Scotched Justice

Christmas Cards for Scottish Prisoners

2009-12-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is the most difficult for people in prison. It is even more difficult when you have evidence of innocence like these people below.

We can help brighten a prisoners day by sending a card to them to let them know that they are not forgotten by people on the outside world.

Below is a small list of prisoners whom I am sure would appreciate a bit of Christmas Cheer. If anyone has any other names and addresses to add please post them here or send me a private message.

Mr William Gage
2319
C3/15
HMP Shotts
Lanarkshire
ML7 4LE

Mr Patrick Docherty
17841
Forth A32
HMP Addiwell
Station Road
Addiwell
West Lothian
EH55 8QA

Mr Nat Fraser
Cell 3/08
47143 C / Hall
HMPrison
Perth
PH2 8FT

Mr Brendan Dixon 14854
HMP Dumfries
Terreagles Street
Dumfries
DG29AX

Mr Luke Mitchell
HMPrison
Perth
PH2 8FT

Justice for Wullie Gage

2009-06-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

At last there seems to be some light at the end of the long tunnel that William Gage and his family have endured for the past 7 plus years.

The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission finally made their decision to refer William Gage's case to the appeal courts. See http://www.sccrc.org.uk/ViewFile.aspx?id=396 for the grounds of referral.

We who support Wullie Gage are delighted that the SCCRC have referred the case for appeal and we thank them for doing so. If it wasn't for the SCCRC investigating this case then Wullie would not have the chance to finally prove his innocence. So far that has proven almost impossible so the family, friends and supporters are deeply grateful.

Sadly though, Mr Bill Gage, William's father, is now terminally ill with cancer. I spoke with Mr Gage Senior and he said that he was absolutely delighted to hear this news. It had been a long time coming. He says he is not afraid of dying. What he fears is dying before William is freed and exonerated for the crime he was wrongfully convicted of. All he wants to be able to do is put his arms around his son and be able to spend time with his son as a free man. We pray that this will be made possible. Mr Gage Senior has suffered enough due to this injustice and now cancer. He has committed no crime. And he has steadfastly stood by Wullie and supported him totally. His belief in his son's innocence is unwaivering.

The tragedy of all of this is that the Gage family have lost precious years due to Wullie being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and now that the end could be in sight, Mr Gage Senior is so seriously ill. It all seems so unfair indeed.

We who support Wullie's fight for truth and justice are hoping and praying that Wullie is freed so that he can spend precious time with his dad.

It really would be heaping injustice upon injustice if Wullie was not allowed to spend that special time with his dad and his loved ones. We hope that the courts will see fit to show some compassion in this tragic situation. Time is running out and Mr Gage Senior is about to embark on an intense Radiotherapy treatment in a bid to make him feel a little better. It will not cure him but should hopefully make his life a little more bearable. There is no operation which can help and chemotherapy cannot help either. Mr Gage is too ill to have surgery anyway.

It would be absolutely devastating to Mr Gage Snr and the family if Wullie did not get freed before things go too far for him, with the cancer.

It would be equally devastating of course to Wullie, if anything else happened to his dad before he was freed.

Wullie is delighted of course that this has finally happened but there is a deep sadness in him for the time he has lost with his family and the fact that his dad is so ill.

Wullie has a huge amount of supporters and he thanks everyone for their love and support.

Details of Wullie's case can be read on: : Mojoscotland@mac.com : www.whygage.com and http://www.justiceforwilliamgage.webs.com/

It is agony having to wait. I feel like I have been buried alive and that no matter how hard I scream for help the authorities don't seem to care.' William Gage

Hopefully now Wullie will realise that the authorities are indeed listening and that they will rectify this miscarriage of justice in a speedy manner.

Please send Wullie cards of support and encouragement:

William Gage
# 2319 c3/15
HMP Shotts/ Lanarkshire

ML7 4LE
SCOTLAND

Thank you

Karen Torley and Wullie Gage's Supporters.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. . Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all..." Elie Wiesel Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986.

Some details of the case

On the night of March 7, 2002 drug baron Justin McAlroy was gunned down on the driveway of his home in Cambuslang, Glasgow.

Second-hand car dealer William Gage was jailed for life in 2004 when three eyewitnesses told a jury they saw a white getaway vehicle leaving the scene.

A white SAAB was later found in Glasgow's Easterhouse, partly burnt out.

Much reliance was placed on a white SAAB being the car used in the commission of this murder.

There was absolutely no evidence, no CCTV Footage and no identification of Gage, which one would expect

Evidence at trial related to a White Maestro, Metro, Volvo 440 and one witness saying the car he saw was "Not a SAAB”

The other differing statements given at trial, shows that at least some witnesses must have given “inaccurate” information.

The judge described the evidence of McAlroy’s wife as uncorroborated and extremely contradictory

The Judge directed that the jury must find Gage guilty of the second charge which relates to the white car, to have enough evidence to convict for the murder. Basically the judge was saying there was no evidence of the murder if the car could not be tied to it.

The jury found him not guilty on the second charge and guilty of Murder.

Not only did the jury not listen to the judge in law issues such as there was no proof, they totally went against all the judges directions.
.
Even the trial judge, Lord Emslie, has expressed doubts over the conviction.

