JEP: AT THE CENTRE OF ISLAND LIES SINCE 1890 – AND NOW CHRIS BRIGHT WANTS YOU TO PAY AN EXTRA 20% BECAUSE IT’S GOING DOWN THE PAN!

Look – let’s get one thing straight.  Though I have written the above headline I also acknowledge the Jersey Evening Pravda probably still CAN be worth every penny of the huge and inflationary 60p its editor – liar, coward and bully - Chris Bright wants you to now shell out of your pocket each day to keep the old Establishment mouthpiece going a few years longer.  Shocked at the apparent contradiction? Well, don’t be.

You see if you are one of those rare and special people willing to invest time in saving all of the cardboard tubing from the inside of your Christmas wrapping paper; and then spending a few hours each week cutting the Filthy Rag into neat little 4 inch strips to make home made loo roll then it actually does work out very favourably against even Andrex!

Okay, so it is true that you will still always run the real risk of ending up with more s*** (sorry ‘news’) on your backside afterward then had you just chanced to a clean job. But surely this risk is handsomely balanced out by the possible guilty pleasure of wiping your rear end on the smirking face of some of those hell bent on entrenching Jersey as a two-tier society where power shall reside in the hands of a tiny wealthy elite forever: people such as a King Bailhache, Prince Ozouf or even despicable States e-mail thief - and new Pravda favourite in this election year – Court Jester, Deputy Sean ‘Fingers’ Power?

The fact is the JEP is dying the natural death of any newspaper that sells its journalistic soul to undermining democracy for self-interest…

Yet all humour aside for anyone who has not read the ‘Message from the Editor’ published in last night’s newspaper one really should do so just to marvel at the sheer desperation apparent in Bright’s risible attempt to justify the huge increase. Indeed, to this end I have taken the liberty of reproducing the piece below this blog post just to give even those within the ever-growing number who now refuse to by this Establishment mouthpiece and gutter journal out of principle a chance to read it. 

But be warned – it may make you vomit quicker than a Geoff Southern ‘You should never take on the media’ speech!

But honestly, the sheer bulls**** Bright spins in trying to sell this massive increase – a full 20% of the previous price let us not forget and also the second rise to hit people in little more than two years - is quite jaw-dropping. Indeed, it would be truly funny if it wasn’t so blatantly dishonest in its stated justifications. It is certainly best to judge for your self but I’ll also quickly deconstruct the core of the editor’s guff within a few brief paragraphs below.

For starters poor old Chris whines that the huge increase in cost is ‘necessary’ to allow the JEP to maintain their ‘trusted, professional journalism’ set against the current ‘difficult, economic times’. ‘Trusted and professional’, Chris? What year did that special edition come out then – 1891?

Okay, so yes, Mr Bright, times certainly are economically difficult – yet the truth of the matter is, as you and anyone else reading newspapers anywhere know full well, across the globe titles which are far more highly respected and of a far higher quality than the Filthy Rag has ever been are instead ruthlessly and regularly shaving money OFF the sale price to try and entice readers to stick with them.

The majority of people in Jersey simply do not trust the mainstream media (MSM) anymore and with good reason…

Yes, it is also true that advertisers have been deserting the JEP in droves with an obvious consequential knock on impact to its income – indeed, this was privately alleged to me firsthand by one of its better journalists only the week before Christmas.  One can hardly blame them: the Rag’s sales according to the journalist who spoke to me are now allegedly dropping down toward around just 50% of what they were as recently as just 1997! 

But the grim fact is that the JEP’s slide toward the media knackers yard is primarily and indisputably down to one thing. A growing number of people within the community are sick to the back teeth of Bright and co peddling ever more right-wing propaganda and – worse – calculated misinformation and even downright lies to try and smear Leftists/Progressives and any brave enough not just to vociferously fight for the welfare of the ordinary working people the paper so despises; but actually even stand up to the Rag’s bullying.  Add in the generally lousy writing and the advertisers jumping ship is hardly surprising.

