Welcome to everyone who has discovered the Hollie Greig case via the article in today's Sunday Express. The newspaper must be congratulated for breaking the self-imposed media blackout.
Ben Borland's article could only scratch the surface of this most complex and harrowing case. Indeed, it would probably have required the Sunday Express to devote an entire edition of the paper to the story in order to do it justice.
Therefore I shall use today's blog to point out a further 5 key facts relating to the case. Please note that these are facts, as opposed to opinions or speculation.
1. The "investigation" by Grampian Police consisted of interviewing only two out of sixteen alleged paedophiles, on one occasion each. Persons named by Hollie as fellow-victims were not interviewed by the police.
2. Within a few weeks of the allegations being made, Grampian Police instigated the sectioning of Anne Greig, Hollie's mother. Anne has never had any mental health problems and shortly afterwards she obtained an independent psychiatric report which pronounced her perfectly sane.
3. I was arrested by plainclothes policemen in Aberdeen in February 2010, as I walked towards the city centre where I intended to distribute leaflets about the case. I was charged with Breach of the Peace although I have not yet stood trial. Bail conditions were imposed which banned me from entering Aberdeenshire or from using the internet and required me to sign it at my local police station three times per week. I have been awarded Legal Aid to recruit a high calibre defence team headed by the distinguished QC, Frances McMenamin.
4. In June 2010, a malcontent called Greg Lance-Watkins, informed Shropshire Social Services, that Hollie, whom he had never met in his life, was a missing person. In spite of being advised by myself that Hollie was on a short break with her mother and was perfectly well, Police and Social Services broke into Anne and Hollie's home and remained inside for several hours causing considerable damage. Shortly afterwards, family photographs which were removed during the raid, appeared on Mr Watkins' hate-filled blog which is devoted to attempting to debunk Hollie's case and to verbally abusing her supporters.
5. In December 2009, Elish Angiolini, then Lord Advocate of Scotland, arranged for a letter to be sent by lawyers Levy and MacRae threatening to sue legal magazine "The Firm" for libel in relation to their reporting of the Hollie Greig case. The Crown Office has declined to answer a Freedom of Information request asking whether the legal bills were paid by Mrs Angiolini herself, or by the taxpayer.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
MacAskill Loses The Plot
From the evidence of the tweets of "Justice" Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, it appears that the pressure of trying to keep the lid on the Hollie Greig case and other miscarriages of justice has finally proved too much for him, and he has completely lost his marbles.
http://twitter.com/#!/KennyMacAskill
http://twitter.com/#!/KennyMacAskill
KennyMacAskill Kenny MacAskill SNP
Mostly constituency but a meeting with Bangladesh Justice Minister. Things to learn and share.
What on earth could MacAskill want to "learn and share" from Bangladesh, whose human rights record is appalling ?
Bangladeshi security forces have been persistenly criticised by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch due to grave abuses of human rights. These include extrajudicial summary executions, excessive use of force and the use of custodial torture.[2] Reporters and defenders of human rights are harassed and intimidated by the authorities. Since 2003, legislative barriers to prosecution and transparency have afforded security services immunity from accountability to the general public.[3] Hindu and Ahmadi Muslim minorities human rights are in a compromised state, and corruption is still a major problem, such thatTransparency International has listed Bangladesh as the most corrupt country in the world for five co consecutive years.
Is MacAskill's ambition for Scotland to overtake Bangladesh and earn the accolade of the most corrupt country in the world ?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Kenny MacAskill And "Scottish Values"
There was yet more embarrassment for "Justice" Secretary Kenny MacAskill this week when Abdelbasat al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was filmed at a rally supporting Colonel Gadaffi in Libya.
We are approaching the second anniversary of Megrahi's release from prison on "compassionate grounds" a decision which MacAskill described as upholding "Scottish values".
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/kenny-macaskill-in-releasing-the-lockerbie-bomber-we-uphold-scottish-values-1775099.html
At that time MacAskill indicated that Megrahi had no more than three months to live. No doubt he relied on the best available medical advice and he would claim that he is relying on the best available legal and police advice to justify the failure to investigate either the abuse allegations made by Hollie Greig, or the suspicious death of Roy Greig.
The truth about the Lockerbie bombing may never be known but it is a fact that Megrahi's release on "compassionate grounds" co-incided with him dropping his appeal against his conviction. Many believe that an appeal trial would have shown that Megrahi was wrongly convicted and would have been a severe embarrassment for the Scottish justice system.