In a report to appeal judges, it is believed, Lord Emslie claimed many juries would have refused to convict with such circumstantial evidence.

Extract from an Appeal.

Extract
Since Stephen Madden had only seen the passenger in the white car from a front view, someone with hair in a pony tail might look like someone with short hair. The assessment of the evidence of Stephen Madden and Agnes Edgar was entirely a matter for the jury. It would not be surprising if the jury decided to pay little or no attention to their evidence,

Stephen maddens evidence was relied upon for conviction, At best his evidence was he saw a White Metro Or Maestro and he did not identify Gage.
Both Madden and Edgar were reluctant witnesses but for a judge to claim it would not be surprising if the jury decided to pay little or no attention to their evidence is shocking.
Is this because their evidence supports Gage's case ?

Extract
Turning to the evidence of Charles Bowman, the Advocate depute submitted that Mr. Bowman's evidence vouched the proposition that the car recovered from Easterhouse was at least similar to the one which Mr. Bowman had seen in Newton Station Road. Contrary to the trial judge's view at page 12 of his report, Mr. Bowman's evidence, if accepted, was consistent with the abandoned Saab being the getaway car.

Mr Bowman claimed to have seen a white Volvo 440 and only after being shown the white SAAB did he say it was similar.
Apart from leading this witness the police tactics in showing him the White SAAB which was recovered from Easterhouse severely taints his evidence.
At its highest his evidence is capable of showing it was a Volvo used and not a SAAB.
Besides this evidence there is the witness Kearns who doesn't seem to have been heard at appeal.
His evidence supports the car not being a white SAAB and his reason for remembering it was not a SAAB was because he had once owned a SAAB and he would have remembered if the car in question had been a white SAAB.
This evidence supports Gage and not as suggested at his appeal the Crown case

Oh, Great Spirit, grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins." - Old Native American Indian Prayer that my dad told me.
www.justiceforallinnocents.webs.com
www.justiceforarthur.webs.com
www.torley.org
When Blind Justice becomes Blind Injustice

NEWS UPDATE:Case Referred by SCCRC

2009-06-11T04:58:00.001-07:00

Wullie Gage's case has finally been referred for appeal by the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission, today 11 June 2009.

Hoping that finally the truth and justice will prevail and Wullie can be reuninted with his family.

Read Wullie Gage's Book Online

2009-05-14T04:48:00.001-07:00

A new version of Wullie Gage's book is now online as a free download, is www.free4allbooks.com and we are looking to get as many people on there as possible,

US jail threat to Scots family

2009-04-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

Please help this family stay together!!

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND PASS AROUND!

http://www.petition.co.uk/howes_family_extradition_fight_please_help

http://www.sundaypost.com/postindex.htm

A SCOTS mum facing extradition to the US still doesn’t know when her fate will be decided — despite being due to give birth in just 10 days.

Mum-of-four Kerry Howes, who has been diagnosed with severe depression and post traumatic stress disorder, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday but a hearing date was not set.

It means the 31-year-old faces a home birth without knowing if she will soon be taken 5000 miles away and thrown into jail.

It means the 31-year-old faces a home birth without knowing if she will soon be taken 5000 miles away and thrown into jail.

Up to 98 years

Kerry and husband Brian (45) from Bo’ness face up to 98 years in an Arizona jail if found guilty of exporting chemicals US authorities claim were used to make the drug crystal meth.

The couple ran a legal chemical business — Lab Chemicals International — until targeted by undercover agents posing as buyers after a tip-off by one American citizen.

They accused Brian and Kerry of selling iodine and red phosphorus in the knowledge they would be used to manufacture the highly addictive drug. The couple maintain they were simply selling chemicals to be used in amateur pyrotechnics.

Red phosphorous is perfectly legal in the UK but strictly regulated in the US.

“We’ve done nothing wrong,” Brian told The Sunday Post. “We sold chemicals online to be used in fireworks, some as medication for animals and for sheep dip. We sold them everywhere except where they were embargoed.

Registered

“We were registered with the Special Branch and the Home Office. Central Scotland Police visited us regularly and we would ask if there was anything on the site we shouldn’t be selling and they always said no. Also we only dealt in credit card sales so all transactions were traceable.

“They even asked us to report any Muslim names among the people buying from us and we agreed to do that. Then the next thing we know we face extradition to the US without any evidence against us whatsoever.”

Brian and Kerry spent 214 days in separate prisons without charge last year, he in Saughton and she in Cornton Vale.

The couple were eventually released on bail but only after Brian went on a 30-day hunger strike to prevent the children being put into care.

That episode has left him with minor brain damage. Kerry has been left depressed at the prospect of losing her children — Denni (11), Bethaney (10), Ellie (6) and Leela (3).

One-sided treaty

The couple are victims of the one-sided post-September 11 extradition treaty which allows UK citizens to be forced to the US to stand trial. It allows Britons to be extradited without prima facie evidence of criminality.

“We’re being extradited on false information and none of it can be challenged,” said Brian.

The couple’s cases are now being considered separately and Kerry returned to the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday. She met with a new advocate and new medical reports were called for.

