John Stalker
Encyclopedia
John Stalker is a former Deputy Chief Constable
of Greater Manchester Police
, now residing in Lymm
. He headed the Stalker Inquiry that investigated the shooting of suspected members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
in 1982. He has also had a television and literary career.
as a cadet in 1956. He joined the CID
in 1961 and was promoted to the ranks of Detective Sergeant (1964), Detective Inspector (1968) and Detective Chief Inspector (1974). At the age of 38 he became the youngest Detective Chief Superintendent in Britain (1978).
Stalker attended the Senior Command Course at the Police Staff College, Bramshill
in 1979. He was appointed Assistant Chief Constable
of the Greater Manchester Police in 1980.
Stalker is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies
. During his career he served in the Serious Crime Squad, the Bomb Squad and the Drugs Squad. He travelled around the world studying terrorism and crime from an international perspective.
(IRA) by the Royal Ulster Constabulary
in 1983, and for his temporary suspension from duty and removal from the inquiry in 1986, based on false allegations. His suspension caused considerable public outcry.
He was the subject of a British Parliamentary debate
held on 22 November 1986, where the following false allegations that led to his suspension were given: "The reasons put forward for Mr. Stalker being taken off the inquiry essentially related to four matters. One was that a personal associate of his was under investigation for fraud. I must make it clear that even to this day that individual has not been charged with any criminal offence. It was suggested that Mr. Stalker associated with the same individual, and possibly other known criminals and that there was photographic evidence of people in the same room. It was suggested that, while he was on holiday with Kevin Taylor, the yacht on which they were sailing was under observation by the American authorities. The implication was that they were involved in drugs or some other criminal activity.
"It was also suggested that Kevin Taylor, through his solicitor, had threatened that if he was charged with offences he would, I think it was said, blow Stalker and his associates out........it contains innuendo of the most unpleasant sort, which is unfitting for such a report. The report is simply not up to scratch. At one stage, it talks about an anonymous allegation that the police dropped a criminal action against a person whom Mr. Stalker knew. The Sampson report says: No further action was taken…the papers have been destroyed…the matter cannot be taken further nor can any comment be made. There should be further investigation into the claim in The Observer that its inquiries showed that the case was prosecuted in the normal way." Tony Lloyd
M.P.
The report was shown to contain "Groundless rumours and gossip were stitched together by senior police officers in a gross dereliction of duty".
The Sampson report made the recommendation to the Greater Manchester Police
Committee that Stalker should be the subject of a tribunal. However, the committee voted overwhelmingly in Stalker’s favour and decided not to send the matter to tribunal, instead to reinstate Stalker to his post as Deputy Chief Constable
of Greater Manchester Police. By the end of the affair, Stalker's legal costs amounted to a sum in the region of ₤22,000 - the Greater Manchester Police Committee refused to contribute to Stalker's legal bills. The Stalker affair had generated a huge groundswell of public emotion and many members of the public and officers from the ranks of Greater Manchester Police force offered cash contributions to Stalker to assist in covering his legal costs. After much wrangling between the Greater Manchester Police Committee, the Home Office
and the Association of Chief Police Officers
a fund was established, administered by the Manchester Evening News
, and by early 1987 the entire sum had been realised.
Stalker has delivered seminars on motivational issues, and is active on the after dinner lecture circuit.
He has written frequently for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times
newspapers amongst others. He wrote the book The Stalker Affair in 1988.
Following an incident in which Stalker had to fend off two rottweilers biting his wife Stella in June 2006, he supports an overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act. It took at least sixty stitches to mend her wounds and the injury required treatment for many weeks.
Governors advisory panel.
He appeared in the following TV programmes:
Stalker appeared as the Narrator for the theatre production The Rocky Horror Show
, during its UK tour, 2003.
Stalker and his dog Drummer are familiar on television in the UK for endorsing products including garage doors, awnings, and blinds.
Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
of Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
, now residing in Lymm
Lymm
Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little...
. He headed the Stalker Inquiry that investigated the shooting of suspected members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in 1982. He has also had a television and literary career.
Career
Stalker joined the Manchester City PoliceManchester City Police
The Manchester City Police was, from the early 19th century until 1968, the territorial police force of the city of Manchester, in northern England.Under the provisions of the Police Act 1964, Manchester City Police merged with the Salford City Police to create the...
as a cadet in 1956. He joined the CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
in 1961 and was promoted to the ranks of Detective Sergeant (1964), Detective Inspector (1968) and Detective Chief Inspector (1974). At the age of 38 he became the youngest Detective Chief Superintendent in Britain (1978).
Stalker attended the Senior Command Course at the Police Staff College, Bramshill
Police Staff College, Bramshill
The Police Staff College, Bramshill, Bramshill House, Bramshill, Hook, Hampshire, England, is the principal police staff training establishment in the United Kingdom....
in 1979. He was appointed Assistant Chief Constable
Assistant Chief Constable
Assistant chief constable is the third highest rank in all British territorial police forces , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and...
of the Greater Manchester Police in 1980.
