Community and Family March on the First Anniversary of Terence Wheelock's Death.
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Monday September 18, 2006 01:02
by Jim
Walking to Store street Garda station
There was a large turnout today on the 1st anniversary of Terrence Wheelock who died as a result of injuries received in Garda custody. About 500 people from the Sean McDermot Street and Summerhill community turned out in support of the Wheelock familes demand for an independent inquiry. The protest was preceded by a mass in Sean McDermot Street church. Other groups that came to show their support included activists with Residents Against Racism, Working Class Action, Sinn Fein, Labour and the Workers Solidarity Movement. The family of John Maloney also came out in solidarity as well as independent T.D. Tony Gregory, Cieran Perry, Christy Burke of Sinn Fein and Joe Costello of Labour.
Larry Wheelock addressed the crowd and was followed by Joe Costello speaking on behalf of the local public representatives (Burke and Gregory) and Cieran Perry then spoke.
Previous Indymedia Coverage:
Interview with Laurence Wheelock – Terence's Brother Mar 2006
Interview with Esther and Larry Wheelock– May 2006
Wheelock family move out of Summerhill– after intimidation July 2006
first mention of Terence on the newswire who was in a coma at the time July 2005
Original report of Terences death, followed by Garda responses in comments
Terence wheelock died on the 16th of september 05, from injuries he sustained on the 2nd of june 05 while in the care and custody of the gardai at store st garda station Dublin 1.
For three long months Terence Wheelock fought for his life in intensive care at the mater hospital.
Finally his family made the distressing and tough discision to turn the machine off.
One year on from his death the family are organizing a public protest 16/09/06 2.30pm sean mcdermot st church, to highlight the many unanswered and disturbing aspects of this tragic case.
In that year the family has suffered intimidation, harrasment, and assaults by gardai in there own home at summerhill D1.
Also in the year 16 months after the appaling injuries terence suffered. the extent of these injuries are only coming to light,
they are consistent with a severe beating, defence marks and blunt trauma to the brain, also bruise's to his back and legs are consistent with some sort of assault and all correspond at time of arrest.
To date the Gardai have failed to answer any of the disturbing questions surrounding terence arrest and detention and subsequent death.
Why was the cell renovated immediately after terence removal, dispite a court order by a solicitor to inspect the cell.
Why did it take 10 mins {by gardai's own admission} to ring emergency services.
Why want the gardai return terence clothes to his family?
why where there bruises on his body and severe brain injurie consistent with blunt trauma?
Why were the family driven across the city to the wrong hospital?
Why was the custody record doctored and intervered with?
Why was terence found in a hallway of the station and not in the cell by emergency services?
To date none of these questions have been elaborated on, nor explained.
The gardai did release a press release but none of its content explains how terence manage to bore through solid concrete with his bare hands,
in what gardai themselves call suicide safe cells.
Nor those it answer or explain any of the above questions in to this deeply disturbing death, furthermore the press release contents elaborate on the damage to a car and property, something terence wheelock was never charged with. This has failed the family.
Has raised more questions than answers and has severly damaged the gardai's reputation in the area and the wider community as a whole.
In that year it has also been revealed that the internal garda investigation, by a so called independent investigar namely Garda Oliver Hanley who himselve served 15 years at store st.
Has had TWO roles in this case. For the last 16 months he has objected to the release through the courts of terence wheelocks clothes to the family it is quite strange why he is doing this. The family want them independently tested. The withholding of these clothes has held the inquest up and caused futher hearthache to the family the gardai have been quite callous and cold towards the family garda oliver hanley never consulted the family with regard to his independent investigation.
Amazingly it has come to light in the coroners court, that terence clothes HAVE NOT been test by the state forensic lab at the pheonix park.
Instead what has come to light is they have not even been properly or securely stored, instead they have sat in a garda locker at blackrock garda station for 15 months and have not to date been tested.
The more reason why these clothes should be released to the family for tests as contamination could easily occur outside a lab.
Larry Wheelock Speaks
Joe Costello T.D., Cllr. Christy Burke and Tony Gregory T.D.
Garda witheld evidence
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Comments (15 of 15)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Justice for Terence
Joe Costello addresses the crowd
Freehand graffiti around Tryone House demanding Justice for Terence
Some of the placards
There was also a good turnout from Indymedia and anarchist youth. It was good to see that this protest was the biggest yet.
