Welsh police spend 20k investigating murder of man reported by his ghost via a medium
I’ve quoted a whole Guardian piece because I am shocked into silence.
An element of the Welsh police force appears to be disturbed in the balance of their mind, and the Welsh Police have made themselves, as the source admits, a laughing stock.
From the Guardian:
A police force has defended spending £20,000 investigating a man’s death after his ghost was said to have told psychics that gangsters had forced him to drink petrol and bleach.
Carlos Assaf, 32, a baker, was found dead at his flat in Lampeter, west Wales, after a row with his girlfriend, Louise Edwards, 23, on 30 March.
An inquest this week recorded a verdict of suicide after hearing there was no evidence of foul play. However the coroner, Peter Brunton, queried the murder inquiry held after mediums tipped off police, suggesting that the words “lion, a horse and a man called Tony Fox” were significant. “There was a great deal of communication between the mediums and the police,” he said. “A great deal of effort was expended in following these leads up.”
Detectives visited a dozen pubs called the Red Lion and Black Horse from Burry Port to Tregaron. They even visited the Feathers hotel in Aberaeron because there is a statue of a horse outside.
The psychics claimed Assaf’s ghost contacted them to say he had been strangled by gangsters and forced to drink petrol and bleach. A second postmortem examination was ordered, which found no sign of bleach or petrol in his digestive tract.
A statement from Dyfed-Powys police said: “The revelations of the mystics were brought to our attention via the family and these were followed to reassure the family that the full circumstances of the death were as they appeared. Police have a responsibility to the deceased, their family and the public to investigate all deaths thoroughly.”
Sergeant Mark Webb told the inquest that officers began investigating links with “Tony Fox”. He said: “We received communications from friends and family of Mr Assaf involving spiritualist mediums. We interviewed the mediums and, having carried out an investigation, we found the information far from conclusive. We wanted to be absolutely satisfied there was no third party involved.”
The coroner’s officer, Eric James, said that it had not been possible to ascertain who had put the police in touch with the psychics. “The family said in court that it wasn’t them,” he said. “It certainly did happen because the CID were involved.”
At the Red Lion in Pembrey, a staff member recalled the police visit. “They wanted to know if this bloke had ever come in here or if he had worked here. They asked about other Red Lions in the area. It is difficult with the clairvoyant really, it is not something you could dismiss without checking what they said was possible.”
A police source said: “We are becoming a laughing stock. We went haring across the country looking for a lion, a horse and someone called Fox based on info from cranks. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a wild goose chase which cost at least £20,000 in time and resources.”
It sounds as if a certain Chief Constable or one of his subordinates may need to be forcibly retired to a mental hospital, with 20k ukp deducted from his pension.
Categories: All WW, Humour, News - Current Affairs
So you quoted the Guardian that got its story from the Press Association that got its story from the Cambrian News who’s journalist only covered half the inquest…
Right. This is called “churnalism” is it not.
OK try this: why was Carlos’s phone card missing? why was his money missing? why was he injured on the face? why was his grave desecrated twice? what were the basis of the rumours that he was murdered? why did a certain “man” disappear following the death? why is there a discrepancy over when the body was discovered?
What is a “hunch”?
Obviously in your eyes, and that of the rest of the media, the victim’s family are not important enough to get answers.
But: How do you know that the “medium” stuff was just a coded way for people in the village to pass on information to the cops. Maybe it was. Worth a look, maybe? Worth a punt?
Jesus, some City banker would spend 20K on a lunch. So why can’t ordinary people have some money spent in order to get answers to their questions?
Surely his family have the right to know that everything was looked at.
Shit. Come on. Try some proper journalism.
@simon
Thanks for your comment. I’ll reply assuming that you are a relation of Carlos Assif. I hope this helps clarify where I am coming from.
>So you quoted the Guardian that got its story from the Press Association that got its story from the Cambrian News who’s journalist only covered half the inquest.
>Right. This is called “churnalism” is it not.
In my book, no. Churnalism is uncritical recycling of a story or press release. Here there’s the independent corroboration to suggest that the police were willing to investigate “evidence” that they had been told had come via mediums – for example the quotes from Sargeant Webb (via WalesOnline).
“Sgt Webb said: We received communications from friends and family of Mr Assaf involving spiritualist mediums.
We interviewed the mediums and, having carried out an investigation, we found the information from them was inconclusive.
We wanted to be absolutely satisfied that there was no third party involved.”
My point is that the police should not be closely investigating evidence claiming to come from that source.
>OK try this: why was Carlos’s phone card missing? why was his money missing? why was he injured on the face? why was his grave desecrated twice? what were the basis of the rumours that he was murdered? why did a certain “man” disappear following the death? why is there a discrepancy over when the body was discovered?
Neither I (nor the Guardian) have not said that the death should not have been investigated by police, but have pointed out that it shoould not be investigated irrationally. Rather, I am pointing out weaknesses in the investigation.
>What is a “hunch”?
An assumption which a reasonable probability based on *evidence* that cannot justify the full conclusion.
>Obviously in your eyes, and that of the rest of the media, the victim’s family are not important enough to get answers.
Of course it justifies investigation, but a wild goose chase is not an investigation.
>But: How do you know that the “medium” stuff was just a coded way for people in the village to pass on information to the cops. Maybe it was. Worth a look, maybe? Worth a punt?
Because the police said it was from spiritualists, and that they had interviewed them. I do not believe they would have used such a bizarre story just to protect a source – it would be far more likely to draw attention to it, and the police should know that.
If it is correct that you are a relation, could you tell me whether in fact you did use mediums and spiritualists?
>Jesus, some City banker would spend 20K on a lunch. So why can’t ordinary people have some money spent in order to get answers to their questions?
Or you could get something like 3-4 months of time for a policeman to do a real investigation.
No problem with money being spent to get answers, just with it being wasted on routes that are not going to get answers.
>Surely his family have the right to know that everything was looked at.
Not everything, no – as I hope I have explained. They could have sent a policement to Tierra del Fuego to see if the alleged murderer was there, but that would also have been a wild goose chase.
>Try some proper journalism.
I think I do.
You have my condolences, but I think my point stands.
Rgds
The real scandal, speaking as an ex-resident of the area, is that’s this method is positively rational and intelligent compared with their normal methods of “somebody’s been killed. How interesting. Next.”
Even so £20k up the Swannee? There’ll certainly be some happy mediums in Lampeter…
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Matt, well said, and im on your side. The fact that ‘Sursock’ has not responded to your comment i think also proves your point
Keep up the great work.
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