Wapping protesters receive Ã90,000 for assault
01 January 1991
Wapping protesters receive Ã90,000 for assault
artdoc August=1993
Three trade unionists have been awarded nearly Ã90,000 by
Edmonton County Court, after being wrongfully arrested, assaulted
and maliciously prosecuted by the Metropolitan Police after a
demonstration outside Rupert Murdoch's News International (NI)
plant, at Wapping, east London, in January 1987.
The dispute, which lasted over a year, arose following the
sacking of 6,000 printworkers, at a days notice, by NI - which
publishes the Sun, News of the World, Today, Sunday Times and
Times newspapers - and their clandestine replacement by members
of the Electricians Union, the EEPTU. The printworkers unions,
the NGA and SOGAT, backed their sacked members and called for the
picketing of the plant and a boycott of their papers.
George Hickman, Martin Wheeler and Jeff Charlton, had travelled
from the West Midlands to attend a demonstration outside the
plant on the first anniversary of the dispute. During the
demonstration, in which mounted police and police with riot
shields and truncheons repeatedly charged demonstrators, the
three men took shelter in a local public house which was later
raided by the police. The court was told that during the raid
the three men were forced into an alley were they were beaten and
assaulted before being thrown into a police van where they were
beaten once again. Mr Hickman was then falsely charged with
assaulting a policeman, Mr Charlton with obstruction and Wheeler
for being drunk and disorderly. All the charges against them were
dismissed when they came to court in 1989. The three men began
civil proceedings against the policemen which resulted in their
award.
The six officers involved in the incident - PCs Ian Storrar,
Nigel Pratt, Robert Goodger, Gavin Steff, Ivan Szubinb and
Terence Chitty - were charged with conspiracy to pervert the
course of justice. When the case came to court in 1989 the
charges were dismissed because of a delay in informing the
officers that they were to be charged.
All six officers are still on active duty. PC Terence Chitty,
is currently under investigation by Scotland Yard's Operation
Jackpot enquiry into allegations of corruption at Stoke Newington
police station. He has been accused of conspiracy to supply
drugs, planting drugs, assault and fabricating evidence in at
least nineteen cases.
One of the senior officers in charge of policing the Wapping
dispute was Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner, Wyn Jones,
who has been the subject of a two-year internal investigation for
corruption, following allegations that he accepted free holidays
from Conservative Party backer and businessman, Asil Nadir. A
tribunal report, which cleared him of these allegations has,
nonetheless, led Home Secretary, Michael Howard, to call for him
to be sacked.
Guardian 25.6.93; Community Defence July 1993; Independent
25.6.93; Observer 27.6.93.
Statewatch vol 3 no 4 July-August 1993