A snack-sized feeding frenzy today over the news that the "
veteran broadcaster", Ray Gosling, could face prosecution and be
charged with wasting police time following his televised claim that he had carried out a "mercy killing", smothering an ex-lover who was in terrible pain and dying from Aids.
Gosling made the claim in February on a BBC East Midlands magazine programme, Inside Out (
Watch it here).
He was
arrested on suspicion of murder, but was never charged.
He told the Nottingham Evening Post he'd been released after telling police the name of the man he said he'd killed.
Fagburn greatly admires Mr Gosling, slightly barking though he may be; an instinctive anarchist whose work has always celebrated and defended ordinary people.
It may not be coincidental that his "confession" was made soon after the death of his friend and mentor,
Colin Ward, the giant of gentle Anarchism who was Gosling's editor on Freedom, Anarchy, and New Society. Some of his earliest writing appears in
The Faber Book of Pop.
Gosling's involvement in the struggle for gay liberation goes back to the North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee in the 60s. More recently, in 1998 he made the only TV broadcast in defence of the
Bolton 7, and with Allan Horsfall ran the website,
Gay Monitor.
Ray Gosling posted the following statement on Gay Monitor:
"Little did I know my short film for the BBC East Midlands where I have a close intimate relationship with viewers over many many films would become a big worldwide item. I have had hundreds of e-mails and letters of support, sympathy and “Oh you silly bugger”. Thank you. I have had conversations of sadness with members of the lad I loved's family and I have tried to protect his identity. I have nothing more to say on death. I AM writing a big book on sex - the loves I've had, the lads I've chased and not got and the lads with whom I have. In this book this incident will not feature or not much. I shall continue to protect as best I can the identity of the beautiful witty sexy young man I so loved and so loved me. And I shall now on this moment of a long life as best I can shut up."
The CPS summons alleges that Gosling "caused wasteful employment of the police by knowingly making to Bill Turnbull a false report tending to show that an offence had been committed. Contrary to sec 5 (2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967".
Ray Gosling may have been making mischief - he certainly made a timely and important contribution to the debate about euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Fagburn says free Ray Gosling.
If anyone is to be charged with "wasting police time", then it should be the police.
"If gay people want to marry somebody, that’s their business. Government has no business dictating that. Just like they have no business dictating what you do for health. I’m for allowing what the person wants...
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