Sledgehead Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Remember this guy? Garri Holness: 'I won't let the bombers beat me' He's Garri Holness, the London Bomb victim who lost half his left leg. He's 36 and lives in South-East London. He's an advertising account executive with McCann Erickson. He's a real tropper: Terror attacks: Why I can't be bitter Watch him here and be impressed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/41374000...or_garri_vi.ram The Times warmed to "The Piccadilly Line survivor". By concemtrating on the positive he impressed everyone : Bomb victim talks about his recovery and now he's using his new found fame to campaign on behalf of all victims everywhere.... Bombing payouts 'are an insult' "I don't know how they work it out, but frankly it's insulting.,.People will need help for years, if not physically then psychologically" He's used his profile to push the message out there: Bomb victims in payouts protest, BBC WE 7/7 SURVIVORS ARE BEING TREATED LIKE DOGS And folks have warmed to him: I also met up with Garri Holness, he lost a leg at Kings Cross ... and I shouted back "No Garri .... YERRR the MAN!" half interrupting the Prime Minister who was having a conversation with someone next to us." ( London Bombings 7th July 2005, 1st November Remembrance Service ) As one edp24 poster put it : Garri Holness makes you proud to be British. Meanwhile the media were happy to give his embrionic music career a plug ( stuarthughes blog ) : 7/7 survivor Garri Holness is raising the bar for bizarre post-amputation achievement. Today's Evening Standard (not published online) reveals that: "...his Christmas single, a love song called Something I Wanna Tell You, is to be released in December. ...an accompanying video has been shot...to refer to Garri falling in love with a girl who doesn't know he's got a prosthetic leg." Here's what FiveLive listeners had to say after the FiveLive show London Bombings : the way forward Becky, 28, London : Garri... your personality and character so pure & good... If I was single, you'd be top of my list! kathy jean : " so many people need to hear your conversations keep it up ,we need to hear from people like you. thierry : ..you are a credit to the people who found themselves in your position. i can only wish all the very best in the future xxx Abby: I am moved and inspired by both Garri and Sue's respective stories. Such courage and strength is admirable. On a shamefully shallow note, Garri you are gorgeous! NTOMBI : As one of the nurses who looked after Garri,I have to say i never knew what courage meant until i met him. ..I hope he grows up to tell the full story, but like Mahatma Ghandi, I hope his willingness to forgive is never forgotten. He is absolutely amazing! Charlotte Agyekum, Ghana : Garri ... Keep your hopes high for God knows best. Stay blessed. Here's what a poster on A TANGLED WEB - A dissenting review of contemporary politics made of him: "Questioning My Faith : Garri Holness had part of his left leg blown off in the July 7th attacks in London. ...This guy was just a normal, good-living person. Why has fate cast such a gross shadow upon his life? How can a man like this be cursed by such bad luck ... Any answers?" __________________________________________________________________________ But Holness has a dark past SYMPATHY FOR CRIPPLED RAPIST? : How do you feel about Garri Holness the man who lost a leg in the London terror attacks. He's getting £50,000 for the loss of that limb. Now it's been revealed he's a sex attacker who gang raped two teenage girls twenty years ago. His victims got just a few grand in compo. Does Gary still deserve his pay out? His did three years in prison for it. Is losing a leg worse than being gang raped? Should what he did remain in his past. ( The Wright Stuff ) and Rape past of London bomb victim : He was one of seven men found guilty in 1985 of raping two 16-year-old girls in Brixton, south London. Do we really know people we see in the media? And Is this* really another 36 year old Garri Holmes, living in South London, or the same one? GARRI Holness : I GREW up on a rough estate where there was nothing for us to do except fester. Tension started building when Mrs Thatcher introduced stop-and-search. You'd be walking along and the snatch squad van would pull up, they'd grab one of us and drive off. Word went round that there would be a riot and when I went out, I suddenly saw all these shop windows being smashed. It was crazy. There were men throwing bottles and stones at the police, who would rugby-tackle people and then throw them in vans. Police and rioters would be hurling bricks back and forth at each other. On the second day, I went out with my mum, Zera, and we saw fire engines and burning cars everywhere. Things didn't change afterwards. They just put a little bit of money into the area and forgot about us again. By the time I was 22, I knew I had to get out because the police were still harassing people....I still feel bitter. Thatcher wasn't interested in us - she gave to the rich and ignored the poor. ( WHAT THATCHER DID FOR US : 25 YEARS SINCE THE RISE OF THE IRON LADY, The Mirror, 4 May 2004 ) _______________________________________________________________________________ (* GARRI Holness