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On Friday
The jury at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes today rejected Scotland Yard's claim that he was lawfully killed as part of an anti-terrorism operation.
Banned by the coroner, Sir Michael Wright, from returning a verdict of unlawful killing, the five men and five women decided on an open verdict – the most critical that was available to them.
In a series of answers to a list of crucial questions, they dismissed the testimony of the senior firearms officer who shot De Menezes – suggesting they did not believe the officer was acting in self-defence.
The jury found that the firearms officer, C12, did not shout "armed police" before shooting De Menezes and that the Brazilian did not move towards him aggressively, prompting the fatal shot.
Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the De Menezes family, said the officers who claimed to have shouted warnings should be investigated for possible perjury. "There was certainly evidence of perjury by certain officers and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) should look at it again at this stage and I am sure they will."
In a statement, De Menezes's cousin Patricia Armani da Silva said the jury would have gone further and recorded a verdict of unlawful killing "had they not been gagged by the coroner".
"The jury's verdict is a damning indictment of the multiple failures of the police and the lies they told," she said.
Despite the criticism of police contained in the verdict, the De Menezes family – who were not in court after last week's protests – accused Wright of "presiding over a complete whitewash". They plan to seek a judicial review over the omission of the unlawful killing verdict.
In a stinging attack on the former high court judge, they said he "failed on every count" in the proceedings.
The inquest at the Oval cricket ground, in south London, heard from 100 witnesses, including the two specialist firearms officers – known in court as C12 and C2 – who shot De Menezes dead at point-blank range on a tube carriage at Stockwell station on July 22 2005.
De Menezes was shot after being mistaken for the failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman.
The inquest was the first time the public received a full account of the shooting from key witnesses who were in the train carriage.
see more here
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/menezes
The jury at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes today rejected Scotland Yard's claim that he was lawfully killed as part of an anti-terrorism operation.
Banned by the coroner, Sir Michael Wright, from returning a verdict of unlawful killing, the five men and five women decided on an open verdict – the most critical that was available to them.
In a series of answers to a list of crucial questions, they dismissed the testimony of the senior firearms officer who shot De Menezes – suggesting they did not believe the officer was acting in self-defence.
The jury found that the firearms officer, C12, did not shout "armed police" before shooting De Menezes and that the Brazilian did not move towards him aggressively, prompting the fatal shot.
Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the De Menezes family, said the officers who claimed to have shouted warnings should be investigated for possible perjury. "There was certainly evidence of perjury by certain officers and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) should look at it again at this stage and I am sure they will."
In a statement, De Menezes's cousin Patricia Armani da Silva said the jury would have gone further and recorded a verdict of unlawful killing "had they not been gagged by the coroner".
"The jury's verdict is a damning indictment of the multiple failures of the police and the lies they told," she said.
Despite the criticism of police contained in the verdict, the De Menezes family – who were not in court after last week's protests – accused Wright of "presiding over a complete whitewash". They plan to seek a judicial review over the omission of the unlawful killing verdict.
In a stinging attack on the former high court judge, they said he "failed on every count" in the proceedings.
The inquest at the Oval cricket ground, in south London, heard from 100 witnesses, including the two specialist firearms officers – known in court as C12 and C2 – who shot De Menezes dead at point-blank range on a tube carriage at Stockwell station on July 22 2005.
De Menezes was shot after being mistaken for the failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman.
The inquest was the first time the public received a full account of the shooting from key witnesses who were in the train carriage.
see more here
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/menezes