For immediate Press Release 24/04/13

“Free Steven Topley Demonstration and Leafleting.”

Photo opportunity: Friday 26th April 2013. 9.30-11.00 am

Family and supporters will protest Steven Topley’s innocence and imprisonment outside Nottingham Crown Court 60 Canal St, Nottingham, NG1 7EL.
Contact details: Dave Perkins Tel; 07971 373479. Gina Topley Tel; 07952 976316.

A campaign has begun to free a man detained by police since 11th April for allegedly making a threatening comment during a Atos interview. Police were called to Steve Topley’s ESA interview by Atos staff who then escorted him to the QMC where he was kept late into the night and denied contact with his family, despite medical staff finding no reason to detain him. He was arrested by police later that night and charged with “threatening behaviour”. Magistrates denied Steve bail, on two occasions, even under strict conditions, and he has since been remanded to Nottingham Prison. A demonstration has been called to highlight this injustice.

Steve has had no visits in Prison, not been offered an appropriate adult, and has been discharged from the QMC where there was deemed to be no reason to detain him under any section of the mental health act. Those prosecuting him continue to criminalise and pathologise him and present him as some kind of risk, insisting on closed hearings and secrecy. His health is suffering due to his treatment as he has a life threatening heart condition and requires constant monitoring and medication.

Steve’s sister Gina Topley will be available to answer specific questions relating to this case , and be interviewed, as well as concerned campaign supporters.

More background information is available at: www.freestevetopley.wordpress.com

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

So this atos crowd are an IT outsourcing company who are involved with govt contracts incl interviewing people in jobcentres for welfare benefits etc?

I'd love to know more about them tbh , I've missed out on all this

So this atos crowd are an IT outsourcing company who are involved with govt contracts incl interviewing people in jobcentres for welfare benefits etc?

I'd love to know more about them tbh , I've missed out on all this

There's endless jaw-dropping tales mate.

https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/suttonnews/10044341.Grandfather_with_traumatic_brain_injury_told_he_is_fit_to_work/

Zan Marseilles, 50, of Vellum Drive, Carshalton, was taking part in a motorcycle event in Nürburgring, Germany in 2007, when he crashed.
The impact split his helmet in half and he suffered traumatic head injuries which left him in a coma for three months. When he came round he was left with permanent problems with his speech, balance, walking and the use of his right arm.

Mr Marseilles used to own two construction and refurbishment businesses as well as four houses.
However, he did not have life insurance and lost it all after his accident and now lives in council accommodation.
Because he was deemed unfit to work he has been receiving Employment Support Allowance to cover his living expenses.
But in July the controversial company Atos Healthcare reassessed him on behalf of the government and decided, on the basis that he could stand for a minute unaided and that his speech was intelligible, that he was fit to work.

I saw this yesterday.
I've still not got to the bottom of what it was the guy said.
Secret courts is a fucking joke no matter what the alleged crime.

Space Bandit wrote:
It really doesn't matter. What the fuck can anybody say that justifies that treatment? What combination of words deserves that? I need to fine tune.

Steve Topley gets bail thanks to Nottingham solidarity campaign

solidar | 27.04.2013 17:54
It’s great to see that a local campaign could be mounted so quickly to demand the freedom of Steve Topley, who had been detained by police since 11th April for allegedly making a threatening comment during an Employment Support Allowance interview.

DWP’s private contractor ATOS had called the police about something that must happen every day when they are subjecting people to degrading fit-for-work tests, something they have had to apologise for on other occasions. The comment, interpreted as a ‘death threat’ was about a third party not even present, and in response to a direct prompt by the interviewer. Steve, who was on JSA but had been recommended to have the interview for ESA due to illness, subsequently pleaded guilty but continued to be held. Thanks to the efforts of his family and supporters, including an independent press campaign by Indymedia and a demonstration outside the court, Steve was finally granted bail at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 26th April 2013, at the third application. His ordeal is not over as he has to appear back at the Court in 3 weeks time for sentencing but, as of yesterday, “Steve is back with his family tonight and is in good spirits”.

At the same time that Steve Topley was being bailed, evidence has been emerging of bizarre psychological warfare by the Department for Work and Pensions on claimants by the use of a new ‘personality test’ which after a trial in Essex appears to be going national. Claimants are being warned that failure to comply with the test will result in a sanction (stopping of benefits). And this is only one month after widespread adherence by Job Centres to DWP quotas to sanction claimants were exposed. With legal aid also being denied to claimants for benefits cases it appears that the government’s gloves have properly come off and allusions to torture are not as extreme as they might first appear.

If we organise to fight back collectively the police will, not surprisingly, take sides. Previously the cops were called by ATOS Healthcare in Nottingham during a demonstration at its Stoney Street examination centre against their administration of the tests, which resulted in two arrests (charges subsequently dropped). This has been written up by the Nottingham activists involved in a well-researched booklet, ‘Too much of that sort of thing’ which should be read by everyone.

The recent mounting of support for Steve Topley has been inspiring and will continue. This kind of solidarity is made possible by the experience of local activists who are prepared to act quickly in a case like this together with the existance of communication channels like Nottingham Indymedia. More collective effort will be needed as the effects of further Welfare Reforms come to bear.

nottsblackarrow.wordpress.com

An earlier post on indymedis reported on a demo in support of Steve www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2013/04/508969.html