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Michael Todd In The Footsteps Of Princess Diana And Gordon Brown
“IT is the story of Britain’s everyday heroes: the kind of heroes who live next door, and in the next street, and throughout our neighbourhoods - the kind of heroes we might ourselves become.”
Gordon Brown said that in his book Britain’s Everyday Heroes, his follow up to Courage: Eight Portraits, the book in which Brown picked eight people from history that only an aged Nazi stuck in his bunker could not agree deserving of admiration.
Minds turn to this mood of hero worship, the teller reflecting in the heroic glory, as the Mirror looks at Michael Todd, the “dashing Chief Constable” who killed himself on a mountain.
The story is of allegations of three extramarital affairs, his love for his wife and distress.
But above all Mr Todd was a hero. And a hero the Mirror wants to tells us about.
The column headed “A boss you could talk to” follows in the footnotes of Brown’s works, itself a contunatiosn of the emoting that began whwn Diana died.
As with the princess, there is a book of condolences. Messages include:
“You are God’s top cop now,” says one. “An inspiration to any police cadet,” says another, although best not copy everything he did.
Death is portrayed a blessed relief. Reading this you’d wonder why more coppers don’t top themselves. “Whatever your reasons, they can hurt you now more”, says one.
And: “Mr Todd, rest now, your time is done and you toil lifted.”
After the sentimental and the suicidal, come the empathetic.
This from Matthew in the US: “As a former officer in the US, I’d like to express my condolences to the Todd family and the Manchester public. We can rest assured that great officers are taken under the wings of St Michael and will once again patrol the streets of heaven.”
Once a copper, always a copper. And does heaven have mean streets that need policing, with a heaven jail, heaven courts and heavenly fights of stairs and heavy sarcasm?
“A Proper copper – Anyone who volunteers to be a Taser target has got to be rare.” Or medium rare.
A man is dead and instead of a celebration of his life and a look at his work we are encouraged to wallow in sensation, pity and sanctimonious bilge.
The story is all about showing how much you care. How you can spot a true hero…
Posted: 14th, March 2008 | In: Tabloids Comments (19) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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May 18th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Ok, thanks Moderator,
PeterMac can you contact Justice12738@yahoo.co.uk? much appreciated.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
PeterMac, can you get in touch?
Moderator - Anorak no longer exchanges emails
May 15th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Back to the missing jacket (or not missing jacket) and removed (or not removed) outer garments from our late friend on Mount Snowdon.
This all reminds me of another suicide….. that of a Mr Kokal.
John J Kokal….yes, he’s an American in case you were wondering. He had something to do with monitoring weapons of mass destruction (very dangerous things, these weapons of mass destruction). I think he worked as an official at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research in Washington.
Now we are told by the limited press reports, that Mr Kokal left the office one evening (like most office workers do) but instead of leaving by the front door to meet his wife who was waiting for him in the car park, poor old Mr Kokal left the office through an upstairs window. The real strange bit is when they found his body, Kokal was not wearing either a jacket or shoes!
Strange……or is it just me becoming paranoid?
Frankie dot com
March 22nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
PeterMac & Jilly. Welcome company!
Update #7
Background.
‘A total of 216 police officer jobs will be axed in Greater Manchester as the force attempts to save £14m from its budget for the next year. The total number of GMP officers will fall to 7,849 as 74 divisional posts are cut and civilian staff replace officers on some desk duties.
Chief Constable Michael Todd says he wants to avoid compulsory redundancies. Although Mr Todd had previously said he wanted to see the number of GMP officers increased to 11,000, he recently warned that cuts were inevitable.
In a statement, Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said the government had done everything possible to maximise the increase in grant for all police authorities.
“There is simply no reason for Greater Manchester Police Authority to make cuts or set an excessive increase in its police precept on council tax that will put an extra burden on the local taxpayer,” the Labour MP for Salford said. - BBC - 17.02.08.
Update #8.
Previous BBC statements.
