On the Case

Forget that it's that old red-top vulgarian Kelvin Mackenzie. Forget that it's the flawed Daily Mail. Just read the following and see if you don't agree with his one-man crusade to get justice for a blameless girl who was badly assaulted by a violent yob whom the police seem determined to protect from the consequences of her actions. The dishonesty of the police and the spinelessness of our institutions is shaming. Why should a fairly rich journalist and his wealthy newspaper be required to appoint a lawyer to take them on? I hope Mackenzie takes this all the way and succeeds. Justice must be done, and must be seen to be done.

Supersleuth Kelv is on the case

I have hired the small but energetic London law firm of Edmunds Marshall McMahon in my battle to get justice for Chloe Tebay.

The 18-year-old student was dancing at a nightclub in Chorley, Lancashire, when she was knocked to the floor, for no reason, by a fellow clubber who then kicked her in the face, breaking her nose.

Unbelievably her assailant, Laura Lewis, was simply given a caution by police. I decided that this was not right and have looked into launching a private prosecution.

My lawyer tells me the following: 

We checked with Chloe as to whether she was contacted by the police officer in the case before Miss Lewis was given a caution. She said she wasn’t. Home Office circular 016/2008 states that before a simple caution can be given, the views of any victim about the offence and proposed method of disposal should be obtained.  

Chloe was kicked while on the floor, which is an aggravating factor of an offence, yet this doesn’t seem to have been taken into account.  

The mother of Chloe’s boyfriend, Carol Pilkington, wrote to Chorley police station on April 24 asking for more information about the caution. She did not receive a reply.

The police Press Office initially said the caution had been given after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). They then wrote to say they were mistaken and that no such consultation took place and the CPS were never asked for advice.

 We rang Lancashire police, explained we were acting for Chloe and that we would like the wording of the caution and details of the offence Miss Lewis was cautioned for. We were told to put that request in writing.

We wrote to them again and asked them to respond urgently. No response yet. We told them that Chloe and Carol had not received a response to their letter. The officer on the phone said that was unlikely. We called Chloe straight after to confirm, and she said they have not received a response.

This one will run and run . . . and so will I.