Okay, so it’s true the JEP has been lying and seeking to discredit any who they view as serious threats to the corrupt Establishment Empire for generations – probably centuries. Certainly since the aftermath of the Second World War where the Evening Post’s then editor not only happily collaborated with the Nazis but then ensured the Rag did its best to help rig the following elections by smearing the likes of Norman Le Brocq and the Jersey Democratic Movement; even denying them the right to publish their manifesto whilst promoting the right-wing businessmen behind the sham Jersey Progressive Party.

Yes, good old Mr Harrison even secretly attended meetings and supported the opposing and bogus Jersey Progressive party but was such a stickler for fair play and democracy that he ‘refrained’ from actually joining. What a man he must have been! Almost Bright-esque?  Problem is now as Bob Dylan so rightly sang: ‘the times they are a-changing’. Though the names and faces of those democrats attacked by the Rag have come and gone these decades of smears and lies - and possibly most importantly the rise of Citizens’ Media - have finally taken its toll. Put in a nutshell essentially the JEP is now dying by its own hand.

99% of the journalistic professionalism now existing in Jersey is with the burgeoning Citizen’s Media…

Indeed, one particular line within Chris Bright’s ‘message’ cuts to perhaps the most important truth of all. Of course it is not the least surprising the soon to be ex-editor pumps out the standard Establishment lie that – and I quote:  

‘In an age of information overload and on-line gossip and rumour, it is more important than ever that readers can turn to reliable publication whose journalists are trained and professionally motivated to distinguish what is true and important and to help make sense of the complexities of modern life.’

But though a bigger and more desperate lie was likely never spun put into its right perspective the irony of what Bright was trying to spin to his fast dwindling readership is pretty much spot on.

This is that the examples of both the JEP’s incessant propaganda and lying and the manner of how they have been left in the dust over the past few years when it comes to investigating and then breaking news of real importance by local blogs such as Voiceforchildren, Rico Sorda, Stuart Syvret and indeed this one - as well as an ever-growing collection of others - is now there for all to see if one is only willing to look beyond the vested interest driven propaganda of Bright and his ilk to frighten you away.

Indeed, for just one revealing example simply compare the way the JEP and it’s local MSM ‘competitors’ Channel and the BBC have happily published again and again appalling and demonstrable lies to try and help trash the investigation into decades of institutionalised child abuse concealed by the Establishment; and with it of course the reputations of those such as Lenny Harper, Graham Power, Stuart Syvret and Shona’s and my own who were caring and resolute enough to seek justice for the victims. Lies remember that undermined the hope for justice for people – then young children - who have faced a daily living hell for decades!

Just like certain Bailiffs, senior politicians and civil servants the JEP and its MSM ‘competitors’ knew then and know now – they just don’t want you to know…

After all its not as if Bright and his paymasters couldn’t publish the truth even at the late hour of early 21^st Century – the Scrutiny investigation alone which I chaired into the alleged mishandling of the finances of Operation Rectangle blew the tripe Bright, his counterparts and lackeys were peddling to the public as ‘fact’s into a cocked hat in one single document. Gods - you can almost picture the news meetings…

‘What… so some little brat from a broken home got buggered a few times years ago? No, no, no can’t find space for that – not good for our image as a financial centre. Besides, look what we’ve got scooped – a policeman travelling with Lenny Harper ate two helpings of lemon meringue AND had an Irish coffee! Hold the front page, Rob!’

Yet in contrast the blogs listed above also added to the revelations of the Scrutiny review ten times over. Just as they have also done with countless other stories as diverse as the Lime Grove House scandal; the shafting of the Controller & Auditor General; the senior Police Officer spun as being allowed to leave the force for ‘personal reasons’ yet who had actually sexually assaulted a civilian member of staff; all the way up to the Plemont-motivated attempted political assassination of Deputy Rob Duhamel finally falling flat only two weeks ago.

