Another foolish footballer

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Freeman is an example of purchasing an acquittal, which anyone with the resources can attempt.

Not sure how many of those still at Eton have graduated to economic offending, but in that case it's often a matter of who you've upset.

Your trashed pub example is ultimately the same as the motoring one, once the police report is made it's all but impossible to bury it.

The publican may accept full restitution in exchange for not making a fuss about it, but again that's solely a matter of the perpetrators having access to money, it's nothing to do with their schooling or family contacts.

I'm sorry but contacts can stop all sorts of things. It doesn't need process stopped in clear sight; it's more subtle then that. Re-watching an old series of Endeavour the Chief Officer lets it be known that one potential interviewee is in the same flower arranging group as the Chief Constable's wife.

As a junior civil servant I was warned off tackling people as the subject was pally with x, y or z amongst Senior or influential people. No instruction to cease and desist, just a warning that if it blew up in my face I'd probably have no cover.

That's how influence works.
 
OP
OP
Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Veteran
I'm sorry but contacts can stop all sorts of things. It doesn't need process stopped in clear sight; it's more subtle then that. Re-watching an old series of Endeavour the Chief Officer lets it be known that one potential interviewee is in the same flower arranging group as the Chief Constable's wife.

As a junior civil servant I was warned off tackling people as the subject was pally with x, y or z amongst Senior or influential people. No instruction to cease and desist, just a warning that if it blew up in my face I'd probably have no cover.

That's how influence works.

The original contention was criminal matters could be buried, although that was modified to influenced.

The former is all but impossible given the nature of the system, but even influence is difficult to exert, unless you believe the person seeking to exercise it has influence over everyone in the long chain.

Some people seek to influence the media into not using a story, although once again it's impossible for the influencer to have power over everyone.

One example is a cracking human interest story in which a groom was involved in a serious road accident literally on his way to the church.

He made the wedding, several hours late, in a wheelchair while full of drugs and thoroughly against medical advice.

I got wind of the tale via a police contact, and pitched up at the wedding reception (uninvited) at Lumley Castle, a posh hotel which some may know overlooks Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street.

Turned out the family were well off, as might be expected given the venue, and the groom's father took against the idea of Press coverage.

He told me he knew the enobled proprietor of my newspaper, and would see to it I would be sacked if anything appeared, then ejected me from the reception.

While I knew the proprietor was strictly non-interference, I did report the threat to my editor at the time, who was known to be too timid for a job which does require bravery on occasion.

If it was up to me, I'd have included the threat in the story.

Predictably the editor dithered, that day's deadlines passed, which meant the story first saw the light of day in The Sun on the Monday, was then picked up by the agencies, so was all over the place that week.

Thus the groom's pompous twat dad's attempt at influence, or rather intimidation, only served to get the story more attention.

The Sun reporter later told me his understanding was they had been tipped off by a wedding guest.
 
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