BBC 'Mercy Killing' Presenter Found to be Hoaxer

[Teddy Bear]

Consider the troubling dynamics of this story.

First it shows a demented broadcaster that has no problem inventing a role where he admits to an illegal act. Presumably thinking that this will create sympathy and show himself as compassionate.
It shows the demented world of the BBC that this broadcaster has inhabited and prospered in, to where it can be considered desirable to air such a story.

It shows the BBC has no qualms about making the public pay twice - first to support their rubbish and personal agendas in defiance of their charter, and again for the wasted police time and future punishment if that is brought against this twisted soul.

The best to be done is to privatise the BBC and let them have to make it in the real world.

Ray Gosling is 'to be charged with wasting police time'. But why didn't the BBC check his claims?

By Andrew M Brown Society Last updated: August 20th, 2010

Earlier this year Ray Gosling, the veteran BBC broadcaster, announced in a local TV programme that he’d smothered a former lover because the man had Aids and was suffering. Mr Gosling, 71, was filmed on the East Midlands Inside Out show, as he strolled through a cemetery delivering a piece to camera.

“Maybe this is the time to share a secret that I’ve kept for quite a long time,” he said. “I killed someone once. He’d been my lover and he got Aids.” After the hospital doctor explained there was nothing more he could do for the patient, Gosling said he picked up a pillow and smothered him to death. Later, Mr Gosling went on the Today programme to talk to Sarah Montague about it. He was arrested soon after that on suspicion of murder.

Today Mr Gosling is expected to be charged with wasting police time. “Hundreds of hours of officers’ time has been spent investigating Mr Gosling’s claim and they have not been able to find any information to substantiate it,” a source “close to the police” tells The Times today.

Apparently Keir Starmer, the DPP, has approved the decision to charge Mr Gosling with wasting police time – for which the maximum sentence is six months inside.

“It is surprising that more checks were not carried out before these very serious allegations were allowed to be broadcast,” the source adds.

Is it really that surprising that the BBC did not do more to check the claims? I’m not sure it is, really: Ray Gosling has such a strong history with the corporation and is greatly respected. He’s one of us, in the BBC sense. Although his career had stalled somewhat in recent years, any longtime listener to Radio Four will be familiar with his soft, Midlands tones, oozing compassion.

He’s certainly a likeable broadcaster with a natural style and a warm personality that comes across strongly. But the main thing is that his liberal credentials are impeccable – he’s a long-serving activist for gay rights, for example, and he liked to make programmes that celebrated ordinary people. Possibly senior BBC executives did not notice his confession, perhaps they trusted him – or perhaps they didn’t dare question a respected broadcaster.

[Teddy Bear]

There's a little more to this story that I've just discovered. Apparently back in February after Gosling announced his 'mercy killing', The BBC faced accusations of waging an “incredibly zealous” campaign in favour of assisted suicide from a coalition led by Lord Carlile, the Government’s terror watchdog. Which would explain why the BBC were so happy to let Gosling's 'confession' go out on air. They also didn't feel they had any responsibility to notify the police prior to the programme going out.

Their response at the time, and it's one that I could go on kicking the head in that's attached to the mind that spouts this rubbish, is as follows:
"There is no campaign," said a BBC News spokesman,

" What there is; however, is the BBC's duty to report topical issues in the public domain. Of course the BBC takes its responsibilities very seriously.

"That’s why we have approached this issue in a careful, balanced, and impartial way. We understand people hold very strong views, but equally, it is a legitimate topic for journalism and current affairs - it is important to report on difficult issues and not shy away from them. And it has never been the case that reporting on any topic, no matter how difficult, is in any way an endorsement of a viewpoint."

YUK - I need a shower

BBC accused of 'incredibly zealous' campaign to promote assisted suicide
The BBC faces accusations of waging an “incredibly zealous” campaign in favour of assisted suicide from a coalition led by Lord Carlile, the Government’s terror watchdog.

By Heidi Blake
Published: 1:53PM GMT 22 Feb 2010

The Care Not Killing Alliance accused the BBC of flouting impartiality rules and adopting a “campaigning stance” in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government to legalise assisted suicide.

The decision to broadcast Sir Terry Pratchett's speech advocating "euthanasia tribunals" in full earlier this month was an example of unbalanced reporting, the alliance claimed.