To paraphrase the "Justice" Secretary: Hollie Greig and other victims of the Scottish justice system cannot be expected to forget, let alone forgive. Their pain runs deep and the wounds remain. However, Mr MacAskill may one day face a sentence imposed by a higher power.
We are approaching the second anniversary of Megrahi's release from prison on "compassionate grounds" a decision which MacAskill described as upholding "Scottish values".
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/kenny-macaskill-in-releasing-the-lockerbie-bomber-we-uphold-scottish-values-1775099.html
At that time MacAskill indicated that Megrahi had no more than three months to live. No doubt he relied on the best available medical advice and he would claim that he is relying on the best available legal and police advice to justify the failure to investigate either the abuse allegations made by Hollie Greig, or the suspicious death of Roy Greig.
The truth about the Lockerbie bombing may never be known but it is a fact that Megrahi's release on "compassionate grounds" co-incided with him dropping his appeal against his conviction. Many believe that an appeal trial would have shown that Megrahi was wrongly convicted and would have been a severe embarrassment for the Scottish justice system.
To paraphrase the "Justice" Secretary: Hollie Greig and other victims of the Scottish justice system cannot be expected to forget, let alone forgive. Their pain runs deep and the wounds remain. However, Mr MacAskill may one day face a sentence imposed by a higher power.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Letter to Colin McKerracher
On 12th February 2010, I was arrested as I was walking towards central Aberdeen where I intended to distribute leaflets about the Hollie Greig case. During the course of a taped interview with two Grampian Police detectives, I supplied them with information about an individual whom I had strong reason to believe may have been involved in the death of Roy Greig on 17th November 1997, which at the time was not regarded as suspicous.
In the intervening period, Malcolm Webster has been found guilty of murdering his wife in 1994. The circumstances of Mrs Webster's death were very similar to those of Roy Greig's and, once again, Grampian Police did not regard her death as suspicous at the time.
As I am not aware of any investigations whatsoever being made into the death of Roy Greig, I have written to Colin McKerracher, Chief Constable of Grampian Police, asking him what action he proposes to take in respect of this matter.
In the same letter, I have asked Mr McKerracher to investigate why the official transcript of my taped interview, which forms part of the evidence to be used in my Breach of the Peace trial, omits the crucial section in which I refer to the death of Roy Greig.
It is not credible that this could have been omitted by accident and I regard this apparent tampering with evidence as a gravely serious matter.
I have previously written separately to three senior officials of the Crown Office asking for an explanation of why this section of the interview was omitted from the transcript but all have failed to respond.
In the intervening period, Malcolm Webster has been found guilty of murdering his wife in 1994. The circumstances of Mrs Webster's death were very similar to those of Roy Greig's and, once again, Grampian Police did not regard her death as suspicous at the time.
As I am not aware of any investigations whatsoever being made into the death of Roy Greig, I have written to Colin McKerracher, Chief Constable of Grampian Police, asking him what action he proposes to take in respect of this matter.
In the same letter, I have asked Mr McKerracher to investigate why the official transcript of my taped interview, which forms part of the evidence to be used in my Breach of the Peace trial, omits the crucial section in which I refer to the death of Roy Greig.
It is not credible that this could have been omitted by accident and I regard this apparent tampering with evidence as a gravely serious matter.
I have previously written separately to three senior officials of the Crown Office asking for an explanation of why this section of the interview was omitted from the transcript but all have failed to respond.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Press Reporting Of Paedophilia
In the aftermath of the closure of the News Of The World, it is worth remembering that they were the only newspaper to give any significant coverage of the Hollie Greig case. On April 19th 2009, James Mulholland wrote an article about the highly unusual payment of £13,500 to Hollie by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority when no-one had been charged with any crime.
It appears very strange that there has been no further coverage in any national newspaper in spite of all the additional information which has emerged since then. I know for a fact that many, many journalists are very interested in the story and it can only be a matter of time before an editor summons up the courage to publish it.
The News Of The World generally took a strong stance against paedophilia and campaigned for the introduction of "Sarah's Law" which allowed parents to know if sex offenders were living in their area.
However, some journalists appear ambivalent to child abuse and a favourite tactic is to attempt to portray anti-paedophile activists as a braying mob of hysterical lunatics. For example, on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Wednesday 20th July, the Guardian journalist Simon Hoggart made the following extraordinary statement.
