Book
I've been really working flat out for the last few weeks on the book and it's tough. But just in case I get disillusioned I just read this paragraph in one chapter on the treatment of a woman in custody who had done absolutely nothing, who was unlawfully arrested and whose husband was being falsely accused for murder:
"She was verbally abused throughout and instructed not to smoke. She was told at times to stand and on one occasion she was ‘shouldered’ between the officers five or six times. She had photographs from Mr Barron’s autopsy pushed close to her face. She was told that her husband had been unfaithful. She was called names, including Satan. She was told that she would be stabbed and they would spit on her grave. She was told that when she was convicted her son would be taken into care. The lights were switched on and off in the room. She further claimed that she was told to pray on her father’s grave and that Garda White passed wind twice in front of her. Notes were not taken during this interview. The result of her treatment in custody was the need for hospitalisation within weeks due to mental illness. Justice Morris believed that some involved had hoped that her illness would prevent her from testifying but he praised her strength in giving evidence concluding that the ‘ultimate act of courage in upholding the truth has been that of Mrs McConnell.’ "
"She was verbally abused throughout and instructed not to smoke. She was told at times to stand and on one occasion she was ‘shouldered’ between the officers five or six times. She had photographs from Mr Barron’s autopsy pushed close to her face. She was told that her husband had been unfaithful. She was called names, including Satan. She was told that she would be stabbed and they would spit on her grave. She was told that when she was convicted her son would be taken into care. The lights were switched on and off in the room. She further claimed that she was told to pray on her father’s grave and that Garda White passed wind twice in front of her. Notes were not taken during this interview. The result of her treatment in custody was the need for hospitalisation within weeks due to mental illness. Justice Morris believed that some involved had hoped that her illness would prevent her from testifying but he praised her strength in giving evidence concluding that the ‘ultimate act of courage in upholding the truth has been that of Mrs McConnell.’ "