THE GREAT ESCAPE - PART 2

At approximately 08.30 on the morning of Friday 10th November I was just
out of bed and dressed when I heard a frantic knocking at my door. I went
to the top of the stairs and could see my granddaughter standing outside. I
ran down and she flung herself at me saying "I did it again Gran, I did it
again". Grabbing the key to my son's house next door I very unceremoniously
hustled her inside, opened the vestibule door to shout to my son that she
was here, and turned to see her struggling to lock the door, with a police
officer outside trying to get in. I pushed her inside the house and locked
the door myself. My son came downstairs, my granddaughter rushed to him and
it was hugs and kisses all round once again - been there, done that, got
the T-shirt!!!! This time however it was not so simple. The first time she
had absconded it was on a Sunday, but this being Friday her disappearance
had quickly been discovered, and the police were right behind her.

We realized we would have to admit the police sooner or later, but it was so
wonderful to see her. We talked for a while, and then admitted just one
police officer. The social worker was refused admittance. We never offered
that police officer a seat, and he must have been standing there for at
least four hours whilst he tried to persuade my granddaughter that she had
to return to the foster carer. Serve him right for helping social workers
carry out their evil schemes!!

After she had been sitting with her dad for some time, the police officer
said something she didn't like, and she threw a large plastic pop bottle at
him - direct hit straight on the side of his head!! She then ran upstairs
and her dad went up after her. Whilst there he rang Kel, and I went up to
speak to him. We both told my granddaughter that they would definitely take
her back, and explained to her that she must keep telling them she wanted
to be with her dad. We really did try, but every time we suggested she go
down and tell them she was ready to return, she instantly said "No, I'm
never going to leave this house again," and we were back to square one. She
told me they were going to take her back south after Christmas, and she
wanted to get to her dad first because she didn't want to go back south. Kel
suggested I get my camcorder, which was in my house. Whilst I had been
talking to Kel the doorbell had rung and my son had gone to answer the
door. It was his probation officer - arriving uninvited - and he was
standing in the lounge when I went to get my camcorder. When I returned I
stayed downstairs, and eventually my granddaughter came downstairs,
accompanied by her dad. She stood on the stairs and very eloquently and
quietly told the police officer how much she loved her dad, how he hadn't
hurt her in any way and that they shouldn't be treating him like that
because it upset him and it upset her too. I filmed all this. There was a
lump in my throat, and my son broke down completely. He fled to the top of
the stairs, and, bless her, my granddaughter ran up to comfort him. I'm not
sure but I think I said something like "Are you happy now?" to the police
officer. After a few minutes my son and my granddaughter came down the
stairs and my son ordered the police officer and his probation officer out
of the house, and locked the door behind them.

This of course was the signal for more police to come mob handed to take my
granddaughter back. They actually brought a warrant for my granddaughter's
arrest!!!! When the officers entered the house she barricaded herself in the
bathroom and refused to come out. I also filmed the officers knocking on
the door and telling her that if she didn't come out they would have to
break the door down and get her out. Eventually she said that if they
wanted to talk to her it would have to be in her room. She came out of the
bathroom, and two male officers went into her bedroom with her. I attempted
to get in, but was prevented from doing so. My son had come upstairs behind
me, and four more officers came up the stairs and told my son they were
going to arrest him. He said he had done nothing, but they arrested him
nevertheless. The next thing I knew they were arresting me too. I was
grabbed roughly by two police officers - a male officer on my right arm and
a female officer on my left arm - and my right arm was severely bruised. My
camcorder was pulled from my hand by another male officer. I believe that
instead of the officers manhandling me into the police car, and causing the
bruising to my arm, I should have been handcuffed.

