PRC-UTE
1st October 2006, 21:12
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j179/Dublinirsp/SSA50418.jpg
(L to R) J Murtagh ( IRSP), Laurence Wheelock, D Murphy (IRSP)
Terence Wheelock, a 20-year-old young man from north inner city Dublin, died on the 16th September from injuries received in Garda custody. Terence was arrested with three others on suspicion of stealing a car and taken to Store St Garda station. Two hours later he was found unconscious in his cell. Dublin IRSP carried out the following extensive interview with Laurence Wheelock, brother of Terence.
Describe the sort of a character your Brother Terence was.
Terence was a 20-year-old ordinary young man who loves sports and life in general. He definitely was not of a depressive disposition, nor did he express any suicidal tendencies. He was an articulate and artistic young man who had recently completed his leaving cert. Unfortunately he like many others in the neighborhood were a bit reckless in life and on occasions found himself on the wrong side of the law. He was a loveable rogue who had plenty of friends and was well liked.
What were the circumstances leading up to the arrest and detention of Terence? Was he subsequently charged with any offence?
Terence was in the house that morning. He got up early as he had a few errands to do. He went down to the reliving officer to put in for a clothes grant, he then went and ordered some furniture for his bedroom, and finally bought some paint to decorate his bedroom. He came home and started to get stuck into painting his bedroom. It was the 2nd of June which was a beautiful sunny day,. He was dressed in his shorts, it is important for me to say that when I seen him he was in great form and at no time did I notice any marks or bruises on his body, which is in stark contrast when I seen him in hospital a couple of hours later after he was brought from Store St garda station.
Anyway, he was painting his bedroom, and a while later, he came down stairs, still in good spirits. Even with the benefit of hindsight, there was no indication of turmoil or trauma in his life. He said he was calling into a neighbor to get a loan of a paintbrush. We know that he called into the neighbor and was told there were paintbrushes around the back and he could have what he wanted. Terence went around the back, where he noticed a robbed car which was parked a few doors up, been inquisitive he went up to take a closer look. He had only got to where the car was parked, when out of nowhere the police arrived, Terence ran. I believe that Terence ran when he saw the police because of past brushes with the law that he didn’t wan to be accused in the wrong. He was quickly arrested and people at the scene witnessed him been assaulted. There was three other youths arrested with Terence in connection with the stolen car and they were all brought to different police stations, which I find very strange in itself. Terence was never charged with any offence in relation to the stolen car.
On the night Terence was found unconscious in his cell in Store Street, the Garda press office claim the injuries which ultimately resulted in your brothers death were self inflicted and that Gardai who were on duty on the night observed no bruising whatsoever on his body . What are your thoughts on such Garda claims. Is there any evidence to contradict their claims, i.e. Pathology, medical reports.
The garda press office issued almost immediately a detailed press statement which I found very strange, even two radio news presenters on FM104 and 98FM reported that it was very unusual to issue a press statement that included that there was no bruises on my brothers body particularly when they had no medical reports to substantiate there public claim. My family and I have seen the medical report which includes over 30 photographs that detail extensive bruises to my brothers body including a 2 and a half inch cut on his lower spine and a major scalp wound which is consistent with receiving a blow to the head. These injuries are documented and authenticated by the state pathologist and coroner as well as the doctors and medical consultants who examined my brother’s body in the Mater Hospital.
The Garda Commissioner appointed Det Superintendent Oliver Hanley to oversee an internal police inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding Terence’s death. (A) What was your Family’s initial response to this appointment, (B) Did he consult with yourself or your family in regards to his independent inquiry © What were his findings.
For a start, when we initially found out that my brother was in hospital after been found unconscious in a police cell, we were very disorientated. My brother was wrongly brought to James Street hospital by the guards and by the time she got to the right hospital, my mother had in effect lost an hour and a half of time with her seriously ill son. We were told almost immediately that there was going to be an internal police inquiry. We noticed a guard putting Terence’s clothes in a plastic bag and luckily we had the presence of mind to have the itemized and documented. We were introduced to Det Sergeant Hanley who told us that he was carrying out an internal Garda investigation, which he assured us was normal procedure when someone has found injured whilst in Garda custody. He stated that he was on our side and if he uncovered that anything untoward happened to Terence in the cell he promised that criminal proceedings would follow. I believe that it was just a ruse to persuade us to give him Terence’s clothes. At the time we were only too willing to assist him in finding out the circumstances surrounding my brother been found unconscious in a police cell. After we gave him the clothes he never contacted or consulted my family in relation to his internal inquiry.
