Riot from Wrong

On Thursday 5^th December, I attended a public screening of ‘Riot from Wrong’ (an award winning film about the 2011 riots and the alleged causes).

In this film people repeatedly accuse the police of “murdering Mark Duggan” and “executing Mark Duggan” and also complained about the number of deaths following contact with the police, while other people were complaining that the police did nothing while rioters looted shops and burned buildings. The police were unable to respond to the accusations in the film because of the ongoing inquest into the death of Mark Duggan.

The film did make a few valid points, including how capitalism and advertising have created a must have society where children are teased and bullied if they don’t have the latest trainers and clothes, but in my opinion the film was ruined by using it as a platform to attack the police.

At the end of the film there was an opportunity to question the makers of the film, Carol Duggan (the Aunt of Mark Duggan) and a couple of people from Croydon who have been campaigning for compensation for people affected by the riots. My question was “Do you not think that the film was a bit bias against the police, being as there was a number of accusations, they said in it that they murdered Mark Duggan and that they executed him? When they may have been negligent or committed manslaughter? The accusation of murder or executing is that not a bit strong or do you feel that they had a motive while they would have wished to execute him? Also as for the police when they didn’t come out of Croydon Town Centre to engage the rioters, you mentioned Broadwater Farm earlier and there was no mention of Keith Blakelock the police officer who had his head cut off there, which could have quiet easily happened in these anti-Police Riots. Thank you very much”.

I was interrupted by a Labour Councillor who called out “surely not” when I said the accusation of murder was a bit strong.

The panel maintained that Mark Duggan was murdered, but no one gave a motive as to why the police would murder him and Carol Duggan pointed out that PC Keith Blakelock’s head was not cut off (The murderers tried to cut his head off and a knife was plunged 6 inches into his neck, but I stand corrected, his head was not actually cut off)

Interestingly there was no representation from Croydon Conservatives (the Party in control of Croydon Council) with the chief reporter for the Croydon Advertiser tweeting “It’s perhaps easy to be cynical about politicians attending these things, but come on, Tories out numbered by NF”

Yet another criminal let off

51-year-old Subhiraz Chandra Sohun has been let off with a suspended jail sentence after stealing £2,460 from a 57-year-old man he was being paid to look after.

Sohun, known as ‘Joe’, DoB 15/08/1961, was using his own address in Clensham Lane, Sutton, to look after the man as part of Sutton Council’s Shared Living Scheme, which places vulnerable adults in carers homes.

Sohun was responsible for the day-to-day care of the man who had Down’s syndrome and also advanced dementia. The care extended to managing the man’s bank account, card and PIN so money could be withdrawn to meet the man’s needs.

But between 27th March and 27th April 2012, Sohun stole £2,460 from his victim.

Police were alerted by Social Services after the victim’s sister became concerned about unexplained withdrawals from the man’s bank account.

Sohun told the council that the money had been used to pay for his wife’s trip to visit her sister in Mauritius. This money was paid back in two installments - one in June for £1,400 and another in July for £1,060.

The couple had been paid £2,500 per month to look after the victim over the last 13-14 months.

At Croydon Crown Court on 20th December, Sohun was sentenced to 12 months jail suspended for two years, 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £340 costs after pleading guilty to fraud by abuse of position.

Det Con Dan Hobbs, who led the investigation, said police will not tolerate abuse against elderly and vulnerable residents by people who are supposed to protect and look after them. “Perpetrators can expect to be caught and put before the courts,” he said


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