POLICE COMPLAINT MADE AGAINST JJ MAGEE & FRANK DEMPSEY:
I have today made a written statement identifying JJ Magee and Frank Dempsey from footage that was shown to me during an interview with PSNI last week, in relation to alleged offences arising from August 8 Apprentice Boys parade passing St Patrick’s Church.
During questioning I spotted Mr Magee and Mr Dempsey, along with other persons, gathered as the parade passed. Given the precedent used by the PSNI during prosecutions in relation to the Union flag protests decreed that three or more people constituted a protest and/or gathering, I have drawn it to the PSNI’s attention that there was no notified protest for this parade, therefore Mr Dempsey and Mr Magee are guilty of an offence under the Public Processions Act 1998.
The PSNI have launched an investigation into our band of their own volition, there has been no written statements of complaint, therefore I am bemused as to why the PSNI- on their own- launched no such investigation into an illegal gathering that had not satisfied the notification procedure under the Public Processions Act 1998. I will be lodging a complaint with the Police Ombudsman asking them to investigate why alleged offences by Unionist bandsmen are investigated more rigorously than breaches of the law by republican protestors.
It is clear from the footage that Mr Magee and Mr Dempsey were not merely innocent by-passers out for a pint of milk. Mr Magee was filming the parade and one must remember that Mr Magee previously acted as a Crown witness for the same PSNI unit that is investigating alleged offences around the 8 August parade, therefore I also question if this is one of the reasons the PSNI investigating team turn a blind eye to breaches of the law by Mr Magee and his cohorts.
Surely so called evidence gathering should be equally applied, it appears in this case that it has been unequally applied. The PSNI have in their possession footage of this illegal gathering, yet they have ignored it. Had it not been for their error in showing me it in interview, it would never have seen the light of day!
The PSNI officer also stated, on tape, during my interview that the police had received no statements of complaints but instead had verbal “representations”. I will also be asking the Ombudsman to investigate whether these “representations” came from Sinn Fein. This would be particularly astonishing given Sinn Fein clearly have a vested interest in contriving “complaints” in relation to marching bands, not to mention that some of their members, including Crown witness in the YCV case- JJ Magee- breached the law by being present during the parade past St Patricks.
I watch with interest whether the PSNI pursue Mr Magee, Mr Dempsey and others as robustly as they pursue loyal orders and marching.
jamiebrysonblog 