Marco Jacobs

* Press release 7.30pm 25th May 2017 *

Judge in Court Hearing about Undercover Cop, Marco Jacob’s, abusive relationships orders Met Police to disclose evidence
Police have been avoiding and delaying disclosure in this case for several years.

A judge this week, has ordered Police that they must disclose evidence in the legal case [1] over undercover police officer ‘Marco Jacob’s abusive sexual relationships that happened while he deployed in Cardiff. This comes in the face of the Police consistently trying to avoid disclosing evidence around this case.

The Undercover Officer had spent 5 years infiltrating anti-capitalist, anarchist, environmental, animal rights and other campaign groups,[2] developing a number of close personal relationships, and in common with several other undercover police who have been exposed, engaged in the sexual abuse of a number of his targets.[3]

Despite having very publicly apologised to seven women [4] for such deceitful long-term intimate relationships and abuses, Police Lawyers are maintaining delaying and avoiding coming to a settlement in relation to this case. Police have had orders to disclose their evidence on several previous occasions, but have so far produced nothing. [5]

In court this week, whilst denying that they are running a campaign of non-compliance in relation to this case, Police Lawyers sought further delays, requesting that these proceedings be delayed until after the Undercover Policing Inquiry. They sought to avoid disclosure completely, by telling the judge that there was a “real risk to life” if there is disclosure, and that any disclosure in this case could reveal other covert intelligence sources in the same group.

The Judge however said that there must be some disclosure, specific to this officer, that can be released, at least in stages, and ordered specific disclosure of the officers interactions with the claimants by the end of August.

“This case has been characterised by long delays and broken promises by the defendants” Heather Williams QC

“I am pleased the Judge continues to order the Police to disclose evidence in this case. Despite admitted the wrongdoing of undercover officers, it beggars belief that the police continue to try to avoid this, and avoid facing up to their responsibilities, heaping extra suffering on the people they targeted.” – Tom Fowler, claimant

Key background info

1] AJA, ARB, & Thomas Fowler (Claimants) -v- Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, Chief Constable of South Wales Police, & Association of Chief Police Officers (Defendants). Two women and one man have been suing The Metropolitan Police, South Wales Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers over sexual abuse committed by an undercover police officer in Cardiff – “Marco Jacobs”. Consent orders for settlement for one of female claimants will be imminently sealed by judge. However, the police continue to fight the other claims.

3] http://powerbase.info/index.php/Marco_Jacobs_(alias)

4] http://news.met.police.uk/news/claimants-in-civil-cases-receive-mps-apology-138574

5] Previous court directions had ordered that standard disclosure must be given by 5th December 2016. A submission by police gave very detailed timetable of their disclosure dates. All have long since passed with no submission of evidence. A full trial date was set for 22nd May 2017, however due to failure of police to disclose, this had to be vacated

— end of background information —

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On Tuesday 7th June, a legal case over undercover police relationships was in the High Court. It was the latest battle in a four year campaign to hold the police to account, and in it the police continued to try to stall these civil proceedings and avoid disclosing evidence. The claimants, two women and a man [1], are suing The Metropolitan Police, South Wales Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers over sexual abuse committed by an undercover police officer in Cardiff – “Marco Jacobs”. [2]

Significantly, the Police backed down from asserting a blanket “Neither confirm nor deny” policy (NCND) to resist disclosing documents relevant to the case, and have now been directed by the court to apply by 23rd September 2016, if they wish, to withhold disclosing documents on the ground that it would damage the public interest.

Despite having very publicly apologised to 8 women for such deceitful long-term intimate relationships and abuses, Police continued their stalling tactics in this case, attempting to put back the timetable to trial as far as possible. This found no favour with Master Davison, nor did their shabby attempt to compel the Claimants to disclose their medical records and endure examination by their psychiatrist before the Police had given evidence.

It is likely that there will now be a hearing in the Autumn on the Police’s disclosure of evidence and public interest immunity, the trial is now set to take place around March 2017.

“Though the abandonment of the false defence of ‘neither confirm nor deny’ is to be welcomed, the request for claimants to disclose medical records before the release of any police evidence whatsoever, illustrates how Police continue to try to avoid being held to account” – Tom Fowler, 3rd claimant

“It beggars belief, that after five years, and despite hand-wringing public assertions that sexual relationships are an abuse and cannot be authorised as a police tactic, the Defendants have continued to bob and weave in this litigation in reliance on technicalities and police procedure. Jules Carey, Solicitor for the three.

NOTES:

AJA, ARB, & Thomas Fowler (Claimants) -v- Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, Chief Constable of South Wales Police, & Association of Chief Police Officers (Defendants)

The Undercover Officer spent 5 years infiltrating anti-capitalist, anarchist, environmental, animal rights and other campaign groups, developing a number of close personal relationships, and in common with several other undercover police who have been exposed, engaged in the sexual abuse of a number of his targets.

Tag: Marco Jacobs

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