Lord Carlile, chairman of the alliance and the Government's independent reviewer of terror legislation, has demanded a meeting with BBC bosses to seek answers over the “biased” coverage.

In a letter to Sir Michael Lyons, the chairman of the BBC trust, the Liberal Democrat peer also raised questions over the corporation’s failure to inform police that a veteran presenter had confessed to killing his lover on one of its programmes.

Ray Gosling admitted smothering a man who was dying of AIDS on Inside Out, which was broadcast on BBC East Midlands last Monday.

Police were unaware of the confession before the programme was aired, but have since arrested and questioned Mr Gosling on suspicion of murder. He was bailed on Friday.

The BBC maintains that it was under “no legal obligation” to inform police of Mr Gosling’s confession. A spokesman for the Trust said Sir Michael had not yet received Lord Carlile’s letter and would respond when it arrived.

"There is no campaign," said a BBC News spokesman,

" What there is; however, is the BBC's duty to report topical issues in the public domain. Of course the BBC takes its responsibilities very seriously.

"That’s why we have approached this issue in a careful, balanced, and impartial way. We understand people hold very strong views, but equally, it is a legitimate topic for journalism and current affairs - it is important to report on difficult issues and not shy away from them. And it has never been the case that reporting on any topic, no matter how difficult, is in any way an endorsement of a viewpoint."

Make no mistake, the implications involved in this story are very serious. The BBC ran a story which turned out to be completely bogus to further their own agenda. Sound familiar? They also justify their being 'above the law' whether or not they thought the story was true or false to begin with. I sincerely hope this comes back to bite them in the arse.

Here's more developments from today's Telegraph on the story:

BBC facing questions over broadcast of false 'mercy killing' claim
The BBC is facing questions over its broadcast of a false “mercy killing” claim, after the presenter who made the allegation was charged with wasting police time.


By Martin Beckford
Published: 8:00AM BST 21 Aug 2010

The corporation is accused of not doing enough to check whether Ray Gosling was telling the truth when he “confessed”, in a recorded programme shown earlier this year, that he had smothered a homosexual lover who was dying of Aids.

It is said that had producers quizzed the veteran documentary-maker, they would have realised he was lying and so avoided a lengthy and costly murder investigation.

The inquiry, launched in February after Mr Gosling’s claim was broadcast on a BBC East Midlands programme called “Inside Out”, ended on Friday when he was charged with wasting police time by Nottinghamshire Police.

The BBC “made the wrong decision” according to Mr Gosling’s solicitor, while the 71 year-old himself apologised for a situation that “got out of hand”.

A spokesman for the Care Not Killing Alliance, which campaigns against a relaxation of the law on assisted suicide, euthanasia and mercy killing, said: “The BBC Trust should now investigate this matter, especially the due diligence the programme-makers underwent before running and trivialising such an important issue.

“The police wouldn’t have investigated this matter had it not been so publicly made.

“This is all about ratings. As it is in receipt of billions of pounds in public money, the BBC has a higher duty to the licence-fee payer to ensure their stories stand up and they don’t waste police time.”

During the programme, Mr Gosling told how he had used a pillow to suffocate a younger lover of his as he lay in a hospital bed dying of Aids.

He claimed the couple had made a pact that he would end the man’s life if his pain became unbearable, and insisted he had no regrets.

However he refused to name the alleged victim or state where his death supposedly occurred, only disclosing that he had been a “bit on the side” during the early years of the epidemic.

Mr Gosling was arrested on suspicion of murder and held in custody for more than a day, while officers also interviewed staff at the BBC studios.

After he was released on bail, Mr Gosling insisted he had told detectives the name of his alleged victim.

But despite extensive investigations, officers could find no truth to his claims and on Friday charged him with wasting police time after discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service. The offence is punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment.

Speaking after visiting a police station in Nottingham, Mr Gosling said: "I'm sorry if the police think they wasted their time.”

He denied he had made the claim to revive his “dying career” or promote a forthcoming book.

"I said it out of my heart, out of my feeling for people who had told me their intimate private stories and it got out of hand and I'm sorry."

