Confiscate And Sell Your Car - But Only If It's A Nice One

Chris Stewart from Glasgow owns - or rather, used to own - a lovely black 1 series BMW.

Unfortunately the car developed engine problems while on Glasgow's M8 motorway so he did what any of us would do. He nursed it off of the M8 until it finally died on a slip road just off the busy motorway.

He then left a note for the Police to let them know that it wasn't a stolen or abandoned car or anything like that - it was his car, he had just broken down.

Police had the car picked up by a recovery/breakdown firm and told Chris that as soon as they checked the vehicle out with DVLA to make sure it belonged to him (a standard procedure) he could have it back.

Except instead of doing that, they sold it.

No doubt someone connected to Police Scotland got themselves a lovely new motor.

I bet this would never have happened if Chris had left Police to tow away an old banger rather than a nice tasty wee Beemer.

I used to live in Spain many years ago. The Spanish police were well known for their corruption. They didn't even bother to try and hide it.

It was common knowledge amongst British ex-patriots that if you had a nice car, the Spanish police would do everything they could to find any excuse to seize your car and then sell it at auction - usually to the chief of Police or one of his family.

I remember the wife of our local Police boss used to drive around in a gorgeous white Volkswagen Golf GTI that once belonged to an English friend of mine. It was seized 6 months and a day after he brought it in to the country. After 6 months a foreign vehicle must be exported and re-imported or changed to Spanish plates. He did things correctly but Traffico (the DVLA of Spain) misplaced his paperwork, delaying the plate change, and he missed the date by one day.

And so Mrs Rodriguez got a nice new Golf GTI.

Lovely.

Of course that was years ago and it happened in Spain where corruption in the Police is rife.

It couldn't happen here could it?



http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cops-floggers-scots-bar-boss-6943758

Police Professionals Christmas Message

They say a picture paints a thousand words.

Here's the Christmas message from Police Professional - illustrated with a picture of an innocent little bauble which they've hung from the nearest tree.

Says it all really.


Thursday 24 December 2015

Police Scotland Investigate School Pupil For Taking A Selfie Pic

In another 'you couldn't make it up' story, untrustworthy Police Scotland have told a schoolgirl that she could be prosecuted for taking a selfie photograph in class.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/626136/mother-anger-police-called-over-school-selfie

Ahh, how reassuring to know that while burglars are breaking in to your house this festive season stealing your kids presents from under the tree, Police Scotland are out in the street stopping and searching your kids for no reason and arresting them for taking selfies on their phone.

Reassuring indeed.

Which reminds me. I saw a strange man in a red suit climbing out my neighbours chimney this evening.

Quick, someone call Police Scotland and report it.

Actually, forget it - their call centre will probably be closed or off-line, and anyway, by the time you do get through to untrustworthy Police Scotland the culprit will be half way to the North Pole.

Either that or lying dead in his sleigh in a ditch just off the M9.


Wednesday 23 December 2015

One Rule For 'Em Etc

I salute a man by the name of William John Morrow.

In case you haven't heard of him, he is the man who tried to bankrupt Strathclyde Police by suing them for £1 billion.

He lost of course, but at least he had the guts to take on this motley crew.

The only way to rebuild our broken justice system is to destroy it and start from scratch and William John Morrow attempted to do that.

He should be applauded by each and every member of the Scottish public for his good work on our behalf.

So what's his next venture going to be to help get rid of corruption in our Police?

Ermm, well, there won't be a next time.

Because they've managed to brand him as a 'vexatious litigant' which means that he is now banned him from ever taking such court actions again.

That's what happens when you try to take on the might of the Crown office and Police Scotland.

Of course it's perfectly ok for the Crown office and Police Scotland to bankrupt YOU by pursuing false allegations against you.

And it's ok for the Crown office and Police Scotland to make vexatious litigations against YOU as often as they want.

And it's ok for the Crown office and Police Scotland to prosecute YOU and other innocent people for crimes they did not commit.

The Crown office and Police Scotland lose cases in courts up and down the country every day against innocent members of the public but no-one is allowed to call the Police or the Crown office 'vexatious litigants'.

But put the shoe on the other foot and they really don't like it when someone attempts to stick it back up 'em.

The Police and the Crown office can make as many false allegations and take out as many failed prosecutions against innocent members of the public as they want - and they can waste as much of your money as they want to do it.

You, however, are not allowed to do the same.

One rule for 'em etc

http://www.thenational.scot/news/vexatious-litigant-man-loses-in-bid-to-sue-scottish-and-ni-police-forces-for-1bn.10683

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Crown Office Continue To Cover Up Lockerbie

First of all a wee bit of background to how this all works.

You see when the Police have investigated matters of criminal wrongdoing they submit a report to the Procurator Fiscal at the Crown Office who then decides if the case should be prosecuted.

The Crown office is the gatekeeper to the court room and no case gets to court unless the Procurator Fiscal says so. This means if there is anything embarrassing about the Crown office in a Police report that the Crown don't want a court (ie the public) to see, they simply refuse to prosecute.

Similarly if there is wrongdoing of their friends in the Police, they refuse to prosecute.

Absolutely no-one can make the Crown office change their mind. No-one.

By preventing a court getting to hear cases, the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service become, in effect, judge and jury themselves.

This is wrong and it's unacceptable. But that's the way it works.

We've seen the devastation the Crown office's corrupt actions caused in the bin lorry tragedy.

