Justice Done....

[CaleyD]

Glad to see the 3 young lads up in court this week have been cleared.

This whole think stank from the start and, IMO, they were being made scapegoats and the whole thing looked to have been set up with the intention of making an example of the lads as opposed to any serious attempts at bringing justice.

Courier Story Here

Thankfully the lads look to have had a decent defence acting for them and they've torn the evidence apart....particularly that of a (then) trainee officer, Ross MacDonald, who couldn't even tell them what it was he found offensive in the alleged songs being sung by those charged!!!

Not denying we've ever had these songs sung by some of our fans....we all know it's happened, but we also know it's not a large problem and it would not be accpeted by the majority of fans. I think there's an important lesson to be learned here in regards to "Fly with the Crows, Get shot with the Crows", just glad to see justice done.

I hope that the damage done by this case, and it's long drawn out nature, hasn't done permanent damage to the futures of the lads involved at a time when they will be making big life decisions...some of which will have been closed to them whilst all this was going on.

[Alex MacLeod]

Quote from courier:

Sheriff Abercrombie believed the evidence of 19-year-old police officer Ross MacDonald - who was off duty at the match and claimed to have heard Skelton sing the Famine Song - to be credible but there was no corroboration.PC MacDonald told the court he had been sitting in the stand near the singing section. He knew Skelton from Caley Thistle matches and played football with him so recognised his voice, although did not see him singing.At the time the officer had just started his training at the Scottish Police College in Fife and depute fiscal Sandy Collie asked him why the Famine Song should not have been sung."I assumed the Famine Song was offensive to Irish people," he replied. "I felt it was pretty offensive, obviously not to myself but there was a big deal about it in the press that week."When pressed to explain why he felt it was offensive PC MacDonald said he did not know and had never heard of the Irish Potato Famine.Skelton's defence solicitor Martin Smith asked the officer if he had exchanged text messages with his client while he was at the college and if a phone call was made.He remembered a call in which Skelton wanted to quiz him about the terms of the breach of the peace but could not recall texting each other, although admitted messages could have been sent.The officer said he estimated up to 20 people had been singing the Famine Song in the stand that day.

Is this sort of evidence supposed to instill confidence in our protectors of law?

[caley100]

Feckin scary eh!

Dont give them guns.. ' i just shot him sir, dont know why but there you are '

[stevico1]

Sounds like the young office in question has a lot to learn...shocking that it got that far.

[Johnboy]

What a complete nonense, and a complete and utter waste of fecking public money.

[Heilandee]

Nonsense like this and the case in Ayr with the copper charging folk for littering for dropping a 10 pound note, or blowing their nose whilst stationary in a car are really starting to stretch the credibility of the police.We all see and hear of serious crime going on and lack of resources etc whilst this kinda of nonsense goes ahead using up court time and police resources

where's the "shakes head" smiley

[Charles Bannerman]

Quote from courier:

Sheriff Abercrombie believed the evidence of 19-year-old police officer Ross MacDonald - who was off duty at the match and claimed to have heard Skelton sing the Famine Song - to be credible but there was no corroboration.PC MacDonald told the court he had been sitting in the stand near the singing section. He knew Skelton from Caley Thistle matches and played football with him so recognised his voice, although did not see him singing.At the time the officer had just started his training at the Scottish Police College in Fife and depute fiscal Sandy Collie asked him why the Famine Song should not have been sung."I assumed the Famine Song was offensive to Irish people," he replied. "I felt it was pretty offensive, obviously not to myself but there was a big deal about it in the press that week."When pressed to explain why he felt it was offensive PC MacDonald said he did not know and had never heard of the Irish Potato Famine.Skelton's defence solicitor Martin Smith asked the officer if he had exchanged text messages with his client while he was at the college and if a phone call was made.He remembered a call in which Skelton wanted to quiz him about the terms of the breach of the peace but could not recall texting each other, although admitted messages could have been sent.The officer said he estimated up to 20 people had been singing the Famine Song in the stand that day.

Is this sort of evidence supposed to instill confidence in our protectors of law?

