Neomi Bennett was plunged into a nightmare by racist and arrogant police. She is a fine, upstanding citizen whose dedication to the public and to her nursing, led her to design a new life saving aid to prevent deep vein thrombosis and received consequently a British Empire Medal from the Queen. One night, while dropping a friend home, she was assaulted by feral police, who had a hunch she was up to no good, and so who blockaded her car, and terrorised her, smashed her car windows, arrested her, left her traumatised in a cell over night and then charged her with obstructing a constable, because she was too terrified, as to what was happening that she didn't want, entirely understandably, to get out of her vehicle. She was doing nothing wrong. She was an innocent citizen. She was actually an outstanding member of the public. She even then believed that she could trust the court system and the judge. However again, she was cruelly betrayed, by a judiciary, so racist, biased and arrogant itself, that it convicted her, though before it, stood an innocent women, violated by the police and the system. She has now, finally successfully appealed her conviction. I know well this dangerous side of the police. Feral police have assaulted me, injured me, violated my home, threatened the safety of my wife and children, traumatised my children, thrown me into a cell overnight, deprived me of my rights in custody, lied about how they treated me and been shown to have lied about what they recorded on their custody log. And their actions - all unjust and wrong. The thug police had a hunch, which proved as bogus and false, as the hunch that led to Neomi's nightmare. They released me without charge the next day. In my non violent, peaceful, morally driven and for the public good, campaigning work, throughout my life, when I was unwilling to tolerate something that was unjust or corrupt, leading me to have been arrested 6 times, I have encountered some honourable police officers, who have shown intelligence, restraint, understanding and empathy and who have interpreted the rules and regulations properly and compassionately. I have though met many whose sadism, bullying, lies and total unsuitability for office have made them a threat to every innocent citizen. When I became an Independent Custody Visitor too, because of my experience of bad police, I witnessed children kept in police cells, the mentally disturbed being tormented, the detained denied blankets, exercise, washing facilities, privacy while defecating, and unnecessary police violence, all in breach of the PACE regulations. The judiciary too, in my experience has, at times, betrayed justice and exhibited arrogance, bias and prejudice. It is essential we have the police and the judicial system, but we must be aware, that being totally innocent is no protection from being abused, assaulted, arrested, convicted and jailed. For that reason, constant review, reform and measures to tighten accountability must be pursued and all policing work must be recorded on video cameras.
ARCHBISHOP JONATHAN BLAKE - MY LIFE - PART ONE
ARCHBISHOP JONATHAN BLAKE - MY LIFE - PART TWO
I AM PROUD OF MY WRITING, FOR JESUS’S SAKE, THAT HAS HAD ME FOUND INNOCENT IN HEAVEN, BUT TWICE A CRIMINAL ON THE EARTH. THE FIRST IN 1990 WHEN I WROTE A BIBLICAL TEXT ON THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT IN PEACEFUL PROTEST ABOUT THE BOMBING OF YOUNG IRAQI RECRUITS DURING THE FIRST GULF WAR. THE SECOND, IN 2016 WHEN I WROTE ON MY BLOG, TO ALERT THE PUBLIC ABOUT A PAEDOPHILE, AND WAS SUCCESSFUL IN FORCING THE AUTHORITIES TO STOP HIM HAVING ACCESS TO CHILDREN. THERE WAS ALMOST A THIRD! IN 1997, WHEN I WAS ARRESTED FOR NAILING MY PROPOSALS FOR REFORM OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ON THE DOOR OF CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. WORDS ARE POWERFUL MESSAGES THAT CHALLENGE CORRUPTION, CONFRONT THE WICKED AND CREATE A BETTER WORLD. JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE CALLED TO COMMUNICATE HIS WORDS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE COST.
"You brave, courageous and wonderful man. To stand up for the truth in the face of suppression and oppression is truly an act of a pure heart."