I have also had personal experience in which the Crown office have refused to take action against crooked Police officers and corrupt Procurator Fiscals in their ranks despite overwhelming evidence of their guilt.

The Crown office and Police Scotland stink so much of cronyism you can smell the stench from John O'Groats to Gretna Green.

So now on to the latest saga in the Lockerbie disaster.

Most people have their own opinion on the Lockerbie disaster. Opinions usually fall in to two camps. Those who believe Megrahi was innocent, and those who believe he was guilty but did not act alone. Either way, everyone agrees that more than just Megrahi should have been in the dock.

The Crown office have continually come under criticism over their handling of the Lockerbie case. But true to form, the Crown office arrogantly refuse to budge from the line they took all those years ago.

And the reason is because they know all too well that officials of untrustworthy Police Scotland and the corrupt Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service should be in the dock themselves over the shambolic handling of this case.

The organisation Justice For Megrahi have called for a court to hear the evidence of the latest Police investigation. But I can guarantee that the corrupt Crown office will continue to deny them their right to have evidence heard in a court of law - because it embarrasses the Crown Office and Police Scotland.

The Lord Advocate has already referred to Justice for Megrahi as conspiracy theorists in an attempt to undermine their credibility and hopefully deflect criticism from his Crown office.

Don't expect justice for Lockerbie victims from the Crown office EVER.

Period.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/relatives-of-lockerbie-bombing-victims-fear-findings-of-a-police-scotland-probe-into-the-atrocity-will-be-buried.11184

Monday 21 December 2015

Why There Will Be No Enquiry In To Illegal Police Spying

The Justice minister has said that there will be no enquiry in to Police Scotland's illegal spying controversy.

This comes on top of the recent revelations that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon knew about the spying allegations against Police Scotland for 5 months but said nothing.

Yet curiously the First Minister wasted no time publicly criticising David Cameron's Government the very minute she discovered GCHQ were illegally spying on us.

So why the difference?

The conclusion is as obvious as it is disturbing I'm afraid.

Police Scotland were spying on us in some cases for and on behalf of the Scottish Government. 

Bear in mind that it is the Scottish Government who choose and appoint the Lord Advocate to run the Crown office and boss the Police. So the Lord Advocate Frank 'I'm anything but frank' Mulholland is nothing more than a Government mouthpiece and stooge.

Therefore the reason there will be no enquiry in to this farce is because it would be very embarrassing if the First Minister were to ask the Lord Advocate and untrustworthy Police Scotland why they conducted illegal spying on our citizens and the reply was 'because you told us to...'

https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/3046/justice-minister-dismisses-calls-for-inquiry-into-police-spies

Police Scotland A Pantomime

Todays article in the National, written by Kevin McKenna, describes Police Scotland as a pantomime you can watch all year round. It's so good that I've attached a full copy of Kevin's article below. Well worth a read:


Want Justice? How Much Money You Got?

Getting justice in Scotland has always come down to money.

It always has and it always will.

The Crown office were accused last week of failing to act in the case of alleged abuser Fr Denis Chrysostom Alexander who for some strange reason the Crown would not attempt to extradite from Australia to face trial in Scotland.

But no sooner had the BBC pulled the Crown office up for dragging its heels over the case last week, the Crown changed direction and said they would now be seeking Fr Denis Chrysostom Alexander's extradition.

Just shows what the threat of a little bad publicity on the telly can do to shake up the corrupt Crown office.

But let's look a little deeper and see WHY the Crown office dragged their heels and did not extradite this man to face justice here in Scotland.

And we find the answer is...money.

The Crown did not want to spend the money getting him extradited from Australia.

Had he been living up a close in Maryhill you can bet your bottom dollar he'd have been in court long ago.

And since the Crown office are not accountable to anyone (well, no-one who has any actual power to do anything about the rogue decisions they take) the Crown can do whatever they like.

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago when there had been an attempted assault on me by a horrible wee ned who was on holiday here in Scotland but lives in Australia. The low-life individual should have been a witness at a subsequent court case in which he was to be examined about, among other things, his attempted assault on me. But the Procurator Fiscal refused to cite him because he was back in Australia by the time the court case came around. Put simply, it would cost too much money.

Fortunately I won my case...and I was able to win it without the piece of scum having to appear. The coward was able to continue to hide away in Australia (best place for him). However it just shows how money plays a part in the justice the Crown office are willing to allow you.

Justice should never be deprived to someone because the Crown decide they don't want to spend the money. God knows Procurator Fiscals squander enough every day trying to prosecute innocents who they know should never be in court in the first place - just so they can save face and don't have to admit they got cases wrong.

Justice should never be dependant on how much money you, as a defendant, have in your pocket either. But it is.

If you walk in to any court in Scotland on any day of the week you'll see the poorest and the most vulnerable in our society sitting in the dock. There are so many jeans, tees, trackies and scrunchies in the dock you could easily be forgiven for thinking that middle-class, wealthy, and well educated people don't commit crime.

The reason for this is because the Crown office specifically target the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society.

It's hard work for a Procurator Fiscal to get a conviction against an innocent person who has the education to defend himself or the money to employ a good solicitor.

It's far easier for the Crown to put an innocent poor or vulnerable person behind bars.

And that's why they do it. Every day.

Poor and vulnerable people rarely understand the legal system and are usually overwhelmed by what's going on at a court trial. They are easy targets to the Procurator Fiscal - just like motorists are easy targets for the Police.

