In East Tyrone Magistrates Court yesterday a phrase was used by a detective constable in a bail hearing that has my brain considering whether this is correct or not.

The defendant was arrested at the scene of the finding of some ammunition and a holdall containing a revolver in a car in which he claims he was being taken to be a victim of a “so-called punishment shooting”*, lying face down on the back seat with a blanket over his head.

His solicitor said,

bail should be permitted as his client had no previous record.

Yet the detective constable replied:

That may be so, but he is known to police.

Now, I am known to police. My membership of various bodies and organisations is known to police. All of these are in a law-abiding capacity.

However, were I to be arrested, detained, charged, and the subject of a bail hearing like the accused above, me being “known to police”, would the magistrate be told by the police that I was “known to them”. And if not, why not, as this would be not

Telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

* “so-called punishment shooting” should be read as one set of criminals (usually linked to Northern Ireland paramilitary organisations (on both sides)) meting out their own “justice” to other criminals or those suspected of crimes – without any recourse to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Courts Service of Northern Ireland. These crimes themselves do not seem to be investigated by the police. All in the province and these islands must stand against the thugs and get these practices stopped. Now!