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Friday, November 23, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, He Did it, No, He Did it, No, He Did it, I'm Already Uncertain !!!








Daily List for Monday 26 November 2007 at OLD SHIRE HALL


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Court 6 - sitting at 10:30 am


HIS HONOUR JUDGE CRITCHLOW

For Trial
T20067367

JOHNSON Albi
JOHNSON Richard
NICHOLLS Michael

O'LOUGHLIN Daniel

T20067356

JOHNSON Ricky S

Art Hostage comments:
A very interesting case indeed, one to watch !!

Should the Witnesses be the Defendants, and the Defendants be the Witnesses, I'm already confused, uncertain.

"Beyond a reasonable doubt" benchmark looks like a mere pipe dream for the prosecution at this stage.

So, Frankie Five Angels, what's it to be ?? Sing like a Canary, or Amnesia Alley ??


QUESTADT:
Mr. PENTANGELI (Frankie Five Angels) you are contradicting a sworn statement that you previously made to me and signed. I ask you again sir — you are now under oath — were you at any time a member of a crime organization — headed by MICHAEL Corleone.

Frankie Five Angels PENTANGELI:

"I don’t know nothing’ about that.. Oh — I was in the Olive Oil business with his father but that was a long time ago that’s all."

CHAIRMAN:
"We have a sworn affidavit — we have it — your sworn affidavit that you murdered on the orders of MICHAEL Corleone. Do you deny that confession, and do you realize what will happen as a result of your denial."



Frankie Five Angels PENTANGELI:
"Look the FBI guys promised me a deal. So I made up a lot of stuff about MICHAEL Corleone ’cause that’s what they wanted — but it was all lies — uh — everything. And I kept saying — MICHAEL Corleone did this and MICHAEL Corleone did that — .uh — so I said yea sure, why not."

Read the Frankie Five Angels testimony below:






That is the problem with turning Queens Evidence, becoming a Sewer Rat, Amnesia can strike at just the wrong, or right moment !!


In the Godfather movie, because Frankie Five Angels refused to testify against Michael Corleone, the Pentangeli Family were allowed to retain their reputation and their wealth.


Frankie Five Angels sat in a very hot bath, opened his veins, and slowly drifted off, like the Roman Senators did when they were found out to be Sewer Rats.
To be continued..........


Thursday, November 22, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Fair Reward from Houston, it is Thanksgiving, Forget About it !!


BRU$H-OFF FOR A GOOD DEED,
LOW REWARD FOR SAVING $1M ART !!


New York Post

By TODD VENEZIA

November 22, 2007 -- An Upper East Side woman who found a stolen masterpiece painting in a pile of garbage four years ago was stunned to see it sell for more than $1 million at a Sotheby's auction.

But Elizabeth Gibson won't be seeing much of that money, since the original owner decided to give her a measly $15,000 reward.

"I basically gave her a million dollars," she said.

Gibson found the painting - "Tres Personajes," by Mexican abstract artist Rufino Tamayo - in 2003 as she was passing a Dumpster near her home.

She immediately could tell it was no ordinary trash.

"I took it because it has a supernatural power," she said yesterday. "There was a mystery to it from the moment I saw it to when the hammer went down."

After she took it home, she struggled to find out who created the work and who owned it.

After four years of probing the painting's origins - including fruitless contact with lawyers, insurance adjusters and art experts - Gibson finally found her way to the Web site for the PBS program "Antiques Roadshow." There, she discovered that the splotchy red, purple and yellow picture was stolen in 1989.

Gibson later took the painting to the Sotheby's auction house, which discovered the owner was a Houston woman - and that the painting was stolen from storage.

The owner's husband coincidentally bought it from a Sotheby's auction in 1977.

Back then, it sold for $55,000 - and when it vanished, the woman put up a $15,000 reward.

Gibson said that when she got the painting back to the woman through contacts at Sotheby's, she hoped the owner would up the reward a bit, considering two decades of inflation and the fact that experts expected it to sell for between $750,000 and $1 million.

