A breach of the Peace “Vendetta” trial against anti-abuse campaigner Robert Green results in a guilty verdict. SCOTLAND’S most expensive ever Breach of the Peace trial against ant-abuse campaigner & journalist Robert Green has resulted in an expected guilty verdict in relation to the arrest of the campaigner in February 2010 by officers from Grampian Police, apparently on orders from the Crown Office in Edinburgh. Sheriff Principal Edward Bowen handed down the verdict after hearing evidence from over twenty witnesses lasting nearly two weeks, however the Sheriff Principal suspiciously blocked Mr Green’s defence counsel’s attempts to call former Lord Advocate, now Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC and now Ministerial complaints adviser to Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond as a witness, leading to feelings the legal establishment were shielding their own from the administration of justice.
The former Lord Advocate’s actions were claimed to be central to the whole case against Mr Green, who was arrested in Aberdeen after he attempted to hand out leaflets documenting the claims surrounding the case of Hollie Greig, a downs syndrome victim who is alleged to have been abused by an Aberdeen based paedophile gang.
Throughout proceedings legal observers were never in any doubt the Crown Office had clearly been pursuing a bitter VENDETTA against Mr Green and the Greig family, after they had identified senior legal figures from the Crown Office & the judiciary in allegations relating to child abuse. A legal insider who was directly aware of events in the trial told Scottish Law Reporter “The Sheriff played only a minor role in the trial as the guilty verdict was effectively decided by the Crown Office as soon as they arrested Mr Green in 2010.”
The insider went onto say at no time was there ever any possibility the former Lord Advocate would have been called to be a witness, commenting “…no Sheriff who wants to keep his job will ever allow such a senior establishment figure to be cross examined in the witness box.”
Earlier in the pre-trial hearings, the Crown Office had gone so far as to privately brief a journalist Mr Green was going to plead guilty, preparing a series of draft Press Releases which had to be destroyed after the accused broke with his former legal team who, coincidentally, were also attempting to persuade Mr Green to plead guilty, reported earlier HERE.
The case against Robert Green has proved a revelation for the Scots legal system, linking up the actions of a former Lord Advocate with a private law firm, LEVY MCRAE who have hit the headlines plenty themselves. The case also drew out links between that same law firm and the current Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, who worked at the law firm for a number of years. Much has yet to come out about the relationships & actions of some of the key players in the case however one thing is for sure, Scotland’s prosecution system is now viewed more than ever as Institutionally corrupt.
The record costs of the Crown Office’ prosecution for a single Breach of the Peace, dubbed by legal insiders a “Three year private vendetta bankrolled by taxpayers against Robert Green & abuse victims” were revealed when Scottish Law Reporter earlier reported pre-trial costs had already risen to around HALF A MILLION POUNDS, after factoring in the expenses of THIRTEEN earlier hearings at Stonehaven Sheriff Court, 15,000 travel miles for the accused, hugely expensive legal bills generated by private law firms hired by officials which appear to have been paid for out of public funds, rising legal aid fees, trips by Grampian Police Officers to England to search & raid homes & seize property including computers & documents, Crown Office staff being flown into Aberdeen especially for the case, and the costs to the Crown of ‘consulting & maintain’ a witness list which has varied in numbers, at one stage totalling SIXTY ONE persons, of which less than half were called.
Sentence against Mr Green will be handed down on 17 February 2012 at 10.30am (I’m sure COPFS will have made a few suggestions on that too – Ed)
A reminder of previous events in the trial of Mr Green can be viewed in earlier coverage by Scottish Law Reporter HERE
Former Lord Advocate now Dame Elish Angiolini employed Cayman Islands hopping lawyers from Glasgow. Reporting on the background of the case, Robert Green was arrested by Police on 12th February 2010 in relation to a breach of the peace alleged to have been committed in Aberdeen when Mr Green attempted to hand out leaflets regarding the anti-abuse campaign. It was also revealed the then Lord Advocate, now Dame Elish Angiolini had employed private law firm Levy McRae to serve interdicts on Mr Green in connection with his campaign to ‘out’ alleged abusers of downs syndrome victim Hollie Greig. Glasgow law firm Levy McRae who later represented shamed former Glasgow City Council Boss & Cocaine addict Steven Purcell, proceeded to threaten several media outlets & journalists over their reporting of the case, covered by Scottish Law Reporter HERE & HERE. The Purcell scandal caused some newspapers to ‘evaluate’ their relationship with Levy McRae, details of which were featured in a report here : HERE
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill worked at, has ties to same law firm used by then Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini in interdict case. As details of the case began to be reported in the wider press, it emerged the Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill had links to LEVY MCRAE, the law firm employed by the then Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini in legal action against Mr Green. Mr MacAskill has made no comment on the fact he served his apprenticeship at Levy McRae and also worked at the firm for a considerable time during his years as a solicitor before he entered politics, while he is thought to have backed Dame Angiolini in her actions at the time. The revelations were reported by Scottish Law Reporter at the time, HERE.
More on the Hollie Greig case can be viewed at Hollie Demands Justice.org and Mr Green’s own blog HERE
1 comment:
Let's hope the path now leads to the Supreme Court in London.
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