Digby Johnson, his solicitor, added: "We are delighted that nobody has been killed, secondly that he has not been charged with murder and thirdly that the pressure of the uncertainty has come to an end.

"When all is said and done, when you watch him walk, he is not in the best of health and, however much he may be the author of his own misfortune, he certainly hasn't benefited from this.

He said his client was not critical of the BBC, adding: “We live in times when all sorts of rubbish gets broadcast. If somebody is saying something they know to be true, would you doubt him? Are you going to check every comma? Certainly it was a central fact.

"They (the BBC) obviously made the wrong decision but they made the decision that what he said was reliable enough to broadcast. We all get it wrong sometimes. How much diligence they (showed) is a moot point."

Nottinghamshire Police said in a statement: “A 71-year-old man has been summonsed to court for wasting police time after claiming in a television programme that he had smothered to death a seriously ill partner.

“Ray Gosling, of Colville Court, Nottingham, made the claim in a BBC “Inside Out” programme, which was broadcast earlier this year.

“Following the programme, Nottinghamshire Police conducted a thorough police investigation into Mr Gosling’s claim. In full consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, a decision has now been made to serve him with a summons for wasting police time and he will appear before Nottingham magistrates on Tuesday 14 September.”

A BBC spokesman said: "In light of the charges brought against Ray Gosling today the BBC has no further comment to make until the resolution of that process."

[Teddy Bear]

What is clear is that this presenter had no compunctions about lying to suit his own agenda, however twisted.
The presenter has made hundreds of documentaries for BBC television and radio.
Which means he may have done the same thing 'hundreds of times'.
I don't believe after the number of years that this guy has been around he suddenly went awry. more likely he has been engaged in deception since a youngster, and this was just one more case, however bizarre.
The fact that the BBC did not verify his claims first here, and I know mercy-killings agrees with their left-wing agenda, it can be surmised that any of his documentaries could have contained the same kind of deceit and was allowed to pass.

This time he and they got caught, I wonder what other skeletons might still be unearthed. It shows however what dynamics operate at the BBC.

BBC presenter spared jail after admitting wasting police time over claims he killed gay lover

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 3:40 PM on 14th September 2010

A BBC presenter was spared jail today after admitting he made up claims that he killed a former lover who was dying of Aids.

Ray Gosling, 71, was given a 90-day suspended prison sentence at Nottingham Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to wasting police time.

The veteran broadcaster and gay rights campaigner recorded a programme shown in February in which he claimed to have smothered a friend as he lay dying in hospital.

However detectives carried out a six-month investigation and are understood to have found no evidence to support the allegations made during the Inside Out programme broadcast in February.

They are also said to be appalled that the BBC made no attempts to verify the confession before it was broadcast, despite having two months between filming the documentary and screening it.

Gosling today pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court to a charge of wasting police time. The maximum sentence is six months in jail.

The presenter, who appeared in court wearing jeans and a suit jacket, carrying a plastic carrier bag, told the court: 'Digby Johnson, my solicitor, tells me technically I am guilty.

'I just want to say, very clearly and very strongly, sorry to my lover's family and for the distress I have caused them and sorry that apparently I have wasted police time.'

During the programme, the award-winning documentary maker was walking through a Nottingham cemetery where his long-term partner was buried when he turned to the camera and confessed to killing a former lover more than 20 years ago.

He said: 'I killed someone once. He was a young chap, he had been my lover and he got Aids.

'In hospital one hot afternoon, the doctor said "There's nothing we can do" and he was in terrible, terrible pain. I said to the doctor, "Leave me just for a bit" and he went away.

'I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back and I said "He's gone". Nothing more was ever said.'

The 71-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder 36 hours after the confession and is said to have been interrogated for more than 30 hours. Gosling claims he then told detectives the man's identity.

He said: 'If I'd not told them who it was, I'd still be locked up now.'
Ray Gosling

During a BBC documentary Gosling was walking through a Nottingham cemetery where his long-term partner was buried when he turned to the camera and 'confessed' to killing the former lover more than 20 years earlier

The presenter has made hundreds of documentaries for BBC television and radio.

Shortly after his initial arrest, police seized an autobiography from his home which detailed his sexual conquests.

But identifying the victim proved to be a huge challenge.

Gosling has called himself ' massively promiscuous' and has boasted of hundreds of partners.