Miscarriages of justice and Investigative Journalism (Birmingham Six & Guilford four)

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Miscarriages of justice and Investigative Journalism (Birmingham Six & Guilford four)

The times that have been famously remembered that have exercise the legal system by miscarriages of justice are shown in a short film called: Reeling in the Years 1974-3, which shows two of the cases that I would like to talk about. The case of The Birmingham Six and the case of The Guilford Four:

(Ref.12)

Who Bombed Birmingham (Part 1-11)?

Six men were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment after the bombing in Birmingham in 1970s. IRA seemed to be the instigator but what the IRA insisted was that none of the sentenced six were their members. 21st November 1974 two of the public houses were bombed by the IRA, 21 people were killed and 162 injured, 6 people were convicted and had been in prison since 1974. A Granada film is a reconstruction of examining of their case by three journalists since 1985 giving the story of the Birmingham six.

Part 2:

The journalists kept on knocking on the doors. Forensic scientists made some sort of method of DNA testing and few of the results showed positive. The journalists noticed inaccuracies to do with the times of interrogation by the police and started questioning the course of the investigation that had put the six men into prison.

Part 3:

As we can see on the film, the men were brutally beaten and assaulted. As the journalists found out (suggestion that due to the interrogation they were forced the six to sign the confessions.) Journalists find a clue in ‘playing cards’ and interview men in prison.

Part 4:

The journalists decide to run a simple DNA test that proves that the test carried out on the Birmingham six may have been misleading (playing cards in the train-test turning red in the DNA test bowl when one of the journalists played with card and then had the DNA sample taken” ). Men in prison were very severely mistreated. The journalists see a clue in the fact that the men are severely beaten up on their faces as they can see from the pictures, all six men were bruised and abused in prison, the journalists were looking into that aspect. Looking into the bombing routine - bombings were tightened up with the funeral?).

Part 6 is the next one given on youtube (there is no part 5)

Chris comes to the conclusion that there were four people responsible for the bombing, 2makers two planters and “we have agreed that you are one of them” says the journalist to one of his interviewees. There is also an assumption about the guy in the van to be another. The film ‘Word In Action’ is made and broadcasted, men in prison re watching it (possibility of an appeal? New evidence?) “Two makers, two planters, not six, four” – Chris now needs the planters to make the application for an appeal stronger.

Part 7:

Chris finds the guy who put the suitcase with the bomb under the table in the pub. ‘Error of judgment’ book by Chris was published, it doesn’t get men out of the prison but it makes the governing bodies start to question things again (Home office 1986). The police who is under the eye of the home secretary requests to interview Chris.

Part 8:

During the questioning Chris keeps his sources covered fulfilling his journalistic code of Conduct. Police says to him that they never said that the imprisoned 6 were members of IRA even though that he knows that in evidence they said that the Birmingham 6 was. Chris meets the policeman who gives the evidence about the mistreating in prison (shotguns) saying that he personally saw it. Further material is being broadcasted, possibility of the DNA judgment to be wrong and mistreating by the looks of the prisoner’s faces. In court again, stage; after two programs had been published and book by Chris Muller, 1987 the case goes into the court of Appeal!

Part 9:

The Birmingham six has met and get to study the timings of them being questioned, the case is investigated again as the case has been taken to the court of appeal. 1987 in court.

Part 10: (my favourite part of the film! “they didn’t know where the bombs were, it was you! I challenge you to deny it! “)

While being questioned in court, the police officer denies all the allegation on violence used on the Birmingham six and inaccuracies within the schedule of questioning them but the turning point is when the police woman who has previously given a false statement (because she was being threatened) came back to court and said in front of the judge and jury how she witnessed one of the defendants to be physically assaulted, she also heard what was said “This is what we do to the fucking murdering bustards”(Ref.10). Then the forensic scientist who examined the original samples of the defendants’ DNA is called a witness and his statement proves that his judgment then was wrong. In the meantime Chris Mullin goes to the house of the man who he believes to be ‘the young planter of the bomb’ and challenges him to deny what Chris believes to be true.
Part 11:

The appeal fails but Chris does not give in, he keeps exercising the justice system. It took until the 1991 for the court to admit that they had the wrong men The Birmingham Six spent 16 years in prison before found not guilty and was released.

Other case mentioned in the that has come to the history as miscarriage of Justice is the case of the Guildford four: “In the name of the father final scene” (Ref.13)

And here is the real footage of Gerry Conlon who had been to be released after spending 15 years in prison:

Special thanks to Chris Horrie, Brian thornton and Angus Scott at Winchester University

Doing my degree uncovered my new passions of life thanks to great team of peaple who believed in me, showed me how to proceed these passions and how to use doors of opportunities right in front of me.

I was being trained by the bests, great team of professionals like Chris Horrie, documentary maker, journalist and author of books like Tabloid Nation or Stick it up your Punter and a freelance feature writer for British newspapers like The Independent, the Guardian or The Observer. His lectures and were simply life inspiring and life changing. His honest and constant fight for his student to reach to the top has been truly remarkable.

I also had a pleasure to work with Brian Thornton, who still continues to work part time for BBC, former national who worked with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC Newsnight and now lecturer and director of the Winchster innocence Project whose wisdom, exceptional investigatory skills and patience lead me through re-examining one of the biggest murder cases in the history of UK and discovering yet more love for investigative journalism.

And finally thank you to Angus Scott leading presenter for ITV sports, Setanta and Al Jazeera sports channel, who has been an amazing inspiration and charismatic tutor through exploring magic of TV news making and presenting as well as greater understanding of the inustry, who I also had a pleasure to work with in the Middle east during the World Cup 2010 for Al Jazeera sports channel.

Special thanks to the whole team of my course including Jackui Thornton, Annette Rizo, Paul Carter, Paul Manning and others who have also been very helpful and an inspirational in my degree studies.

Veronica Frydel - my journey through university degree

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Wednesday 8 December 2010

Miscarriages of justice and Investigative Journalism (Birmingham Six & Guilford four)

JOURNALISM YEAR I, Blogg's inspiration (posts February '08- June '09)

JOURNALISM YEAR III, Blog's inspiration (September 2010 - current)

JOURNALISM YEAR II, Blog's inspiration (October '09- June 2010)