Who on EARTH was on duty in the Procurator Fiscal's Office the day they decided to proceed on that evidence!?

I'll say from the outset that I have no time for bigotry and find Protestant bigotry especially offensive (even though I was "brung up a Proddy"). There was a lot of it around when Rangers came to visit... and this seems to be the best the Police and the PF can come up with!

Strangely enough I don't actually find The Famine Song all that offensive on the grander scale of what these people are capable of. Certainly there's a massive inconsistency here in that The Famine Song seems to be illegal but on the other hand the organised, systematic and institutionalised bigotry that you get from the Grand Glorious Worshipful Intergalactic Orange Lodge still fails to make that a proscribed organisation. The same could be said of the bunch of clowns who dress up in their funny gear and hold their annual trek down to the Portland Club (which itself should also perhaps also become a proscribed organisation.)

Edited February 12, 2010 by Charles Bannerman

[TopSix]

Would they not have needed some evidence of people doing this?

Maybe the police will start to use paintball guns Iran style to identify those who they think are breaking the law. Just watch in case you get caught in the firing line.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Top Six Next Year

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Oh come on peeple - this is yet another erse up by the muppets and their puppets. They are the cnuts who encourage polis and stewards to pick on the Section G and pinpoint anyone who they dont like.

[Renegade]

http://community.caleythistleonline.com/in...=8617&st=75

Here's the thread from it when it happened.

[dan_ict]

Three boys sing the song once and it ends up in court but Rangers fans sing theese songs every old firm game. THIS IS A FECKING JOKE

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Quote from the courier :

The verdict followed a two-day trial and prompted Boag to burst into tears,

B) :(

[stevico1]

Quote from the courier :

The verdict followed a two-day trial and prompted Boag to burst into tears,

B) :(

Perhaps if you were up in court been accused of something you didn't do and facing the prospect of that on your record you might burst into tears as well.

[TopSix]

I'm glad you find it amusing Dalneigh Caley.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Top Six Next Year

[dan_ict]

Quote from the courier :

The verdict followed a two-day trial and prompted Boag to burst into tears,

B) :(

You have an awfully imature sence of humour if you find this funny

[TheKnowledge]

DC, sometimes I think your about 50 years of age, and other times I think your around 20. Dod you not admit to being beaten up by a girl in another thread??

Anyhoo..... young officers? North stand? Don't like it but don't know why? A least we have a better idea of who does the complaining about offensive songs being sung at games. I hope he wasn't at Rugby Park or there's going to be a lot of people taken to court over 'Jimmy says aye'. I'm sure he hated that song, he just wasn't sure why.

Has anyone seen the comment on the courier site? What does it even mean?

[RiG]

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Nope , I said I was the victim of an unprovoked assault by 2 women not beaten up by them .

[Renegade]

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

That thought went through my mind as well. A policeman, ultra reactionary, person named Ross. Hmm who could that be?

[RowdyBey]

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

That thought went through my mind as well. A policeman, ultra reactionary, person named Ross. Hmm who could that be?

You.

[Renegade]

Nope, I ain't a policeman, named Ross or (as far as I'm aware) ultra reactionary.

[Scotty]

Please folks, lets not start getting personal about a poster on this site. It is fine to discuss the merits (or otherwise) of the charges, the trial and the story now it is all over, but as we get more personal we get closer to crossing the line in terms of our forum rules. If/when the thread crosses that line it will get a straight red card.

[TheKnowledge]

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

That thought went through my mind as well. A policeman, ultra reactionary, person named Ross. Hmm who could that be?

Let me in on this. I'm poor when it comes to reading in between the lines, plus, I don't know who Ross is.

Renegade, are you a policeman? I always thought you were a spaceman.........

[RiG]

Please folks, lets not start getting personal about a poster on this site. It is fine to discuss the merits (or otherwise) of the charges, the trial and the story now it is all over, but as we get more personal we get closer to crossing the line in terms of our forum rules. If/when the thread crosses that line it will get a straight red card.

So it's you! I knew it!

[Scotty]

nahh, they carry guns where I live !