‘Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary announced the inquiry by Sir Paul Scott-Lee. The Inspectorate said in a statement: “An independent rigorous inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Michael Todd’s tragic death is currently being handled on behalf of the coroner by North Wales Police. “HM Inspectorate are in liaison with that constabulary and are monitoring developments closely.”
It said acting chief constable Dave Whatton and the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Authority had asked Sir Paul Scott-Lee to conduct an examination of the circumstances “to ensure that nothing in the conduct of Mr Todd’s personal life had adversely impacted on the professional discharge of his duties as chief constable”.’
New BBC Statement - 21.03.08.
‘An inquest has been opened and adjourned into Mr Todd’s death.
The circumstances surrounding his death are to be investigated by Sir Paul Scott-Lee, chief constable of West Midlands Police, who will be looking at whether Mr Todd’s personal life had adversely impacted on his duties.’
Comment. No mention here, of the ‘independent rigorous inquiry’ by North Wales police into the circumstances ‘surrounding’ Michael Todd’s death. No mention today, of HM Inspectorate being ‘in liaison with that constabulary’ or ‘monitoring developments closely’.
We can be certain, however, that Sir Paul is closely monitoring the North Wales Police inquiry, for the uncovering of possibly suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Todd. The inquest has been adjourned and the cause of death remains unclear. The actual cause and circumstances of death may determine the development of Sir Paul’s inquiry into Mr Todd’s personal life ‘impacting on the performance of his duties’. The cause and circumstances of Mr Todd’s death may, on the other hand, indicate that Mr. Todd’s professional discharge of his duties adversely impacted on his life.
If the latter is so, we need not expect to see it reflected in the official narrative. Sir Paul will know his duty.
Crimine ab uno
Disce omnes.
Virgil
March 21st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
14 Jilly
Quite so.
I disliked him for his abuse of power and position whilst he was in Nottinghamshire. There were three man who brought Nottinghamshire Police down to the level where it was deemed to be the worst force in the Country outside the Met. Todd was one of them. All three are now, mercifully, dead.
It is interesting that when he went down to the Met. he was in charge of the first Poll tax demo, which turned into a complete debacle. Churchill’s statue defaced, and for the first time the Police nearly lost control of the situation. In operational policing terms a total disaster. But nothing was said publicly.
The following year he organised it better, or probably got someone more operationally competent to do it, and for that he received a Commendation. Incredible, but that is how things work at that level.
And still unanswered is why the Home Office, advised by the Security Services, who one presumes knew full well about his pecadillos in London (we in Nottingham certainly did, and it is therefore inconceivable that the Home Secretary did not !) parachuted him into Manchester, and why Greater Manchester Police Authority meekly accepted him.
March 21st, 2008 at 8:44 am
Having come across many types of addictions and personality disorders, I think Mr Todd was an undiagnosed ’sex addict ‘. And, as such, he would not have been in a fit state to run a corner shop, let alone a police force, when his obessession was in it’s full throes. It is right that his decisions and actions are being investigated when he was in obvious.
Also, a more junior police officer would have been at the very least disciplined, if not dismissed, if he or she were to ‘carry on’ as Mr Todd did with his numerous affairs.
He abused his power, position, and good looks.
I feel very sad for his children. It is clear his wife must have had her own issues eg low self-esteem, obsession with money/status, etc if not she would have left ‘Hot Toddy’ many years ago as any self-respecting woman would if married to a serial philaderer.
Suicide is a choice for any of us. I respect that of Mr Todd. But his death leaves a devastating shadow for his children to grow up in he should have thought of his children who he was apparently meant to ‘adore’ but obviously didn’t, if he did he would still be around today to ‘face the music’.
awrel0912
March 18th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
David Masters, the Wiltshire coroner, said coroners would not be “deflected from conducting full, frank and fearless inquiries into deaths they are entrusted to investigate - those of people serving their country when they are killed abroad”. - Telegraph.
And not only people serving their country when they are killed abroad, kindly note, North Wales Coroner.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:48 am
A Day in the Life.
