John Hemming Wins Judicial Review Over Police Complaint Handling

Former MP John Hemming

Former MP John Hemming

Former Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has won outright a judicial review against the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Hemming obtained permission in a judgement of 18 November 2022, arising from a hearing where he represented himself and was accompanied by his partner Emily and also your author. That judgement is now up on BAILII. After permission was granted, the IOPC has conceded outright.

The two points on which Hemming has now prevailed are on the IOPC’s failure to deal with his complaints about a police conduct investigation as follows –

“a. As set out in his letter dated 6 October 2021, that email exchanges between DI Thomas and an officer of the 2nd Interested Party on 15 May 2020 gave rise to an appearance of bias.

b. As set out in his letters dated 22 August and 6 October 2021, that DI Thomas had known that DCS Oomer’s stated reasons (1) and (2) (recorded in his policy book on 1 March 2019) for categorising , once opened, the 2nd Interested Party’s investigation into EB [Esther Baker] (attempting to pervert the course of justice) as low priority were false and that DCS Oomer was aware that they were false.”

The IOPC has also agreed to pay Hemming’s costs. A copy of the relevant parts of the consent order is below –

The consent order in the Hemming Judicial Review of the IOPC.

The consent order in the Hemming Judicial Review of the IOPC.

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John Hemming: Permission for Judicial Review over Alleged Police Dishonesty by Staffordshire Officer Javid Oomer

DCSJavidOomer

Detective Chief Superintendent Javid Oomer – Dishonesty allegations complaint found, “arguable” by judge. Career at Risk?

Former MP John Hemming has been granted permission for judicial review of the outcome of his police complaint appeal to the Independent Office of Police Complaints, over allegations of dishonest conduct by two police officers, Detective Inspector Simon Thomas of Gwent Police and Detective Chief Superintendent Javid Oomer of Staffordshire Police. This is only permission stage, so no findings of wrongdoing have yet been made, however the underlying evidence is of serious public concern.

Thomas was supposed to be investigating Staffordshire Police on the basis of a complaint by Hemming, but Hemming has, via MHN, come into possession of an email in which Thomas expresses a desire to “lessen”, “[…] elements of the lawsuit being taken against your Force […]” to a person at Staffordshire Police. Hemming raised this with the IOPC, which had ignored it. The judge, HHJ Richard Williams granted permission for Judicial Review on the basis that failing to address the allegation appeared to breach the applicable statutory guidance for the treatment of appeals to the IOPC.

The second piece of information which Hemming had discovered was that Javid Oomer had decided to treat the Esther Baker investigation as a low priority, on the basis of a series of reasons which Hemming believes (with some justification), Oomer must have known to be false, and DI Thomas must have known to be false. Again, this allegation was ignored by the IOPC and again Hemming was granted permission.

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Staffordshire Police, DCS Javid Oomer, DC Garry Bainbridge Must be Investigated Over Esther Baker Bias

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[UPDATE – 17 August 2022. Esther Baker sued over this article in High Court Case QB-2020-001013. She lost. The court granted both summary judgement and strike-out finding the claim had no realistic prospect of success. No other person mentioned sued and the time limit has elapsed. Judgement here. My follow-up article here. This article has been added to the “DEFENDED!” category and readers may rely on it.]

DCSJavidOomer

Detective Chief Superintendent Javid Oomer is currently acting up as Temporary Assistant Chief Constable. However, is he showing bias?

Just past 2:23am on 3rd February 2020, Esther Baker emailed Staffordshire Police and John Hemming to complain I had violated her anonymity as a rape victim under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This is of course ridiculous. Baker’s anonymity is the most waived there ever was – she has commented on Sky News, the Guardian, the Daily Mail and many other publications. Why does she keep putting in these absurd complaints? If her public court filings are correct, it is because Staffordshire Police are encouraging her.