But the woman - who has not been identified - wouldn't budge, Gibson said.

"People tried to get her to give me more," she said. "But she wasn't interested."

The painting beat expectations and sold for $1,049,000 in the Latin American art auction Tuesday.

The owner wouldn't give her a percentage of the sale. Gibson said that Sotheby's felt so bad for her after all her work that it gave her an undisclosed percentage of the sale commission.

Nevertheless, Gibson said she had no regrets.

"In the end I feel very blessed," she said. "This is the best Thanksgiving ever."

Art Hostage comments:

First of all, it would be nice if this Houston woman would comment on her alleged mean spirited action.

If we are to go along with Ms Gibson being an honest, innocent, genuine finder of this stolen artwork, then the Houston woman is acting very tough and demonstrating a mean spirit, especially as today is Thanksgiving.

However, the Houston woman may be acting on FBI instructions to keep the reward low ?

That said, Sotheby's will, no doubt, share its fee with Ms Gibson, for good Public Relations.

Sotheby's get paid 20% from both buyer and seller, so perhaps Ms Gibson will be in for a windfall after all ?

Sotheby's may not offer the Houston woman any discount on her sellers premium, 25% on the first $20,000, 20% on the next $480,000 and 12% thereafter, due to her miserly, mean spirited, nasty, self-serving, greedy attitude.

What both Sotheby's and Ms Gibson failed to say to the Houston woman is:

"Happy Thanksgiving, really, really hope you choke on your Turkey, you mean spirited, miserly, undeserving, money grabbing, Scarlet O'Hara"

Next time you lose anything valuable the reaction will be:

"Go Fuck yourself, big time !!"

Please, please, correct me if there is another legitimate reason why the Houston woman will not pay a reward that reflects the public spirit in which, we are led to believe, this stolen artwork was returned.

The millions of honest people reading about this story may think twice about acting honestly if they feel they will not be rewarded sufficiently.

Before anyone starts moralising about doing a Public spirited thing, without reward, please, bottom line is the money, stupid !!
Has anyone wondered if the Houston woman's husband collected any insurance payout ???
If so, then the painting would belong to the insurance company, or at the very least the Houston woman would have to pay the $55,000 insurance payout back !!
If the Houston woman is a miser in reality, then perhaps she has not informed the insurance company ??

Finally, perhaps Sotheby's and Ms Gibson may consider sending the Houston woman some Pretzels to choke on !!





Now, to much more pleasant things.

On this Thanksgiving day I would like to make a personal plea to those who control the stolen Gardner Art, Vermeer especially.

A trip to the local Catholic Church to make confession, whilst leaving the Gardner art in the confession box, will almost certainly result in the full, I repeat full payment of the current $5 million dollar reward offered by the Honourable Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston.

It may even result in a payment of $10 million, as the Gardner Museum is considering the Art Hostage plan to double the reward.

Remember, the person claiming the reward must, I repeat must, stand up to Public and Law Enforcement scrutiny, be it in Boston, Bulgaria or Bantry Bay.

Therefore, the only person to defiantly tick all of the boxes is a Catholic Priest or Bishop, who can claim the reward without revealing the identity of who returned the stolen Gardner artworks via the confession box.

The power of the confession allows the Priest to do this in an honourable manner, and in any case, it is not murder, violence or drugs, it is iconic artworks that will be displayed for everyone to enjoy.

So, this Thanksgiving Day, say a Hail Mary, pass the Gardner Art to the Catholic Priest or Bishop, and collect the reward from the Priest/Bishop.

One last thing, make sure the person handing the Gardner art back, via a Confession Box, has not had anything to do with the original theft or the subsequent handling, got it !!


Thanksgiving memo to Whitey Bulger:

"Jimmy B, if you want to hand yourself in, do it with a Catholic priest or Bishop, why, well they can claim the $1 million reward bounty without any objections from the Media, Public or Law Enforcement.