Whats the story with the mainstream press not covering this incident and protest in the media? Its probably the fact that what happened was not through any wrong doing on the part of the Gardai and his injuries were self inflicted. Every media outlet is bouncing off the Gardai from the Morris reports and rightly so, the don't seem to think there is much to this and I'm of the same view. I dont think in Gardai would be bothered beating a no hoper criminal like Mr. Wheelock.
The main argument that you use, that this is not news because the mainstream press are not covering it, is an one unusual to use to attack an indymedia article. This site exists because the 'mainstream press' fails in many ways and covering stories like this is only one, but one that most of the readership here would expect from them.
I was also interested in your disbelief that the guards wouldnt bother beating up Terence Wheelock because they, like you, chose to classify him as "a no hoper criminal". Does this mean you believe the guards reserve their beatings for the rich and the powerful, for the respected mainstream.
Perhaps what you mean is that this story would only matter if Mr Wheelock had been one of those people. Thats an opinion ya ya ya - but not a very pleasant one. Is there any reason why one persons opinion should be relevant?
At least Al claimed to have been there that night, which made his opinion relevant, even if somewhat difficult to credit in the end. Why is yours relevant?
i was at the march for terence wheelock . i heard it on 2fm which goes right out the lenght and breath of the country on the hour every hour.
It was the biggest march yet hundreds of people turned out in support of the wheelock family and their quest for justice and the establishment of an independent public inquiry.
their cause has been and will continue to be a blight on the gardai at store st garda station until the deeply disturbing aspects of this case are addressed by independent observers not the gardai.
also day to day policing in the innercity has become a problem for the gardai.
people now view the gardai in the area as killers and the most dishonest people you can come across.
they are viewed in the nth inner city with suspicion.
This is a result in some part because of the wheelock case and the intimidation of the family.
If people did not feel strongly about the case why would they turn out in such numbers?
why after a year of his death have people not forgotten? these protests are getting bigger.
The communty of the nth innerrcity are not criminals nor are they supporters of criminals.
Also the mainstream media dont matter in the community. we dont need the medai.
the backing of the nth innercity will suffice and the wheelock family will get an independen inquiry that much is inevitable.
the family are not going anywhere, the intimidation by the criminal gardai and assaults has failed miserably for the the local criminal element in the gardai.
there objective to storm the family home and beat them up back fired big time. instead of them being silenced,
it strenghtened there resolve and gained unprecedented support . never befor in the history of the state have people marched on a garda station in such numbers time after time.
It must be deeply embarrasing for decent gardai that the scum that hide behind there coats should shame them in such away and bring there name in to the gutter.
Out these criminal bastards and expose there criminality and corruption
they killed a young man and used there organization like the mafia to protect themselves.
Good luck to the family this will go on for years the family have stated there in this for the long haul, Sore st gardai should out those criminal in their ranks and drop them like a bad penny the wheelock family will be there again to call on them to do so . and there is more news to come about this case the family are legally gagged much to ther frustration if people only new tha halve of it. They would be truly shocked.
read it in the sundayworld today very sad an independent inquiry would clear this up. hope every thing works out for the family
how come the police can get away with ignoring these people surely there answerable to someone. They dont seem to have commented on this case since the press release which was not very informative there was a lot about criminal damage and such. no comment about anything else. do the police hope by ignoring the family for long enough they will go away?
Its quit obvious by indymedia's coverage that this stuff goes on and we dont get to hear about it by main stream medai. one of the benifits of the internet.
