Re: The evidence of an expert engineer - accident to Lee Balkwell 'highly improbable'

by ultimaThule 27.06.14 20:07

Is a transcript of the Inquest procedings available and, in particular, the Coroner's directions to the jury?

by **Tony Bennett** 27.06.14 20:42

ultimaThule wrote:Is a transcript of the Inquest procedings available and, in particular, the Coroner's directions to the jury?

Yes. I have every single word of the Inquest transcript, including of course the Coroner's directions to the jury, in three large Lever Arch files at home.

And so of course has Les Balkwell.

We had trouble getting the transcript, though - Coroner Mrs Beasley-Murray wanted him to pay the full whack of several thousand pounds to obtain a copy.

We won that particular battle.

She gave in.

We also won this one - when Les was asked to pay £1,700 to clean out the cement mixer that killed his son (or did not, as the case may be): Daily Mail article >>>>

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1362994/Father-ordered-pay-1-700-clean-cement-mixer-killed-son.html

by ultimaThule 01.07.14 3:50

As the transcript is not available online, my interest in the Inquest proceedings is confined to what directions, if any, the Coroner gave to the jury in respect of the verdict(s) they could return and what became of Mr Balkwell Snr's subsequent complaint to the OJC?

by plebgate 01.07.14 9:04

Tony Bennett wrote:
ultimaThule wrote:Is a transcript of the Inquest procedings available and, in particular, the Coroner's directions to the jury?
Yes. I have every single word of the Inquest transcript, including of course the Coroner's directions to the jury, in three large Lever Arch files at home.

And so of course has Les Balkwell.

We had trouble getting the transcript, though - Coroner Mrs Beasley-Murray wanted him to pay the full whack of several thousand pounds to obtain a copy.

We won that particular battle.

She gave in.

We also won this one - when Les was asked to pay £1,700 to clean out the cement mixer that killed his son (or did not, as the case may be): Daily Mail article >>>>

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1362994/Father-ordered-pay-1-700-clean-cement-mixer-killed-son.html

Ref. pink highlighting, I want to say words fail me, but have to say that this is absolutely disgusting.

People can stay in bed all day and get paid to do it, people can come to Britain and be given homes free of charge, benefits etc. and yet people who have worked all their lives are expected to foot the bill for something like this. What on earth is happening in UK.

Why does it cost so much to get a court transcript?

Keep fighting Tony you are doing a good job.

by worriedmum 01.07.14 9:07

Is it time to set up a new forum or Facebook page about the Balkwell case, Tony?

by ultimaThule 02.07.14 1:57

As there has been an indictment in this case, a Facebook page or alternative website would be inadvisable at this point in time, wm, and it may be prudent for this entire topic to be moved to the Members Lounge or to a place where it can only be viewed by invitation only.

My concern is that, while Lee Balkwell and his family may never get the justice they truly deserve, they deserve to get some justice which may provide the means to continue their quest for the truth which, to date, seems to have eluded them.,

by **Tony Bennett** 02.07.14 7:47

ultimaThule wrote:As the transcript is not available online, my interest in the Inquest proceedings is confined to what directions, if any, the Coroner gave to the jury in respect of the verdict(s) they could return and what became of Mr Balkwell Snr's subsequent complaint to the OJC?

Les Balkwell's barrister submitted to the Coroner, in the absence of the jury of course, that there was 'overwhelming circumstantial evidence' that Lee Balkwell was murdered.

That's an assessment I fully agree with.

However, the Coroner said there was INSUFFICIENT evidence of murder for the jury to be able to consider a plain homicide verdict - and directed them in open court not to do so.

The OJC complaint didn't get anywhere. You can only complain to the OJC about non-judicial issues, not about any decision made by a Coroner. To challenge Coroners' decisions, you have to take routes like judicial review, appeals or an application for a fiat by the A-G ordering a new Inquest.

by **Tony Bennett** 02.07.14 7:59

ultimaThule wrote:As there has been an indictment in this case, a Facebook page or alternative website would be inadvisable at this point in time, wm, and it may be prudent for this entire topic to be moved to the Members Lounge or to a place where it can only be viewed by invitation only.

My concern is that, while Lee Balkwell and his family may never get the justice they truly deserve, they deserve to get some justice which may provide the means to continue their quest for the truth which, to date, seems to have eluded them.,

The case is indeed classed as 'sub judice', which means that, under the law of 'Contempt of Court', nothing may be published which, to quote the law 'constitutes a substantial risk of serious prejudice'.

That might apply, for example, to a major newspaper publishing, while a jury trial is in progress, embarrassing facts about a defendnant - even if they are true.

A 'substantial' risk of 'serious' prejudice could hardly arise from a few factual matters posted on an internet forum where there have only been a few hundred views on a thread. Moreover, jurors are given the strictest of instructions by judges, at the start of a trial and even during it, to try a case only on what they hear in court and nothing else - and are specifically advised not to consult the internet during the trial about anything connected with the trial.

Les Balkwell is in fact setting up a new website, not with my help, though - with someone else's, which will contain some very revealing material about police corruption in Essex, Kent and the Metropolitan Police, and about the extraordinary decisions of Grace Ononiwu, the Head of East of England CPS, and top barrister Karim Kahlil Q.C., to continue with this prosecution despite overwhelming evidence that Lee's death was no accident.

The evidence of an expert engineer - accident to Lee Balkwell 'highly improbable'