More UK Shenanigans

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It looks more and more like the UK government, with complicit media, is working to creatre an overall public impression that terrorism is a far-right phenomenon, and migrants and leftists aren't responsible for it at all. Last week, I posted on a peculiar story that counterterrorism police had thwarted a right-wing plot against a Muslim gathering, but because police sent the Muslims home early, nobody was harmed. Twelve people were arrested.

I was puzzled, as some UK observers also were, that the police offered so few details, in contrast to what US agencies like the FBI would release in any similar case. It turns out that the story is steadily shrinking, although the most complete version I've found is behind a paywall at the BBC. But via the Metropolitan Police:

Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) previously opened an investigation into a suspected threat against the UK Ijtima event held at Shrubland Hall, Suffolk from 9-12 July.

Twelve people [A-L] were arrested in connection with the investigation on Sunday 12 and Monday 13 July. Four people [I-L] were previously released on bail pending further enquiries. Eight others [A-H] were detained by police under section 41 of the Terrorism Act, meaning they could be detained up to seven days from their arrest.

. . . On Saturday, 18 July seven men [A, B, C, D, F, G, H] were released from custody without charge. Another man [M] has been released on bail with strict conditions pending further enquiries.

Following the recovery of certain items during searches carried out as part of the investigation, a 42-year-old man [E] has been charged with two offences linked to possession of offensive weapons – namely extendable batons – as well as possession of a stun gun. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 July.

It is important to note that the items and the offences he has been charged with are not believed to be connected to the alleged threat being investigated.

So of the original 12, seven have been released without charge, while the other five are out on bail, presumably not a danger to the community despite having allegedly plotted a terrorist attack. Oh, and we caught another guy,, but he didn't have anything to do with the plot. Just thought you'd like to know we're on the job.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of CTP London said: “This has been a fast-moving investigation after we became aware of information to indicate there was a potential threat towards the Islamic event over the course of last weekend.

“Since then, we have made extensive enquiries, but at this time, we have found no evidence to support anyone being charged with any offences linked to the alleged threat. . ."

In other words, never mind, there wasn't any plot to blow up any Muslims, or anything like that. One question that pops up for me is who reported the "plot" to police? Were Muslims involved at all? Sounds a little ike what we see over here, when folks graffiti their own cars or plant nooses on their own office doors. Right now, the UK police and press seem to be falling for those tricks, no questions asked.

In the Ann Widdecombe case. Granniopterix in the video embedded above explains the inconsistencies in the photos of the alleged perp that have been released, but neither looks much like the courtroom sketch of the suspect included in the CNN story below:

Ann Widdecombe, the former British lawmaker found dead at her home in southwest England in early July, was hit 21 times with a hammer, a London court heard on Tuesday.

Joshua Kerry, 28, allegedly entered Widdecombe’s house in the village of Haytor Vale on July 8, Prosecutor Kashif Malik told Westminster Magistrates’ Court, according to UK news agency PA Media.

He then allegedly walked into the 78-year-old politician’s kitchen wielding a hammer and repeatedly struck her head while she was eating lunch, the court heard.

He was only in her home for two minutes, the court heard.

Widdecombe’s provisional cause of death was described in court as a “blunt force injury to the head.”

Granniopterix in the video below says at 0:41,

Look, the first thing the police said about Ann Widedecombe's death was that it was most likely a burglary that had gone wrong, and that there was obviously no political or terroristical element in that. This woman, her head must have been practically disintegrated. She was a small woman, and a hammer 21 times is going to destroy most of her skull, isn't it? And the police said a burglary gone wrong.

According to the UK Express,

When Ms Widdecombe’s bloodied body was found on Thursday morning at her £600,000 home in Haytor, Dartmoor, detectives first pursued a theory that she had disturbed a burglar, even though nothing was stolen. Two days later, they arrested a local labourer in error before detaining the Rotherham man on Saturday night.

According to the Mail, items of varying political ideology, including Russian communist material, were found at the suspect’s home and on his electronic devices. Investigators do not believe there is evidence of hostile state involvement. The unnamed British white suspect was not known to the Government’s Prevent deradicalisation programme. Police are inquiring into his mental health.

However, news coverage of the murder has generally made no mention of the political books found in the suspect Kerry's home. It's hard to avoid a preferred narrative that terrorism and assassinations are far-right phenomena in the UK.