If you want to make sure you are not assassinated, take refuge in a Catholic Church, then let the worlds Media descend upon your location, then request the Justice Department take you into custody.

Hope you have kept your diaries safe, especially as they give every detail of your career.

Lunch, sorry Jimmy B, it's far too hot, and I don't mean the weather !!

Ssh, they think I'm joking !!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Swiss Cheese Civilians Undermine Customs/Police !!


Customs chief quits over 'failure'

Press Association
Tuesday November 20, 2007 2:03 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7090722,00.html

HM Revenue and Customs chairman Paul Gray has said he is resigning after "a substantial operational failure" in the department.

It is understood that senior officials from Revenue and Customs were called to a meeting with Treasury officials at the weekend as the scale of the problem emerged.

The Metropolitan Police is understood to have been involved in investigating missing discs containing personal data, which contain the names, National Insurance and bank details of millions of child benefit recipients.

In a letter to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff, Mr Gray said: "This is not the way I would have planned to organise my departure from HMRC.

"I had hoped to be around for a while longer, and to have had the continuing privilege of leading HMRC towards the vision we have been developing.

"But I am extremely proud of what all of you in the organisation have achieved during my time as deputy chairman and chairman."

Conservative member of the House of Commons Treasury Committee, Michael Fallon, said he was "stunned" by Mr Gray's departure.

HMRC was created by the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise at a time when the Treasury was demanding thousands of staff cuts, and has been under "immense pressure", said Mr Fallon.

He said that the affair raised new questions about Mr Darling's performance as Chancellor. He is due to make a Commons statement on the issue.


Art Hostage comments:

The real scandal is how Police Protected Witnesses and Police Informants are being put at risk.

When a Police Informant or a Police Witness is given a new identity, they retain the same bloody NI (National Insurance) number.

The previous records about Tax, NI and Benefit payments remain, so if the Underworld get their hands on NI, Benefit and Tax records they can cross match NI numbers and reveal the new identity given to Police Witnesses and Informants, thereby putting those people and their families at risk.


The ever increasing use of civilian workers in key administration and accountancy positions within government and law enforcement agencies has created a "Swiss Cheese" effect to security.


Any firewalls created to protect Police Witnesses and Police Informants are being undermined by the retention of National Insurance numbers that follow the person with the new identity.


Furthermore, by some strange coincidence, a firm of accountants who work for some law enforcement agencies, also are engaged in money laundering for senior members of Organised Crime.


There have been instances of the Accountants being privy to Covert Police Operations, cost assessments etc, and have passed this information to their Criminal Underworld clients, who take precautions to undermine the Covert Police Operation from the start.


This allows the Underworld to keep Police busy on a wild Goose chase, whilst the genuine criminality goes on unabated.


The amounts of money involved allow the Criminal Underworld to remain several steps ahead and any Police success only reflects around about 10% of criminal activity being disrupted.


Another thing, Govt sends CD Rom's containing vital personal information around Govt departments without a care in the world about security.


There have been cases whereby cleaners in govt departments have copied CD Roms for criminals and have never been detected.


So, while front end Policing looks good, well funded, secure firewalls to protect witnesses/Informants, behind the scenes, sensitive information CD's being traded like pirate DVD's and music CD's.


Those already living with a new identity should not be afraid, they should be very afraid !!

Those who are considering becoming a Witness or an Informant, think very carefully !!


Monday, November 19, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Hurley Arrested, Hurley in Court, Hurley Headlines !!

Now above, then below.


Britain's Most Wanted Man Arrested
Britain's most wanted man was arrested by Local Police in Holland 10 days ago.

James Hurley had been on the run for 13 years. He was jailed for life for killing a police officer during a bank raid in Hemel Hempstead in 1988.

But he escaped from a prison van in Wandsworth, south-west London, after four-and-a-half years in custody.

Art Hostage comments:

Read this story, below, from top to bottom, from August 2007.

