Trying to take a statement is an art form... You can be holding your head in your hands sometimes.
In my early days I remember a young lady who intent on jumping chronologically in her story from beginning to end to the middle etc.. So much so that I had to write a paragraph in the statement and ask "what happened next" for the next 2 hours... Was like talking to Vicky Pollard...Ye, but No, but Ye...
Of course the Police officer imposes his own literary style on it, it's the only way to get the bleedin' things done half the time. Trying to sort out what ACTUALLY happened from the chaff that is the "yeah but no but yeah but, right" is high art, never mind chronology! As I always say to my victim/witness "This is your statement, but I write it, that's why I'll ask you to read it through carefully before signing to ensure that it's an accurate account". Often it's *OUR* attention to *THEIR* detail that makes a statement worth the pain of taking it. The only thing I will not adapt to my style no matter what is anything that goes in inverted commas. That's always as dictated. Statements should always be a triumph of content over style I'm sure you'll agree.
Not so long ago, counsel in our Crown Court was mitigating for his client and explained that the chap was responding to a distress call from his younger brother, who had been threatened by a neighbour. Consequently, our chap armed himself with an air pistol and, in the words of his lawyer, went to remonstrate with the neighbour.
The judge interupted to comment that you never hear the word 'remonstrate' other than in the courts, and counsel went on to explain that his client arrived to find the neighbour outside his brother's house, with two Staffordshire bull terriers on a leash.
'And at what point,' the judge wanted to know, 'did your client use his air pistol to remonstrate with Mr X?'.
'Immediately after Mr X used the dogs to remonstrate with him, your honour'.
That phrase takes me back: "Helping police with their enquiries".
Sadly, these days it's the administrative arrest, as in: "arrested for suspicion of xxx", cautioned and DNA and fingerprints taken and added to the growing data base. Then everyone wonders why people are nolonger willing to help the police!!!!
Love it. It gives so clear a picture I can almost smell it.
Seen in a policeman's notebook after a woman had run into the back of his patrol car:
'After being rear-ended by a drunk female driver, I asked her how she managed to stop when I wasn't around.'
It's anecdotes like these that make me regret I practice only on the civil side.
It always suprises me when taking statements how some people are hesitant at using swear words in particular substituting the obvious for 'He told me to F off!' Nevertheless, thanks for thinking of not offending me although I have heard the 'F' word before and you can tell me exactly what was said.
My grandad - a school headmaster - was once called as a witness in the case of a parent who had become violent and abusive.
"Well, sir, he cast aspersions on my parentage, and then..."
"Mr. Grandad, the court needs to hear exactly what the defendant said."
"But sir, there are ladies present..."
Poor old Grandad was mortified...
Sam:
http://thelawwestofealingbroadwa...rking-
rage.html
I had a lovely admission in a taped interview once from a spitting image of Vicky Pollard, in for common assault and affray.
"So did you hit the other woman?"
"Yeah, skanky bitch...I ragged her by the hair then I kicked her up the arse didn't I?"
That'll be a yes then!
My favourite is still
"...and then she started calling me all kinds of Bs and Hs..."
Sergeant: did he have an accent, sir?
Me: usual S E of England whine.
I signed the statement where my answer had become "He had what I took to be a local accent". Fine man, the Sarge.
Commenting by HaloScan