The JEP – happy to even benefit from those who make excuses for abuse…

Yes, throw in the JEP’s willingness to keep quiet – and even years later consequently financially benefit – from outrages such as individuals like the disgusting John Le Breton who (yes, I’ll keep on publishing it!) deliberately disregarded sickening evidence against his predatory paedophile friend, Andrew Jervis-Dykes at Victoria College and yet was then allowed to sit as a Jurat by both Philip Bailhache and Michael Birt - whilst the blogs would eventually unfold the whole, horrific truth - and one not only understands the how and why the JEP is now facing the consequence of reaping what it has for so long sown.

You also understand how this most revolting of ‘newspapers’ inevitable demise should not merit either tears or regret. The truth is it did only damage and disservice to the vast majority of Jersey’s ordinary working people whilst pandering, decade after decade, to the interests of the self-proclaimed elite. No its final passing when it comes should not be mourned by any who cherish fairness and democracy. After all, as the legendary Malcolm X once famously stated: ‘If we’re not careful the newspapers will have us hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people doing the oppressing.’

As to the 60 million dollar question of just how long the rapidly sinking Pravda ship can manage to keep afloat my money is on it being gone before the final demise of the archaic dual role of Bailiff. Though for reasons I just can’t seem to put a finger on right now I do hope it can at least hold on until we get our case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Still… that quarter of a million plus pounds of taxpayers’ money the newspaper has got from its friends in government for so many years – monies you never got to vote on of course – for publishing vast and time consuming works like the Gazette ought to keep the sherry cabinet stocked for a few years more at least. Won’t it?

Keep the Faith

*Just a quick message to Paul Carter: in reading my factual outlaying of what I have been told by a JEP employee – who obviously wants to remain anonymous whilst he (or she?) ‘looks for a better employer’ - should you be considering a letter of the type sent to Citizens Media Investigative Journalist, Rico Sorda’s place of work in a clear attempt at intimidation – please save the company a stamp! As the JEP really should know by now I simply don’t do being bullied no matter what the cost along the way to ultimate vindication.

The message from the JEP Editor - ‘The price of your JEP – and its value’

Dear readers…

‘The cover price of the Jersey Evening Post will rise by 10p to 60p from Saturday 1 March. This increase, the first since 2011, is a reflection of the current economic circumstances, changes in the media landscape and what we consider to be the true worth of local newspapers like the JEP.

We hope that you will agree that a price of 60p for a comprehensive daily package of news, comment, analysis, features, information and advertising, offering both a vital daily snapshot of Island life and a forum for debate and discussion, still represents excellent value. The Jersey Evening Post has been serving this unique and special Island since 1890 and continues to reach the whole community at a level which is among the highest in the newspaper industry.

Recently, we have added electronic editions and an enhanced website jerseyevingpost.com, to help us offer the kind of multi-media news and advertising services which modern readers expect. More change will come as, in common with publishers across Britain, we find new ways to keep bringing you the kind of trusted, professional journalism which is so important to local democracy and the life of the community.

Maintaining the specialised organisation required to achieve that aim presents a commercial challenge in these difficult economic times, which have had an inevitable impact on the advertising revenues upon which newspapers like the JEP have traditionally depended, and to a great degree still do.

The 10p price rise, although unwelcome, will help us to redress the balance and invest in maintaining the standards which so many Jersey residents have rightly come to expect.

In an age of information overload and on line gossip and rumour , it is more important than ever  that readers can turn to reliable publications whose journalists are trained and professionally motivated  to distinguish  what is true  and important and to help make sense of the complexities of modern life. The increase will support the JEP’s continuing efforts to fill that role and remain one of the key elements which binds the Jersey community together.

The increased cover price will continue to absorb GST, as we have done since that tax was introduced.

And there is also a way in which readers can keep enjoying their JEP at the old price. Daily subscribers using the JEP Extra or JEP Digital services will not be affected by the increase. Details at jerseyeveningpost.com.

Whichever way you choose, we hope you will stay with the JEP as we evolve to meet the challenges of a new era.’

Chris Bright, Editor

End.