was a 13-year-old living in Brixton, South London, when riots erupted in 1981. Lord Scarman's inquiry called it the worst outbreak of civil disorder that century, blaming "racial disadvantage that is a fact of British life". Garri, now 36, left the area in 1990 and now lives in Croydon, Surrey. He works as an accountant. - WHAT THATCHER DID FOR US : 25 YEARS SINCE THE RISE OF THE IRON LADY, The Mirror, 4 May 2004 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 Here's the press article. Considering how potentially commercial the story is it sure aint' receiving much attention. Tube bombings victim admits taking part in 1985 Brixton gang rape, telegraph, 18/11/05 Holness, who is in line to collect £50,000 compensation for his injury, was one of six men and boys who attacked the two 16-year-old schoolgirls as they walked home through Brixton from a pop concert. After bundling them at knifepoint into a garage on the Stockwell Park Estate, where all the gang members lived, they raped one of the girls 30 times and the other 15 times. Jailing Holness, who was then known as Gary Linton, and the rest of the gang in November 1985, a judge at the Old Bailey said the sentences reflected "society's horror of man's inhumanity to woman". ... and from my original post: Becky, 28, London : Garri... your personality and character so pure & good... If I was single, you'd be top of my list! (FiveLive show) And people vote on the basis of character judgements ... no wonder we have Bush and Blair, the majority wouldn't know genuine from scripted.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theChuz Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Well you already know what i think to people. I dislike the responses on thier own merit even without him being a rapist. Some women remain 'mental-school-girls' all thier lives, if your remotly famous or if her friend fancies you then thats all it takes... ill stop there before i bash away on stupid bints. I gave up on people along time ago, i just only wish that people knew how lame they naturally are. What can i say, im not suprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 Well you already know what i think to people. I dislike the responses on thier own merit even without him being a rapist. Some women remain 'mental-school-girls' all thier lives, if your remotly famous or if her friend fancies you then thats all it takes... ill stop there before i bash away on stupid bints. I gave up on people along time ago, i just only wish that people knew how lame they naturally are. What can i say, im not suprised. Don't suppose you watched @Would You Buy With A Stranger?" (BBC3, 21:00, Friday18th Nov) The show featured a girl looking for a stranger to share buying a house with cos she couldn't afford to do so on her own. Fortunately for her she was in the army and knew loads of squadies: this has to be the only situation anyone would consider buying a house with a stranger under (maybe coppers would be another substitute or bouncers). The three she had to chose from included 2 girls and a bloke. One of the girls was afitness instructor who did some boxing , but the other girl was just a normal, mostly skint person. What was she thinking of? Imagine for a second that you are the wonderful Garri Holness (pre leg blown off). You buy a place with this girl, stretching her to the limit financially at first with the deposit and secondly with the mortgage. During the financial discussions you acertian that her finanaces are poor (this is good) and her parents are also poor (even better). You only agree to go in with her when you can be certain she has no hidden cash reserves or wealthy relatives willing to bail her out, and, crucially, only avergae "mob-handed" capability. Being an STR or just rich, you now have her exactly where you want her. Now, being Garri, you give her the old razzle dazzle and within the space of time it takes to broadcast one 7/7 tv interview, you mak eher believe you are Mr Wonderful. You then meet up with her friends. You flash the smile, flash the cash an dwithin no time the club loos are filled with the chatter of "Isn't he lovely" and "You are so lucky" and "Do you fancy him, he's gorgeous," and "Well I do just a bit, well more than a bit.." On the first night of moving into the house you break open the champagne: it's celebration time! Then you rape her: horribly. When you are done you remind her that : a ) you bought a house together b ) you were in her house c ) you were drinking alonetogether d ) her friends would admit she fancied you e ) given a to d, getting a rape conviction would be impossible. The next morning you invite some friends around to leer at her. One of them stares into space within earshot and just says "Slut..." The room goes quiet. She rushes out to the sound of hoots of laughter. Over the course of the next week you start painting the lounge black. You hold all night parties. Very loadly. You spike her food, steal small personal things, tear pages out of her books, urinate in her milk.... Within a week she wants to sell, within a fortnight she is desperate. You make her a derisory offer. She says she thinks her half will make more on the open market. Fine you say. See what you can get. When the first set of buyers turn up you