1999/2000 Cornwall Homophobic Police

threats at Gay Dinner Party

 

1999/2000 Lidbury & his then partner Mr Mann held a dinner party at their then home in the village of Brea, Nr Camborne. It was attended by Mr Pasha, his partner Mr Turner, Mr Shotton & his male partner, along with yet another male relative of Mr Shotton’s, whose birthday it was.

 

Following the dinners main course, at approx. 9.30pm Mr Lidbury’s partner Mr Mann proceeded to let off celebratory birthday fireworks in the garden from a small box of fireworks purchased from Mallets of Truro.  It took no more than 10-15mins to let off the fireworks.  Perfectly legal, perfectly lawful & at a perfectly reasonable time of night being well before 10pm.

 

A knock on the door caused the letting off of fireworks to be suspended.  Mr Lidbury answered the front door of his home &  was met with a barrage of physical threats & homophobic abuse from someone living across the valley on the other side of the village.  Having seen the fireworks from the otherside of the village the offensive person objected to ‘Queers’ in the village having a party.  Mr Lidbury told the homophobic offensive & abusive person to go away & the party resumed with the desert course.

 

Another knock on the door answered by Mr Lidbury.  A police officer who had received a complaint about gay men holding a party.   The police officer then physically pushed & forced his way into the home past Mr Lidbury.  All the guest were seated at the dinner table enjoying coffee & drinks.  The police officer proceeded to threaten Mr Lidbury about the party, making references to Mr Lidbury & his guests being homosexual.  The police officer was asked to leave.

 

Neighbours on both sides of Mr Lidbury & Mr Mann’s home later stated they were completely unaware that Mr Mann & Mr Lidbury had held a dinner party at their home & were unaware of any fireworks, as they had not been disturbed at all.

 

Some of the guests coming from less homophobic parts of the UK wished to make a formal complaint against the homophobic Cornwall police, others, resident in Cornwall were fearful of Cornwall police homophobic reputation & did not want to make a complaint. 

 

Mr Lidbury DID make a complaint to Camborne police station.  As is normal Devon & Cornwall police practise, the complaint of homophobic police misconduct was completely ignored by senior police officers.

 

Mr Lidbury also checked with the Environment officer for Kerrier council.  The Environmental officer (& his wife) had both been members of an HIV/AIDS care support team to Mr Lidburys former partner (A Smith) who had died as a result of HIV/AIDS a few years previously in 1996.  The Environmental officer taking into account the time of night & the type of domestic fireworks used stated contrary to the threats made by police the fireworks DID NOT constitute any breach of environmental laws.

 

Just another example of Devon & Cornwall police supporting hate crime committed against gay persons in Cornwall & endemic homophobic attitudes which are still very much protected within the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary (2015)

 

Next go to -  2000 Plymouth Pride Forum

 

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