At the police station I was denied the right to telephone my solicitor. The
duty officer said that he would contact my solicitor and inform him I was
in custody. I pointed out that I was entitled to a telephone call. I was
told this was not so, my solicitor would be informed I was in custody and
then it was up to him whether he came to the station or not. Later, when I
read the notices on the inside of the cell door, I again asked to speak to
my solicitor, but my request was refused. One notice read as below:-

I pointed out that as far as I was concerned "communicate with" meant
either write to or telephone, and as writing to was out of the question
over the weekend, this only left speaking to him on the telephone. When I
persisted in asking for a telephone call, I was asked if I had a telephone.
I replied "You know I don't have a telephone, and even if I had you would
have taken it from me at the desk." The only other person who could have
telephoned for me, my son, was also in custody. I asked the officer whether
Ian J. Latimer, the Chief Constable of Northern Constabulary, knew that
instructions he had given were being blatantly disregarded. I was never
allowed to telephone my solicitor, and I had to hope that he would arrive
in time to give me appropriate advice. Consequently I refused to say
anything at all when I was taken to the interview room many hours later,
and as a result I was told that I was then charged. I said that I had the
right to refuse to say anything in answer to charges read out to me unless
I had a solicitor present, but this did not mean that I could automatically
be charged.

Before and after being charged and placed under arrest I was left for long
periods without any checks as to whether I was okay. It was approximately
two hours after being brought into the police station before I was charged,
and during this time I repeatedly asked for writing materials, but these
were not supplied. I was to have spoken to someone on the telephone on the
afternoon of Friday 10th November, and I needed to write to this person to
convey information to them. When writing materials were finally supplied to
me, I asked for an envelope and a telephone directory so that I could look
up the address for the letter, and it could be posted for me, as stated in
the NOTES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF ACCUSED PERSON. I was then told that the
letter could not be posted for me. I pointed out that the notice said
letters would be sent "with the least possible delay." I then asked if my
letter could be faxed, if I could obtain the fax number, but was again told
that could not be done. I finally decided instead to ask for a friend to
visit, who could take the letter to someone who could fax it. At first I
was told I could only have a relative to visit me, but I pointed out that
under the heading of VISITS on the NOTES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF ACCUSED PERSON
it stated that "Except where there is a good reason to the contrary, a
relative or friend may be allowed to visit you under supervision." I gave
the name of the person I wished to visit me, together with an alternative
name if the first person could not be contacted. It was approximately four
hours after I had entered the police station before I was informed that my
first choice of visitor was not available, and the second person whose name
I gave was never contacted.

When I was taken to a cell I was informed by the female officer that I must
remove my bra. I refused to do so, and was told that if I did not do so it
would be forcibly removed. Eventually I removed my bra. I did not see the
point of this humiliation, and said so. I was also told to remove my
slippers, but said that I was not prepared to walk about in the cell in my
bare feet, and so was allowed to retain my slippers. When I had been taken
from 8 West House Flats, I had not been allowed to enter my own home at 9
West House Flats in order to get a coat, or to put on some shoes and socks.
Hence all I had on was my underwear, a pair of trousers and a jumper. It
was extremely cold in the cell, and all that was provided was a plastic
coated and extremely hard mattress and one quilted cover, referred to as a
blanket. I complained that I was cold and was provided with another blanket
by the female officer. In the four hours that passed between being brought
to the police station and being returned to the cell after being formally
charged, I was not even offered a drink. I repeatedly pressed the buzzer
for attention, but was ignored for long periods.

On being returned to the cell after going into the interview room I was
spoken to very nastily by a male officer, and when I was about to enter the
cell he said that I had to take off my slippers. I repeated that I had no
socks, and I was not prepared to walk on the cold cell floor with bare
feet. He said that if I didn't remove my slippers they would be taken off
me by force. I again refused, and he very roughly pulled my slippers from
my feet. The female officer who was present said that I could have my
slippers if I promised not to bang on the cell door with them. I replied
that I would not need to bang on the cell door if they had not disabled the
buzzer. When she explained to me that even though the buzzer was switched
off, a light still showed, I promised not to bang on the door and she
returned my slippers to me.