welcome them. You show then into the lounge, now painted black and covered with the detritus of last night party, you know, the usual stuff, fag buts, beer cans, fag buts in beer cans, used condoms, fag buts in used condoms in beer cans... After a month she has had no offers and the estate agent has told her the shared nature of the property makes it extremely unlikely to attract a buyer ... ever. When she tries to rent the place, prospective tenants are met with Motorhead at 103db. That's when you wreck the central heating system. As part of the contarct she is obliged to help with repairs, but she can't afford it. You threaten to sue her for the money. You keep up the threatening behaviour. The night she turns up with a concerned friend from work you call around your hired muscle and they put this "trespasser" in hospital with a fractured skull and a need for dialysis pending a liver transplant. At this point she finally breaks. You get her half for a couple of grand. Wanna bet this won't happen? More fool you if you are the one willing to take the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Chuz, EWWWWWW. You need to start hanging out with a better 'class' of woman. YUCK! Sledgehead When I first heard about Would You Buy With A Stranger, my frst thought was safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aclwalker Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Sledgehead, I have never even heard of this guy before I read this post (perhaps he's more of a London 'celeb' than a national one) and it certainly sounds like he's got a very dodgy past but I'm curious as to why you are so interested in the guy to go to such efforts. Do you know him or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Sledgehead, I have never even heard of this guy before I read this post (perhaps he's more of a London 'celeb' than a national one) and it certainly sounds like he's got a very dodgy past but I'm curious as to why you are so interested in the guy to go to such efforts. Do you know him or something? I don't especially have an interest in him. He was all over BBC News24 in the weeks following 7/7 and I believe all over the tabloids. He came across as being a really nice chap. You can see how he managed to sucker both the press and people in general. I am surpised you haven't seen him. But that isn't my point. My point is that in the age of celebrity, th epublic seem to think they can judge character from what they read in the press and see on TV. I first became alarmed by this following the "massive outpouring of grief" following Diana's death. I just could not relate to the seemingly countriwide shared sense of loss. I heard people talk about her wonderful qualities and wondered how they could know such things. Of course on their part it was all imagined Since then judging personality seems to have become something of a national sport, formalised by programs like Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, Fame Academy and X Factor to mention but a few. In the talent shows, folks seem oblivious to performing potential, concentrating instead on personality and tabloid tittle-tattle. My point is that all this speculation is hogwash, and this guy is the ultimate proof. Of course if a few untalented celebs were the only outcome I wouldn't be bothering with this post. The problem is that the cult of celebrity has dominated politics since NuLabour came to power. People do vote for Blair rather than Labour and they do vote for him because "he'a a lovely man." But if only people could for one minute admit how crap they are at judging personality things would be different and we could have abit more judgement inside No10 and a little less style.... ALSO.... I can't help thinking about the two girls who undwerwent such a butal ordeal, only to find twenty years later both press and public holding up this monster as a model citizen. It seems as though the press, having been thoroughly suckered by this chap, seem unwilling to admit they are wrong. Only the broadsheets who didn't get involved in "Garri for PM" style cr"p seem willing to tell it like it is. The Sun in particular seem hopelessly compromised by this guy, having, I believ, used him in a article on Thatcher's legacy a year earlier. Indeed when the news of the rape conviction broke, they ran a story stating he had been cleared on appeal an dthat he was innocent. Just take a look at this: 7/7 victim wrongly jailed, The Sun Online TERROR bomb victim Garri Holness was wrongly jailed for the rape of two young girls 20 years ago, he dramatically revealed last night. Garri, 38, who lost a leg in the 7/7 London attacks, was sentenced to seven years in 1985 over the attack on the two 16-year-olds in Brixton, South London. He was freed on appeal after two years. He said last night: “I have decided to go public with this because I realise it is bound to come out at some time and I did not want it hanging over my head.” A close friend said: “Garri has suffered two major injustices in his life. One was when he was wrongly convicted of rape and the other was when he had his leg blown off.” Garri has been at the centre of the 7/7 victims’ campaign for compensation over their injuries. Yet in the TimesOnline article London bomb victim lied about rape