Wor Simon Reporting

Well, I've been meaning to write a blog about the Carl Beech Trial, so here's one I hope you will all enjoy. It's called 'Wor Simon' because - as much as anything - I hope this will serve as a small token of appreciation for the work of Simon Warr who died in February this year. And what a shock his death was ! Chiefly because it all happened so quickly. But, at least, he gave us a chance to say a few farewell's, when he tweeted this !

 One of Simon's important contributions to Justice was his part coverage of the Carl Beech trial held in Newcastle Crown Court last summer. You could see by some of his tweets in May, that he was disappointed by the lack of media coverage the case attracted. He must have been chomping at the bit to get up North ! But ever the professional - he acknowledged the few decent journalist's who were there, especially those that were doing a bloody good job of it !

Certainly one or two were there, almost everyday. But where were the rest ? This was one of the most important trials for decades, yet the media didn't seem that interested !

 


Now, let me take a short detour from Simon's journey North, in order to acquaint you with my experiences of Simon on twitter prior to either of us, hearing of the name Carl Beech !!! 

I'll assume that most of you know Simon's story. For those that don't, maybe consider buying his book. To say this man went through hell, is an understatement. This piece in the Mail is a good summary of the injustice meted out to him !

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4282372/Simon-Warr-lost-false-sex-abuse-claims.html 

I think I'd been 'following' Simon and he'd been following me, since not long after he opened his account in 2016. By March 2017, it was clear that he wasn't exactly, what one might describe as - sympathetic with the Savile cause. But who could blame him ?

I wasn't happy with the reference to Jimmy Savile, and I let him know, respectfully ! I had respect for what Simon had been through, and I certainly wasn't going to have a go at him. Had I been through what he had, I'd probably have felt the same way. In short - I cut him some slack and let it go !

I knew that Simon and I were singing from the same hymn sheet. We both wanted the same thing at the end of the day, and part of that same thing, was to see those, who falsely accused others, get what they deserved ! He might not have agreed with half of what I'd written and/or tweeted, but - unlike some, he wasn't afraid to retweet someone whose Twitter profile picture was Jimmy Savile in a hospital corridor ! For those not in the know, a retweet now, is akin to a mention in dispatches at Verdun ! Most people merely like tweets. I personally, don't see much point in that, but there you are !

 Anyways, back to Newcastle, and by July 5th Simon had obviously bought his train ticket !

And by the 16th July he was live tweeting ! So now, we had a reliable source to take us through the closing stages of the trial. I will link the individual day's thread's so you can read ALL of his them !

 You see, it's those little details : the Prosecutor on his feet that makes for interesting reporting. Of course, he'd be on his feet to say anything, but that detail, almost allows those following, to feel part of the - drama, if you will !

What follows is what I think is the first of Simon's thread's that morning. The hearing started at 10am but the Jury were sent out for 17 minutes while legal arguments were discussed.

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151076726451179520

Tony Bradenoch QC speaks to the Jury

There's a short break around 11am until 11.17 when this was tweeted

Continuing the thread

The Court rises for lunch at 12.07. As an aside - at 5.01 pm Matthew Scott requested a thread unroll, whatever that is ? I guess it's an unroll of all the tweets that day ? Whatever it is, it wasn't available ! Thank God for people like me eh ? 
Actually to be fair, I don't think it's possible to fully unroll people's tweets chronologically. It takes perseverance to make sense of them retrospectively. But I guess that's where people like me come in ! Go me !!!

 


The following thread covers the PM session on the 16th July. The case did not restart until 2.55 pm and there was a short break about ten minutes later, hence this begins at 3.16pm

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151118475919876096 

 

 

Simon's tweets were appreciated. He was fulfilling what he'd set out to do. If the media wouldn't report lucidly on the case, he would. And he did so - splendidly !

 The next day Carl Beech's defence barrister began his summing up. He didn't have much to work with, so he wasn't 'on his feet' too long ! Just two members of the press were in court that day. TWO !

The Jury didn't look remotely convinced by Thompson's meanderings into potential innocent reason's why anyone would flee the country, rather than speak to the Police

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151421364806594561 

The Jury didn't look remotely convinced by Thompson's meanderings into potential innocent reason's why his client would flee the country, rather than speak to the Police. Why his client would write a book called 'Nurse Nurse' under a pseudonym etc etc

Naturally, people on the outside replied to Simon's tweets. He would not respond, but they're there, on his timeline. I have to say the following did make me smile !

