In Penny Lane...

[fretslider]

There's nothing like a little frivolity, is there. And so we have the case of the police marksman who allegedly inserted up to eight song titles into his evidence at the inquest of the barrister Mark Saunders. He has now been suspended by Scotland Yard.

The Metropolitan Police said last night it was taking the claims "extremely seriously". A bullet from the gun of the firearms officer was one of the fatal shots that killed Mr Saunders in the seige at his Chelsea home on May 6, 2008.

The officer’s identity was protected at the inquest, under the code name Alpha Zulu 8. After the shooting he was only removed from frontline duties for a matter of weeks before being reinstated. However the Met last night took the unusual step of suspending him following the allegations he jokingly used references to songs heard in the musical Phantom of the Opera, the film The Italian Job and a song by Chris de Burgh while describing the fatal siege.

The family of Mr Saunders was said to be "disgusted" and sources said Sir Paul Stephenson, the Scotland Yard Commissioner, was "furious" that anyone could apparently show such "insensitivity and lack of judgment" during the high-profile hearing.
A spokesman said last night: “The IPCC are now managing an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards. “The Met takes this matter extremely seriously as we expect the highest standards of all of our staff.”

I fought the law and the law...

[aubrey]

The song titles seem to be all cliches, which is the reason they were used for song titles in the first place.

I could imagine contestants of the X factor using pretty much all of them (except the membranes one).

[fretslider]

There is a time and a place for that kind of attitude.....

An inquest into a police killing isn't X Factor. Shows like that illustrate what a chav nation England has become.

[beth]

What could have been the purpose? Was he thinking to lighten the mood and present himself as a likeable, "fun" kind of guy?

He won't going to get another chance at making THAT first impression.

He probably did not intend to kill the man ... what exactly was the charge? Accidental Manslaughter?

[aubrey]

Nov 6, 2010 12:06:49 GMT -5 fretslider said:

There is a time and a place for that kind of attitude.....

An inquest into a police killing isn't X Factor. Shows like that illustrate what a chav nation England has become.

I meant that he needn't have been quoting song titles, just using the kind of language that has become popular these days, and the kind of language that people on the X factor use. None of those phrases is exclusive to a song title.

(I can't watch the X Factor, or any of those programmes (Strictly, maybe, a bit). I can't even watch it for a laugh. It really depresses me - all that fake drama - at least WWF doesn't pretend it's real. And that's without even hearing the songs they do.

None of my favourite singers/vocalists would get past the first round. Not even Hammill, who is a real singer, but the wrong type.)

[fretslider]

Nov 7, 2010 13:25:27 GMT -5 aubrey said:

Nov 6, 2010 12:06:49 GMT -5 fretslider said:

There is a time and a place for that kind of attitude.....

An inquest into a police killing isn't X Factor. Shows like that illustrate what a chav nation England has become.

I meant that he needn't have been quoting song titles, just using the kind of language that has become popular these days, and the kind of language that people on the X factor use. None of those phrases is exclusive to a song title.

(I can't watch the X Factor, or any of those programmes (Strictly, maybe, a bit). I can't even watch it for a laugh. It really depresses me - all that fake drama - at least WWF doesn't pretend it's real. And that's without even hearing the songs they do.

None of my favourite singers/vocalists would get past the first round. Not even Hammill, who is a real singer, but the wrong type.)

I agree with what you say.

Gary Moore would stand no chance with his face.

[aubrey]

Or Robin Trower.