Police can easily issue 100 tickets to motorists in the time it would take them to catch one burglar. That's why you get 3 points on your licence but they never catch the guy who broke in to your house.

Similarly the Procurator Fiscals can easily get 100 poor and vulnerable people convicted in the time it would take to conduct one trial against a middle-class, wealthy, educated person who pleads not-guilty and stands up for his rights. That's why our courts and jails are full of the poorest and most vulnerable in society while the real criminals go free.

The moral of the story?

If you want to evade justice, skip off to somewhere far away. It'll cost too much for the Crown office to bring you back.

And if you're a victim of crime and looking to the corrupt Crown office to give you justice against someone who's skipped off somewhere far away, well, you better keep your fingers crossed that a television station or a newspaper is around to help twist the Crown's arm.

Because without that, the Crown won't do what's in the interest of justice or what's in the interest of the public.

The Crown will only ever do what's in their own interest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35120649

Hey SPA, Where's Our £21 Million?

The idiots at the Scottish Police Authority have lost £21 Million.

I don't mean they've overspent and their balance sheet is showing them to be £21 Million down. I mean they've actually lost £21 Million - they don't know what they've done with it.

And it's OUR money.

Everything was supposedly going swimmingly well until Audit Scotland walked in and took a look at their accounts.

Audit Scotland were shocked to the core at the state of their books and have said they have never seen such “incomplete” and “poor quality” accounts from a public body.

Pretty damning stuff.

It's not surprising to me though, especially if you go down the list of board members.

You'll find that there's a councillor Paul Rooney on the board of the Scottish Police Authority who just happens to also be the chairman of the £11.4 Billion (yes, that's right, I said Billion) Strathclyde Pension Fund.

The Strathclyde Pension Fund accounts have been a mess for years.

One person not named on the SPA board but is a previous SPA chairman is Bailie Philip Braat.

He was also a convener of the Strathclyde Pension Fund.

So with such poor quality board members and chairmen over the years, it's little surprise to me that the bumbling Scottish Police Authority have lost £21 Million.

These jobsworths couldn't run a booze-up in a brewery.

(I cleaned that phrase up by the way).

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13098133.Married_woman_claims_Labour_police_boss_harassed_her/

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14144865.Prominent_Labour_figure_charged_with_overseeing_Glasgow_s_multi_billion_pound_budget_to_quit/

Sunday 20 December 2015

Police Scotland Discriminate Against Pregnant Workers

The Scottish Women's Development Forum have criticised Police Scotland for a lack of understanding and awareness regarding pregnant officers.


I'm appalled.


This needs to be addressed right away.


Because with Police Scotland facing a £25m budget black hole, I can see a great opportunity for cost savings to be made if only Police Scotland were to encourage and be more welcoming to pregnant police officers.


Just fast forward a couple of years and imagine the child of a Police officer going to his first day at nursery.


Mr & Mrs Plod could drop the child off at nursery in the morning, then stop and search the child in the afternoon when they go back to pick him up.


It makes a more efficient use of Police time.


Because we all know how much untrustworthy Police Scotland just love to stop and search children...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/police-scotland-face-further-scandal-6973788

Saturday 19 December 2015

Lack Of Qualified Police Officers In Scotland

The new chief constable of Scotland Phil Gormley is to appoint a number of English officers to the top jobs in Police Scotland.

He says it is because there is a lack of qualified officers in Scotland who can take on the top jobs.

Some may find this surprising.

I don't.

Over the years I have lodged complaints against a number of corrupt Police officers up to and including the rank of superintendent so I've known for a very long time that untrustworthy Police Scotland is run by a motley crew of hapless incompetents.

Nice to see the new top cop agrees.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/police-scotland-jobs-set-go-6991864

Friday 18 December 2015

5 Weeks Without A Chief Constable

Sir Stephen 'I've got an ego as big as a' House left his post on December 1st 2015 but the new chief constable Phil 'Gormless' doesn't take over until 5th January 2016.

That means Scotland will be without a chief constable for 5 weeks.

Questions have rightly been asked as to whether the thousands of traffic tickets - that our boys in blue like to give out like sweeties - will be valid?

Charges are usually brought in the name of the chief constable so how can the chief constable take you to court if there is no chief constable?

Don't worry though. I'm sure untrustworthy Police Scotland will find a sneaky way around this dilemma. A silly thing like having to adhere to 'the law' has never stopped Police Scotland before.

Rest assured Police Scotland are not about to kill their favourite cash cow, even if it's only for 5 weeks.

I'm also sure we'll get along just fine without a chief constable for 5 weeks.

Just a pity we couldn't have done without that menace-in-a-uniform Stephen House for the 8 years we had to suffer him.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14141207.Labour_ask_questions_on_validity_of_police_tickets_as_Scotland_do_go_without_chief_constable_for_five_weeks/

Bizarre Christmas Safety Campaign - Take 2

Come on, you just knew it was gonna happen didn't you?

No sooner have the twittering twits at Police Scotland launched their silly safety campaign and the parodies have already begun.

It's the easiest thing in the world to make a mockery of the incompetence and stupidity of Police Scotland at the best of times but on this occasion they have really excelled at setting themselves up by painting an almighty bullseye target on their foreheads.

Untrustworthy Police Scotland must have known that it wouldn't take long for the Scottish public, who already see them as a bit of a joke, to respond to their ridiculous nonesense...with a bit of a joke.