Well, fingers crossed, eh Chris…

AN OPEN LETTER TO LORD McNALLY & THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF JERSEY

The shameless manipulation of the 'justice' system as a tool of oppression by the Jersey Establishment continues...

I reproduce below an 'open letter' sent yesterday to both UK Justice Minister, Lord McNally (who has done absolutely nothing about the abuses of justice evident in our case - other than to offer to refer us back to the very Bailiff who had allowed it all to happen) and Her Majesty The Queen's representative here on the island, the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John McColl.

 

It outlines the incredible - and it must be said, deeply disturbing - latest unfoldings of what has been passed off as 'justice' in our case since we we were foolish enough to place our trust in the Jersey judicial system.

 

Indeed, should you be naive or perhaps simply unaware enough to still have even the smallest trace of trust that the Jersey 'justice' system is anything other than a farce; a completely hijacked tool for the Establishment to both avoid the holding to account of those amongst their ranks who merit it; and to try and bury all and any who dare challenge it please simply read this and the attached letter from current Jurat Collette Crill and think again.

 

A fairly long read perhaps, but five minutes of your time well spent. Finally, tempting as it was to deconstruct the shortcomings and attempted re-writing of historical fact within the letter from Jurat Crill readers of the bald Truth Jersey will perhaps understand why I felt this better to leave to others...

 

Keep the Faith                                                             

 

Dear Lord McNally and Lieutenant-Governor 

 

We write to you in the form of this open letter to bring to your attention – in the remote chance that either of you should have any genuine concern for the on-going abuse of the justice system here on Jersey – to highlight the latest episode of the many abuses evident within our attempt to secure justice for ourselves via the courts.  

As you will both be aware due to previous correspondence our present situation arose from us daring to trust that we would be afforded – just like any other person – a fair and ECHR Article 6 compliant court process. Indeed, as is now well documented the reality has been not only that we were instead faced with a Jurat – John Le Breton - who has a proven history of looking the other way on evidence of child abuse against a former friend and colleague; but who also felt quite above accepted global judicial standards to not recuse himself from sitting on our case – even though he is further evidenced to have wined and dined a director of the Jersey Evening Post’s owning company the Guiton Group. 

That all of this was allowed to take place by Jersey’s Bailiff (who we copy in) and has most recently even been rubber-stamped by three Jersey Appeal Court Judges who – quite incredibly – attempted to re-write the findings of the 1999 Stephen Sharp Report into the child abuse cover-up at the island’s Victoria College to claim within their judgement: i.e. that there is apparently nothing in the report which would warrant John Le Breton being viewed as unfit for such a role would suggest that this leaves little more to be said.  

At least until we progress our case to the Privy Council; and more likely, we must accept, if this abuse of justice is so acceptable to those who should be intervening on behalf of the Queen and United Kingdom government, to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Nevertheless, given the latest developments which we now outline below we will have at least placed upon record yet more evidence of the corruption and inexcusable failings evident in our case – just as this is within the cases of so many others. 

As you may or may not already be aware, having been brought to bankruptcy by our pursuit of justice; following on from the Appeal Court Judges inexplicable ruling on Friday 29^th November 2013 our lawyer (yes, in Jersey you even have to engage a lawyer to become officially bankrupt!) brought to the court a request that we be granted the process of Remise de biens.

Should either of you not know of this ancient Jersey aspect of law what this does is bring about a form of bankruptcy which allows – subject to certain criteria all of which our situation meets – for one’s property and assets to be sold off by the court. The issue here is that there must be enough money available to pay off in full any secured creditor: in our case just our bank as the mortgage lender. Further still, that some surplus must remain to allow some form of dividend to then be shared between the unsecured creditors such as the Jersey Evening Post and Broadlands – the entities who colluded to publish the lies claiming we had increased our income by four times by Trevor entering politics. 