Who was protecting James Hurley in Ireland, a large family..... ???

All part of the global picture........

OK, if the Stolen Vermeer is deposited in a Confession box for the Symbolism of Absolution.



The less said the better at this stage !!

Update, Update !!!

7.30pm, 19/11/07

When the Dutch Police reveal this was a chance encounter, because they noticed excessive use of electricity at the address and this led to Dutch Police raiding the address in the Hague expecting to find a Marijuana factory, and the arrest of James Hurley was just a coincidence, even saying it took 24 hours to identify him, this is what Dutch Police have been told to say.

The real truth is this arrest stems from the Office of none other than our old friend, General Bill Hughes, Godfather at the British version of the FBI, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, S.O.C.A.

Staff at S.O.C.A. were doing the conga last week.

Inter-agency protocol has been glued together by S.OC.A. and they are getting the green light to use methods normally only used by security agencies in terrorist investigation's.

Rather than just cut corners, S.O.C.A. marches straight across the investigation page, and then steps aside and allows Local Plod to make the arrests, be they Brit, Scottish, Irish or Dutch etc.

Remember the Da Vinci Madonna, that was sought as if it were a

"Da Vinci Dirty Bomb", well James Hurley has been sought as if he were Sheik Khalid Mohammad.

The reason James Hurley found himself in the Hague, at that address, was orchestrated from the office of Bill Hughes. S.O.C.A.

The details of which will become apparent over the coming weeks.



Furthermore, Anthony Kelly, who has just been cleared of murder in Limerick Ireland, will not get much of a break, holiday.


Why, well because there is work to do sorting out the global crime syndicate and international operations.

If Mr Kelly is not careful he will also find himself arrested and facing serious charges.

Mr Anthony Kelly, authorities are all over you like a rash, if you get caught don't say you were not warned.

Think it is safe in Morocco, Spain ?

S.O.C.A. have been there in the summer and are waiting for you to make a move, they have even bugged you Golf balls !!

Art Hostage advises, retire gracefully and drop off the radar !!

..................................

Will James "Whitey" Bulger be arrested next ?????????

Whitey Bulger will be arrested when the FBI has the desire to do so.

The same techniques will be used, the classic reducing the circle in which they can move, is the key.

A Law Enforcement operation is followed by an Underworld reaction, if the wanted person is forced to react, that's when Law Enforcement strike.

The FBI has a Trillion dollar system to call upon, so, when the time is right, Whitey Bulger will appear, whether Whitey Bulger will be alive is another matter, the political repercussions will dictate that, as well as the date of arrest for Whitey Bulger.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Dinosaurs Extinct, it was the Johnson's, Global Warming, it was the Johnson's, Dilatory, Incompetent Police, Blame the Johnson's !!




Men on Ramsbury Manor raid charge in court


Five men accused concocting an elaborate plot to burgle luxury country estates - including a multi-million pound raid on the home of one of Britain's richest men - yesterday stood before a judge to deny the offences.

Ricky, Albi and Richard "Chad" Johnson, along with Daniel O'Loughlin and Michael Nicholls all pleaded not guilty to one charge of conspiracy to burgle.

Chad Johnson, aged 32 years, and 31-year-old O'Loughlin also denied handling stolen goods.

The two counts heard at Reading Crown Court related to an alleged conspiracy for a crime spree across five counties where country mansions would be stripped of antiques and jewellery.

One of the properties raided was Ramsbury Manor in Wiltshire owned by property tycoon Harry Hyams.

It is thought that more than 20 million pounds worth of antiques were stolen, including a 17th Century clock worth one million pounds alone.

Mr Hyams is listed 155th on the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £320 million pounds.

He was responsible for building one of London's most distinctive buildings, Centrepoint.

All five defendants sat in the dock flanked by four security guards with two police officers in the court room. They spoke only to enter their pleas and instruct their defence teams.