On 17th December 2019 Esther Baker filed her Re-Amended Reply to Defence in the claim Baker V Hemming. By way of brief explanation, Esther Baker was an abuse accuser who alleged that a group of VIPs and others ritually abused her. No charges have been brought. She has attempted to sue one of the VIPs, former MP John Hemming for libel for calling her a liar. He counter-sued for libel over her rape allegations. Much of Baker’s claim was struck out last year and she lost the counter-claim entirely, with Mrs Justice Steyn ruling her allegations of VIP ritual abuse, “untrue”. Baker is now supposedly under police investigation.

A few small parts of Baker’s claim continue as to whether she lied or there was some other explanation for the untruth such as honest mistake or mental illness, although some more of Baker’s claim was struck out at a hearing on 30 January 2020. The pleadings are available to the public without permission under CPR 5.4C. Under CPR 5.4C (1) (a) any non-party may obtain a copy of the pleadings (but not attachments) in the case as of right without the court’s permission so the pleadings are not confidential. They may be reported upon.

One passage I find particularly chilling is this one –

[…] The Claimant’s liaison officer at Staffordshire police who has recently become involved in the case again due to the Defendant’s behaviour and admissions, has repeatedly stated to me that as far as Staffordshire Police are concerned the Claimant is regarded as a victim of crimes and not a suspect […]

Esther Baker’s liaison officer is Detective Constable 4163 Garry Bainbridge. The officer running the purported investigation is, DCS Javid Oomer. If Bainbridge has told Baker that Staffordshire Police regard her as a “victim of crimes and not a suspect”, acting as liaison for Oomer, then that completely prejudges the investigation that the police are supposedly conducting. More importantly, it ignores the multiple recent court rulings against her.

I therefore believe there is grounds for an investigation into police bias and / or failure of duty. I put it no higher than the lowest ‘Chase Level’ meaning. Baker has made a formal statement in court. However, she has in the past been incorrect or mistaken – including of course in her serious allegations that John Hemming raped her. It is possible that Baker is mistaken, or that police have some reasonable excuse. DC Bainbridge might not have been fully briefed on the court rulings, for example. Ms Baker, who hears voices, might have misunderstood his position due to her mental health difficulties. Because of that, I do not say there is anything more than grounds for investigation.

In November 2019, the County Court found that Baker had engaged in racist harassment of a proven child abuse victim and awarded said victim £12,500 in damages – details are in my full article here. The stalking included specific, imminent, violent threats as this extract from the judgement shows –

Baker Violent Threats

The County Court found that Esther Baker threatened to commit battery against a vulnerable child abuse survivor. MHN underlining.

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Staffordshire Police, Esther Baker and DCS Javid Oomer – His Career and Reputation on the Line?

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[UPDATE – 17 August 2022. Esther Baker sued over this article in High Court Case QB-2020-001013. She lost. The court granted both summary judgement and strike-out finding the claim had no realistic prospect of success. No other person mentioned sued and the time limit has elapsed. Judgement here. My follow-up article here. This article has been added to the “DEFENDED!” category and readers may rely on it.]

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Detective Chief Superintendent Javid Oomer – Career at Risk?

Staffordshire Police believe Esther Baker is a criminal. Recently, I reported some of her Twitter posts as harassment directed at myself and (indirectly) former MP John Hemming. Upon review, a crime number was assigned which can only happen if an officer considers on balance of probabilities that an offence was committed (police email below). I am far from the only complainant, with far more serious allegations outstanding. How is it that Baker has not yet been interviewed over the many allegations against her?

Last week the BBC reported (archive) that Staffordshire police are conducting an ongoing investigation into Baker over the far more serious allegations of Perverting the Course of Justice and Harassment of John Hemming. The investigation is currently with Detective Chief SuperIntendent Javid Oomer and frankly, a large number of powerful people are unhappy about the police, the speed of the investigation and Oomer’s attitude. To put this in context, Mr Hemming first reported Baker in 2015!

EstherBakerCrimeNumber

Staffordshire Police considered my allegations against Esther Baker and allocated a crime number before referring the matter elsewhere.

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