Bizarre Christmas Safety Campaign

In what has to be one of Police Scotland's daftest ideas, this years Christmas safety campaign is as useless as it is bizarre. A bit like Police Scotland themselves.

The campaign consists of a bunch of children's toys - a monkey, an elf, and a couple of barbies - shown in various 'situations' to warn us of the dangers around this time of year.

If untrustworthy Police Scotland would spend more time out in our streets investigating crimes instead of playing with stupid toys and twitter it would be far more productive.

But as everyone knows, Police Scotland are lazy.

They are supposed to investigate in to criminality and then report those crimes to the Procurator Fiscal but instead they cut corners by just taking a guess at who they think the bad guy is and then collect as much so-called evidence as they can to try and support their own ill-conceived 'opinions'.

Police officers are renown for not being particularly bright or well educated so invariably their 'opinions' turn out to be wrong and an innocent person gets arrested. They don't care though because their arrest targets and quotas have been filled.

Victims of crime this Christmas will find it anything but reassuring to know that the Police are sitting uploading pics of a bunch of toys to the internet while they wait hours, days and even weeks for Police to turn up to answer their call for help.

This is one occasion when I'd actually be happy for a change to see Police Scotland throwing their toys out their pram (and in to the nearest bin).

What a bunch of muppets.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2015/12/17/police-scotland-ridiculed-over-creepy-elf-xmas-safety-campaign/

Thursday 17 December 2015

Corrupt Crown Office Host Sexual Offences Conference

The 2015 Sexual Offences Conference was hosted earlier this month by Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service agent Catherine Dyer.

It makes complete sense to me that the Crown would host this conference.

Because when it comes to sexual offences and treatment of women, this is one area where the Crown are extremely experienced.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-sturrock-b8aa63a3
PF Depute
Garry Sturrock

For instance there is Procurator Fiscal Depute Garry Sturrock who humiliated a woman by boasting on Facebook how wonderfully he conducted a court case in which she was a victim. 

The woman ended up suing the the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and was awarded £3,000.

Then there is Procurator Fiscal Depute Stuart MacFarlane who was allegedly caught with a prostitute in 2006 - I say allegedly because his buddies in the Crown office dropped the charges against him. 


http://scottishlaw.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/shame-for-crown-office-lord-advocate-as.html
PF Depute
Stuart MacFarlane

However his cronies at COPFS were backed in to a corner and had no choice but to grudgingly take action against him when he was then caught with indecent images of children. 

This Gary Glitter of the Procurator Fiscal world was ordered to carry out 300 hours of community punishment.

And those are just the ones in the Crown office that we actually know about. How many more are there in their ranks I wonder?

Ah yes dear reader. When it comes to hosting a sexual offences conference the Crown office are very much the ones who have all the experience...

RESOURCES:
http://www.globallegalpost.com/big-stories/crown-office-hosts-sexual-offences-conference-65967597/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/garry-sturrock-b8aa63a3

http://scottishlaw.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/shame-for-crown-office-lord-advocate-as.html

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en-GB&biw&bih&q=cache:nUFQgTEUchoJ:http://shirleymckie.myfastforum.org/archive/crown-failed-to-contest-action__o_t__t_1559.html%2Bgarry+sturrock+procurator+fiscal+depute&gbv=2&&ct=clnk

http://www.bentfiscals.co.uk


Why The Crown Office Won't reverse Their Decision

In what seems to be a near daily occurrence, the corrupt Crown Office have yet again refused to review or reverse their decision not to prosecute the Glasgow bin lorry driver Harry Clarke.

I have been very vocal about this case and have often given my reasons WHY I believe the corrupt Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service decided not to prosecute the driver.

However their refusal to review their decision not to prosecute him is for a different reason.

You see, in my experience the Crown office never, ever admit that they are wrong. This is pretty standard behaviour for any corrupt, arrogant, and self-serving type of organisation like the Crown office so, ok, we expect that from them.

But when faced with mounting public criticism (and don't forget, the Crown office work for us), you would normally expect even a corrupt, arrogant, and self-serving organisation to bow to public pressure to act justly and honestly - no matter how much of a climb down and loss of face it would be for them.

That's where the Crown office are different.

Because the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service are absolutely unaccountable to anyone.

Sure, you could argue that the public services ombudsman is supposedly 'above' them. But even an imbecile knows that the SPSO are a toothless bunch of rogues with no power and are in fact run by the Crown office's cronies and connections. So even if the SPSO did have teeth, they would never show them against the Crown office.

And THAT is the real reason the Crown office just keep trotting out the same rebuttals day after day even though we the public are screaming at them for justice to be done. It's because they can.

Meanwhile six people lie dead in the cemetery.

And the Crown office really don't care.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14129187.Crown_again_defends_decision_not_to_charge_Harry_Clarke/

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Clean Air Charge

I love the story about the restaurant in Eastern China who charge customers for clean air (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-35091784)

Seems pollution is so bad in Zhangjiagang city that the restaurant owner has to run air purifiers inside his restaurant - and charges customers a levy per head for the clean air they get to enjoy while eating their meal.

It's a great idea and we should do it here.

My local greasy spoon in the east end of Glesga' does a really great 'beans on toast'. Mega cheap too. The place is always busy.

However all those beans...well the air....

Secret Police Operate In Scotland

The idea of a secret police force illegally spying on you, intercepting your communications, and conducting covert surveillance on you is usually the stuff of old movies about Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia.

