I gather Danny Day is going to trial for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Depending on the verdict this may be a body blow to the False Allegations Industry, where lazy incompetent or corrupt cops, crooked lawyers and liars get together to obtain millions in compensation from preferably dead celebrities or wealthy men. The Ghislaine Maxwell trial will also be a signpost.

However I have very mixed feelings. It seems Day was genuinely mentally challenged and had himself admitted he was a compulsive liar. Often believing his own lies. Which makes him medically unbalanced. In which case, is it fair to try him?

I felt equally worried by the trial of Carl Beech. And certainly by the sentence; extra ordinarily severe; totally influenced by the media.

None of which makes it any better for David Bryant, the victim of this. Nor for his late wife.

For me it's the media and police who should be prosecuted. Fat chance. And the entire judicial system.

Read below...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7747269...it-compensation.html

In 2012, Day posted Mr Bryant a threatening letter stating he was going to the police with this claims, writing: 'I think it is time you and me have a chat.

'I think it is in your interest to call. One way or another you will pay for what you done.' … Day, now aged 55, also had the audacity to attempt to sue Mr Bryant for £100,000 for damages. …

The investigator uncovered a psychiatrist's report that stated Day had an 'extensive history of self-supporting as a liar'.

If he was delusional and believed his own lies (can't see that in the article, though it calls him a fantasist, which seems rather indulgent towards him) it's a remarkable coincidence he wanted money for them. Surely if he lied for money and supported himself that way, trying to blackmail David Bryant, his lies must have been deliberate and calculated.

Jo wrote:
In 2012, Day posted Mr Bryant a threatening letter stating he was going to the police with this claims, writing: 'I think it is time you and me have a chat.

'I think it is in your interest to call. One way or another you will pay for what you done.' … Day, now aged 55, also had the audacity to attempt to sue Mr Bryant for £100,000 for damages. …

The investigator uncovered a psychiatrist's report that stated Day had an 'extensive history of self-supporting as a liar'.

If he was delusional and believed his own lies (can't see that in the article, though it calls him a fantasist, which seems rather indulgent towards him) it's a remarkable coincidence he wanted money for them. Surely if he lied for money and supported himself that way, trying to blackmail David Bryant, his lies must have been deliberate and calculated.

He may have convinced himself it was all true (people that lie enough do), in which case wanting compensation might be seen as natural.

Doesn't help the poor falsely convicted, of course. But he is clearly mentally ill and if he had no mental intent to deceive - mens rea as your barrister would have it - he shouldn't be found guilty of a crime as crimes require action and mental intent.

I think that the "the system" needs to be a lot more careful and balanced in prosecutions, but I am in favour of dealing with the mentally ill outside the CJS where possible.

Protect the innocent accused with due process and a presumption of innocence carefully applied; but also the mentally ill from an inflexible system.

I hate what Danny Day did. I feel total horror at what David Bryant and his beautiful, loyal, loving wife suffered. I've been through a small version of that myself. But we cannot hate the people. Whether deluded and misguided or wicked, by hating them we are as bad as they are. That's why I cannot hate child killers or even, God forgive me, bent cops or crooked lawyers.

But I can and I will try to change the broken system so there are fewer, if any, more David Bryants - or Sarah Everards or George Floyds. I refuse to give up.

My latest blog touched on this topic.

www.paulboonstewart.com/the-blog-thingy/an-evil-tide

I hope you, JK, do not give up, but it's a steep uphill struggle.

hate should be directed at the malicious oaf who proclaimed the police must "believe the victim" thus turning on it's head 100s of years of judicial fairness.

He now wants to be Prime Minister (but doubtful that will happen)

hedda wrote:
hate should be directed at the malicious oaf who proclaimed the police must "believe the victim" thus turning on it's head 100s of years of judicial fairness.

He now wants to be Prime Minister (but doubtful that will happen)

Indeed. It is odd how someone who is clever on paper can be so astonishingly thick.

That's not quite fair. Until it happened to me, I'd never have believed the situation. My friend Paul Gambaccini didn't believe it - until it happened to him. Ditto Cliff. Really, it is incredible that people could be so deluded or evil. I can never quite understand why people smoke, knowing nicotine is poison.

JK2006 wrote:
That's not quite fair. Until it happened to me, I'd never have believed the situation. My friend Paul Gambaccini didn't believe it - until it happened to him. Ditto Cliff. Really, it is incredible that people could be so deluded or evil. I can never quite understand why people smoke, knowing nicotine is poison.

Neither can I actually. The problem is more than stupidity though, it is a lack of understanding about what drives people, and not being able to put yourselves in their shoes.
Sadly, we are living in pandemic of narcissism and headlines, so I cant see it changing.

hedda wrote:
hate should be directed at the
malicious oaf who proclaimed the police
must [b]"believe the victim"

It should be directed at every charity and NGO CEO & commentator & celebrity & member of the public who lapped this up when horror should have been the reaction; particularly on the part of genuine victims...

In the world we are in - where it is far more important that one "signals" one is worthy" over the truth and objectivity is collusion - some twerp or other was always going to come along and say something like this...

The important question is: why do we have a culture that accepts this notion without thinking?