“No date was set, not even for a preliminary hearing,” explained Brian. “The judges said they were unhappy that our cases are being dealt with separately.

Refused

“My case is scheduled for May 26 to 29 and Kerry’s will not be set until after that. If I win, she wins automatically, that has been made clear. If I lose then she will go into court after that.”

The couple have been refused application to have their bail conditions changed to allow both of them to attend hospital for the birth of the baby.

Brian’s curfew insists he is at home from 8 pm to 8 am and both must sign on at their local police station three times a day. As a result they feel they have no option but to go for a home birth.

The extradition was formally approved by Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill. A Justice spokesman said they could not comment subject to the appeal to the High Court.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND PASS AROUND!
http://www.petition.co.uk/howes_family_extradition_fight_please_help

http://corruption.org.uk

Wullie Beck Still fighting to clear his name

2009-02-21T18:42:00.001-08:00

Download William Gage Poster

2008-11-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Wullie Beck Sent Jurors names and addresses Daily Mail 27 October 2008

2008-10-28T01:54:00.001-07:00

Click on articles to enlarge them to read.

Wullie Beck Case: Legal Blunder sparks Security Alert OutRage. The Sun, 27 October 2008

2008-10-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

Click on the article to enlarge it

Send Cards to Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi

2008-10-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the murder of 270 people by blowing up an airliner over the town almost 20 years ago, is understood to have been given weeks to live by doctors, after hospital tests confirmed he had "advanced stage" prostate cancer.

Prisoners thought to have less than three months to live in Scotland can apply for early release on compassionate grounds.

The families of British casualties called on ministers to release Megrahi if that – as seems likely – proves to be his wish.

Megrahi is awaiting his second appeal against his conviction.

Dr Swire, who is a spokesman for the UK Families Flight 103 group, also called for Megrahi's appeal to be speeded up.

He said: "I feel it is a very serious threat to his life and it would be a tragedy if he is to spend the rest of his life in a Scottish prison, particularly if he is not guilty of the crime of which he was found guilty. I'm not satisfied that the verdict against him is correct. It sounds to me like an unfolding human tragedy."

So many of us wordlwide believe that Al Megrahi has been wrongfully convicted and therefor should be released while he is so sick and still waiting on the outcome of his appeal.

Please send cards DIRECTLY to Al Megraghi and also write, fax or email Alex Salmond and also Kenny McAskill asking them to free this man on compassionate grounds. The Glasgow Two recieved Interim Liberation while awaiting their appeal. The same should happen in this case.

See http://lockerbiecase.blogspot.com/
For more information on this case.

PLEASE ALSO PASS THIS AROUND!

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi
HMP Greenock
Gateside
GREENOCK
PA16 9AH

Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Telephone: 01467 670070

Fax: 01779 474460

Parliament Office E-mail:
Alex.Salmond.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Kenny MacAskill MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Telephone: 0131 661 9546
Telephone: 0131 348 5012
Fax: 0131 348 5944
Parliament Office E-mail:

Kenny.MacAskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Oh, Great Spirit, grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins." - Old Indian Prayer

http://scotchedjustice.forumotion.com/forum.htm

Johnny Cash - San Quentin

2008-09-13T04:01:00.001-07:00

What is a Miscarriage of Justice?

2008-09-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

A miscarriage of justice is primarily the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime that he or she did not commit. The term can also be applied to errors in the other direction – "errors of impunity" – and to civil cases, but those usages are rarer, though the occurrences appear to be much more common. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful conviction, but this is often difficult to achieve. The most serious instances occur when a wrongful conviction is not overturned for several years, or until after the innocent person has been executed or died in jail.

"Miscarriage of justice" is sometimes synonymous with wrongful conviction, referring to a conviction reached in an unfair or disputed trial. Wrongful convictions are frequently cited by death penalty opponents as cause to eliminate death penalties to avoid executing innocent persons. In recent years, DNA evidence has been used to clear many people falsely convicted.

Scandinavian languages have a word, the Norwegian variant of which is justismord, which is literally translated "justice murder". The term exists in several languages and was originally used for cases where the accused was convicted, executed, and later cleared after death. With capital punishment decreasing, the expression has acquired an extended meaning, namely any conviction of a person of a crime he/she did not commit. The retention of the term "murder" both demonstrates universal abhorrence against wrongful convictions and awareness of how destructive wrongful convictions are.

Causes of miscarriages of justice include:

* confirmation bias on the part of investigators
* withholding or destruction of evidence by police or prosecution
* fabrication of evidence
* biased editing of evidence
* poor identification by witnesses and/or victims
* overestimation/underestimation of the evidential value of expert testimony
* contaminated evidence
* faulty forensic tests
* false confessions due to police pressure or psychological weakness
* misdirection of a jury by a judge during trial
* perjured evidence by the real guilty party or their accomplices (frameup)
* perjured evidence by the supposed victim or their accomplices

Even when a wrongly-convicted person is not executed, spending years in prison often has an effect on the person and their family that is irreversible and substantial. The risk of miscarriage of justice is thereby also a reasonable argument against long sentences, like life sentence, and cruel sentence conditions.