Ricky Johnson, aged 52 years, Chad Johnson and Daniel O'Loughlin also face charges relating to a burglary at Waddesdon Manor, Bucks., which was owned by the Rothschild family and then bequeathed to the National Trust.

None of the defendants entered their pleas although the trial was listed to start on November 26.

Judge Christopher Critchlow told them: "This is a serious case and it demands an awful lot of work."

Prosecutor Paul Reid said that there would be 14 witnesses for the November trial which was expected to last for two weeks.

The five defendants will face the trial for conspiracy on January 7 and it is thought it will last up to five weeks.

Ricky Johnson, of Cirencester Road, Cowley, and 25-year-old Albi Johnson of St Pauls Way, Cheltenham, Glos., were released on bail.

Chad Johnson, O'Loughlin and 28-year-old Nicholls, all of Evesham Road, Cleeve Prior, Cheltenham, were remanded in custody.


Art Hostage comments:

So, the prosecution has 14 witnesses, will any of them be giving "Sewer Rat" Supergrass evidence ??

What other evidence has the prosecution got other than circumstantial and "Sewer Rat, Supergrass ??"

Has any property been recovered, bet there is none to speak of, other than the broken pieces found by Police that came from Ramsbury Manor.

The Gold boxes stolen from Lord Rothschild's Waddesdon Manor remain outstanding and it is rumoured that the valuation is only around £3 million for the whole collection.

However, this is just a fraction of their true value.

The true value would be something like £50 million trade and £100+ million retail, why so much, because the Rothschild collection of gold boxes is the finest in the world, including the collection held in the Louvre museum in Paris.

Remember there were over 100 gold boxes stolen, each one has a value of £500,000, many are worth millions, wonder why the value has been put so low ??

Perhaps it is to keep any reward offered, £50,000 in the Waddesdon Manor gold boxes case, to a bear minimum.

I don't agree with undervaluing stolen art.

The rewards that are offered are impossible to collect and only available to ex-Art Police investigators, so why not offer millions as a reward, it will not be paid in any case.

The two upcoming trials will be interesting to watch, not least because it is intended to revive the use of "Supergrasses, Sewer Rats"

Without any other primary evidence the reliance on Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony is fraught with danger as seen in the past.

This revival of the Supergrass, Sewer Rat does not show Police are cunning and competent, it shows Police are dilatory, lazy and unable to bring charges on their own merit.

There is a case going on in Ireland, the main evidence is Supergrass testimony, already one defendant has been acquitted, the reason, the supergrass gave evidence of hearing voices in his head, a ploy to try and get the accused acquitted, whilst still retaining the perks of becoming a supergrass.

I wonder if, when the Sewer Rat, Supergrass gets into the witness box at these two trials, they say they have heard voices in their head, and it has all been a terrible mistake, the Police told the supergrass what to say, the Police are so desperate to get a conviction on these high profile Art thefts, they have rushed to charge innocent men, on tainted testimony from a tainted, soon to suffer from memory loss, supergrass, Sewer Rat.

Whether these men are guilty or not is not the issue.

The issue is whether there is enough credible evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.

I am sure the defence lawyers have been asked to research every Supergrass trial, and subsequent appeal, to show a pattern of acquittals when the primary evidence is Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony.
I am sure there will be comments over at Ruthie's Law about the use of Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony, especially if all the other evidence is circumstantial.
To be continued...............



Friday, November 09, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Where's Samuel Smith-Hutchinson, 20, of Cheltenham ????


Men remanded over burglary spree

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6045384.stm



Friday, 13 October 2006


Two men charged in connection with a string of burglaries at country homes and cash machines across England have been remanded into custody.


Ricky Johnson, 53, from Cheltenham, was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and will appear at Reading Crown Court on 18 January.

Samuel Smith-Hutchinson, 20, of Cheltenham, was charged with burglary and will appear on 19 October.

They were among 14 people arrested in a series of morning raids this week.

Mr Smith-Hutchinson has also been charged with aggravated vehicle taking.