The mountain rescue team finds the body at the foot of a cliff, from which it has not fallen (Coroner). It has no external injuries, and, without the benefit of a post-mortem, no internal injuries, either (Coroner). There is a near-empty bottle of gin beside the body, but a blood-test on the remains reveals “Not a huge amount of alcohol, then”? (Coroner). “No, 220mg per 100ml, or perhaps 105mg per 100ml (Pathologist). The remains are pink.
We do not need to know the late Mr.Todd’s colour. We need to know how he died.
Besides the body, along with the bottle, is a ‘jacket’, and some ‘removed’ outer garments, later restored (shirt, trousers, shoes?).
The body is recovered, together with the bottle, by a mountain rescue team. The jacket is left to fend for its own devices, and blow where the wind listeth.
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team are now searching for the jacket, using meteorological records and, for all we know, satellite technology. A pity, not to have picked it up at the time.
Meanwhile, two separate, high-powered and costly police teams are ‘rigorously’ investigating the matter.
Certum est quia impossibile est.
Tertullian
March 16th, 2008 at 10:01 am
All very, very strange.
I was hoping the Sunday exposé would still be printed, but I suspect it may never be.
But IMHO, something very serious spooked him. More than merely being names as having had yet another affair.
His security clearance may have been compromised, there may be serious financial irregularities, or something else of what I wot not. I stress I do not know, but people do not commit suicide in this way without a damned good reason.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Mr. Mike Todd was deceived by Taser Inc., in their marketing claim that the Taser is safe to use on humankind, when several hundred deaths in the USA and elsewhere attest that it is not. Taser is not a ‘stun gun’ - it is a death-dealing instrument of torture, and usage creep affirms it so. Taser has rapidly become a means of compliance enforcement.
Mr. Todd was wrong, when he ‘proved’ it harmless, by its use upon himself.
The United Kingdom government has purchased several thousand Tasers, has approved its use on children, and is investigating approval of its use on pregnant women.
Taser: coming to a police force near you.
March 16th, 2008 at 2:48 am
The man saw the life saving quality of Tasers and put himself on the line to prove to people that Taser Saves Lives Everyday and Tasers do not kill; that is a figment in a lawyers mind.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Here’s the timeline on the development of the ‘official narrative.’ All info. from the mainstrem media.
The midnight oil is burning.
UPDATE#1: We learn that letters to loved ones were found, and then were not found, near the body; that there were ‘anguished’ phone calls; that there were ‘worrying’ text messages, some of which caused ‘others to fear for their safety’(i.e. threatening text messages); that there were ‘bouts of depression and talk of suicide’; that there was ‘a half bottle of spirits next to the body’; that the coat had been removed; that certain ‘outer garments’ had been removed.
Comment: Text messages, genuine or faked? Phone calls, ‘anguished’ or imaginary?
UPDATE#2: We now learn that Mr. Todd was discovered lying face down, without his coat, but with the ‘certain outer garments’ apparently restored. The half bottle of spirits is now a near-empty bottle of gin. The earlier ‘distraught’ calls and ‘threatening’ messages were incorrectly triangulated to the Menai Strait. Really? Incorrect triangulation of such magnitude? ‘Had we found him earlier we might have saved him…’ someone opines. Mr. Todd was over the legal drink driving limit, but ‘not drunk enough to be endangering his life under normal circumstances’. Abnormal circumstances are not mentioned. ‘Not a huge amount of alcohol then’, asked the coroner of the pathologist. No, 220mg per 100ml is the reply. Nothing to worry about, officer. Mr Todd had sent a number of farewell texts before he died - no longer threatening, presumably. There were a number of scratches and abrasions on his body, ‘consistent with a slip but not a fall.’ The letters, found near the body, not found near the body, now found somewhere else altogether, apparently.
Comment: Triangulation of mobile calls is supposed to be accurate to tens of metres, not off by tens of miles. The letters have wings.
