Forced to be witness?

[Faith]

A couple of witnesses in my case were interviewed over the telephone. I am lucky that I had good solicitor representation at the time...he warned me that the police do this to make it easier for the witness to open up...but it is very open to twisting as you can't see what the officer is writing down.
Hence the importance of thoroughly reading the statement before signing.

[0505]

A couple of witnesses in my case were interviewed over the telephone. I am lucky that I had good solicitor representation at the time...he warned me that the police do this to make it easier for the witness to open up...but it is very open to twisting as you can't see what the officer is writing down.
Hence the importance of thoroughly reading the statement before signing.

Ahhh ok thank you for explaining that, Do you have an idea if it was wrong to give my statement at the same time in the same room as another witness by any chance i cant find any info regarding this x

[Saffron]

This is what confused me, my witness statement was taking over the phone in my friends house who is also a witness in this case at the same time i was on the phone to one lady my friend was on the phone giving her statement to another lady, we were in the same room. the next day it was brought round to her house typed up and for us to sign we were together once again and both signed at the same time. this is why i never thought it was as serious as it was, cos everything was so informal. Thank you for the link will have a read now

This doesn't sound right to me. As far as I understand it witnesses should give statements entirely separate of each other, in person with a police officer present. The fact that you and your friend were in the same room giving telephone statements at the same time is astonishing! From a legal point of view it could mean witness collusion.

I am not saying for one second that you were anything other than 100% honest! However an unscrupulous person could easily have listened to what the other witness was saying and adapted their story to fit/disprove what the other person was saying.

This sounds like the police have done an extremely poor job of managing the case. Make sure your ex tells his sol this, as it could be very important.

Please don't apologise for asking questions. If you have never had any dealing with the police it is confusing and frightening to suddenly find yourself in the middle of all this.

I am very very sorry to hear of your dreadful bereavement. You are in my thoughts.

[Faith]

Oh I stand corrected! Thanks S x

[0505]

This doesn't sound right to me. As far as I understand it witnesses should give statements entirely separate of each other, in person with a police officer present. The fact that you and your friend were in the same room giving telephone statements at the same time is astonishing! From a legal point of view it could mean witness collusion.

I am not saying for one second that you were anything other than 100% honest! However an unscrupulous person could easily have listened to what the other witness was saying and adapted their story to fit/disprove what the other person was saying.

This sounds like the police have done an extremely poor job of managing the case. Make sure your ex tells his sol this, as it could be very important.

Please don't apologise for asking questions. If you have never had any dealing with the police it is confusing and frightening to suddenly find yourself in the middle of all this.

I am very very sorry to hear of your dreadful bereavement. You are in my thoughts.

we always found this odd, as i could even hear the other officer asking my friend quiestions while the lady was asking me mine, i will tell him to inform his lawyer about this.

Thank you these past few months have gone from bad to worse to heartbreaking, its hard to feel any hope left x

[Denise]

also read

http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforc...ss-witness.htm

and see if there's anything that they didn't do that they should have done. I can't say as I've ever heard of a witness statement being done over the phone.

I don't know if in our case it was a statement as such but my sons accusers brought my niece into it and police interviewed her by phone and my brother, although to this day I've never asked my niece what the questions/responses were I think it was to clarify some more lies that the accusers told xx

[Denise]

A couple of witnesses in my case were interviewed over the telephone. I am lucky that I had good solicitor representation at the time...he warned me that the police do this to make it easier for the witness to open up...but it is very open to twisting as you can't see what the officer is writing down.
Hence the importance of thoroughly reading the statement before signing.

As you know, the DC in charge of our case phoned me on a weekly basis for my recollection of things
I found this more distressing than I would've a visit
It's very hard on the spur of a moment to give historical thoughts and memories

Everything is adding up now how they work xx

[Faith]

Yes I would have hated that, the DC exploited you a little but i get the impression that she may have actually been looking for a way to throw out the case in your situation.
Still, very distressing and not very professional in my view

[RFLH]

I've learnt something - but it seems a shoddy way of doing things. Still, easier than shifting off their arses and doing something I guess.

[Denise]

I've learnt something - but it seems a shoddy way of doing things. Still, easier than shifting off their arses and doing something I guess.

I only saw the DC once, straight after my sons arrest outside the police station and very briefly on his first rebail(but not to talk to) her assistant came to do my statement and my other son and daughter

DC never telephoned my son who was being accused, just me constantly and occasionally my daughter and the once my brother and niece

I changed my ringtone a couple of weeks before we got NFA'd because that sound put the fear of god up me because family have their own assigned song, so everyone this ringtone rang i knew automatically who it was

Now everytime I hear that sound on someone else's phone, I feel panicky
Xx