Shortly after being returned to the cell an officer came to read the
charges to me. When he said that I would be kept in custody and taken to
court on the Monday, I asked to see my doctor. This officer said he would
speak to the duty officer. When the duty officer came to the cell door I
asked to see my doctor. He said "Your doctor won't visit you in here." I
repeated that I wanted to see my own doctor, and that it said on the notice
NOTES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF ACCUSED PERSON under the heading MEDICAL
ASSISTANCE "If you require the services of a doctor you should ask for one
to be called. You can either have your own doctor or the police doctor." He
then asked me why I needed to see a doctor. I said that I suffered from
primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and was on medication. I also have bone
density loss in my hips and am on calcium tablets for this. I did not have
my medication with me and had not taken any during that day at all. PBC is
an auto immune liver disease, and if I do not take my medication regularly
my liver will be subjected to damage to the bile ducts. This condition is
incurable, and I have been on medication for it for seven years, five of
those under my GP in Orkney. I needed to see him, as he is conversant with
my medication. I said that I also needed to report to the doctor that I had
bruises on my arm which had been sustained during my arrest. The officer
refused to telephone my GP, and I was virtually told that it was the police
doctor or nothing. Eventually I reluctantly agreed to this. Some hours
passed before I got to see the doctor, and during this time I was offered a
meal. I am supposed to take my medication before or during a meal. I was
already suffering badly from severe heartburn, and this became worse after
eating the meal. When I saw the doctor I explained the medication I was on,
and showed him my bruises. I said I wanted these bruises photographed, but
he said he couldn't arrange this and I would have to ask the officers. I
had already done this and they refused to photograph the bruises. The
doctor made a note of them on a body diagram. After returning to the cell I
again said that I had a right to make a telephone call. The officers denied
this was the case, and one officer scathingly commented that I had been
"watching too much television."

I had constantly been asking whether my second choice of visitor had been
contacted. Each time the answer was "I'll check", and then they wouldn't
return to inform me whether she had been contacted. Eventually an officer I
asked late on Saturday evening asked why I wanted to have a visitor. I said
that I wanted them to take the letter I had written to a local office so
that it could be faxed to the person I intended it to go to. He first of
all asked me if he could read it, and I refused to allow this. He then
asked me what the letter was about, and said that if it was "about the
case" I wouldn't be allowed to send it. I said it was nothing to do with
the case. I again asked him to ring my friend, but he said he couldn't do
so. Consequently my letter was not delivered until I had faxed it myself
after appearing in court on the Monday.

I had assumed that the light in the cell could be extinguished on request,
but was told this was not so. I protested that I couldn't sleep with a
light on, and was told perhaps I could put the covers over my head. I had
placed a blanket over the plastic mattress to soften it, and lay down on
it, pulling the other blanket over myself. I found it extremely difficult
to get any sleep at all, and woke two or three times in the night. In the
morning I was tired and very sore.

In the morning my medication appeared, but as I had missed so many tablets
I was in quite severe pain with heartburn. I requested an extra tablet, and
was told they couldn't give me any more than the prescribed dose. I said
that the doctor had suggested I double up the medication, and he said "You
can't take more than the prescribed dose." I got quite angry and said "I've
been taking this medication for seven years, and I think I know better than
you whether I can occasionally take an extra tablet or not". He said he
would have to telephone the doctor and ask him, so I had to wait about an
hour longer, in considerable discomfort before he returned and told me the
doctor had said that I could take another calcium tablet, as that was what
would calm the heartburn. I said this was not the case as the calcium was
for my bone density loss and it was the other tablet which was for the
liver disease. He then said he would have to telephone the doctor again,
and I was livid. At the end of the day I feel this may have had a
detrimental effect on my liver, as even though I am again taking my
medication regularly, I experienced very severe heartburn for days
afterwards.