Once accepted by the court and a Remise has been successfully completed with a property being sold and the secured creditor paid in full; and unsecured creditors having received a share of the remaining dividend, the matter is concluded and a discharge from the bankruptcy debt may be obtained allowing people to start again. This is clearly the best route for us to follow, especially given the fact that having been forced to this position by the Jersey Evening Post and Broadlands an additional consequence almost no other individual would face is that we immediately lose our positions and income as States Members. 

Even given the clear UK authorities indifference to the delivery of justice here in the Crown Dependency we would thus hope that to then find the judge hearing our request for a Remise – no less an individual than the Deputy Bailiff, William Bailhache, attempt to wholly mislead our lawyer with false information as to how the process works and it’s benefits and drawbacks; and indeed, to suggest – in our view, we repeat, attempt  to mislead – that the best route for us would instead be to seek to go en desastre is wholly unacceptable. Following this route would actually place us in a far worse position and leave this hanging over us for a full five years 

That the Deputy Bailiff would not know of the damaging misinformation he was suggesting as the better way forward for us is clearly inconceivable. Indeed, the true facts have been verified by lawyers and even the Viscounts Office.  

We were fortunately tipped off to the above by a concerned person who was in the court on the day and we have now even secured an audio disc of the exchange. We feel that we must ask that you look into this as a matter of urgency as – very co-incidentally – the Jersey Evening Post and Broadlands, having no doubt been failed by their own lawyers, just happen to now suddenly be seeking that the court reject the fully justified Remise and push us down the desastre route suggested by William Bailhache. We repeat: what a strange coincidence. Not only do two of the biggest critics of the Establishment’s failings on matters such as abuses of justice and child protection cover-ups get forced out of public office; we also face manipulation by the court down an even more damaging bankruptcy path than is necessary.  

We would thus hope that you might understand that all of the above cannot do anything, other than fill us with concern as to a likely pre-decided outcome of the Remise hearing set for Thursday 19^th December – just two days hence. After all, should you also not be aware of it this was actually set to be concluded this past Friday. However, any hopes we might have had of some degree of fair play - given that both our lawyer and the two Jurats who compiled the necessary report confirmed we met all criteria to satisfy a successful Remise were quickly stripped away when the lawyer for the Jersey Evening Post, Advocate Nuno Santos-Costa, informed our lawyer just moments before the hearing that he had a close personal friendship with one of the Jurats sitting; this being Jurat Collette Crill. 

Having been made aware that both the Jersey Evening Post and Broadlands were attempting to buy time as they knew they really had very little grounds for argument, the fact that this Advocate – who had at no time appeared for the JEP during the defamation case – suddenly appeared to be followed by this announcement was highly suspicious in itself. Has Jersey really got such an unprofessional and shambolic court-process that a lawyer- any lawyer – would not know beforehand which Jurats were sitting?  

With this conflict raised the court retired for a brief time then returned. Here, quite incredibly, Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith announced that whilst the court would reconvene with two other Jurats at a later date Jurat Crill, nevertheless, apparently felt that her close friendship with the lawyer for the Jersey Evening Post – and a lawyer whose firm obviously stood to make many thousands of pounds from a decision in his client’s favour did ‘not’ conflict her from ‘administering justice’! 

We must put it to you as representatives of the Queen and UK government respectively that the picture this all paints of the attitude to justice for all within the island, is totally unacceptable. Indeed, once aware of who Jurat Crill was once we returned home a little on line research following further contact from the public revealed matters to be even more disturbing. 

Not only was it quite apparent that we had a Judge in William Bailhache who has no love for us or our politics, attempting to mislead our lawyer to take us down a route far more damaging to us than the requested and merited Remise de biens; it now became apparent we had had a Jurat who was intending to sit on our case in the full knowledge that she had previously written an insulting – many would say malicious – personal attack on Shona within a letter published by no less than the Jersey Evening Post. All, we would point out for the record, because Shona had dared to bring a vote of no confidence in Sir Philip Bailhache whilst he was Bailiff. This being on account of his several well documented serious failings on child abuse. 

