This is not int eh public interest...
...yet it is interesting to see what sort of thing the CPS thinks ARE in the public interest.
One case that springs to mind is one I heard about from a friend of mine, who happened to be the defence barrister in question. The story goes a little something like this:
A gentleman (lets call him Mr A) receives bills from a large utilities company (lets call them Company B) despite not being a customer. He repeatedly phones them and writes to them and receives assurances that teh mistake will be rectified, but continues to receive threatening letters demanding payment from Company B.
Eventually Mr A gets fed up with this, and takes matters into his own hands. He takes the reply-paid envelope and staples it to a bag of rubbish from his kitchen (the reply-paid envelope covering an item of any size or weight, to be paid for by the receipient).
When it reaches the local Royal Mail sorting office, the bag of rubbish splits open, the local constabulary decide to arrest Mr A on terrorist charges. The reason for this? The bag of rubbish contains a large number of banana skins (Mr A quite likes bananas). bananas contain potassium. potassium can be used to make bombs, ergo Mr A is a terrorist. You couldn't make this stuff up.
Despite the sheer farce of this case, the CPS decide to push for these terrorism charges to be prosecuted. Needless to say, when it gets to court, the judge takes one look at the case and throws it out. Thank goodness for some common sense in the judiciary.
The fact remains that the case should never have been brought. My barrister friend (who had the job of representing Mr A) assures me, however, that technically, by the defionitions under the law, as passed by our beloved previous government, Mr A did actually commit a terrorist act.
Not in the public interest? My arse...
AC, to protect the innocent...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