"Hysteria ? That was what the News Of The World was all about. Do you remember their "Burn Out A Nonce" campaign ? Rebekah Wade was going to publish the names of every paedophile in the country. A lot of News Of The World readers went out and tried to burn out a paediatrician."
The alleged "Burn Out A Nonce" campaign is a product of Mr Hoggart's febrile imagination and the paediatrician/paedophile story has been wildly exaggerated by those who wish to demonise anti-paedophile campaigners. The prosaic truth is that in August 2000 there was a single incident where a doctor had the word "Paedo" daubed on her front door.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4719364.stm
I trust that Mr Hoggart will be made to apologise for his deeply offensive lies and that the BBC will no longer give him air-time.
It appears very strange that there has been no further coverage in any national newspaper in spite of all the additional information which has emerged since then. I know for a fact that many, many journalists are very interested in the story and it can only be a matter of time before an editor summons up the courage to publish it.
The News Of The World generally took a strong stance against paedophilia and campaigned for the introduction of "Sarah's Law" which allowed parents to know if sex offenders were living in their area.
However, some journalists appear ambivalent to child abuse and a favourite tactic is to attempt to portray anti-paedophile activists as a braying mob of hysterical lunatics. For example, on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Wednesday 20th July, the Guardian journalist Simon Hoggart made the following extraordinary statement.
"Hysteria ? That was what the News Of The World was all about. Do you remember their "Burn Out A Nonce" campaign ? Rebekah Wade was going to publish the names of every paedophile in the country. A lot of News Of The World readers went out and tried to burn out a paediatrician."
The alleged "Burn Out A Nonce" campaign is a product of Mr Hoggart's febrile imagination and the paediatrician/paedophile story has been wildly exaggerated by those who wish to demonise anti-paedophile campaigners. The prosaic truth is that in August 2000 there was a single incident where a doctor had the word "Paedo" daubed on her front door.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4719364.stm
I trust that Mr Hoggart will be made to apologise for his deeply offensive lies and that the BBC will no longer give him air-time.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
What Is More Serious ? Phone Hacking Or Paedophilia ?
I am baffled by the blanket media coverage of the so-called "phone hacking scandal" and also by the resources which the police are deploying to investigate this matter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14222771
I am not suggesting that invasions of privacy are a trivial matter and it is in the public interest to be made aware of how politicians and police have, for their own reasons, appeared to turn a blind eye to this practice in the past.
However, surely no-one would suggest that listening to phone messages is as serious a crime as the rape of a disabled child ?
Why do the mainstream media continue to ignore the Hollie Greig case ?
How many police officers were involved in the investigation of Hollie's allegations ?
David Cameron has been drawn into the phone hacking scandal due to the fact that his recently departed Director of Communications, Andy Coulson, was formerly Editor of the News Of The World. Interestingly, Coulson's successor in Downing Street, Craig Oliver, has connections to the Hollie Greig case.
Not only is Oliver a friend and former BBC colleague of Mark Daly, who pulled the plug on a planned documentary on the case, but his father is disgraced ex-policeman Dr Ian Oliver, who was Chief Constable of Grampian Police for the majority of the period throughout which Hollie alleged she was abused.
*****
There were no significant developments at Stonehaven Sheriff Court yesterday and the next intermediate diet will take place on August 18th.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14222771
I am not suggesting that invasions of privacy are a trivial matter and it is in the public interest to be made aware of how politicians and police have, for their own reasons, appeared to turn a blind eye to this practice in the past.
However, surely no-one would suggest that listening to phone messages is as serious a crime as the rape of a disabled child ?
Why do the mainstream media continue to ignore the Hollie Greig case ?
How many police officers were involved in the investigation of Hollie's allegations ?
David Cameron has been drawn into the phone hacking scandal due to the fact that his recently departed Director of Communications, Andy Coulson, was formerly Editor of the News Of The World. Interestingly, Coulson's successor in Downing Street, Craig Oliver, has connections to the Hollie Greig case.
Not only is Oliver a friend and former BBC colleague of Mark Daly, who pulled the plug on a planned documentary on the case, but his father is disgraced ex-policeman Dr Ian Oliver, who was Chief Constable of Grampian Police for the majority of the period throughout which Hollie alleged she was abused.
*****
There were no significant developments at Stonehaven Sheriff Court yesterday and the next intermediate diet will take place on August 18th.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Crooked Lawyers
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are pursuing the case against myself with considerable zeal. Why are they failing to take any action against lawyers alleged to have fiddled their Legal Aid claims ?
