After more than 3 years of fighting for justice the whole of the evidence has now been heard in a public court. The family of Jean Charles De Menezes said today "The jury’s verdict is a damning indictment of the multiple failures of the police and the lies they told. It is clear from the verdict today that the jury could have gone further had they not been gagged by the Coroner. We maintain that Jean Charles de Menezes was unlawfully killed".I agree wholeheartedly.The police had FIVE legal teams representing them, the family of Jean Charles had ONE. Another leading member of the judicial service bowed to such pressure put on him and prevented the jury from reaching the verdict they would have done had they been allowed to do the job they were sworn in to do. At every step of the way our ruling institutions have afforded the protection to, and allowed and assisted the Metropolitan Police to lie, to blunder and to execute innocent people without any accountability whatsoever.However, in reaching their "open verdict" A PUBLIC JURY have said the police clearly lied; that Jean was completely innocent; and that from the moment Jean entered Stockwell tube station he was doomed to be shot dead without warning. It is clear the jury would have reached the verdict of unlawful killing had they been allowed to do so. Just 2 hours after retiring to consider their verdict the jury came back to the Coroner and asked if they could provide a narrative that best explained what they believed to be the truth and they were denied, effectively gagged.The evidence against the police was overwhelming. When it came to the actual moments when Jean was shot the PUBLIC JURY chose to believe the evidence of MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC as opposed to the contrived evidence of those given the responsibility to protect us - THE POLICE. How damning of the police and their operation is that?The family are looking to appeal to the CPS, the IPCC and the Police themselves to review their files in light of the jury's verdict to see that charges, or action, be taken against those responsible for the summary execution of this innocent man. They are also calling on the Home secretary to instigate a full judicial review on the legality of the Shoot to Kill policy.On the other hand it is satisfying to hear the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner stand up and apologise for the death of Jean Charles and accept responsibility. That must give some comfort to the family but it is a shallow comfort when there is no accountability. Our country, and the principles of justice and freedom, has to stand by the principle that there also has to be ACCOUNTABILITY too. Without accountability there is no justice and there is no reassurance to us as citizens of the UK that we cannot be gunned down and executed by our own police force.
