Northumbria Police and the 11 Year Cover-up. It's Groundhog Day - Northumbria Police are a Joke.
Northumbria Police, their so called top cop Det Chief Supt Chris Thomson, Groundhog Day finds himself repeating the same old story year after year. The Northumbria Police Cover-up of the Martin McGartland shooting, by the IRA in 1999, continues.
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Refer to story, appeal link of 2009; http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...
Refer to story, appeal link of 2010; http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...
This is the 2010 story, police appeal;
Now here are both Northumbria Police, Det Chief Supt Chris Thomson, appeals. The first, word for word, and the latest 17th June 2010 one;
Fresh plea over IRA double agent shooting
Jun 17 2010 by Sophie Doughty, Evening Chronicle
Martin McGartland was shot six times at close range, but survived
POLICE today renewed their pledge to hunt the hitmen behind the attempted assassination of IRA double agent Martin McGartland.
It is 11 years to the day since the he was shot six times outside his Whitley Bay home on Duchess Street in 1999 in a crime that stunned Tyneside.
He survived, despite being shot at close range as he sat in his car.
Although a number of arrests have been made no-one has ever been charged with the attempted murder, which Mr McGartland insists was carried out by IRA hitmen.
But officers from Northumbria Police have never given up hunting the gunmen. And now detectives are making a new appeal for anyone who knows what happened to come forward.
Det Chief Supt Chris Thomson, who is leading the investigation, said: ?Although this was an unsuccessful attack, it was a cold-blooded, calculated murder attempt which caused Mr McGartland serious injuries.
?Our main line of inquiry continues to be that Mr McGartland may have been shot by a person or people with Irish Republican sympathies, for reasons closely linked to his former life in Northern Ireland.
?Mr McGartland?s history as an agent for the then Royal Ulster Constabulary and his supplying of information about the Provisional IRA is a matter of public knowledge, documented in his own books on the subject.?
Detectives recovered DNA from the scene and this is still being used to eliminate people from the inquiry.
Det Chief Supt Thomson hopes there are people out there who know what happened and feel able to contact police. ?Over time, word can leak out and be talked about. People?s loyalties can change a lot in 11 years.?
Other lines of inquiry centre around a van abandoned at the scene, which was bought just two days before the attack, and a message left on a telephone answering machine a few days earlier, asking about a van for sale. The caller is said to have had a Glasgow accent.
Two semi-automatic pistols and some ammunition were found in the Gateshead area within months of the attack.
One of the guns was forensically linked to the shooting and police believe those responsible may have stayed in the Gateshead area in before the attack and maybe afterwards.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043, ext 69191 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
:: A recording of the message about the van a few days before the shooting can be heard at www.northumbria.police.uk/vanmessage
Link; http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...
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Now here is the 17th June 2009 appeal;
Cops renew plea over Tyneside 'IRA shooting'
Jun 17 2009 by Sophie Doughty, Evening Chronicle
Martin McGartland was shot six times at close range, but survived
HE WAS shot six times outside his Tyneside home 10 years ago today.
And now police are making a new appeal for help to catch the hitman responsible for the mystery shooting of IRA spy Martin McGartland.
The cold-blooded shooting, which stunned Tyneside, bought the troubles of Northern Ireland to the doorsteps of Whitley Bay a decade ago.
Mr McGartland was shot as he sat in his car in Duchess Street, Whitley Bay, on June 17, 1999. But miraculously he survived, despite being shot six times at close range.
No-one has ever been charged with the attempted murder, which double-agent Mr McGartland insists was carried-out by IRA hitmen.
But officers from Northumbria Police have never given up in their hunt for the gunmen.
And today, they are using the 10th anniversary of one of Tyneside?s most shocking unsolved crimes to appeal for information.
Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Thomson, who is leading the investigation, said: ?We are absolutely determined to do everything we can to solve this case.
?Although this was an unsuccessful attack, it was a cold-blooded, calculated assassination attempt.
?Mr McGartland has asked that Northumbria Police clarify the situation as far as we can and I am happy to do so.?
Five people have been arrested in connection with the shooting but no-one was ever charged.
Over the last 10 years police have taken a staggering 1,004 witness statements, conducted 1,122 house-to-house inquiries, collected 2,764 pieces of evidence, and assembled 5,043 documents.
Detectives are also continuing to use DNA recovered from the scene to eliminate people from the investigation. And as technology advances they are using new methods in an attempt to crack the case.
Two semi-automatic pistols and some ammunition were found in the Gateshead area within months of the attack. One of the guns was forensically linked to the shooting and police believe those responsible may have stayed in the Gateshead area in the run up to the attack and possibly afterwards.
Other lines of inquiry centre around a van abandoned at the scene, which had been bought only two days before the attack.
And police have released a recording of a telephone message left on an answering machine a few days earlier, asking about a van for sale. The caller had a Scottish accent, believed to be from the Glasgow area.
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Click here to listen to the recording
Det Chief Supt Thomson hopes the time that has passed since the shooting will make it easier for anyone that knows anything to come forward.
?Ten years is a long time for people to keep a secret about something like this,? he said.
?Over time, word can leak out and be talked about.
?Also, people?s loyalties can change a lot in 10 years, and people may now be prepared to help us.
?We are keeping abreast of new forensic techniques and we do apply them when appropriate.?
It was originally suggested that Mr McGartland could have been shot by local criminals.
However, while detectives have still not confirmed a motive for the assassination attempt, they do not believe this to be the case.
'Mr McGartland's history as an agent for the then Royal Ulster Constabulary and his supplying of information about the Provisional IRA is a matter of public knowledge, documented in his own books on the subject,? Det Chief Supt Thomson added.
?Our main line of inquiry, therefore, continues to be that Mr McGartland may have been shot by a person or people with Irish Republican sympathies, for reasons closely linked to his former life in Northern Ireland.?
Anyone who may have information can contact Northumbria Police on (03456) 043 043, ext 69162 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on (0800) 555 111.
Link: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...
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Can You Tell what it is yet? This is a joke, Northumbria Police are a joke and their so called top cop, Det Chief Supt Thomson, is a joke. You can see why no others have been arrested and why no one has ever been charged, even after 11 years.
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