Michael Doherty - Photo: NNP

Michael Doherty was found guilty today 24th January 2013 at Stevenage Magistrate Court of assaulting a “court employee” on the 6th August 2012 at a Cambridge court. 

The Court Security claimed under Sec. 53 of the Courts Act 2003. The power permits them to remove a person from the Court Building for the following reasons;

(a) Enabling court business to be carried on without interference or delay;

(b) Maintaining order

(c) Securing the safety of any person in the court building.

As you can see by the courts own CCTV film footage below, Mr Doherty does nothing whatsoever to the “officers” on the tape.   We can only assume the “officers” said the alleged “assault” took place out of shot of the CCTV evidence?  For how else could the magistrate have found him guilty, as clearly nothing took place other than Mr Doherty being manhandled out of the courthouse waiting area.  Though like most things in this life there is more than meets the eye;   

It all first started when Michael Doherty was granted by a judge the right to bring a rare private prosecution against two police officers who had to appear in court accused of burglary, kidnap and false imprisonment.  On the 15^th August 2012 former aircraft engineer Michael Doherty, 40, arrived at Westminster Magistrates where sergeant Gareth Blackburn, 38, and Detective Constable Stephen MacDonald, 42, were summoned to appear to face a string of allegations related to an arrest they made on Mr Doherty suspected of harassing a colleague in September 2008.  Michael Doherty claimed the officers turned up at his house at 6.30am and smashed down his door with a battering ram in front of his terrified family, before handcuffing him and dragging him to the police station.

The origins of the case date back to 2008 when Mr Doherty made a serious allegation to the police in Hillingdon, West London.  Frustrated at what he considered was a lack of progress in the investigation, Mr Doherty made a number of phone calls to his local police station.

Oddly enough he was then accused of the "same" kind of thing; "harassing another “civilian” police worker at the station."

This is when Blackburn and MacDonald arrived at his home to investigate the complaint.  When Mr Doherty refused to let the officers into his home, he alleges they then broke down his door and forcibly took him into custody.  By the looks of what happened in the court CCTV, it was a repeat action, though this time by different staff.  Mr Doherty was later cleared of all charges on that first case, and applied for permission to bring a private prosecution against the two arresting officers.

A summons issued by District Judge Deborah Wright at Uxbridge Magistrates in September 2012, stated that the two officers were accused of trespass and an attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm on the home owner.  The summons said: "You were on the property as a trespasser and you threatened to smash down a glass-panelled door which the homeowner was holding closed. "You threatened and used a battering ram to support your threat of violence. The occupants were caused fear for their personal safety. "You wilfully failed to perform your duty to such a degree that it amounted to an abuse of the public trust which had been placed in you."

The summons also stated that the officers were alleged to have carried Mr Doherty away without any lawful authority. “There was no consent from the victim and you used unlawful violence to carry out this kidnap," the document stated. It went on: "You were tasked to carry out enquiries into allegations of harassment, however when lawfully refused entry to the home of Mr Doherty you did without lawful authority force entry into their private home.”

It’s extremely rare for a summons to be issued against police officers as part of a private prosecution. Criminal cases are usually brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, but people can pursue their own actions under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.  Both police officers, who remain on full duties, are due to appear before Southwark Crown Court on October 19^th for a Plea and Case Management Hearing.  Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9477981/Police-officers-in-court-as...

Is there any wonder the general public have lost all faith in our establishments, no matter whether it's our townhalls, courts or parliament itself, the corruption just continues to blatantly go on and on and on...

It's not clear what plan of action will be next, though Mr Doherty has said he will have to think of what next needs to be done.  This guilty decision has sparked off a barrage of complaints and many are backing Mr Doherty who now finds himself part of the Robert Green/Hollie Greig/Norman Scarth miscarriages of justice world and sagas. 

We're not sure whether he can appeal against the sentence, and if he can, - whether he can ask for a trial by jury?  We're currently not sure what he was sentenced to following today's guilty verdict, and assume pre-sentence reports were called for.

Some supporters such as Ross Mckinnon have said; "This was all part of their plan, now when he has to go to court against the two police officers, they can say he lies & he's a criminal.....it's going to be a mass stitch up I'm afraid.  Mike seems a genuine guy, he doesn't deserve such blatant corruption to spoil his case!"