A Fair Cop

metman

I'm reading this book at the moment and it makes for frightening reading. I'd recommend it to any serving officer, or indeed anyone with an interest in the sometimes nonsensical workings of the criminal justice system.

A Fair Cop - By Michael Bunting



Within hours of being locked in solitary confinement in Leeds's notorious Armley Prison, PC Michael Bunting had already received his first death threat.

A Fair Cop is the true story of a Leeds police officer attacked and injured on an August night in 1997. Two years later he found himself defending a charge of common assault at Leeds Crown Court. He was found guilty and received a four month prison sentence. The book gives graphic accounts of life behind bars for a policeman in one of England's hardest prisons as one by one the inmates turn on him.

The idea to write the book came to Michael whilst inside after he had been subjected to his first knife attack just days after his arrival on the hospital wing in September 1999. He wrote the book using diary notes he made on toilet paper and old envelopes.

A Fair Cop was published by HarperCollins' imprint The Friday Project on 16th October 2008 and is available online and in all good book stores now. The paperback will be published in summer 2009.

Definitely worth a look.

Trojan911

Here is another write up. The system works in strange ways. A disgrace is the only way I can describe the way the author was treated. Sometimes it makes you wonder why bother.

Some years back an officer at DM was sent down for two weeks, for common assault, he appealed it & got four months. It made us think, where is the justice?

I'll get my brother to mail the book over to me.

ScubaDave

This situation is my worst nightmare!! I dont think i could do it!

metman

The author of this book got a raw deal all round; CPS, Judge, Defence Counsel, Prison Service and lastly his own Force let him down badly.

The circumstances that put him inside? Self-defence at a domestic incident where one of the aggressors repeatedly punched him so hard his teeth were knocked out and he lapsed into unconsciousness.

For anyone who has attended such an incident, or been violently assaulted in the course of your duty, this book will leave you angry but not really surprised.

Trojan911

Just out of curiosity, as I don't have the book yet, what race code was the "alleged victim" Was he a 3 or 4?

metman

It doesn't actually specify (though I'm still reading the book). I think he was IC1. Interestingly enough, a WPS testified against the author in court and gave evidence that was shown to be without basis by a forensic medical examiner. This same skipper was seen by the author outside the court with the 'victim' before the trial and afterwards talking to the 'victim's' wife :rolleyes: She is, per the author, now a CI going on Supernintendo......reassuring isn't it.

brayblue24

I was handed this book at Christmas and must admit it read like it was written by a four year old. Not to doubt the author's bona fides perhaps had he not portrayed himself as a latter day saint I might not have chucked it half way through. There are far better police books out there. If you want a good laugh and an insight into how things were try Charlie Owen's series: "Horses A**e, Foxtrot Oscar and Bravo Jubilee (the clue is in the titles!!).

metman

brayblue24 wrote: »

"Horses A**e, Foxtrot Oscar and Bravo Jubilee (the clue is in the titles!!).

See I read Horses Arse (aka Hotel Alpha) and didn't rate it. For a 'fictional' account supposedly 'based on the experiences of a 30 year veteran' it was flawed (authenticity-wise) and cliched to the point of yawnsome. I didn't opt to revisit HA!

Trojan911

metman wrote: »

It doesn't actually specify (though I'm still reading the book). I think he was IC1. Interestingly enough, a WPS testified against the author in court and gave evidence that was shown to be without basis by a forensic medical examiner. This same skipper was seen by the author outside the court with the 'victim' before the trial and afterwards talking to the 'victim's' wife :rolleyes: She is, per the author, now a CI going on Supernintendo......reassuring isn't it.

I ask because 15yrs ago the Met was going through a phase where they were afraid of their own shadows. Stephen Lawrence in '95 was a big issue and the race card was being pulled left right & center.

I saw a lot of officers heading to 1 Area Complaints, CIB at the time, to be interviewed, under caution, because of allegations of racial abuse when it clearly didn't happen. I was also one to attend 1 Area Complaints having being served a 163 for an allegation of racial discrimination. I was also cleared of this btw.

I saw the Met make examples of some officers from dismissals to demotion just to be seen to be acting when the race card was pulled and the most disturbing thing about it was it was nearly all black officers pulling a grievience against their fellow white colleagues. The "in thing" for promotion back then was to grass a colleague. Ever hear or see the Met advert "Integrity is non negotiable"?

So, it just struck me that Michael Buntings Force may have hung him out to dry if the "alleged victim" was a 3 or a 4 as this happened around '97ish.

TheNog

Wha??? Are we beginning a book club??

Suppose a





is better than a




*Sorry its Deadwood's nite off and yeah I know I've a bit to go yet*

brayblue24

Another busy Saturday night Nog?

TheNog

brayblue24 wrote: »

Another busy Saturday night Nog?

leave me alone, im hungover from last nite

eroo

TheNog wrote: »

leave me alone, im hungover from last nite

Then the last thing you should be looking at is a can of worms!!!!:pac:

foxtrot-oscar

TheNog wrote: »

leave me alone, im hungover from last nite

Completly off topic, but BAM, Hi-5 I'm hanin me self, damn that amber elixer from clonmel, damn it