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/07/17/fourten-lawyers-reported-after-being-accused-of-fiddling-legal-aid-but-not-one-prosecution-86908-23277456/
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/07/17/fourten-lawyers-reported-after-being-accused-of-fiddling-legal-aid-but-not-one-prosecution-86908-23277456/
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Yet Another Trip To Stonehaven
On Wednesday 20th July I will be attending yet another Intermediate Diet at Stonehaven Sheriff Court. This will be my ninth appearance there since I was arrested and by the end of this trip I will have travelled more than 6,000 miles in total from my home in Cheshire in order to attend court hearings in the North East of Scotland. The last three hearings have lasted no more than ten minutes.
To put the travelling into perspective, 6,000 miles is than the distance from my home to Los Angeles or Beijing or Johannesburg or Rio de Janeiro.
In my brief visits to Stonehaven it appears to be a very nice town, and I must say that I have not sensed any danger of the "serious civil unrest" which the Crown claimed could be triggered by my appearance in Aberdeenshire.
To put the travelling into perspective, 6,000 miles is than the distance from my home to Los Angeles or Beijing or Johannesburg or Rio de Janeiro.
In my brief visits to Stonehaven it appears to be a very nice town, and I must say that I have not sensed any danger of the "serious civil unrest" which the Crown claimed could be triggered by my appearance in Aberdeenshire.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Salmond Speaks Out ... But Not About Hollie Greig
First Minister Alex Salmond has called for prosecutions in a matter which has been brought to his attention even although the police investigation has barely started.
Unfortunately he is not talking about the Hollie Greig case but the News Of The World phone hacking scandal. The only similarity between the two cases appears to be that the initial police investigation in both instances was woefully inadequate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14092672
The phone hacking allegations are extremely serious but it is important to remember that they are only allegations at this stage. As serious as they are, they pale into significance compared to the allegations made by Hollie Greig and the wider implications of the failure to investigate them and the subsequent treatment of Hollie, her mother Anne, myself and others who will not accept this state of affairs.
Yet still Alex Salmond sticks his head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. His office now claims that crucial coorespondence has "gone missing".
http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/2487/First_Minister_in_missing_records_riddle_over_Hollie_Greig_abuse_allegations_.html
Unfortunately he is not talking about the Hollie Greig case but the News Of The World phone hacking scandal. The only similarity between the two cases appears to be that the initial police investigation in both instances was woefully inadequate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14092672
The phone hacking allegations are extremely serious but it is important to remember that they are only allegations at this stage. As serious as they are, they pale into significance compared to the allegations made by Hollie Greig and the wider implications of the failure to investigate them and the subsequent treatment of Hollie, her mother Anne, myself and others who will not accept this state of affairs.
Yet still Alex Salmond sticks his head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. His office now claims that crucial coorespondence has "gone missing".
http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/2487/First_Minister_in_missing_records_riddle_over_Hollie_Greig_abuse_allegations_.html
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Ian Hamilton QC Censures The Dame Of Shame
Legal elder statesman, Ian Hamilton QC, who was until recently a staunch SNP supporter, has stated that "Dame of Shame", Elish Angiolini, is not a fit person to be admitted to the Faculty of Advocates and questions whether political pressure was brought to bear to facilitate her entry.
One of the numerous examples of Angiolini's unsuitability which he cites is her failure to respond to Freedom of Information requests related to the Hollie Greig case.
http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/2473/Angiolini%27s_entrance_to_Faculty_challenged.html
Mr Hamilton also appeared on BBC Scotland's "Newsnight" programme where he was extremely critical of senior figures in Scottish legal and political circles.
"Our human rights record in Scotland since devolution has been appalling. I would blame it particularly on two people: Angiolina (sic), the recently retired Lord Advocate; and the Minister of Justice, what's his name ?, Kenny MacAskill ?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14046975?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
One of the numerous examples of Angiolini's unsuitability which he cites is her failure to respond to Freedom of Information requests related to the Hollie Greig case.
http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/2473/Angiolini%27s_entrance_to_Faculty_challenged.html
Mr Hamilton also appeared on BBC Scotland's "Newsnight" programme where he was extremely critical of senior figures in Scottish legal and political circles.
"Our human rights record in Scotland since devolution has been appalling. I would blame it particularly on two people: Angiolina (sic), the recently retired Lord Advocate; and the Minister of Justice, what's his name ?, Kenny MacAskill ?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14046975?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum
Statements made in recent weeks by Alex Salmond and Kenny MacAskill have led many commentators to questions whether Scotland's First Minister and Justice Minister are, in fact, losing their marbles.
