Blog Tour stop for this inspirational account of one women's stand against injustice.
#BlogTour #StandAgainstJustice @malcolmdown @Michelle_Diskin @LoveBooksGroup
"The untold story of the family of Barry George, wrongly convicted for the murder of Jill Dando. "
Synopsis
On April 26, 1999, BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered outside her home in London.
Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for the murder but was later acquitted after an appeal and retrial.
Stand Against Injustice is the powerful memoir of the sister of Barry George.
For the first time, Michelle Diskin Bates tells her story, the human side and truth behind one of recent history's most high profile and damaging miscarriages of justice whose life is inextricably interwoven in the drama, the trauma, the conspiracy and the fight for justice.
A self-confessed 'ordinary housewife', Michelle's voice weaves the personal everyday struggles that bring depth, color, and passion into what is an extraordinary account.
A troubled childhood weighted with overbearing responsibility, fear and insecurity, depression, and the challenges of marriage and adult relationships, Michelle's life has never been easy.
However, the one constant in her life - her faith in God - underpins and provides the foundation upon which she now stands - against injustice.
My Review
It is over 18 Years since Jill Dando was Gunned down on her own doorstep and is a case few have not heard about.
Barry George spent 8 long years of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit.
This book is his sisters story told from her and the families point of view and while she admits Barry's faults throughout his life, she stands by him right from the start and just knows this is a crime he did not commit.
We are given a narrative and insight in to the inner workings of the initial trial, the conviction and following appeals of Barry's case along with his release all those long 8 years later. we also share the families pain and there own feelings and the effects of the huge media circus surrounding this case
I am True crime fan due to been a victim of crime myself, I have an innate need to calm my own anxiety by knowing the "bad guys" get put away that justice prevails, yet just like in Barry's case the Justice system is not infallible and sometimes the people working within as this book shows become to focused on the wrong things. In this case when the police make the suspect fit the crime and not the crime fit the suspect ignoring all other evidence and more or less becoming tunnel visioned.
This book shows what can only be described as the incompetent side of justice and the lack of ownership of mistakes, I am thrilled that Barry George had his sister by his side, the author Michelle Diskin Bates is an absolute hero in my eyes and I am in awe the work she did then and continues to do today.
This book is one that should be read not just by crime fans but by those working or planning to work in law enforcement or justice, I hope this book can give the author the reconignition she deserves in taking the Stand Against Injustice, and I hope the government finally rethinks it stance on compensation owed I think the Barry George.
Finally I hope for the family and friends of Jill Dando that a resolution and conviction is forthcoming and the real criminals are brought to justice themselves
Author Bio
Mother of three, campaigner for justice and Committed Christian.
Michelle campaigned for eight years for the release of her disabled brother, Barry George, after he was wrongly convicted in 2001, for the high profile murder of BBC television presenter, Jill Dando.
Mr George was acquitted in 2007 and sent for re-trial in 2008. He was found not guilty, by unanimous jury verdict on 1st August 2008.
Born in Fulham, London in 1955, Michelle lived in West London until 1973. She then moved to Cork, Ireland, where she lived until 2012, with her three adult children.
Michelle’s first husband, Patrick, died unexpectedly in 2007 after a short illness, but, with God’s grace, she is now married again, to Peter, who supports her in her Miscarriage of Justice (MOJ) activities. They are both committed Christians, who worship at a Baptist church in Northamptonshire, taking on many responsibilities within the fellowship.
Retired now, Michelle always worked outside of the home in various industries, and at all levels from cleaner to management. Her ethos being: do the job to the best of your abilities, as a service to others, regardless of the task. She has trained as an Image Consultant and most recently, as a weight loss consultant.
Since her brother’s wrongful incarceration, she has become a public speaker at Miscarriage of Justice conferences across the UK, and has also been a guest speaker at the Spiritual Health Weekends for women, run by Nancy Goudie. Also a guest lecturer at University College Cork and Portsmouth University to Law students interested in Miscarriage of Justice. Also attending APPGs on miscarriage of justice in Parliament.
Michelle is still in touch with many families of the wrongly convicted, including those convicted under Joint Enterprise. She also has connections with various MOJ organisations, e.g. Mojo Scotland, The Innocence Project in UK Universities, and a variety of legal representatives and released victims of MOJ.
She is interested in the refusal of the Judiciary to pay compensation under section 133., ‘Not innocent enough’ or ‘A jury, properly directed, could have convicted’, both of which still affect her brother.
Purchase Links
Social media links
@malcolmdown
@Michelle_Diskin
@LoveBooksGroup
Blog Tour
Thank you to the Publisher and Author for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel and for the opportunity to review these works.
All reviews are my own unbiased opinion.