If we had of known at the time that Det Hanley had served 15 years as a garda in Store Street station we wouldn’t have had anything to do with him, never mind have allowed him to take Terence’s clothes from the hospital. As a family we have grave concerns about how he could be assigned to oversee a possible crime scene where there was a possibility that criminal charges could be laid against his former colleagues. How can there be accountability and transparency when a fellow cop is charged with investigating fellow cops. If the Garda Commissioner believed in administering natural justice, surely he would have established a full independent inquiry which is completely independent of the State. The police have told us that Terence tried to commit suicide, well if that is the case and they have nothing to hide, why do they object to a public inquiry.
We are now in a position where Det Hanley now objects to us getting back Terence’s clothes so that we can have them forensically examined. Instead of his initial pleasantries and personal assurances, we are now accustomed to his ignorant and obnoxious behavior. It has been very upsetting to witness him sniggering at us in the coroner’s court. Det Hanley is no stranger to accusations of been an architect of cover-ups, in the past six years he has investigated 6 other suspicious deaths in custody and at no time did he determine that fellow Guards were negligent or involved in mistreating prisoners in there care. Since 1997 there has been over 20 deaths in Garda custody with the Gardai at all times been exonerated of any blame, can the state seriously expect Joe public to believe that all these deaths were either because of natural causes, suicide, and drink or drug related.
To this day we don’t know what were his findings in relation to the internal police inquiry as they have been kept private and as far as I know they don’t wont them to be released. What we do know is that the DPP on the basis of Hanley’s findings, ruled that no charges would be brought against any Garda who was on duty the night my brother was found unconscious in a police cell. We are at a loss as to how they reached their conclusions. We have written to Hanley extensively as well as the Garda Commissioner and the Justice Minister and at no point have they reciprocated and given us any clear definition of what the findings where in Hanley’s report. We have been stonewalled at every opportunity.
In your opinion, is there any satisfactory process that can establish the facts surrounding the circumstances of your brother’s death.
The only satisfactory mechanism that can establish the true facts is a transparent independent public inquiry. Our experience has shown us that the police are totally free of any political accountability or restraint, how can we have faith in inquiry’s where the police investigate themselves. It has also made us very skeptical of how government and state agencies work, we have been snowballed at every opportunity. I am of the opinion that Det Hanley’s internal police inquiry was just a cosmetic exercise to insure no police officer faced any charges in connection to by brother’s death hence the decision by the dpp not to prosecute. It is also worth mentioning that we had been promised financial assistance from the state to pay for an independent forensic expert to travel from England, but as soon there was an indication that there was blood on them they withdrew the offer. They told us that we should have faith in the Garda forensic laboratory, yet we only found out recently, 15months after my brothers death that the same forensic laboratory have never seen Terence’s clothes because they are in a locker in blackrock garda station.
We as a family believe that a public inquiry can determine the answers to the following questions, (A) after been found unconscious, why was Terence taken out of the cell and moved to a hallway till the ambulance arrived. (B) Why was a potential crime scene i.e. his cell not preserved for forensic examination. © Why did the Gardai not comply with a preservation order that would allow our legal team to examine the cell where my brother was found unconscious. (D) Why did Terence have a cut and bruising on his body? (E) Why will the Garda not give his solicitor access to the internal Garda report?
Due to the ever-increasing support for the Justice for Terence Wheelock Campaign, what has been the response of the Garda Siochana,
The Garda response to the Justice for Terence Wheelock campaign has been to abuse, intimidate and assault members of my family to the point that my mother and father have had to move out of there home of 20 years in Sean O’Casey avenue. I might add that they were never really comfortable with the way the police were treating the youth in the area. There has always been antagonism towards the police because of there aggressive policing methods. It is not uncommon to walk through the front door of Store Street or Fitzgibbon Street police stations and leave by ambulance through the back door, just like my brother did. My parents had to move to the Southside of the city so as to evade those two local police stations who were involved in acts of violence and verbal abuse against myself and other members of my extended family. I and other members of my family continue to be stopped, searched, and generally harassed under different bogus sections including section 30 of the offences against the state act. We will not be deflected from seeking justice for Terence.
How has Terence’s death affected yourself and your extended family.
Terence’s death has affected me that I cannot begin to grieve until I find out what happened to my brother in Store Street station. I haven’t cried since he died. It has been very hard on all my family. My mother and father are devastated, it has been particularly hard on my younger brother Gavin who idolized Terence. We will never get over his death.