So the idea that it is happening today in Scotland is pretty ridiculous, right?

Wrong.

It is happening today in Scotland.

But rest assured Police Scotland will make sure you never get to know about it.

The Press and Journal made a freedom of information request to ask how often Police Scotland had used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) to access information about journalists’ sources.

Turns out untrustworthy Police Scotland only keep this sort of information for 6 years so no info exists for 2000 to 2009.

Oh, and they also added that it would cost too much money to answer a freedom of information request in to how often RIPA was used between 2010 and 2011.

So there you have it. For more than 11 years Police Scotland have been spying on us without any legal permission to do so - but we'll never know the extent of their illegal activities because it was all done in secret with no records kept or accountability.

I bet you didn't know you've been living in a Police State in Scotland for more than a decade.

Looks like those old movies are coming back after all.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/778826/police-use-terror-laws-to-spy-on-scottish-journalists/

Glasgow City Council Still Ignoring Bin Lorry Safety

Just days before the anniversary of the deaths of 6 innocent members of the public in the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy, another driver of a 26-tonne Glasgow bin lorry has ignored a 3.5-tonne weight restriction in Garnethill, Glasgow to drive up the street. 

The bin lorry is more than 7 times heavier than the weight allowed for the street.

It also comes just a couple of weeks after another Glasgow bin lorry was photographed in a pedestrian precinct in Glasgow during peak times despite Glasgow City Council assuring us this would never happen again.

So why would bin lorry drivers working for Glasgow City Council arrogantly ignore safety precautions?

The clue is in the words 'working for Glasgow City Council' and the answer is pretty simple if you join the dots.

You see Glasgow City Council is run by councillors who are ex solicitors, ex police officers, and ex Procurator Fiscals from the Crown office. They sit on such boards as the Scottish Police Authority. Glasgow City Council legislate for the Health & Safety Executive. The old pals act remains very much alive and kicking at Glasgow City Council.

This means if you happen to kill someone while driving your own vehicle, you will very quickly find yourself spending your holidays getting a stripey suntan in the BAR-L.

But if you drive for Glasgow City Council you'll never see the inside of a jail cell. Glasgow Crooked City Council will make sure their cronies in the Crown office, Police Scotland, and the Health & Safety Executive see to that.

Just like Glasgow City Council driver Harry Clarke, the drivers of these latest bin lorry pics can be confident they will never face prosecution.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/26-tonne-glasgow-bin-lorry-7009908

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Police Scotland Have Been Illegally Spying On Us For years

You just knew this one was coming didn't you.

Soon after we discover that Police Scotland spied on journalists but claim it only happened five times and it was supposedly by mistake we find that, suprise surprise, this was far from the truth.

Police Scotland have been spying on us for years.

Untrustworthy Police Scotland have been lying to us all along over this matter.

Who would've thunk it eh?

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/mole-hunters-police-scotland-been-7002687

Countdown To Corruption

OK, so yesterday the Scottish Parliament passed the new law regarding the controversial stop and search powers for Police Scotland.

How long do you reckon it'll be before we hear the first case of untrustworthy Police Scotland abusing those powers?

Answers on a postcard please...

https://www.policeoracle.com/news/Criminal+Justice/2015/Dec/14/New-custody-and-search-laws-for-Scotland_90381.html

Monday 14 December 2015

You Have No Right Of Protest In Scotland

It's the most basic human right you can have in any democracy - the right to peaceful protest.

It's not just a basic human right. Freedom of speech is the absolute foundation of any proper democracy.

It's what keeps our rulers honest and holds them to account. Because if we can't hold them to account then we have tyranny and that would be unthinkable in a modern society such as ours.

So when a group of football fans politely made their negative feelings about untrustworthy Police Scotland known by peacefully displaying it on a banner, what do you think Police did?

Did Police Scotland respect their right to peaceful protest?

Nope.

Did Police Scotland, although disagreeing with the sentiments on the banner, staunchly defend their right to say it?

Nope.

You've guessed.

Police seized the banner.


Sunday 13 December 2015

SPA Refuse To Hold Police Scotland To Account Over £25m of Your Money

Just to prove that a new broom doesn't always sweep clean (especially if that broom belongs to Police Scotland), we find that one of the first things new Chief Constable of Scotland Phil 'Gormless' has refused to do is tell us how he intends to spend our money.

It doesn't take a maths genius to work out that the Police Scotland budget is facing a £25m deficit.

So it's a reasonable question.

Where are they going to find £25m? Are essential policing services going to be cut? How are they going to balance the books?

Normally the answer would be obvious. You simply ask Police Scotland. After all it's our money so just tell us how you're going to spend it?

Except the Scottish Police Authority (who we rely on to hold Police Scotland accountable) have refused a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association urging them to reveal Police Scotland's budget options.

Now, I've blogged before about how the Scottish Police Authority is run by friends and connections of Police Scotland and how it is farcical to believe that this bunch of rogues will ever hold their pals in untrustworthy Police Scotland accountable.

This is just further proof that the bumbling SPA are all about protecting their buddies in Police Scotland rather than holding them to account as they should.

Saturday 12 December 2015

The Real Reason Police Don't Want To Wear Cameras

Police in Dumfries and Galloway have trialed the wearing of body cameras but decided to ditch the idea - after just 5 weeks.

Police Scotland claim that the problem is that the cameras were legacy equipment which had been used previously in another department and they found them to be 'not fit for purpose'.