UPDATE#3: We now learn that there were ‘no visible marks or injuries on Mr. Todd’s body, and he was ‘fully clothed’. Alcohol level is down to 105mg per 100ml. Mr. Todd ‘sent a number of farewell messages before he died..’ Mr. Todd was ‘lightly clothed’.
Comment: A well-documented suicide, by all accounts. There is little in the way of mobile signal, near the summit of Snowdon. Were these ‘farewell’ messages sent from elsewhere, and if so, by whom? Consumption of a bottle of gin (presumably neat, presumably quickly) would imply a blood alcohol level nearer the originally reported reading of 220mg per 100ml than the revised reading of 105mg per 100ml. Note that the remains, initially lacking a coat and other outer clothing, are now fully clothed. Note that on the day after the worst storm of the winter Mr. Todd is on Snowdon, ‘lightly clothed’.
Update#4. The Coroner, Mr Pritchard-Jones was told that Mr. Todd was fully clothed but the garments were only light. There were no external or internal injuries. The coroner said: “There was no evidence this man had jumped from height or sustained any significant injuries.” He said releasing the medical information about Mr Todd was necessary to “allay suspicion and fears. We are hearing this evidence today to get rid of some of the ridiculous stories I have read in the papers and had put to me over the last day,” he said.
Comment: The Coroner does not mention the earlier reports of missing clothes. He states there were no external injuries, in contradiction to earlier reports. At the time he spoke, a post-mortem had not been carried out, and the Coroner would not have been in position to know if there were internal injuries. The Coroner sought to allay ‘suspicions and fears’, to ‘get rid of some of the ridiculous stories’ that he had ‘read in the papers and had put to me over the last day.’
What ridiculous stories might these have been, appearing in the press? Perusal of the press, mid-week, reveals no such ridiculous stories. Who had been putting ridiculous stories to the Coroner ‘over the last day’. With what purpose in mind? Who was trying to influence the Coroner? Might the Coroner have been motivated to preemptively ‘release medical information’ not so much in order to get rid of ridiculous stories, but to obfuscate the truth; and if so, at whose behest?
Update#5. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary announced the inquiry by Sir Paul Scott-Lee. The Inspectorate said in a statement: “An independent rigorous inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Michael Todd’s tragic death is currently being handled on behalf of the coroner by North Wales Police. “HM Inspectorate are in liaison with that constabulary and are monitoring developments closely.”
It said acting chief constable Dave Whatton and the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Authority had asked Sir Paul Scott-Lee to conduct an examination of the circumstances “to ensure that nothing in the conduct of Mr Todd’s personal life had adversely impacted on the professional discharge of his duties as chief constable”.
Comment: We now have HM Inspectorate monitoring the ‘rigorous enquiry’ of the North Wales Police, and announcing the separate inquiry by Sir Paul Scott-Lee, who had been asked by Greater Manchester Police to conduct this inquiry ‘to ensure that nothing in the conduct…’ An interesting turn of phrase, to ‘ensure’. Not to ‘investigate whether anything in the conduct…’but to ensure. To ensure what, that if there was anything in the conduct of the late Mr. Todd which had adversely impacted on the professional discharge of his duties it would not be revealed, not investigated, and not admitted?
Update#6. ‘Meanwhile mountain rescuers have been working to find a waterproof jacket that belonged to Mr Todd, which he would have been wearing on Snowdon. The Llanberis mountain rescue team has been reviewing weather forecasts and wind directions to pinpoint where it might have blown.’
Comment: This must be the jacket that Mr. Todd was not wearing, found by his side, wearing (‘fully but lightly clothed’) and again not wearing. But we know such a mysterious waterproof jacket belonged to Mr. Todd, because Llanberis mountain rescue team is out looking, and the jacket, and the finding thereof, is considered vital. We have heard nothing of any vehicle involved, or how Mr.Todd moved so rapidly and so lightly clothed, between Menai Strait and Snowdonia, defeating the triangulation. Was Mr.Todd dropped on Snowdon by helicopter?