With a general election due to take place in a few months, has yourself and your family considered raising the circumstances of Terence’s death and insuring that the call for a full independent public inquiry becomes an election issue?.
We are looking at every opportunity to raise the circumstances surrounding Terence’s death and of raising influential support for our call for an independent public inquiry. We have had a meeting in the Dail with the Independents as a party and they are waiting for me to complete a file on Terence’s case and to submit it to them ASAP. I have met Bertie Ahearn on a number of occasions, and he has rang me a few times promising the sun, moon and stars. At the end of the day due to our treatment by the state, my vote will not be going to FF or the PDs whether or not we get a public inquiry. I do not believe that they are fit for government. They talk about citizenship, that all the children of the land be cherished equally as stated in the 1916 proclamation, well we haven’t been cherished equally never mind fairly by the state. My mother’s son has died in horrific circumstances and we have been treated disgracefully by the state, we feel as we have been treated as second-class citizens. We eagerly await the opportunity to raise a number of issues with those who seek election to the Dail and also to canvass them to support my family in our quest for justice.
What next for the Justice for Terence Wheelock campaign?
The campaign will continue till we are satisfied that justice has been served. We are in this for the long haul, the campaign is ongoing. As you know the campaign is getting bigger, we have huge support from all quarters. This campaign is not only about seeking justice for my brother, it is also about insuring that no other family caught up in the same tragic circumstances has to go through the state sponsored hoops that we have been put through. There needs to a radical reform of the police procedures which allow a senior policeman to investigate their colleagues in a criminal investigation. I read the following quote from an imminent solicitor in the Irish times a few weeks ago, and I can totally relate to the frustration and apathy he espouses towards the police.
“ It is clear that an Garda Siochana has become a police force where success is measured by how well one can scheme, manipulate the system to your own ends, get away with it, if not murder, certainly not investigating one when it happened, and successfully blame others for the failures and wrongdoings when there is any chance of been caught. This is the force we now have in Ireland. It is why there must be fundamental reform starting from the top down, the bottom up and every other conceivable manner until the cancer exposed by the Morris tribunal has been eradicated permanently”.
We would plead with people who believe in natural justice, to come out and support our campaign
(L to R) J Murtagh ( IRSP), Laurence Wheelock, D Murphy (IRSP)
Terence Wheelock, a 20-year-old young man from north inner city Dublin, died on the 16th September from injuries received in Garda custody. Terence was arrested with three others on suspicion of stealing a car and taken to Store St Garda station. Two hours later he was found unconscious in his cell. Dublin IRSP carried out the following extensive interview with Laurence Wheelock, brother of Terence.
Describe the sort of a character your Brother Terence was.
Terence was a 20-year-old ordinary young man who loves sports and life in general. He definitely was not of a depressive disposition, nor did he express any suicidal tendencies. He was an articulate and artistic young man who had recently completed his leaving cert. Unfortunately he like many others in the neighborhood were a bit reckless in life and on occasions found himself on the wrong side of the law. He was a loveable rogue who had plenty of friends and was well liked.
What were the circumstances leading up to the arrest and detention of Terence? Was he subsequently charged with any offence?
Terence was in the house that morning. He got up early as he had a few errands to do. He went down to the reliving officer to put in for a clothes grant, he then went and ordered some furniture for his bedroom, and finally bought some paint to decorate his bedroom. He came home and started to get stuck into painting his bedroom. It was the 2nd of June which was a beautiful sunny day,. He was dressed in his shorts, it is important for me to say that when I seen him he was in great form and at no time did I notice any marks or bruises on his body, which is in stark contrast when I seen him in hospital a couple of hours later after he was brought from Store St garda station.
Anyway, he was painting his bedroom, and a while later, he came down stairs, still in good spirits. Even with the benefit of hindsight, there was no indication of turmoil or trauma in his life. He said he was calling into a neighbor to get a loan of a paintbrush. We know that he called into the neighbor and was told there were paintbrushes around the back and he could have what he wanted. Terence went around the back, where he noticed a robbed car which was parked a few doors up, been inquisitive he went up to take a closer look. He had only got to where the car was parked, when out of nowhere the police arrived, Terence ran. I believe that Terence ran when he saw the police because of past brushes with the law that he didn’t wan to be accused in the wrong. He was quickly arrested and people at the scene witnessed him been assaulted. There was three other youths arrested with Terence in connection with the stolen car and they were all brought to different police stations, which I find very strange in itself. Terence was never charged with any offence in relation to the stolen car.