Let me translate.

The cameras were picking up the real world behaviour of officers and how they treat the public. The camera never lies so was exposing the officers who lie to corroborate and back each other up.

Untrustworthy Police Scotland don't like when their actions are being recorded. Just try pointing a camera at any Police officer and see the reaction you get. They hate it. Heaven forbid the truth actually being captured for all to see. Innocent people might go free and we can't have that can we?

Here's my prediction.

Police Scotland will only introduce body worn cameras when they have come up with a way for officers to cherry pick and delete the stuff on the cameras they don't want the courts to see and keep the stuff they do want the courts to see.

As always with Police Scotland, any benefits derived from wearing body cameras will be purely for their benefit, not ours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-35049842

Friday 11 December 2015

Undercover Police Will Have Sex With You To Get Information

Did you know that the controversial spying unit the National Public Order Intelligence Unit which was set up to infiltrate protest groups in England has been operating in Scotland?

No, neither did I.

They kept quiet about that one.

It turns out that NPOIU police - who were caught having sexual relationships and even fathered children with members of the groups they infiltrated - have been operating here as well as in England.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary have confirmed that the NPOIU did indeed operate north of the border and that Mark Kennedy, the most notorious NPOIU officer, visited Scotland over a dozen times while on duty.

Will police stop at nothing to persecute those who oppose them and their elite masters?

Have they no shame?

Seems not.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14126896.Revealed__spying_unit_worked_with_Scottish_police/

Thursday 10 December 2015

Even The Anti Corruption Police In Scotland Are Corrupt

A Scottish policeman has spilled the beans on the Police Scotland anti corruption unit.

PC Andrew Reid had to endure his own colleagues in Police Scotland's anti corruption unit investigating him and at the end of it he was charged with data breaches.

The problem is, PC Andrew Reid was innocent.

In fact, he was better than innocent - the judge threw the case out saying there was 'no case to answer'. He shouldn't have been in court in the first place.

So why would untrustworthy Police Scotland spend £500,000 going after a good honest copper in the force who had done nothing wrong?

Well, Andrew Reid can answer that question. He knows exactly what's wrong with Police Scotland and their anti corruption unit and the way they operate. But they won't ask him.

According to the former constable, it would blow the lid off the way Police Scotland treat good decent honest coppers and they don't want to hear it. It would be a very inconvenient truth for the crooked coppers in the Police anti corruption unit.

Police Scotland throw hundreds of thousands of pounds of OUR money at investigations and bringing charges that should never have seen the light of day against innocent people. You see, after they've invested a few quid in getting charges brought against an innocent person, it's easier for them and the Crown office to just keep going rather than stopping, realising they've got it all so wrong, and dropping the charges. It means they don't have to admit they messed up.

Innocent people have their lives turned upside down and millions of pounds of taxpayers money (our money) get's wasted every year - just so that incompetent Police Scotland and their cronies at the Crown office can save face.

More proof if ever it were needed that untrustworthy Police Scotland exist for their own benefit rather than ours.

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Incompetent Police Scotland Shoot The Messenger

Drugs are the scourge of our society and have been for many years. The problem continues to get worse.

Readers of this blog will know that I am a non drinker and I am anti drugs. All drugs.

There is no easy solution to our country's drug problem and all attempts to eradicate them in our society have failed.

Unfortunately I don't have the answer.

At the most basic level, the problem we face is that many people enjoy taking drugs and have done since time in memorial. What they don't realise until it's too late is that even so-called soft drugs are addictive.

The only solution our Government has really come up with so far is to attempt to limit and control the taking of drugs by members of the public by making them illegal. It's certainly a start and it does show drug users that in our society we view drug taking as a bad thing. At least it sends the right message.

So when a pub or nightclub owner finds drugs on their premises or sees patrons taking drugs on their premises he should call Police Scotland. The police can then attend, hopefully find out where the drugs are coming from, find out who is supplying them, and arrest the dealers. They can also perhaps point the drug taker to the various organisations where they can get advice and help for their addiction. Sounds good.

Except this isn't what happens.

Instead, Police Scotland use any reports of drugs on pub or club premises AGAINST the owner to try and close their premises down.

So pubs and clubs don't bother to inform untrustworthy Police Scotland when they find drugs.

You'd almost think Police Scotland had a vested interest in NOT eradicating drug use!

The Scottish Licensing Trade Association have voiced concern over the 'strained' relationship Police Scotland now have with pubs and clubs.

They are quite correct.

Another case where Police shoot the messenger.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Children Grow Up Hating Police Scotland

In a new amendment to the criminal justice (Scotland) bill police will be able to stop and search children without any legal cause.

It wasn't long ago that untrustworthy Police Scotland were hauled over the coals regarding the controversial practice of stopping and searching children.

But never the type to let the law get in the way of doing what they want to do, it hasn't taken Police Scotland long to get that power back - through the back door of course.

Police Scotland will use any lying and cheating tactic to get to do whatever they want and now all they need to say that they 'suspect the child of possessing alcohol' and that lets them manipulate the law covered in the new amendment.

They now have a right, under the new bill, to stop and search our children at will.

Children in Scotland are already FOUR times more likely to be stopped by police than in England. Yet the figures do not show that youngsters in Scotland commit four times more crimes than in England.

History tells us that every time Police Scotland get new powers through new laws, they abuse those powers.