That such behaviour could not be seen as a serious conflict of interest is impossible to credit even within a jurisdiction with Jersey’s laissez-faire approach to judicial corruption. That Jurat Crill could not be aware of her resulting conflict; or that her remaining silent on the matter was completely at odds with the principles of justice – certainly as applied by any respectable jurisdiction - are even more inarguable. Indeed, not only does the Jurat’s letter reveal just how little she was aware of the true facts relating to Jersey’s appalling child protection failings arising from those in high office; her choice of insults demonstrate beyond any question her entirely prejudiced attitude to a person upon whom the Jurat wished to now ‘administer justice’. For the record we reproduce the letter from Jurat Crill below.  

As you will both be aware we have little reason to have any faith in the justice system that is allowed to operate under this present Bailiff, Sir Michael Birt, and for very good reason when one considers the evidence of our case alone. A case that is, of course, just one of many destroying the lives of ordinary Jersey people simply because the UK does not fulfil its obligation to step in on ensuring good governance and law and order. As with a growing number of other islanders we will continue to highlight these abuses and fight for them to be rectified no matter what.  

Yet with our hearing set for just two days hence we first urgently ask you: what confidence can we have that a process for which we meet all of the criteria (even with our home having been mysteriously undervalued compared with independent valuations of just a year ago to the tune of some £60 + thousand) will not somehow instead be manipulated to accommodate the wishes of the Jersey Evening Post and Broadlands estate agents? We have, it must be said, been put through hell by the catalogue of appalling failings allowed to go un-rectified during our case. Yet it seems that even having reached the stage when we expected to achieve – at least - some degree of conclusion for ourselves and our families the system was once again manipulated to thwart this with the unfolding of the deeply disturbing events surrounding this past week or so.  

We believe this is what is known locally as ‘The Jersey Way’. 

Yours sincerely 

Shona & Trevor Pitman 

 

17th December 2013

 

The letter published in the JEP from the now Jurat Collette Crill who attempted to sit to 'administer justice' on our case... 

JEP – 2 July 2008.  Collette Crill, Le Solaize, Les Ruisseaux, St Brelade. 

“On the day of her election, Deputy Shona Pitman engaged in offensive behaviour in public.  Many would deem that such behaviour rendered her unfit for elected office.  Since then I am unaware that the Deputy has distinguished herself as a States Member.  It seems particularly ironic, therefore, that it is she who sees fit to call for a vote of no confidence in order to vilify and bully the Bailiff.  Mont of the Bailiff’s career has been devoted to serving this Island in Crown Office, instead of pursing a more lucrative path in private practice.  One can’t help wondering whether Deputy Pitman even understands, let alone appreciates, that all our Crown Officers are highly skilled and in many cases brilliant legal practitioners who choose for altruistic reasons, to offer themselves for Crown service instead of using their admirable academic and intellectual skills in far more self-serving ways. 

Given the behaviour and performance of many of our present elected representatives on can’t help feeling that precisely the opposite motivation applies to them.  The list of our current Bailiff’s achievements for this island good is as long as it is impressive, not only as a lawyer and judge, but also in so many other aspects of island life. In common with the reset of humanity, he is not infallible and as humility is one of his many qualities, I believe he would be the first to acknowledge this.  Indeed, he has publicly expressed regret for a possible error of judgement made years ago, long before he became Bailiff, in relation to the Holland case. 

Deputy Pitman, though, would have us believe that along with one sentence in his Liberation Day speech when he spoke about Jersey’s recently maligned reputation, using a turn of phrase not quite up to Deputy Pitman’s exacting standards, this is enough to wipe out years of exemplary service and dedication to the island. 

Deputy Pitman’s use of this form of politics is absurd and risible, yet sadly dangerous and adding to the immense harm that some of our politicians seek to cause by being so obsessive destructive and negative.  She and her cabal would be far better employed in using their position and salary, our money, in trying to rectify the many genuinely important matters of injustice and inequality in this island.  Of course, it’s so much easier to be negative and destructive.  Or could it be that they don’t actually have any positive or constructive ideas to offer?”