judging by the large crowds its big news in innercity dublin seen a lot of flyers aroung apparently this wheelock lad was well liked and popular. can the police explain away the familys questions? obviously not cant find anymore press release? well i think the residents in the innercity feel strongly about this case time will reveal all
the wheelock family have a lot of support in there area they should of marched up oconnel st and on to the dail. that would of certainly raised eyebrows they need to utilise there support because the media wont help this case they rathere leave it a dead issue in the nth innercity
i find it incredible that the police would with hold Mr Wheelocks clothes from the state forensic lab.i was at the protest on saturday and i agree with what larry wheelock said and that is that all the actions of the gardai are diplorable and only add the the cloud of suspicion that does without doubth hangs over store street garda station.there is an acceptable level of violence and injustice within the gardai. the is clear insubordination and mismanagement.here. you have and eighty odd year old organisation that had evolved out of the war of independence with the formation of the state .What type of man signed up to it were gun runners murderers killing under the auspicses of war . these people tortured brittish sodiers and spys any then end up becoming members of An Garda schionna, or gardians of the peace.a joke.thier heavey handedness has become ingrained within the garda .The very actions and volume of people from the north inner city have spoken when they turned out in in sheer volume to support of the wheelocks campaign for justice. They have lived with an insubordinated garda force and many people all around the country have suffered at the hands of the garda either directly or indirectly.we need to rise up against garda corruption and in justicess. i would urge everyone to answer larry wheelock call and stand up and be counted and rid the gardai of the blight thats within it. justice will prevail
i remember a number of years ago the mcbrearty family were dimissed like the way ya ya ya have done to the wheelock family in his comment above a hint of agaurd coming through.
They were tryed to be discredited like the wheelock family they were called no hopers, and criminals it is well documented the number of summances that were issued to the mcbreartys 125 were issued to criminalized them and discredit them. This is the way corrupt police work.
they were also ignored by justice ministers and the them attorney general micka mcdowell, micka refuse to meet them and suppressed reports of suspicious activites by senoir gardai, they send carthy up to mop up by that time there was to much to clean. the family had money and refuse to be intimdated stood there ground be what may under death threaths and threat of imprisonment also it was a long time berfor the medai picked it up five years befor it became a major story dispite them knowing about it for along time.
The wheelcok case has been going on a year, and i'm like many other of there supporters feel that there questions which they have raised are very valid they should like all citizens be treated fair and giving a fair hearing, after all it is there son who is gone for ever.
They want to know what happened him and why they and there concerns have been totally ignored by gardai, they have acted in a very suspicous manner in relation to this case,
and when someone acts, as the gardai know themselves in a suspicious manner they warrant closer inspection.
They do too.
i'm glad to see al has change his tune in relation to this case, because at one time he was even denying the gardai at terence wheelocks clothes!.
He is right about the family deserving answers they should be giving a fair hearing and as rightly pionted out the mcbrearty family in donegal. were aslo ignored by mainstream medai for a number of years.
The wheelock family have been campaiging for an independent inquiry in to mr wheelocks death for a year now, marching many time to stores st garda station with their community they have protested outside the dail, and the toiseeach house in drumcondra, they have always been dignified in their protests and it is a measure of the familys dignity even under extreme adversity when there family home was attacked by yobo gardai.
They held firm and continued there campaign for justice, there resolve hs strenghtened,
and this is evident in the latest support in the community on saturday were hundreds took to the streets urging and independent inquiry.
Its becoming more evident that one is needed badly to establish the truth of what happened to mr wheelock on the 2/6/05 at store st garda station.
deaths in garda custody should be looked at more closely when there are allegations of human rights abuse's. which is becoming all to prevalent, as people wake from the smiling two faced garda sargent. That era is gone, like the preist who went unchallenged for to long, the same with the gardai, although tds continue to drag there heels. ordinary people have woken up to what goes on behind the iron curtain of garda stations.
glad to see the wheelock family are still seeking the truth in to their sons death, it is truly unfortunate that they have to go to the extreme of public protest for a inquiry which should be garaunteed when any young man regardless of social status or background dies in a cell under to say the least suspicious circumstances, it should be a right if they feel it is suspicious and have reasonable grounds [as in this case] to suspect that human rights abuse has taken place, an independent inquiry must be established for the gardai and the bereaved and for the public peace of mind. this is a troubling case.
commend the wheelocks on their dignified stance wish them well in the future. there is light in the end of the tunnel. keep fighting
pat.
i agree wuth pat, the wheelocks are courages for what they are doing. an ordinary working class family with no political alliances and they can organize there community and gather support for them, just shows the resilience in the innercity in the face of adversity.
fuzzy was sound he never did anything on anyone and was always buzzin we all miss himi n the aria we will never forgett what happened him it was wrong.
the garda were wrong they should not of bet him like an animal, justice wil b done.
go to europe with this case, there is human rights abuses here that much is obvious, we are living in a police state run by nazis, this kid will never get a fair hearing here .