I was very restless on Saturday night. I was tired, but couldn't sleep
because of the light. I got up a couple of times and played word games on
the paper I had been provided with. Eventually I developed a headache
across my forehead. In the past this headache has preceded a nose bleed,
and fearful of the same thing happening again I decided to lie down and try
to get some sleep. I remember I got up at least twice more before finally
falling into a deep sleep. The next thing I knew I was being awakened by
being turned over and a light shining into my eyes. The doctor was there,
and I was aware of a severe pain at the back of my neck. Apparently, when
officers came with breakfast I couldn't be wakened, and the doctor had been
called to examine me. I didn't know how long I had been in that state, but
my son later told me that it was at least 40 minutes between them finding
me like that and the doctor arriving. I still had the headache in my
forehead, but it gradually subsided. However, the pain at the back of my
neck was very severe for most of the morning. I also had trouble sitting up
because of the pain, and felt a little unsteady on my feet when I stood up.
There appeared to be no apparent reason for this happening, but I put it
down to me being overtired and stressed, and when I did sink into exhausted
sleep, in my efforts to keep the light out of my eyes I may have put my
neck in an awkward position and this had caused the pain my neck. Maybe my
drowsiness was nature's way of cutting off the pain. Eventually the female
officer obtained another blanket and rolled it into a pillow shape for me.
By Sunday afternoon I was feeling a little more human again.

I was totally disgusted that a woman of my age (64), with a potentially
terminal liver condition, who has in any case done nothing wrong, should be
kept in a police cell, treated roughly and my every request ignored or
denied. During the whole weekend I was not offered washing or teeth
cleaning facilities, or any provision made for me to have a change of
clothing. Each time I asked for a visit, every excuse was made not to
contact the person I had asked for, and as my son was also in custody I had
nobody to ask to possibly bring a change of clothing for me. I was treated
in a harsh and uncaring way by everyone except one female officer. Although
basic hand washing facilities were provided in what was simply a hole in
the wall, the water was cold, there was no soap, and although the hand
washer was also supposed to dry the hands it was not working. This amounts
to a total lack of hygiene, and I had to ask for soap and paper towels.
Also each time food was being served I had to ask for my medication, as I
have to take it either before or with meals. When someone went to fetch it,
it was some time before they returned, meaning I had to take a chance on
eating some of the meal before I took my tablet, and hope that I wouldn't
develop heartburn before my medication arrived. Of the two hot meals I was
served, the meal was almost cold before my medication was brought to me. I
found the meals of a very poor quality, and far from appetising. I didn't
expect cordon bleu, but I think more heed could have been paid to good
nutrition. I also found it very difficult to eat the meals in the cell. It
is almost impossible to balance a thin paper plate on the knees, and for me
placing the plate on the mattress and turning sideways to eat the meal was
extremely difficult, and with the severe heartburn I was experiencing,
increased the pain.

My son spent some time in Inverness prison, and it was luxury compared to
Kirkwall police station.

We have had accounts from people who saw what happened after my son and I
were arrested. Apparently my granddaughter was dragged, kicking and
screaming, to the police car. "Treated like a piece of meat" was how one
witness described it. She kicked the police car, threatened to kick the
officers and told them to leave her alone. What a way to treat a lovely
eleven year old girl who only wants to be with the dad she loves. I am so
proud of my beautiful little granddaughter, and one day I am determined to
help her sue these monsters who have so cruelly deprived her of her family.

' FAAS this picture is of a young girl who loves her father only one of many we know about where is this childs human rights'

My son and I now have to appear at Kirkwall Sheriff Court in February,
charged with two counts of harbouring!!!! How it is possible to "harbour"
someone, when they know exactly where she is, is a mystery to me!!! I have
escaped having a criminal record for 63 years, and now I have one!!! Still
it means I have the chance to stand up in Court in February and tell the
lying gestapo swine how much I despise them. Watch this space!!!!!!

Even though Kathy is devastated by our lodge infested justice system she still retains the ability to laugh both at herself and the crazy idiots in charge... more