Martin J Dougherty
  • Home
    • A Quick Guide to MJD
    • Credits Overview
    • Work Availability
  • My Work
    • My Writing Career
    • Mainstream Publishing >
      • Military History Books
      • Fiction
      • Martial Arts & Self-Defence Books >
        • Fight to Win
        • The Self Defence Manual
      • Armed Combat Books
      • Transportation Books
      • Childrens Books
      • Fencing and Martial Arts Books
    • Games Industry >
      • Avenger Enterprises
    • Defence and Security Industry
    • My Television Work
    • Other Work
  • Martial Arts and Fencing
    • My Martial Arts and Fencing Career
    • Fencing >
      • British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS) >
        • BFHS Chief Assessor
        • IL1 Guidance for Candidates
        • IL 2-4 Work in Progresss
      • The Society for the Study of Swordsmanship >
        • SSS FAQ
        • SSS Equipment and Safety
        • SSS Ranks and Grades
        • SSS Weapons
      • Smallsword Fencing
      • The Military and Duelling Sabre
      • Olympic, or 'Sport', Fencing
      • Fencing Photos
      • More Fencing Photos
    • Martial Arts & Self-Defence >
      • Combat Ju-Jitsu
      • Self-Defence
      • Nihon Tai-Jitsu
    • MJD Musings >
      • Priority
      • Respect
      • Agendas and Misconceptions
      • Light Sabres, Sabre: Lite....
      • Grappling and Groundfighting
      • The Possibility of Violence
      • Anatomy of a Streetfight
      • Self Defence and the Law
      • Coach Development in Martial Arts
      • HEMA: Martial Art or Sport?
      • Obstacles to Improvement
  • Life Stuff
    • Perthshire
    • Other Photos
    • Warkworth Castle
    • More Photos
  • Other Stuff
    • News, Updates and... Stuff.
    • Conventions, Events and Seminars >
      • Smallsword Symposium
      • Smallsword Symposium 2015
      • SWASH
      • BFHS Spring and Autumn Exchange
    • Fiction, Articles and Other Scribblings >
      • Short Fiction >
        • Holy Spirits
        • Grand Endeavour
        • Pandora's Box
        • Wheelman
        • Reactivation Clause
        • Although He May Be Poor
        • Into The Hands of God
      • Mancave Playbabes Articles >
        • Fencing Article
        • Edinburgh Article
        • Whisky Article
      • Space Exploration Articles >
        • Reaching Orbit
        • In Orbit
        • Exploration of the Solar System
        • Space Stations
        • Space Stations - White Elephants in the Sky?
        • Featured Products
    • Northumbria Police: Arrogant, High-Handed and Reckless >
      • Experiences with Northumbria Police
      • Questions But No Answers
      • Concerns About PSD
  • Home
    • A Quick Guide to MJD
    • Credits Overview
    • Work Availability
  • My Work
    • My Writing Career
    • Mainstream Publishing >
      • Military History Books
      • Fiction
      • Martial Arts & Self-Defence Books >
        • Fight to Win
        • The Self Defence Manual
      • Armed Combat Books
      • Transportation Books
      • Childrens Books
      • Fencing and Martial Arts Books
    • Games Industry >
      • Avenger Enterprises
    • Defence and Security Industry
    • My Television Work
    • Other Work
  • Martial Arts and Fencing
    • My Martial Arts and Fencing Career
    • Fencing >
      • British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS) >
        • BFHS Chief Assessor
        • IL1 Guidance for Candidates
        • IL 2-4 Work in Progresss
      • The Society for the Study of Swordsmanship >
        • SSS FAQ
        • SSS Equipment and Safety
        • SSS Ranks and Grades
        • SSS Weapons
      • Smallsword Fencing
      • The Military and Duelling Sabre
      • Olympic, or 'Sport', Fencing
      • Fencing Photos
      • More Fencing Photos
    • Martial Arts & Self-Defence >
      • Combat Ju-Jitsu
      • Self-Defence
      • Nihon Tai-Jitsu
    • MJD Musings >
      • Priority
      • Respect
      • Agendas and Misconceptions
      • Light Sabres, Sabre: Lite....
      • Grappling and Groundfighting
      • The Possibility of Violence
      • Anatomy of a Streetfight
      • Self Defence and the Law
      • Coach Development in Martial Arts
      • HEMA: Martial Art or Sport?
      • Obstacles to Improvement
  • Life Stuff
    • Perthshire
    • Other Photos
    • Warkworth Castle
    • More Photos
  • Other Stuff
    • News, Updates and... Stuff.
    • Conventions, Events and Seminars >
      • Smallsword Symposium
      • Smallsword Symposium 2015
      • SWASH
      • BFHS Spring and Autumn Exchange
    • Fiction, Articles and Other Scribblings >
      • Short Fiction >
        • Holy Spirits
        • Grand Endeavour
        • Pandora's Box
        • Wheelman
        • Reactivation Clause
        • Although He May Be Poor
        • Into The Hands of God
      • Mancave Playbabes Articles >
        • Fencing Article
        • Edinburgh Article
        • Whisky Article
      • Space Exploration Articles >
        • Reaching Orbit
        • In Orbit
        • Exploration of the Solar System
        • Space Stations
        • Space Stations - White Elephants in the Sky?
        • Featured Products
    • Northumbria Police: Arrogant, High-Handed and Reckless >
      • Experiences with Northumbria Police
      • Questions But No Answers
      • Concerns About PSD
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Northumbria Police:
Arrogant, High-Handed and Reckless