history, we learn that: "The musician, from Croydon, South London, also confessed to lying when he claimed that his rape conviction had been quashed on appeal. " And the Telegraph also weighed in with its article Tube bombings victim admits taking part in 1985 Brixton gang rape: At first the advertising executive, from Croydon, south London, claimed that he was freed on appeal two years later, but yesterday he admitted that he had lied and said that the conviction was never quashed. As far as I'm concerned the press have still not made amends. I still have not seen Mr Holness's rape history covered by the Sun or News24 etc and that means there must still be tens of thousands who still believe Garri Holness is Mr Wonderful. I can only imagine how that makes his rape victims feel. ALSO... This is a salutary example of how newspapers (if that's what you call The Sun) would rather disseminate lies than admit to their own failings. I have captured a shot of TheSun Online "exonerating" Holness for posterity. If they can "print" that they can print anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehead Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Interestingly I just phoned TheSun Online to ask them whether they should still be running the story on their site. "Dunnoh, I'm on sports really, what's it about?" says the guy on the other end of the phone. I put it to him that The Times and Telegraph claim Holness has admitted to lying about the appeal and conviction quashing. "Ur, right," is the response. I suggest he puts himself in the minds of the girls who were raped, suggesting they probably would not appreciate his paper exonerating their attacker. "yeah, probably not..." he lazily agrees. He thanks me and says he'll get onto it. Wonder how long it will take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aclwalker Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 My point is that in the age of celebrity, th epublic seem to think they can judge character from what they read in the press and see on TV. I first became alarmed by this following the "massive outpouring of grief" following Diana's death. I just could not relate to the seemingly countriwide shared sense of loss. I heard people talk about her wonderful qualities and wondered how they could know such things. Of course on their part it was all imagined I totally agree. I remember one of the reporters at the time (name escapes me, but he was also one of the main ITV anchormen) saying that he was "more upset than when his own mother died". I couldn't believe what I was hearing and wondered what his family thought of that. I felt for William and Harry, and even Charles a bit too, but in the same way that I would feel for anyone experiencing a bereavement. Diana was special to her sons but not to me, I'm afraid. I can't help thinking about the two girls who undwerwent such a butal ordeal, only to find twenty years later both press and public holding up this monster as a model citizen. Exactly my thoughts. It seems as though the press, having been thoroughly suckered by this chap, seem unwilling to admit they are wrong. Only the broadsheets who didn't get involved in "Garri for PM" style cr"p seem willing to tell it like it is. Definately. The Sun in particular seem hopelessly compromised by this guy, having, I believ, used him in a article on Thatcher's legacy a year earlier. Indeed when the news of the rape conviction broke, they ran a story stating he had been cleared on appeal an dthat he was innocent. I have never been a fan of the Sun but I also remember a very recent example of the Sun putting their foot in it. The front page of the next issue after the execution of Jean Charles de Menezes carried the headline "ONE DOWN.. THREE TO GO". More of the move towards 'guilty until proven innocent' that our current administration is so keen on. This is a salutary example of how newspapers (if that's what you call The Sun) would rather disseminate lies than admit to their own failings. I have captured a shot of TheSun Online "exonerating" Holness for posterity. If they can "print" that they can print anything. Exactly. TV news is not much better. You only have to read or listen to the media's reports on things that you actually know about yourself (through work, or living near to the scene of what they're reporting about) to see just how twisted things get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichM Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 The guy got 7 years (out in what? 3 or 4?). SEVEN years for an attack which invlved 45 rapes. He should still be in prison for god's sake. He should sue the justice system for letting him out early and thereby endangering his life in the 7/7 bombings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted November 22, 2005 Share Posted November 22, 2005 Do you think it cus him black man In Leicester traffic wardens never patrol the ethnic areas of the city yet most warden are not ethnic locals and if someone makes a racist remark they end up retiring with a huge cash payout by our loving Leicester City Council White folks that get crippled for life get next to nothing and who said sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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