Police forces involved

Another five people from Gloucestershire were later arrested in connection with the raids.

Four people have since been released on bail until December.

The arrests, part of Operation Haul, were made in Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Officers have been investigating burglaries at Ramsbury Manor in Wiltshire in February, Woolley Park House in Berkshire in April 2005, and Stanton Harcourt Manor in Oxfordshire in November 2005.

West Mercia, Thames Valley, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire forces were involved.


Fast Forward to this coming Monday November 12th 2007





The Crown Court

at Reading

Daily List for Monday 12 November 2007 at OLD SHIRE HALL

http://www.courtnews1.co.uk/courtlists/current/readi_T071112.01.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Court 4 - sitting at 10:00 am


HIS HONOUR JUDGE CRITCHLOW

NOT BEFORE 10:30 AM

Plea and Case Management

T20067367

JOHNSON Albi
JOHNSON Richard
NICHOLLS Michael
O'LOUGHLIN Daniel

DEFENDANTS REQUIRED TO ATTEND

T20067356 JOHNSON Ricky S

DEFENDANT REQUIRED TO ATTEND




Art Hostage Comments:


The name Samuel Smith-Hutchinson, 20, of Cheltenham seems to be omitted from the list of defendant's ??????


Now, I wonder why, perhaps there is someone out there who can enlighten Art Hostage ??????


I also wonder if the media will run with this very important case ??


Upon another note, have these accused, presumed innocent men been incarcerated on remand for the last year or so ??


If so, then it is a sad indictment of our judicial system that sees presumed innocent men languish in jail awaiting trial, especially if they are found to be innocent.


Has the delay been conducted as a means to an end of keeping these men off the streets for fear they would commit High Value Art Crime ??


If so, then it is shameful, why, because art theft has not only remained ever too frequent, but has actually increased since these men have been in jail.


So much for the allegations of the Johnson family being responsible for all the major art thefts that happen regularly.


Did the Johnson's steal the Lowry's, no, did the Johnson's steal the Newby table, no, did the Johnson's steal the De Morgan pottery, no, and on and on I could go, with a list as long as your arm of art thefts that have occurred whilst these accused have been behind bars.


However, I stand to be corrected, if these accused have been on bail awaiting trial ?


There is much more to come out about this case and any contributions would be much appreciated.


Comments are open and anonymous is good, if you want.


Alternatively you can contact Art Hostage direct via arthostage@hotmail.co.uk


To be continued...................



Thursday, November 08, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Rancid, Retrospective Sectarian Prosecution !!



'IRA chief' remanded over tax evasion

http://itn.co.uk/news/d9b962d28d59a6cba8c9126d38ed9792.html

A Senior Irish republican has been remanded after appearing in court on charges of tax evasion.

Thomas "Slab" Murphy, a one-time alleged IRA chief of staff, faced nine charges of failing to file tax returns when he appeared at Ardee District Court in the border county of Louth


Judge Flan Brennan remanded Murphy on his own bail of 20,000 euro (£14,000) with an independent surety of 50,000 euro (£34,800).

He accepted as surety two plots of land put forward by Murphy's brother-in-law, John Kirk, and sister, Anne-Marie Kirk.

The judge said that as part of Murphy's bail conditions he must report daily to Dundalk Garda station, surrender his passport and reside at an address in Inishkeen, Co Monaghan.

Murphy is to appear before Dundalk District Court again on November 14.


Art Hostage comments

If a prosecution is based solely on alleged offences committed after May 8th 2007, then it is right to proceed, based upon the rule of law and the peace process, which, I might add, would not be where it is today without the support of the Murphy family, Thomas in particular.

However, if, as I suspect, this prosecution is based on alleged offences committed before 8th May 2007 then it is nothing more than a Retrospective Sectarian Prosecution, born out of some kind of sick public offering of a iconic Irish Republican, whilst lesser Irish Republicans enjoy the fruit of others labors.