Late at night on October 1st 2016, two Northumbria Police officers went to the home of my elderly father, James Dougherty. Despite his protests that he needed to stay with my mother, who was dying of cancer, they arrested him. He was taken to Southwick Police Station and locked in a cell, then questioned until almost 3AM.
 
Northumbria Police wanted to investigate the possibility that the vaguely described red car at an incident alleged to have taken place on Tuesday 27th September might be my father’s. They did nothing about this on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and have never explained to us why they felt it necessary to arrest an old man in the middle of the night without any evidence of any offence.
 
We have made two formal complaints and an attempt at local resolution. We have had three personal visits from the Area Force Commander. I have written to my MP and the Home Office. And yet Northumbria Police will not explain the decision process that led to taking an old man away from his terminally ill wife.
 
It is my belief that this is because there was no good reason.  Northumbria Police chose when and how to deal with this matter, and handled it in a way that was convenient for them without regard for the welfare of my family.
 
What follows is, to the best of my knowledge, a true and accurate account of my family’s mistreatment at the hands of Northumbria Police and their subsequent efforts to avoid the consequences of these actions. I have had to rely in places on the best information I can obtain from the police, who seem to have a talent for obfuscation and talking around a subject without giving out any useful information. In other areas I am working from police and other documents, my own personal observations and accounts related to me by close family members whose integrity I do not doubt.
 
In places the police version of events is different to ours, but I am convinced that ours is correct. The police seem to have taken the stance that this matter is satisfactorily resolved and that we have received adequate answers to our questions. This is not the case. The victim of their actions is still asking why it all happened, and some questions we have been asking since October 2016 have never been addressed.
 
Among them are these:
Why would an organisation that claims to be Proud to Protect carry out a routine and non-urgent investigation by arresting a vulnerable old man late at night?
 
Are Northumbria Police proud of how they handled this matter?
 
Are their officers happy for their own relatives to be treated this way?
 
It is with no little regret that I make this matter public. I used to respect and admire the police, and for a long period I clung to the hope that if only I could make them see just how much harm had been done then we would finally get the explanation and apology promised by the Area Force Commander in December 2016. It is obvious now that this is never going to happen.
 
Policing in this country is based on the principle of public consent.
 
We most certainly did not consent to this.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.