Stalker is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
. During his career he served in the Serious Crime Squad, the Bomb Squad and the Drugs Squad. He travelled around the world studying terrorism and crime from an international perspective.
The Stalker Inquiry
He is notable for heading the Stalker Inquiry, a police investigation into the shootings of a number of suspected members of the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) by the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
in 1983, and for his temporary suspension from duty and removal from the inquiry in 1986, based on false allegations. His suspension caused considerable public outcry.
He was the subject of a British Parliamentary debate
Parliamentary Debate
Parliamentary Debate is an academic debate event. Many university level institutions in English speaking nations sponsor parliamentary debate teams, but the format is currently spreading to the high school level as well...
held on 22 November 1986, where the following false allegations that led to his suspension were given: "The reasons put forward for Mr. Stalker being taken off the inquiry essentially related to four matters. One was that a personal associate of his was under investigation for fraud. I must make it clear that even to this day that individual has not been charged with any criminal offence. It was suggested that Mr. Stalker associated with the same individual, and possibly other known criminals and that there was photographic evidence of people in the same room. It was suggested that, while he was on holiday with Kevin Taylor, the yacht on which they were sailing was under observation by the American authorities. The implication was that they were involved in drugs or some other criminal activity.
"It was also suggested that Kevin Taylor, through his solicitor, had threatened that if he was charged with offences he would, I think it was said, blow Stalker and his associates out........it contains innuendo of the most unpleasant sort, which is unfitting for such a report. The report is simply not up to scratch. At one stage, it talks about an anonymous allegation that the police dropped a criminal action against a person whom Mr. Stalker knew. The Sampson report says: No further action was taken…the papers have been destroyed…the matter cannot be taken further nor can any comment be made. There should be further investigation into the claim in The Observer that its inquiries showed that the case was prosecuted in the normal way." Tony Lloyd
Tony Lloyd
Anthony Joseph 'Tony' Lloyd is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central since 1997.-Early life:...
M.P.
The report was shown to contain "Groundless rumours and gossip were stitched together by senior police officers in a gross dereliction of duty".
The Sampson report made the recommendation to the Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
Committee that Stalker should be the subject of a tribunal. However, the committee voted overwhelmingly in Stalker’s favour and decided not to send the matter to tribunal, instead to reinstate Stalker to his post as Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
of Greater Manchester Police. By the end of the affair, Stalker's legal costs amounted to a sum in the region of ₤22,000 - the Greater Manchester Police Committee refused to contribute to Stalker's legal bills. The Stalker affair had generated a huge groundswell of public emotion and many members of the public and officers from the ranks of Greater Manchester Police force offered cash contributions to Stalker to assist in covering his legal costs. After much wrangling between the Greater Manchester Police Committee, the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
and the Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers , established in 1948, is a private limited company that leads the development of policing practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ACPO provides a forum for chief police officers to share ideas and coordinates the strategic...
a fund was established, administered by the Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
, and by early 1987 the entire sum had been realised.
Retirement
Since his retirement Stalker has been active in developing new careers, in both the media and industry. He is a director of a large national security company and runs his own consultancy and advisory group.Stalker has delivered seminars on motivational issues, and is active on the after dinner lecture circuit.
He has written frequently for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
newspapers amongst others. He wrote the book The Stalker Affair in 1988.
Following an incident in which Stalker had to fend off two rottweilers biting his wife Stella in June 2006, he supports an overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act. It took at least sixty stitches to mend her wounds and the injury required treatment for many weeks.
Television and acting career
For six years he was the host of the Central Television TV programme, Crimestalker, and later hosted Inside Crime on Carlton TV. He presented the Carlton TV programme The Verdict, which ran for 26 episodes. He is a member of a BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Governors advisory panel.
He appeared in the following TV programmes:
- Question TimeQuestion TimeQuestion time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers , which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be cancelled in exceptional circumstances...
, (7 March 1991) as a guest - Harry EnfieldHarry EnfieldHenry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
and Chums (episode 1.3, 1994), as the Crimesearch Presenter on a sketch of The ScousersThe ScousersThe Scousers was a sketch from the Harry Enfield's Television Programme comedy show of the early 1990s.It featured a set of stereotyped Liverpudlian characters or Scousers, "Ga'", "Ba'" and "Te'" played by Gary Bleasdale, Harry Enfield, Joe McGann, and Mark Moraghan... - Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, (episode 7.5, 1994) as a guest - Millennium: Fact & Fiction (1997)
- GMTVGMTVGMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, 25 January 2005 (one episode, 2005) as himself
Stalker appeared as the Narrator for the theatre production The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
, during its UK tour, 2003.
Stalker and his dog Drummer are familiar on television in the UK for endorsing products including garage doors, awnings, and blinds.
See also
- Shoot to Kill (1990 TV drama)Shoot to Kill (1990 TV drama)Shoot to Kill is a four-hour drama documentary reconstruction of the events that led to the 1984–86 Stalker Inquiry into the shooting of six terrorist suspects in Northern Ireland in 1982 by a specialist unit of the Royal Ulster Constabulary , allegedly without warning ; the organised fabrication...
, a drama reconstruction of the Stalker Inquiry and the events behind it.