A YOUTH LEADER TODAY (THU) PREDICTED WAR ON THE ST

A YOUTH LEADER TODAY (THU) PREDICTED WAR ON THE STREETS OF

TOTTENHAM IF THE LESSONS OF THE BROADWATER FARM RIOTS ARE NOT

LEARNED.

THE CHILLING PREDICTION WAS MADE BY STAFFORD SCOTT, 26, A

YOUTH LEADER ON LONDON’S BROADWATER FARM ESTATE – WHERE PC KEITH

BLAKELOCK WAS MURDERED ON OCTOBER 6 LAST YEAR.

AFTER THE RIOTING HARRINGAY COUNCIL LEADER BERNIE GRANT SAID

THE POLICE HAD GOT A ‘BLOODY GOOD HIDING’.

AND SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE AT MR GRANT’S NORTH LONDON

HEADQUARTERS, MR SCOTT SAID: ‘IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT POLICE GOT A

BLOODY GOOD HIDING.

THE INTENTION WAS TO TEACH THE POLICE, THE

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL A BLOODY GOOD LESSON.

.

‘THE LESSON HAS OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN LEARNED.

THE FUTURE

BRITAIN IS GOING TO BE A COUNTRY WHERE THERE WILL BE MORE UPRISINGS’.

MR SCOTT WAS SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WHICH CRITICISED

POLICE INVESTIGATING CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES DURINGTHE RIOTS.

75 CASES ARE DUE TO BE HEARD AT THE OLD BAILEY AND SO FAR FIVE

TRIALS HAVE BEEN HELD.

TWO OF THOSE RESULTED IN CONVICTIONS, TWO ACQUITTALS AND A

RETRIAL WILL BE HELD FOR THE OTHER.

IT IS CLAIMED THE DETECTIVES USED ‘PRESSURE TACTICS’ TO OBTAIN

CONFESSIONS DURING INTERVIEWS WITH SUSPECTS.

MANY CLAIM THEY WERE REFUSED THEIR RIGHTS TO HAVE SOLICITORS

PRESENT BEFORE CHARGES WERE MADE.

MR SCOTT SAID: ‘WE CAN HAVE NO FAITH IN THIS SO-CALLED SYSTEM

OF JUSTICE.

‘AND IF THERE IS NO FAITH IN THE SYSTEM WE ARE GOING TO HAVE

SITUATIONS SUCH AS OCTOBER 6 RECURRING.

‘

AND HE WARNED ‘THE POLICE HAVE RUBBER BULLETS.

SOME OF US ARE

GOING TO DIE.

‘BUT CERTAINLY IF THEY ARE AS UNPREPARED AS LAST TIME THE

POLICE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE VERY HEAVY CAUSLTIES.

‘I DO NOT ADVOCATE VIOLENCE BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH

MUCH STRONGER VIEWS THAN MINE’.

THE CONFERENCE HEARD FROM 18 YEAR OLD HASSAN MULLER, OF

TOTTENHAM, WHO WAS RECENTLY ACQUITTED BY AN OLD BAILEY JURY OF

AFFRAY, BURGLARY AND THROWING PETROL BOMBS DURING THE RIOT.

HE SPOKE OF HIS ’11 MONTHS OF HELL’ IN CUSTODY AWAITING TRIAL.

HE CLAIMED HE WAS BULLIED BY POLICE DURING INTERVIEWS AND

BEATEN UP BY FOUR PRISON OFFICERS DURING HIS TRIAL.

‘IT WAS HELL.

MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN I HAVE BEEN

ACQUITTED BUT I CAN NEVER FORGET’.

SOLICITOR CORDELLA STUART, WHOSE CLIENT STEPHEN EDWARDS, 19,

WAS CLEARED OF BURGLARY AND AFFRAY SAID: ‘DURING INTERVIEWS POLICE

USED THREATENING GESTURES.

‘STEVEN WAS RACIALLY ABUSED AND DENIED A SOLICITOR FOR 24

HOURS.

THE POLICE ATTITUDE WAS THEY COULD DO WHAT THEY WANTED’,

SOLICITOR GABRIELLE BLACK, WHO HAS CLIENTS AWAITING TRIAL AT

THE OLD BAILEY, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT POLICE METHODS.

SHE SAID: ‘PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE PRESSURE ON THE

INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES OF THE COMMUNTIY IS COLOSSAL’.

ENDS