Historically, conflict resolution has always begun with a blank canvas, that is the final part of the end-game of peace negotiations.

Both sides have to hold their respective noses and bear it.

If the same vigour was applied to truth seeking about Brit govt sponsored illegal acts I am sure there would be high profile prosecutions.

Whilst trying to put the past behind themselves, the Brit Govt does have a point about dragging up the past serves no purpose other than creating resentment, therefore, the same should be applied to the Murphy family, Thomas Slab especially.

The likes of Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams, Johnathon Powell, Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern, David Reddaway, Gordon Kerr should look in the mirror and ask:

"What do we do when Slab Murphy's lawyers summons us to court to give evidence about how we sanctioned all of these dealings"

There has been a line drawn in the sand with regards allegations of illegal fundraising or black market earnings.

The line was drawn the day after power sharing, May 2007.

Even if a case can be made to prosecute Thomas Slab Murphy for pre May 2007 allegations, it should have been done in a more dignified manner.

I am certain if authorities had issued a summons to the Murphy Lawyers they would have made sure Thomas Slab Murphy appeared to answer the allegations.

This need not have been done in this manner other than to give the Brits some kind of sick pleasure at taking a swipe at the bedrock of modern Irish Republicanism.

I do hope the top Irish legal minds will be called upon to highlight what a rancid, sectarian, nasty, vindictive indictment this is, and it should be thrown in the bin forthwith.

Stolen Art Watch, The Underworld Empire Strikes Back !!





Thursday, November 08, 2007

A painting worth £30,000 and two machine guns were among items stolen from a house in Ormskirk.

Also taken in the raid on Monday (November 5) was an £18,000 solid gold diamond set men's Rolex watch and a £10,000 men's platinum ring set with seven diamonds.

Burglars broke into the home on St Helen's Road between 7.30am and 10.20pm by smashing glass in a patio door and reaching in to unlock it.

The offenders searched the property before taking the valuable items.

A £30,000 original painting - Our Valley by Steven Townsend - featuring two dogs on a Lakeland scene in a large silver flecked wooden frame was snatched.

Also taken were a decommissioned 'Bren' World War Two sub machine gun and a decommissioned MG43 black German machine gun, worth £5,000 for the pair.

Other items stolen were a £1,500 black Canon digital camera, a £300 GPS watch, a £300 17" flat screen PC monitor, £750 cash and a sleeve of Lambert and Butler cigarettes.

DC Kelly-Anne Rosenthal, investigating, said: "I would appeal to anyone who was in the area or seen anything suspicious to get in touch. Some of the items stolen are quite distinctive and I would ask anyone who may come across them to get in touch."

Anyone with any information can contact Ormskirk CID on 01695 566443 or via Southern Communications Centre on 08451 25 35 45. Information can also be given about crime anonymously by telephoning Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

By Natasha Robson



Art Hostage comments:


Any Sith around the Ormskirk, Lancashire area we know ??

Apparently some of the Da Vinci accused telephoned Crimestoppers and asked if they would be line for a reward for the return of these stolen items.

The operator at Crimestoppers said:
"Aren't you in enough trouble, and hung up !!"

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Dilatory, Dibble, Police, True To Form !!

Lowry theft, Police raid photo !!



7/11/2007

FOUR men arrested over the theft of £1.5m of Lowry paintings have been bailed.

The men, aged 31, 36, 22 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of robbery following early morning raids across Tameside on Monday, November 5. They have now been bailed until February next year.

Several valuable paintings, along with a palette and paintbrushes used by Lowry, were stolen during a house robbery in Cheadle Hulme in May.

Detective Constable Chris Barnes from GMP's Major Incident Team said: “The arrests follow months of work by officers responding to information passed over from the public.

“We have had a number of people come forward, both as a result of the media appeals and the recent Crimewatch appeal. We would like to thank those people but continue to appeal to anyone who has any further information on this to get in touch.

“A £70,000 reward remains available to anyone who provides information leading to the recovery and return of these paintings.”