Police Scotland have already abused stop and search powers in the past and they will abuse them again. Tens of thousands of children, some as young as 7 years old, were stopped and searched. They have grown up with a poor opinion of Police Scotland.

Now our boys in blue are just about to make enemies of tens of thousands more youngsters in the next generation.

The idiots at Police Scotland just don't get it.

A whole generation of Scottish public have already grown up to hate Police Scotland.

A new generation are now set to do the same.

As years go by less and less people trust Police Scotland. Less people help are willing to go to the aid of a policeman. Less people are willing to make statements and help Police Scotland catch bad guys. Less people are willing to go to court and be a witness when Police Scotland ask them to.

You reap what you sow Mr Plod.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/07/new-scottish-stop-and-search-fears-over-clampdown-on-children-with-alcohol

Monday 7 December 2015

New Scottish Chief Constable A 'Patsy'?

So Police Scotland have a new Chief Constable.

His name is Phil Gormley and he's not Scottish.

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against any police officer from any area of the country applying to be the Chief Constable of Scotland.

In fact the more top coppers who throw their hat in the ring for the job, the more choice the good people of Scotland have at getting a good 'un at the helm for a wee change.

But I can't help wondering why, out of the thousands of police officers we have here in Scotland, there isn't at least ONE police officer in our own country who is capable of being the Chief Constable of Scotland?

Perhaps the real powers-that-be behind untrustworthy Police Scotland don't want someone who knows the 'turf'?

Perhaps they want a 'Patsy' for the job - an outsider who doesn't know the ropes, can have the wool pulled over his eyes, and will let them continue with their corrupt policing policies.

Oh well, looks like it'll be business as usual in Police Scotland again.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14125945.display/

Sunday 6 December 2015

Police Call Lights Out In The Northern Lights

The northern lights of old Aberdeen are being switched off. Well, in the Police Scotland 101 call centre at Bucksburn anyway.

Yet this is despite untrustworthy Police Scotland publicly saying they would postpone the closure.

The report in to the M9 tragedy recommended there should be a halt to Police call centre closures.

Deputy chief constable Rose Fitzpatrick publicly agreed to all the recommendations of the report.

But we've discovered that redundancy interviews are still taking place at Bucksburn. Why would they be doing that if they're not closing?

Police Scotland wouldn't be telling us porkys again now would they?

Time for a singsong:

When I was a lad a tiny wee lad
Two coppers said to me
We Police the northern lights my boy
Call 101 and see

But they cops turned out to be chancers
They told me a big porky pie

I'll never forget the redundancy plight
When they closed the Bucksburn site

(All together now)

The Northern lights of old Aberdeen…
la la la la..

Saturday 5 December 2015

First Minister Has Known About The Police Spying Scandal For 5 Months

In yet another development in the Police Scotland spying scandal, we find out that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has known about this scandal for nearly FIVE months.

Cue the usual excuses of why the government kept silent and didn't go public about it (such as 'not wanting to jeopardise an ongoing investigation' etc).

But that's just not true.

When the First Minister discovered that GCHQ were spying on MSP's without permission she wasted no time in going public with that and tackling David Cameron about it.

So why would the First Minister be quick to go public and criticise GCHQ for spying without permission but not Police Scotland for spying without permission?

The real reason is because it is the Scottish government who choose and appoint the Lord Advocate...

...and the Lord Advocate heads the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service...

...and the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service work intimately with Police Scotland, relying on officers to lie in court on a regular basis to help them win prosecution cases...

...and therefore the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service are very reluctant to take action against their friends and colleagues in Police Scotland.

Join the dots dear reader, join the dots.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/14114152.display/

Friday 4 December 2015

Ignorance Of The Law Is No Excuse - Unless You're The Police

The Emma Caldwell scandal just gets worse and worse for untrustworthy Police Scotland.
 

They're trying to pull the wool over our eyes by telling us that they didn't realise they had to get a judges permission to spy on journalists and whistleblowers, so therefore it wasn't intentional.


But their decision to hunt down and persecute the whistle-blowers who went to the newspapers in the first place was absolutely intentional.


Police Scotland are a disgrace. 

After months of speculation about this Assistant Chief Constable Ruaraidh Nicolson has finally admitted, albeit grudgingly, that Police Scotland did indeed spy on The Sunday Mail and that they did not seek a judge’s approval before doing it. 

I have two problems with this.


Firstly, what this story really boils down to is how Police Scotland explode with anger and aggressively react to stories that appear in the press and embarrass them. 

It's clear that they threw their full weight and resources behind persecuting the whistleblower that dared to expose their corruption rather than catching Emma Caldwell's killer.


Secondly, this ridiculous excuse trotted out by Police Scotland that they didn't know the law and that regulations had changed so they now needed a judge’s approval before spying on people is unacceptable. 


The Police constantly tell us that ignorance of the law is no excuse. 

Try telling a traffic cop you didn't know it was a 30mph limit or you didn't know how many millimetres of tread had to be on your tyres and just see how far you get. Not far, I can assure you. 

You'll get done - and you'll be told that ignorance of the law is no excuse.


But put the shoe on the other foot and it's ok for Police Scotland to claim they didn't know the law and get away with it.


And mark my words, they will get away with this, just watch.


One rule for them and all that...


Thursday 3 December 2015

Police Scotland employee paedophile

An IT support officer in Police Scotland has been caught abusing his position so that he could get confidential details about vulnerable children in care.


