Jan. 2
ENGLAND:
Policeman whose murder led to end of the death penalty----50 years on,
'stark reminder' of dangers faced by cops
ISLINGTON's senior police officers have paid tribute to the cop whose
murder 50 years ago pushed forward the campaign to end the death penalty.
Ronnie Marwood was hanged for killing PC Raymond Henry Summers in Seven
Sisters Road, Holloway, in 1958.
A further 20 people met the same fate before hanging was finally abolished
under a Private Members Bill brought by Sidney Silverman MP in 1965.
PC Summers was just 23 and still serving his probation as a new officer
when he was stabbed to death by Marwood. Prior to working for the Met, he
had served 3 years in the RAF.
On the night of Sunday, December 14, PC Summers was patrolling by himself
when he came across a gang fighting in the street with axes and knives.
The officer, who was 6ft 4ins and considered well able to look after
himself, bravely intervened. As he tried to arrest one of the ringleaders,
he was stabbed in the back and collapsed.
PC Summers was taken to hospital, but was dead on arrival. It was first
thought he had died from a heart attack. It was only when his body was
being prepared for a post-mortem examination 12 hours later that a single
stab wound was discovered.
The knife had penetrated 5 layers of clothing and the wound was 4 inches
deep.
Before long the officers investigating his murder found the knife and
identified the suspects.
Ronald Marwood, 25, became the prime suspect. He had left his wife and
disappeared the day after the murder.
6 weeks later, with his name and picture in the papers, Marwood gave
himself up and confessed. On March 19 1959, Marwood was found guilty of
the murder of PC Summers at the Old Bailey and, despite a public outcry,
was hanged on May 8.
Within a year of PC Summers' death, his fiance, Sheila McKenzie, collapsed
and died. She was aged just 21, and was buried alongside him.
Speaking this week, Detective Superintendent David Miveld, of Islington
Police, said: "This is a stark reminder of the dangers officers face when
fighting crime and protecting the public, though things have moved on
significantly since 1958.
"Today, all officers wear stab-proof vests and always carry radios. The
nature of PC Summers' death is particularly poignant in light of the
current concern about knife crime."
Information courtesy of former Metropolitan Police officer Anthony Rae
who served at Holloway in the 1980s and is founder and chairman of the
Police Roll of Honour Trust charity.
(source: Camden New Journal)
INDIA:
Death penalty for 24 in Bihar in 2008
Altogether 24 suspects were slapped with capital punishment, while 2,141
sentenced to life imprisonment and 574 given by lower courts in Bihar in
during 2008.
Through speedy trial, till November 2008, 10,409 people were held guilty
in various cases. This fact is in comparison to the year 2006 and 2007,
when 6,839 and 9,853 suspects were convicted respectively.
Besides murder, kidnapping and rape cases, the conviction of the accused
in cases relating to the Arms Act also remained satisfactory in 2008. A
total of 932 persons were convicted in 650 such cases.
Deputy Police Superintendent (prosecution) C P Vidyarthy said in Patna
district itself, charges were proved against 1,302 suspects in 638 cases,
in which 4 got capital punishment, while 156 were slapped with life
imprisonment.
Public Prosecutor J P Singh said the result of speedy trial in the year
2008 was satisfactory in Patna district, where 638 cases were disposed of.
Only 408 cases were settled in 2007.
In 2008, some important cases, involving political leaders having criminal
antecedents, were also disposed off. RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu
Yadav and former MLA Rajan Tiwary were given life imprisonment in the
much-hyped CPM leader Ajit Sarkar murder case.
On the other hand, JD(U) MLA (suspended) Sunil Pandey was sentenced to
life in connection with kidnapping of a leading neurosurgeon Dr Ramesh
Chandra.
In another much-hyped case, professor Papiya Ghosh murder case was
disposed of, in which one accused was awarded capital punishment, while
three others were slapped with life.
A lawyer was also given two years of imprisonment.
An infamous massacre Lahsoona carnage case also ended, in which three
people were awarded death sentence.
Several kidnapping cases were also finished off through speedy trial,
including Rahul, Uttam, Swetangi, Vikrant and Ravi kidnapping cases.
(source: Sakaal Times)
NIGERIA:
27 death row prisoners drag Lagos, FG, to court
27 Nigerians on death row at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Lagos have
dragged the Federal and Lagos State governments before a Federal High
Court sitting in Lagos, challenging the constitutionality of keeping them
on death row for periods ranging from 10 to 24 years.
Counsel to the death row inmates, Femi Falana in separate suits filed
before the Federal High Court, is challenging the constitutionality of
their prolonged stay on death row.
The plaintiffs, are meanwhile, asking the court to convert their death
sentences to terms of imprisonment as the government has lost the power to
execute them having subjected them to mental and psychological trauma for
several years while waiting in vain for the hangman.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suits.
Plaintiffs in the suit are Mohammed Jinjiri; Lukman Ajibola; Olatunji
Olaide; Taofiki Ojewale; Morufu Yusuff; Moshood Oladipupo; Olusola
Adepetu; Sikiru Oyinlola; SGT. Pal Fatoriji; and Lolade Babalola
Akingbola.
Others are Ishmael Azubuike; Ibrahim Aliyu; Abiodun Odediran; James Ajulo;
Mathew Johnson; Boluwaji Ogundare; Semiu Afolabi; Funsho Olanipekun;
Musiliu Sulaiman; Wasiu Abass; Adeniyi Ayinla; Asimiyu Babatunde; Olabisi
Ogunlowo; Michael Omosumofia; Zuberu Adburama; Julius Awe and Alfa Mukaila
Salawu.
It would be recalled that civil society groups in the country, have over
the years pressured the Federal Government to abolish the death penalty
from our statute book, and even the National Study Group on the Abolition
of Death Penalty in Nigeria, had also recommended placing moratorium on
executions, while the death penalty issue is properly debated.
Even the Federal Government had not okayed any execution for some while
now, while most of the civilian governors have also been reluctant to sign
the warrant for the execution of death row inmates, as a result of
pressure from non-governmental organisations and civil society groups.
(source: Tha Vanguard)
