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Novella Noades
This odd racist white woman is Chair of Magistrates
at Camberwell Magistrates' Court
sat today with another 'magistrate' who
looked like a young boy aged 12 years-old.
I believe that I may have been the single external observer, and observed events as they developed over time.
Court 1 & 2 were described as "the courts that deal with the rioters".
I watched from the public gallery in court number one. I had decided to attend as an observer despite still recovering from a recent urgent operation. It was worth it.
Security guards seemed energised at their courts public profile being raised.
As case after case went by, it became patently clear that most of the defendants were still reeling from being detained. Most who came up looked bedrangled and disorientated in the glass-surrounded dock. All were escorted by two security guards each.
Many of the cases I watched related to defendants who had been caught 'looting' in Brixton. There was only one individual whose family - his elderly mother, her friend, his girlfriend, etc - came to support him. He was described as a "successful businessman". His mother had emptied her bank account of every penny so that she could stand surety for her son. It was a waste of time, he was remanded in custody until next month.
This man had apparently been 'swept up in events' between attempting to drop off his friend from his mother's home and Brixton He had inexpicably found himself on the second floor of a sports shop, "wearing surgical gloves so that he could prevent his finger prints being traced in the shop". His explanation was that his friend and jumped out of his car into the shop and had started looting the place. He was apparently doing his 'community' bit by attempting to drag his unruly friend out of the shop, thus preventing crime. This man's solicitor, (Mr Reid), tried to make it seem as if this man should be given the Military Cross for bravery. This person had apparently been involved in 'organising' both the Brixton and Birmingham 'splashes', he was a promoter, comedian and an entrepreneur. A better citizen could not be found on the planet.
according to his solicitor, he was a "victim of circumstances".
As I listened, I wondered, why anyone would own a pair of 'surgical gloves' outside of a surgeon, or other medical staff, much less feel the need to wear them to 'prevent his fingerprints being found all over the place'. I also wondered if he was one of the individuals who had torched the shop, thus removing most traces of evidence. How many burglaries had this crook committed?
People's home had he invaded and trashed in his endeavours at being "a successful businessman"?
The mind boggles!
This criminal clearly had links to his controller Lee Jasper, as well as others who had influence over the start of the riots in Brixton. Apparently, he was also on his way to Lewisham, but was rudely interrupted by the police.
As i sat in the public gallery, I noted that this 33-year-old man's mother looked stunned when she realised that her son would be going to prison, and then onto Crown Court for trial. He looked non-plused.
In other instance, a wild-looking, Portuguese, mixed-raced man, with his hair loose and uncombed ( as if he wanted to look 'mad'), was identified as a possible paedophile, who had gone out and had exposed (his private parts) himself "in the presence of children", arrangement were made for him to be seen and 'assessed' by a psychiatrist. The female interpreter looked sickened as she sat beside him. She clearly had no warning as to who her sub-client would be. After this man was sent down, the woman, walked out of the court room looking as if her next port of call was the bathroom to wash the grime off her skin.
Even I, could not have guessed that this kind of case could have come up under the circumstances.
There were Somalians, there were female drug addicts, and plain old-fashioned mentally disabled who appeared to pick up a tin of cat food, or biscuits during 'the riots'. Sat in the public gallery was a elderly man, with his walking stick who gave a running commentary. it turns out that his disabled son had been caught shop-lifting. He was one for the few freed into the arms of his father until his trial. He had pleaded guilty to two out of three charges. I doubt whether he actually knew exactly why he was in court.
Then there was the Nigerians, who had been busy looting peoples passport to steel their identities. his three compatriots had sat suited and booted in the public gallery, looking as if butter would not melt in their mouths. As the case progressed, they all piled onto the front bench so that they could hear what was being said. They looked more and more worried as their scam was exposed. Their country-man had not only stolen a number of passports during the riots, but it turned out that he was also an illegal immigrant and had given at least four false addresses to the court. He too was remanded in custody for Crown Court sentencing after pleading guilty. His friends looked horrified that he had exposed them by pleading guilty. They all rushed out of the court in a state of panic.
Then there was a Black west-indian man, who was outright freed, when the female prosecutor had decided that the charge of his carrying an offensive weapon was to be dropped.
the other charge had apparently also been dropped or he had been acquitted. The white-haired magistrate declared " you are free to go". There was a ripple of applause for him. He looked perplexed, but left after it dawned on him that he was completely free.
I was struck that ALL the prosecutors where Black. The lead was a very fat, wig-wearing Black woman, who appeared to be on some kind of weird power trip.
In one instance, a young muslim woman, wearing a black head-scarve sat beside me crying her eyes out. I gave her a tissue. she told me that her brother had been caught. I was slightly sympathetic. The young man, appeared to be extremely young, he was so short and slender, I assumed he was approximately 13-years-old. However, he must have been at least 18-years-old, since this was the adult court.
Then I heard his case, any sympathy flew out of the window. This dude was one of the rare dangerous hombres. He was the exception to the rule where these defendants were concerned. He was held in remand and onto Crown Court.
Then, there was the idiot Oxford graduate sociology research student (a girl approximately 21-years-old) who came in dressed in a hippy outfit, consisting a grubby grey and red banded jumper, some dark green tights, a tweedesque jacket and some dirty boots. Then to increase her power, she carried her text books in her hand, whilst simultaneously carrying a odd-looking dusty ruck-sack over one shoulder. She then proceeded to throw all her gumbings in a corner. She then asked a Black man sat behind me, whether she could sit beside me. He nodded an affirmation. She then looked at me, and looked at my crisp white shirt with an expression of intimidation and trepidation. I carried on listening to the ongoing case ignoring her.
She found a seat next to a mixed-race woman, sat in front of me. This woman appeared to be having 'fun' in the court, and proceeded to ask me if I were on Tweeter, etc.
The mixed-raced woman looked as if she had come as 'Carmen', complete with a large red rose in her hair. These two seemed to hit it off, with the mixed-raced woman telling the graduate where the dock was placed in the court.
She looked completely gutted when the next case up was the 'flashing' , mixed-race paedophile. She only perked up, when she thought a Black man was up on some heinous crime. In reality she was sorely disappointed. Ms Oxford, pulled out a piece of paper, and flashed it for a moment, she then said that she had been told to go to the court at 'Highbury', but did not 'know London'.
Oxford-girl, did not know anything. She began to discuss how she could access some of these Black men for a 'research group'. Apparently, the court officials had given her the cold shoulder and frozen her out.
'Carmen' explained to her, that she had to 'make friends' with the security staff, and the 'ordinary workers' since those 'up top' were 'guarding their turf'. 'Carmen' had earlier made a point of telling me, that she had gone to the court in Greenwich and "everyone...men, women and even children" were 'up'. According to her, Camberwell court was much more "exciting". She told me that she was being 'followed' via tweeter by "staff at the BBC". I shuddered at the thought.
I had gone into court 2 to watch. I was shocked to see a white woman, who had an odd look and feel about her, with, (what seemed to me), a young boy sat beside her. 'The Boy' looked uncomfortable when he realised I was in the public gallery. At that stage, they were listening to a case where a 'couple' were accusing each other of 'stalking'. Their was wanton drunkeness, beatings, other forms of violence and verbal abuse. All involved appeared to be Irish. I left. I can not explain it, but there was a odd vibe around those two individuals on that bench in court number 2. I returned to court No.1.
Cases ended at 4.30pm. As I left, a security guard asked me if the cases had finished. I responded "yes". He informed me, that if I wanted to come back to report, I should feel free to come back. I nodded my acknowledgment.
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