Barry Rankine, 32, had what is described as a hoard of indecent photographs of children and "extreme pornographic images".

What a disgusting individual.


Even more disgusting is that untrustworthy Police Scotland employed this piece of garbage in the first place.

What sort of screening process and background checks do Police Scotland conduct before employing these people who then have access to very private and confidential data?

If an innocent man finds himself on the wrong side of a Police Scotland vendetta against him (as I did), you can bet your bottom dollar that the crooked cops will use every single resource at their disposal to try and pervert the course of justice. Police will do everything it takes to get a conviction against an innocent member of the public and they don't mind lying to do it either.

Perhaps if they used just a fraction of those resources to do a bit of a check on paedophiles before they welcome them in to Police Scotland with open arms our society would be a bit better off...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-34812259

Break Out The Hawaiin Tropic

Ever dreamed of living in Hawaii?

Imagine lazing in a hammock all day on Waikiki beach, a garland around your neck, and drinking pina coladas.

Just the thought of it on a chilly Scottish December morning fills you with warmth doesn't it?

It sounds wonderful - as long as you don't bank with First Hawaiin bank and happen to check your balance that is.

Seems customers of First Hawaiin Bank got a bit of a shock this week when they checked their balances and found it showed them to be billions - and sometimes trillions - of dollars in debt.

Of course there was nothing to worry about - it was simply a computer glitch which wrongly showed their accounts to be billions in the red.

I wonder if the Scottish banks use that same computer system?

Because I checked my bank account here in Glasgow this morning and…

http://news.yahoo.com/glitch-causes-bank-customers-see-billions-charges-141220617.html

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Incestuous relationship between Police Scotland And Government Ministers

The relationship between Government Ministers and Police Scotland is incestuous and the Scottish Police Authority who are supposed to oversee Police Scotland has failed miserably and should be scrapped.

Regular readers of this blog will find it no surprise that I've written the above headline. After all, it's what readers of this blog have come to expect from me when writing about untrustworthy Police Scotland.

Except, amazingly, those are not my words. They are the sentiments of a member of the Scottish Parliament in his recent review in to Scottish policing.

And not just any old MSP either. The review was by Graeme Pearson MSP who used to be Deputy Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police and the former head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.

It's fair to say he probably knows a thing or two about how Police Scotland works.

He writes in his review that we need to get back to the kind of old style of community policing that used to make us and our police force the envy of the world.

The disastrous idea of merging regional forces in to one large central Police Scotland was always going to end in tears. Of course the powers-that-be promised us that we had nothing to worry about - there would still be accountability on a local level and cost savings would be delivered.

But they were wrong, and millions of Scottish people told them that before they did it.

They ignored us and went ahead regardless.

As far as accountability is concerned, when they centralised the Police, the SPA (the Strathclyde Police Authority) simply morphed itself in to the...ermmm...SPA (the Scottish Police Authority) with the same old friendly faces and dodgy connections of Police Scotland at the helm.

The bumbling SPA have always been as toothless as a Jermy Kyle Show contestant when it comes to holding their best buddies in Police Scotland accountable.

No change there then.

Mr Pearson rightly pointed out that the SPA are nothing more than a rubber stamping body who fail to hold the Chief Constable to account.

As if we didn't know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-34744370

Glasgow City Council Liars

Following on from yesterdays bin lorry scandal where we saw a number of pictures of a 12-tonne bin lorry back on the streets of Glasgow city centre at peak time, the Scottish Sun have challenged Glasgow Crooked Council, oops, sorry, Glasgow City Council over the pictures.

The pics show a large 12-tonne bin lorry, the registration plate and livery are visible, it belongs to Glasgow City Council, it's pictured on a pedestrian precinct, a bin crew are working and emptying bins, it's between 8 and 9 in the morning, there are pedestrians around.

Pretty conclusive stuff.

So have Glasgow City Council held their hands up and admitted to it?

Not a chance!

Even when presented with the damning pictures Glasgow City Council still deny they've done anything wrong.

First they tried to claim that the bin lorry pictured was exempt because of its size and was therefore permitted to be in the city centre at that time.

But when the newspaper reminded Glasgow City Council of their own court evidence that they only use smaller trucks with a cage at the back at this time in the morning, Glasgow City Council quickly changed their story and claimed that they are carrying out a 'new type of trial' of smaller refuse collection vehicles.

It just so happens there is no record anywhere of Glasgow City Council actually telling anyone about this surprise 'new type of trial'!

Talk about back-tracking!

How stupid do Glasgow City Council think we are?

They're making it up as they go along.

Glasgow City Council are liars and they've been caught out.

For God's sake Glasgow City Council, have some compassion and decency and hold your hands up. You've been caught red-handed. Just try to be honest for once in your miserable life. Surely you owe that much to the six innocent people who lost their lives.

Douglas Gellan is the land and environmental services area manager. In court at the Fatal Accident Enquiry he stated very clearly to Sheriff John Beckett that large lorries would only do collections on pedestrian precincts from 12am to 5am and 7am to 8am. Mr Gellan stated that outwith these hours Glasgow City Council would use a smaller truck with a cage at the back.

Take a look at yesterdays pictures (below) of a Glasgow City Council vehicle, on a pedestrian precinct, in Glasgow city centre, at just after 8 in the morning.

Do you see a 'small truck with a cage at the back'?

No, neither do I.

Maybe Glasgow City Council thinks we're all blind as well as mugs.