On the night Terence was found unconscious in his cell in Store Street, the Garda press office claim the injuries which ultimately resulted in your brothers death were self inflicted and that Gardai who were on duty on the night observed no bruising whatsoever on his body . What are your thoughts on such Garda claims. Is there any evidence to contradict their claims, i.e. Pathology, medical reports.
The garda press office issued almost immediately a detailed press statement which I found very strange, even two radio news presenters on FM104 and 98FM reported that it was very unusual to issue a press statement that included that there was no bruises on my brothers body particularly when they had no medical reports to substantiate there public claim. My family and I have seen the medical report which includes over 30 photographs that detail extensive bruises to my brothers body including a 2 and a half inch cut on his lower spine and a major scalp wound which is consistent with receiving a blow to the head. These injuries are documented and authenticated by the state pathologist and coroner as well as the doctors and medical consultants who examined my brother’s body in the Mater Hospital.
The Garda Commissioner appointed Det Superintendent Oliver Hanley to oversee an internal police inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding Terence’s death. (A) What was your Family’s initial response to this appointment, (B) Did he consult with yourself or your family in regards to his independent inquiry © What were his findings.
For a start, when we initially found out that my brother was in hospital after been found unconscious in a police cell, we were very disorientated. My brother was wrongly brought to James Street hospital by the guards and by the time she got to the right hospital, my mother had in effect lost an hour and a half of time with her seriously ill son. We were told almost immediately that there was going to be an internal police inquiry. We noticed a guard putting Terence’s clothes in a plastic bag and luckily we had the presence of mind to have the itemized and documented. We were introduced to Det Sergeant Hanley who told us that he was carrying out an internal Garda investigation, which he assured us was normal procedure when someone has found injured whilst in Garda custody. He stated that he was on our side and if he uncovered that anything untoward happened to Terence in the cell he promised that criminal proceedings would follow. I believe that it was just a ruse to persuade us to give him Terence’s clothes. At the time we were only too willing to assist him in finding out the circumstances surrounding my brother been found unconscious in a police cell. After we gave him the clothes he never contacted or consulted my family in relation to his internal inquiry.
If we had of known at the time that Det Hanley had served 15 years as a garda in Store Street station we wouldn’t have had anything to do with him, never mind have allowed him to take Terence’s clothes from the hospital. As a family we have grave concerns about how he could be assigned to oversee a possible crime scene where there was a possibility that criminal charges could be laid against his former colleagues. How can there be accountability and transparency when a fellow cop is charged with investigating fellow cops. If the Garda Commissioner believed in administering natural justice, surely he would have established a full independent inquiry which is completely independent of the State. The police have told us that Terence tried to commit suicide, well if that is the case and they have nothing to hide, why do they object to a public inquiry.
We are now in a position where Det Hanley now objects to us getting back Terence’s clothes so that we can have them forensically examined. Instead of his initial pleasantries and personal assurances, we are now accustomed to his ignorant and obnoxious behavior. It has been very upsetting to witness him sniggering at us in the coroner’s court. Det Hanley is no stranger to accusations of been an architect of cover-ups, in the past six years he has investigated 6 other suspicious deaths in custody and at no time did he determine that fellow Guards were negligent or involved in mistreating prisoners in there care. Since 1997 there has been over 20 deaths in Garda custody with the Gardai at all times been exonerated of any blame, can the state seriously expect Joe public to believe that all these deaths were either because of natural causes, suicide, and drink or drug related.
To this day we don’t know what were his findings in relation to the internal police inquiry as they have been kept private and as far as I know they don’t wont them to be released. What we do know is that the DPP on the basis of Hanley’s findings, ruled that no charges would be brought against any Garda who was on duty the night my brother was found unconscious in a police cell. We are at a loss as to how they reached their conclusions. We have written to Hanley extensively as well as the Garda Commissioner and the Justice Minister and at no point have they reciprocated and given us any clear definition of what the findings where in Hanley’s report. We have been stonewalled at every opportunity.
In your opinion, is there any satisfactory process that can establish the facts surrounding the circumstances of your brother’s death.