 Collingwood Thompson QC defending

 Meanwhile, slightly closer to the building, his adversary Tony Bradenoch QC

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151479090899247105

The following day - Thursday 18th, Judge Goss is still offering his directions to the Jury, and Simon Warr is still there, reporting for us !

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151810541712809985 

And the afternoon session 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151840683877117952 

It seems surreal that anyone, let alone two Police Forces, wasted valuable resources on Carl Beech. As you read the these tweets. I pick out just a few in case the reader cannot see the threads I've linked. 

An hour after the afternoon session begins, there's a short break for some reason. I add the following, including the time, because twitter's time zone is Pacific time, so you must always add seven hours, as you trawl through the threads. 

So that 7.11 am is actually 2.11pm in Newcastle. I just think Simon would like me to be as forensic, and as helpful to the reader, as possible ! 

They are out for eleven minutes 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1151859781528952833 

At 2.27 the Judge references Beech's contact with Exaro News 

 By 3.25 pm it's close of play. 'Someone is lying' says the Judge. 

19th July 2019

According to the twitter clock, Simon's day started at 9.24 am, not 10.15. 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1152147246487691264

Another break at 10.39

Back at 10.56

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1152170351570378752 

Lunch at 12.37 

Looks like that lunch break only lasted about 30 minutes ! 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1152203951581945857 

Just thirty-two minutes later, the Jury goes out 

 Twitter threads can be difficult to follow. They can appear incomplete as they veer off in another direction, for example when someone responds. For completeness - here's the same thread (different reference number) where folks show their appreciation for Simon's hard work !

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1152212144508801024

'Rather exhausting but well worth it' 

 https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1152225227532832769

The Jury didn't take too long, announcing their verdict the following sitting day - Monday 22nd July.  Simon obviously couldn't attend that day, but he followed the excellent press reporting by Jordan Milne. Her tweets start at 8.37 am, and the Jury returns with a verdict at 1.36pm !

https://twitter.com/JEMilneSky/status/1153222471337828353

 Naturally, Simon had plenty to say following Beech's conviction. Of the latter's motivations 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1153446864219455490 

 And he wasn't about to suffer any fool who might challenge the verdict 

As for Beech's enabler's 

Simon would be back in Newcastle on Friday 26th for the sentencing

And what a journey he had ! The rail network was in chaos it was so hot !

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/25/uk-railways-in-chaos-as-searing-heat-sparks-fear-of-derailed-trains

Simon had told me his train left London at 4.40. The above was tweeted at 9.21pm.

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1154502016984465408 

 Simon was quite rightly outraged by the whole Carl Beech saga. Five years earlier, he had been cleared by a Jury after less than 40 minutes, yet he still hadn't had an apology, let alone Justice !

Imagine how he must have felt writing this, en-route to witness the FIRST ever sentencing of someone who'd lied about others, almost destroying their lives ?

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1154355186988724231 

But he made it 

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1154694688970092545

I'm confused with the twitter timings now. Simon says that it's 11am, so that means it's GMT + 8 hours because this is twitter timed 3.07 am. There are different Pacific time zones, and I'm not going to say anymore about it because I'm done with trying to work it out. Sorry !

Carl Beech's victims or their representatives, got to read individual impact statements prior to sentencing.

A ten minute break was needed an hour later, after which

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1154714628183789573

" Take him down"

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1154742859112812546

 

I'm glad Simon came to Newcastle. It was exhausting but you could tell he loved being there, reporting on the action, in person, and meeting fellow victims.  It must have been so cathartic for him ! 

He didn't hang around though. He had a radio show to do in London later that day !

Simon felt he had a 'moral duty' to attend the Beech trial.  I'll let him tell you about it. 

 http://thewarrzone.blogspot.com/2019/07/prosecuting-carl-beech-just-start.html

Indeed, check out his other posts that month. I like how he includes a relatively nice photo of - Sir Jimmy Savile 

http://thewarrzone.blogspot.com/2019/07/ 

I could go on, but I think that's enough for now. I hope I've done Simon proud with my little appreciation of him and his work. I was privileged to know him for just a short while, and I'm glad I let him know !

https://twitter.com/bbcsimonwarr/status/1230574119428685824








 

NOT defending Jimmy Savile - Prosecuting Beech

Some years back - I wrote a number of posts called -  Case for the Defence. It was my way of telling anyone who wanted to listen that what had happened to Savile was unfair. I know that sounds like a very small word to describe what took place back in October 3rd 2012, but it's a small word with a HUGE meaning, for ALL of us. One does need not a law degree to instinctively know when something unfair is happening. One just KNOWS !
  I wasn't the first to know or begin to know that something nasty was happening. My first post of the series provides content from two bloggers who were - almost immediately, onto it. Without them, there probably wouldn't have been yours truly. I'd have probably never bothered to do anything with that gut feeling, I had, listening to Fiona. Something wasn't right. This wasn't fair !

http://rabbitaway.blogspot.com/2014/09/case-for-defense-day-1.html 

Had Sir Jimmy had the opportunity to enter a courtroom back in 2009, he would be leaving that room probably without even giving evidence. The case (that wouldn't have got there in the first place) would be thrown out by a competent, sensible Judge.

