On 7 September 2006 Train Busker Niall Murphy has guitar seized unlawfully by British Transport Police. Court case is due on 16 Feb 2007 where Niall plans to plead not guilty and prove that the BTP misused their authority by not only wrongfully seizing his guitar but also issuing a statement full of lies and fabrication.
Hello. I'm Niall Murphy. For a while now I have been a train busker on the London Underground, and having had reservations about the 'Carling Live' licensing scheme to turn us into corporate sanitised buskers who fill the pitches with bland, beige muzak, I have continued to busk unlicensed, carraige to carraige.
On 7 September 2007, Constable Anthony Monk of the British Transport Police and his accomplice sidekick whom I only know as PC Cammack intercepted me at Victoria Station to take my details down and subsequently unlawfully seize my guitar.
With the benevolence of a friend, I had a new guitar within the next 2 days, and with the benevolence of another friend I acquired a web page with the details of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Chapter 60 Section 19 - General power of seizure. Copy & paste the following link and see for yourself:
http://www.webtribe.net/~shg/Pace%2019_23.htm
As you can see it clearly states that police only have the power of seizure if they have reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary to seize an item in order to prevent it being concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed. As I was not trying to conceal, lose, damage alter or destroy my guitar during the police intercepting me, they clearly broke the law.
As well as this they lied on their witness statement to the court about which song I sang, lied saying that they introduced themselves by name and number to me, and lied that i received money as I went round in an attempt to collect it. The truth is I was ignored by everyone in the carraige, except one woman who interrupted me to give me a small donation upon leaving the train at Sloane Square prior to my collection time.
I Urgently need people to give me legal advice, come and attend the hearing with me as journalists and even help with any financial support if that's not too much to ask. I would like this to be as high profile as possible despite the fact that if i'm successful I run the risk of future victimisation from the BTP. Feel free to phone me on 07754 777858.
Thank you.
Niall.
On 7 September 2007, Constable Anthony Monk of the British Transport Police and his accomplice sidekick whom I only know as PC Cammack intercepted me at Victoria Station to take my details down and subsequently unlawfully seize my guitar.
With the benevolence of a friend, I had a new guitar within the next 2 days, and with the benevolence of another friend I acquired a web page with the details of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Chapter 60 Section 19 - General power of seizure. Copy & paste the following link and see for yourself:
http://www.webtribe.net/~shg/Pace%2019_23.htm As you can see it clearly states that police only have the power of seizure if they have reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary to seize an item in order to prevent it being concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed. As I was not trying to conceal, lose, damage alter or destroy my guitar during the police intercepting me, they clearly broke the law.
As well as this they lied on their witness statement to the court about which song I sang, lied saying that they introduced themselves by name and number to me, and lied that i received money as I went round in an attempt to collect it. The truth is I was ignored by everyone in the carraige, except one woman who interrupted me to give me a small donation upon leaving the train at Sloane Square prior to my collection time.
I Urgently need people to give me legal advice, come and attend the hearing with me as journalists and even help with any financial support if that's not too much to ask. I would like this to be as high profile as possible despite the fact that if i'm successful I run the risk of future victimisation from the BTP. Feel free to phone me on 07754 777858.
Thank you.
Niall.
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