Not be outdone, Chief Constable Colin McKerracher has joined in the lunacy by claiming that Grampian Police is "the best force in the country". This comment was made in the context of another rant by McKerracher on his favourite subject of opposing the possible reduction in the number of police forces in Scotland, an issue over which he is at odds with MacAskill. His frequent pronouncements on this matter are in marked contrast to his continued silence on the Hollie Greig case and he would surely be better employed concentrating on catching paedophiles and other criminals rather than meddling in politics.
Let us remind ourselves of some of the "achievements" of Grampian Police.
* They failed to interview persons named by Hollie Greig as abusers and fellow-victims.
* They failed to investigate the suspicous death of Roy Greig.
* They did not treat the death of Claire Morris, who was murdered by her husband Malcolm Webster, as suspicous.
* They were implicated in the withholding of evidence in the murder trial of Nat Fraser, whose conviction has recently been quashed.
* They withheld vital medical evidence from the PCCS inquiry into the Hollie Greig case.
* They continually arrested strippogram Stuart Kennedy, who was cleared by the courts on 22 occasions, wasting £170,000 of public money.
* They instigated the sectioning of Anne Greig in 2000, following allegations that her daughter Hollie was the victim of a paedophile ring.
A survey conducted in January 2010 delivered a "shocking" verdict on Grampian Police - and this was conducted before the Hollie Greig case became widely known.
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1569362/
I would endorse the view of Ronald Savage in the "Press and Journal" reader's comments that Colin McKerracher ought to be sectioned.
http://194.247.86.250/Article.aspx/2336143
Not be outdone, Chief Constable Colin McKerracher has joined in the lunacy by claiming that Grampian Police is "the best force in the country". This comment was made in the context of another rant by McKerracher on his favourite subject of opposing the possible reduction in the number of police forces in Scotland, an issue over which he is at odds with MacAskill. His frequent pronouncements on this matter are in marked contrast to his continued silence on the Hollie Greig case and he would surely be better employed concentrating on catching paedophiles and other criminals rather than meddling in politics.
Let us remind ourselves of some of the "achievements" of Grampian Police.
* They failed to interview persons named by Hollie Greig as abusers and fellow-victims.
* They failed to investigate the suspicous death of Roy Greig.
* They did not treat the death of Claire Morris, who was murdered by her husband Malcolm Webster, as suspicous.
* They were implicated in the withholding of evidence in the murder trial of Nat Fraser, whose conviction has recently been quashed.
* They withheld vital medical evidence from the PCCS inquiry into the Hollie Greig case.
* They continually arrested strippogram Stuart Kennedy, who was cleared by the courts on 22 occasions, wasting £170,000 of public money.
* They instigated the sectioning of Anne Greig in 2000, following allegations that her daughter Hollie was the victim of a paedophile ring.
A survey conducted in January 2010 delivered a "shocking" verdict on Grampian Police - and this was conducted before the Hollie Greig case became widely known.
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1569362/
I would endorse the view of Ronald Savage in the "Press and Journal" reader's comments that Colin McKerracher ought to be sectioned.
http://194.247.86.250/Article.aspx/2336143
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Word Is Spreading
I am delighted to report that in the month of June the blog received a total of 7,368 hits - an increase of 35% on the previous highest total of 5,472 in April. This means that, on this blog alone, someone is reading about the Hollie Greig story once every six minutes
Another method of bypassing the blackout by the mainstream media is to take to the streets and provide information to the people directly. The latest video shows a selection of clips of myself and others doing just this. We receive a universally positive response when we take this action, and the overwhelming reaction of people is to ask why this matter is not being reported on television or newspapers.
The second half of the video shows myself and Stuart Usher discussing the various actions taken by the police including the raid on Anne and Hollie's house in Shrewsbury and my arrest in Aberdeen.
Another method of bypassing the blackout by the mainstream media is to take to the streets and provide information to the people directly. The latest video shows a selection of clips of myself and others doing just this. We receive a universally positive response when we take this action, and the overwhelming reaction of people is to ask why this matter is not being reported on television or newspapers.
The second half of the video shows myself and Stuart Usher discussing the various actions taken by the police including the raid on Anne and Hollie's house in Shrewsbury and my arrest in Aberdeen.
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