 Jimmy Savile has *appeared* in absentia in a few high profile court cases. And in each case bar none, no Juror has been persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt or whatever the phrase is now, that any claims directly involving him are true !

NOT ONE of these criminal cases has seen the accuser himself in the dock until Carl Beech was charged, basically, of LYING, of making up stories about 'very important people', not just dead, or nearly dead celebrities, but important people like MP's, ex-Prime Minister's - that sort of thing ! Fortunately, for my current purpose, Carl also known as Nick, placed Jimmy Savile in one of his fairy tales. 

Beech's trial had to include reference to his Savile claims. Not because anyone at the CPS, had any interest in wittingly proving - beyond a reasonable doubt, that Savile DID NOT abuse or molest someone, but because the prosecution had to convince us that Beech was 100% lying about others he'd accused ! Everything he claimed had happened to him, had not. And if that resulted in some of us thinking we could at last rejoice about something, well - that collateral damage would be have to be tolerated, but NOT made anything of. Not by the press, the media or the CPS. Savile was still a serial abuser, end of. His name was not even mentioned in the - guilty as charged sheet ! The first four being

But, don't feel too crestfallen folks. The prosecuting barrister did well and truly sock it to Beech, during his cross-examination. It is really the closest we've got to an official defence of Sir Jimmy Savile yet ! 

It's Tuesday July 9th at 3.30 and Tony B QC continues his cross examination of Carl Beech. He describes this portion of the prosecution case as MEDIA APPEARANCES. 

Crimes that shook Britain was first shown on 17.08.2014 two months BEFORE you spoke to the Met Police !

  You told Wiltshire Police about this in 2012. You'd made a claim for compensation. You were writing a book. "Did you tell WP all there was to know about about Jimmy Savile" ?

"Let's watch it"

The video is then played in court. 

 So that you understand exactly what I'm doing here - the Barrister's questions and/or remarks are in italics. Where these are verbatim direct quotes I have placed speech marks around them. I include live tweets submitted by members of the press - and others, to show how the press reported this questioning.

So here's the video - the bit where 'Stephen' begins his tale starts with the ominous piano music at about 30.52 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ZhEsSf008 

 From the press -


Beech admitted withholding some information about his allegations at an initial interview with Wiltshire police in 2012, in which he claimed his stepfather had abused him.
Asked why he told detectives that he did not know the names of many of his alleged abusers, Beech replied: “It was information that I did not feel I could share at that time given my own mind.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/09/vip-abuse-accuser-carl-beech-claims-flown-paris-child 

Tony Bradenoch QC to Beech :"You told them you'd never seen his face" ?

" Do you maintain the position that you never saw his face" ?
Beech - "Again, I don't recall"

"Over how many years did Jimmy Savile abuse you" ?

Beech - " A couple"
"Where ?" 

Beech "Bicester"

"Did you tell DS Townley about this broadcast ?" 

Beech - "No"

 

Beech's local press provided several articles about that day's proceedings. Yes, some members of the press, did give - some attention to the Savile questioning.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17758631.vip-paedophile-ring-accuser-admits-withheld-details-swindon-police-2012/

The Prosecution in the Beech case, achieved something me and a few others have been trying to do for SJS since October 2012. He demonstrated that the allegations one of his accusers made, was - demonstrably untrue 

The Judge in his closing submissions, directed the Jury to make commonsense conclusions. They must reach reach their decisions in a fair, calm and analytical way ... you must not speculate ....... Pay heed to your own view of the evidence .... it's your decisions that are crucial' 
Juries are required to make an assessment of the person (who's alleging the abuse)


See what happens when an accused person is given a chance to defend themselves ? Ordinary people like you and I are advised by wise men how to make fair decisions. The world's media are in attendance but they cannot influence the individual juror, well - that's the idea anyway. 

Next time - 'Wor Simon' 

A blog post honoring the late Simon Warr's contribution to journalism during the closing stages of the Beech Trial. Up shortly !