March 15th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I don’t want to add to my earlier comment ‘An Honourable Man’, and I don’t want to follow Truthseeker down the conspiracy path, but this something Anorak may wish to keep an eye on.
From: truthseekerdotcodotuk
In the space of a few days three senior British police officers have committed “suicide”. Is this just a coincidence or is something else going on?
We have to ask because two of them were prominent and one in particular was very senior. He was even being touted as assuming the most senior position in the British police force.
On March 11 police Sergeant Richard Fuller was found shot dead at his family home. He was in charge of security at the Duchess of Cornwall’s family home in Wiltshire.
Although he was only a sergeant he occupied a prime position within the British establishment, protecting one of its most senior members, Camilla Parker Bowles.
A few days later the body of a commended police inspector was found washed up on a beach near the beachfront home of a multi-millionaire neighbour of soccer boss Harry Redknapp on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula.
Between these two supposed “suicides” came the death of Manchester police chief Michael Todd.
A dynamic and ambitious officer, Todd had been tipped to take over from Sir Ian Blair as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, one of the most senior positions in the British police force.
It could almost come from a Sherlock Holmes story but as a mentor once told me, “there is no such thing a coincidence”. So what exactly is behind these apparent coincidences?
Several correspondents have suggested that some sort of ‘clean-up’ operation is underway. The object being to silence those who know too much, with the ultimate aim of protecting the establishment
As one writer puts it: “One is a tragedy, two is coincidence but three is downright suspicious”.
Indeed, and as another correspondent asks, could this have anything to do with the unfolding Jersey care home scandal?
It could indeed. But while we reserve judgement on whether it is specifically linked to the unfolding scandal in Jersey, we could be witnessing some sort cover-up operation.
The object being to silence those who might compromise the British establishment and their involvement in multitude evils.
This may not be completely outlandish given the link between Freemasonry and the British police force, two bodies renowned for their ties.
We reserve final judgement but as Sherlock Holmes investigative partner was wont to say, something odd is afoot.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
5 Mary,
Precisely
The consequences had to have been something so terrible that his career would have been over,… Not merely that he didn’t go any further. We are talking about being sacked, dismissed, jailed, losing all pension rights and so on to make suicide the only viable alternative.
I doubt we shall ever know. But since you cannot libel the dead there is a small chance that someone will write it up for a Sunday. In the meantime I think some of the commentators would do well merely to stick to the sad loss of his life, rather than eulogising him in the way they are beginning to.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
2 PeterMac
The same thought occurred to me-something that was likely to ruin him was about to emerge and he chose not to face the consequences. It sounds like there had been many affairs in the past so it is unlikely to have been that alone that drove him over the edge.
Tributes have been pouring in like he was gunned down in the line of duty or something.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
3 Patch
Nice one.
I went to an exhibition the other day. There were 4 Gainsboroughs and 2 Constables.
The Constables were there to guard the Gainsboroughs
March 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Searchers in Snowdonia thought they’d found a valuable painting at the foot of a cliff.
But it turned out it was just another Constable.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I agree. Sentimental twaddle.
But do people REALLY think he killed himself just because he was having an affair ?
He has had affairs before, as is well known and well documented. He would have survived this one too.
Unless… there is more to be told this time round. The truth may never come out, unless the private detective hs something to tell us.
And if you think I am speaking out of turn. I knew him. And did not like him. And did not trust him. He existed for the greater glory of himself.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Only the mean-spirited could fail to be saddened by this personal tradgedy made public. Mr Todd appears to have been a very fine police officer but his private life had spun out of control and was affecting his judgement. He died in a very sad and needless way but there was nothing heroic about the way his life ended. Others had to risk their own safety to find him and he leaves behind a trail of devastation for his loved ones.He can’t be hurt any more but many other people can and will as a result. We are all entitled to a private life if it stays private but cheating Chief Constables are always going to sell papers if the truth comes out.