The paintings stolen include: The Viaduct, worth £700,000, The Tanker Entering the Tyne, worth £500,000 to £600,000, a pencil sketch of The Surgery, worth £38,000, a pencil sketch of The Bridge at Ringley, worth £45,000, a pencil line drawing of The Street Market, worth £50,000.

Anyone with information should contact the police on: 0161 856 2482 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Art Hostage comments:

As predicted by Art Hostage, this was just window dressing for public consumption, to show Police are doing their job, yeah right !!

Bailed until next February, 2008, time for these guys to commit more violent crimes.

O'h and we still have the Lowry's outstanding !!

Told you Police jumped the gun, rather than track the stolen Lowry's before arresting these guys.

Dilatory Police, true to form !! (leaves room in disgust, shaking head !!)

Below, Police doing their own road markings !!

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Art Hostage Passes Masters Degree !!


Art Hostage has passed !!

Got the results at noon today.

Interesting to note, during the Queens Speech to Parliament, Her Majesty broke from the script to announce Art Hostage had passed his Masters Degree, a roar went up from both sides of the House

So, now it is Art Hostage M.A. B.A. (Hons) A.H.E.C.

A very humbling experience.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, The Power of Prayer Works, Ask the McAllister's !!




By ELIZABETH LLORENTE
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS



Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced a private bill on Friday to give a Wallington man from Northern Ireland and his two adult children permanent residency in the United States.

Malachy McAllister has been fighting deportation by the Department of Homeland Security, which maintains his involvement in a 1981 wounding of a Royal Ulster constabulary officer in Northern Ireland makes him ineligible to remain in the United States.

McAllister, who served a prison term in Northern Ireland for acting as a lookout in the shooting, has argued that it occurred during a civil war. At the time, he belonged to a paramilitary group opposing British rule in Northern Ireland. He has said he fears persecution if forced to return there.

"I'm elated; it minimizes the stress that my children and I have had because of the threat hanging over our heads of being deported," McAllister said. "Hopefully I will be able to think of the future, of my children's education."

Menendez's bill, supporters say, is a last resort for McAllister, who has exhausted court appeals against deportation, which followed a denial of his request for political asylum.

Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, last year also introduced a private bill on McAllister's behalf, but it stalled in committee. A private bill is legislation on behalf of one person and must pass both houses of Congress and be signed into law by the president.

Though private relief bills rarely become law, Menendez's move likely will offer McAllister and his family a reprieve from deportation perhaps until 2009, when a new presidential administration takes over. Homeland Security officials typically stay deportation efforts while legislative action is pending on a private bill in Congress.

"This was a rare and unique case in which every determining factor weighed in favor of granting relief," Menendez said. "He fled Ireland under deadly circumstances, the dissenting judge in his case made a forceful argument on his behalf, and deporting him now could essentially be a death sentence."

McAllister's supporters, who have ranged from Irish-American activist groups to members of Congress, say that the stone masonry business owner has led a law-abiding life in the U.S. since he arrived in 1996.

McAllister and his wife, who died of cancer in 2004, and their children fled Northern Ireland for Canada after British loyalists fired 26 rounds into their Belfast home in 1988. They came to the U.S. after Canada denied the father political asylum."This is a strictly humanitarian issue," said Carol Russell of Morristown, who is part of the McAllister Family Campaign for Justice. "He's lived a good life in America. We all know Malachy's good character. "

Reach Elizabeth Llorente at llorente@northjersey.com


Art Hostage comments:


Through glazed eyes, Art Hostage declares,
"Freedom beckons, Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty the McAllister family are on their way to being free at last."



In a world full of bad news, this story brings a little light into the darkness.


Hopefully now the McAllister case will be resolved in 2009, when a new President is in the White House.


The power of prayer should never be underestimated.


A very big thank-you to the Lord.


May Your God go with you !!
Update !!
The actual paperwork can be found below:


Vermeer's The Concert

Vermeer's The Concert