The only satisfactory mechanism that can establish the true facts is a transparent independent public inquiry. Our experience has shown us that the police are totally free of any political accountability or restraint, how can we have faith in inquiry’s where the police investigate themselves. It has also made us very skeptical of how government and state agencies work, we have been snowballed at every opportunity. I am of the opinion that Det Hanley’s internal police inquiry was just a cosmetic exercise to insure no police officer faced any charges in connection to by brother’s death hence the decision by the dpp not to prosecute. It is also worth mentioning that we had been promised financial assistance from the state to pay for an independent forensic expert to travel from England, but as soon there was an indication that there was blood on them they withdrew the offer. They told us that we should have faith in the Garda forensic laboratory, yet we only found out recently, 15months after my brothers death that the same forensic laboratory have never seen Terence’s clothes because they are in a locker in blackrock garda station.
We as a family believe that a public inquiry can determine the answers to the following questions, (A) after been found unconscious, why was Terence taken out of the cell and moved to a hallway till the ambulance arrived. (B) Why was a potential crime scene i.e. his cell not preserved for forensic examination. © Why did the Gardai not comply with a preservation order that would allow our legal team to examine the cell where my brother was found unconscious. (D) Why did Terence have a cut and bruising on his body? (E) Why will the Garda not give his solicitor access to the internal Garda report?
Due to the ever-increasing support for the Justice for Terence Wheelock Campaign, what has been the response of the Garda Siochana,
The Garda response to the Justice for Terence Wheelock campaign has been to abuse, intimidate and assault members of my family to the point that my mother and father have had to move out of there home of 20 years in Sean O’Casey avenue. I might add that they were never really comfortable with the way the police were treating the youth in the area. There has always been antagonism towards the police because of there aggressive policing methods. It is not uncommon to walk through the front door of Store Street or Fitzgibbon Street police stations and leave by ambulance through the back door, just like my brother did. My parents had to move to the Southside of the city so as to evade those two local police stations who were involved in acts of violence and verbal abuse against myself and other members of my extended family. I and other members of my family continue to be stopped, searched, and generally harassed under different bogus sections including section 30 of the offences against the state act. We will not be deflected from seeking justice for Terence.
How has Terence’s death affected yourself and your extended family.
Terence’s death has affected me that I cannot begin to grieve until I find out what happened to my brother in Store Street station. I haven’t cried since he died. It has been very hard on all my family. My mother and father are devastated, it has been particularly hard on my younger brother Gavin who idolized Terence. We will never get over his death.
With a general election due to take place in a few months, has yourself and your family considered raising the circumstances of Terence’s death and insuring that the call for a full independent public inquiry becomes an election issue?.
We are looking at every opportunity to raise the circumstances surrounding Terence’s death and of raising influential support for our call for an independent public inquiry. We have had a meeting in the Dail with the Independents as a party and they are waiting for me to complete a file on Terence’s case and to submit it to them ASAP. I have met Bertie Ahearn on a number of occasions, and he has rang me a few times promising the sun, moon and stars. At the end of the day due to our treatment by the state, my vote will not be going to FF or the PDs whether or not we get a public inquiry. I do not believe that they are fit for government. They talk about citizenship, that all the children of the land be cherished equally as stated in the 1916 proclamation, well we haven’t been cherished equally never mind fairly by the state. My mother’s son has died in horrific circumstances and we have been treated disgracefully by the state, we feel as we have been treated as second-class citizens. We eagerly await the opportunity to raise a number of issues with those who seek election to the Dail and also to canvass them to support my family in our quest for justice.
What next for the Justice for Terence Wheelock campaign?
The campaign will continue till we are satisfied that justice has been served. We are in this for the long haul, the campaign is ongoing. As you know the campaign is getting bigger, we have huge support from all quarters. This campaign is not only about seeking justice for my brother, it is also about insuring that no other family caught up in the same tragic circumstances has to go through the state sponsored hoops that we have been put through. There needs to a radical reform of the police procedures which allow a senior policeman to investigate their colleagues in a criminal investigation. I read the following quote from an imminent solicitor in the Irish times a few weeks ago, and I can totally relate to the frustration and apathy he espouses towards the police.
“ It is clear that an Garda Siochana has become a police force where success is measured by how well one can scheme, manipulate the system to your own ends, get away with it, if not murder, certainly not investigating one when it happened, and successfully blame others for the failures and wrongdoings when there is any chance of been caught. This is the force we now have in Ireland. It is why there must be fundamental reform starting from the top down, the bottom up and every other conceivable manner until the cancer exposed by the Morris tribunal has been eradicated permanently”.
We would plead with people who believe in natural justice, to come out and support our campaign