'A Tawdry Lust For Fame' By Ian Tomlinson's Family?

[Kerosene]

http://www.dailymail....awdry-lust-fame-.html

I was roundly condemned by certain posters following my recent thread where I queried whether that his family's grief was genuine - or merely an attempt to garner public support in a quest for monetary compensation?

The above article suggests that it could possibly be the latter?
1: Mr Tomlinson had not shared a home with his 'caring family' for 13 years.
2: His 'grieving widow', Julia, had a total of 9 children, only 4 of whom were Mr Tomlinson's.
3: Mr Tomlinson, a chronic alcoholic, had been living for many years in hostels - NOT with any of his now 'caring & grieving' family with whom he apparently had lost touch.

So, is the columnist correct in labelling them and their public outpourings as a 'tawdry lust for fame'? I know what I think!

[sandyRoe]

Remind me, if you will, did the killer of Blair Peach, or the colleagues who covered for him with their conspiracy of silence, ever face any sort of justice?

[sandyRoe]

That death happened a long time ago. Some may not remember. Here's a link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair_Peach

[Kerosene]

BOO,

The article may have mentioned that 5 of the 9 were not Mr Tomlinson's to perhaps query the alleged 'grief' shown by his estranged wife who of course is mother to all 9, and who, just possibly, may not have loved him so much when she somehow saw fit to let other men father 5 of her kids?

ummmm,

I've met enough alcoholics and druggies in my time, believe me.

[Zeuhl]

<What more can be done? >

Well quite a lot when your linked article was written in 2009!

[Kerosene]

sandyRoe,

We could all dredge up examples to try to bolster an argument: PC Keith Blakelock, for example?

See, I can do that as well, and those who've 'covered up' for his murderers are NOT Police Officers - shockarooney!

[Kerosene]

Zeuhl,

You're grasping at straws, buddy.

[Zeuhl]

"..all that has now been revealed" ? Like what?

Like the evidence given at the subsequent trial

PC Harwood's deplorable service record

The bungled post mortem and 'loss' of evidence

PC Harwood's admission that he should not have struck or pushed Mr Tomlinson regardless of his plea that it didn't cause his death

We're still waiting for the story that Mr Tomlinson picked his own pocket while he was lying on the ground.

[Kerosene]

Zeuhl,

The 4th paragraph of my 18:49 post illustrates exactly how much has been done, and all you're doing is dredging up everything which has already been investigated.

All you're doing in your 19:01 post is regurgitating everything already taken into consideration, apart from your last speculative and puzzling paragraph ? No idea what you're on about.

[sandyRoe]

Can the public not expect a higher standard from police officers than from a mob of rioters?
I'm surprised you'd mention PC Blakelock and Harwood in the same post.

[Zeuhl]

<last speculative and puzzling paragraph ? No idea what you're on about.>

I thought you were expert on Hillsborough?

I don't know why you accuse my posts of 'dragging up' old news
That's the whole point
You have based an OP on an article that is from 2009 and pre-dates all that has since <been revealed>

I don't see what you are on about here other than < regurgitating everything already taken into consideration> in the 3 years of process that's taken place since the loathsome Ms Platell hacked out the article

[sir.prize]

Kerosene - here's another blast from the past. Take note particularly of the comment by Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed campaign.

Any comment from you on this one?

http://www.metro.co.u...peeding-gets-off-free

The police are there to uphold the law, not behave above it.

[ummmm]

I didn't ask if you'd met them. Do you 'know' them? Have you tried to support them? I have! Do you know what day to day life is like with an alcoholic/drug addict.

You have not got a clue how much his family care for him. Cutting the ties does not mean you cut the emotions...believe me!!

[sp1814]

Kerosene

Is it really important whether Tomlinson was an alcoholic?

Is it important whether he was estranged from his family?

I'd question whether his is central to the circumstances of his death?

I am loathe to give credence to the narrative dictated by newspaper editors, especially after watching a Hillborough documentary last night!

Amanda Platell, in my humble opinion - has opinions (wow - got to be very careful here) which could be described as 'poorly thought out'.

Hoorah! I got through that sentence without swearing!!!

I call that 'personal growth'.

[NOX]

Kerosene you have a warped view of the world.
My wife had a total of 7 children 'only' 2 of which were mine.
Does that mean if some violent arrogant excuse for a copper beat her to the floor and she then died afterwards I would think ' hey ho, unbeknowns to me she must have been a bit of a slapper so I don't think I'll bother trying to get justice for her'? Does it hell.
Your insinuations denigrate anyone who has ever had more than one relationship and in your utterly tunnell visioned attempt for the police to be right no matter what, you insult a grieving family. Why not give it up mate until your head clears a bit.

[sir.prize]

Kerosene - perhaps the foregoing will convince you that you are treading on a lot of people's toes and despite your insistance, you are not correct in many things you say. Calm down, cool down and back down.

[ladybirder]

Kerosene, if you read the Telegraph article posted by Lazy Gun you will see that it seems his wife had the other children BEFORE she met Mr Tomlinson and he took them on as his own. A bit different from the slant you are putting on it.

[mike11111]

Kerosene: I know that my opinions on this site count for five-eights of the square root of sod all, but for what it's worth, I see where you're coming from. Verbum sapientibus: you have made a grave error in suggesting that anything might possibly be amiss in what is to become a Guardian cause célèbre.

[Kerosene]

Hello again, campers,

Just been watching some paint dry for a few hours, hence my absence.
Now, where to resume?

ummmm,

The alkies and druggies I've met were mainly through my job when I was a Police Officer, so, no, it wasn't my job to 'care for' them literally. You must be - guesswork - in social services or similar?

Also, "cutting emotions" - or not - is irrelevant when not one out of such a large family group could give the poor sod a home - he had to slum it in hostels and I have a certain knowledge of the bleak sort of places those are - to use your phrase: "believe me!"

sp,

I'm not qualified to connect his alcoholism and family estrangement as in any way contributory factors in Mr Tomlinson's death. The cause of that was a matter for the 3 post mortems to determine.

Fine, if you wish to doubt the Platell article, that's your prerogative.

NOX,
I'm still waiting your reply to my post to you on my last thread on this subject the other day. As soon as I receive that, I'll consider reading your post on here.

[Kerosene]

ladybirder,

Here's another 'slant' for you: Mr Tomlinson married Julia in 1991, they had 4 kids, and he had not been living at the family home for 13 years prior to his death in 2009. So, let me see......ah yes, he appears to have lasted all of 5 years as a married man before leaving in1996 - not exactly the picture of marital bliss being painted by some on here?

Therefore, he managed to father 4 kids in 5 years, which he then left, and regardless of how many he 'took on' when they married, they had no more luck getting him to stay at home than is own biological ones and wife did.

Besides, how do you know that none of the 5 other kids weren't born after he'd gone? The DT article suggests that his wife probably had at least one child before she and Ian married, but doesn't say how many. That's pure speculation on your part.

[sandyRoe]

However unconventional his domestic circumstances were, I can't see how they might be used to mitigate, or justify, the actions of the thug who killed him.