As with everything we state on this blog, all the statements can be backed up with further evidence in the way of emails, audio or visual recordings. In most cases this involves a combination of the aforementioned.
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The first time our younger sister Amanda and I met Clare Johns, was at David Lammys surgery, which was based in Tottenham. Ruth and I were supposed to attend this meeting, but as Ruth had to be admitted to ICU a few days previously, Amanda stepped in and accompanied me.
After Amanda and I had explained what was going on to David Lammy and said goodbyes, Clare approached us, and asked if she could ask us a few questions outside. We obliged, as any publicity was good publicity, right?
After going into things in more depth with Clare, she gave us her details and told us to make contact with her again, after we had discussed matters with Ruth. Once we had finished talking to her, Amanda and I returned to the ICU to let Ruth know how the meeting had gone. To be truthful, at first we were all very hesitant, but optimistic, so a few days later, we had agreed to meet with Clare, to hear more about what she had to say and what was on offer. A few days after that, Ruth met Clare and from that moment, until we disagreed with the programme, Clare gave Ruth the impression that she was a friend, first and foremost. Ensuring us throughout the 10 months, that she will show nothing but the truth, which is all we had been asking for. With this reassurance I agreed to be filmed.
Below is a post I wrote the day after Ruth took part in this ‘walk’. This walk took place less than 6 weeks after Ambrose had disappeared. Clare Johns attended this walk, mingled with, and chatted with Ruth, family members and supporters of the Justice 4 Ambrose group. She got to witness first hand, the stress, despair and heartache Ruth and other members of Ambrose’s family were going through…
Post – Ambroses’ Birthday 2nd March 2015 –
“Yesterday Ruth led a small group of supporters (approx 50) from Colindale Park to Colindale Police station. Although we had received private messages from a large number of regular people to the site, letting us know they couldn’t attend for various reasons (which we completely understand), there were others who had said they were coming and didn’t show. Although this was disappointing, it did not interfere with the aim of the walk, which was to hand deliver a letter which was For The Attention of Victor Olisa.
I have never seen such determination in my life. Although this was termed a “walk”, Ruth marched all the way from the starting point to the finishing point. Around 7 to 5 minutes before we reached the police station Ruth asked for the loud speaker. For about 5 minutes she was walking at a fast pace and speaking. After putting the loud speaker down she began to feel sick, but she wouldn’t stop. In order to get some assistance in supporting Ruth I called our sister Denny, so that we could both physically support her to the police station. Once inside, Ruth collapsed as she was having trouble breathing. After having a drink of water and a few minutes to recover, Ruth was able to sit up on the seat in the waiting area of the police station. Ruth was then given a receipt for the letter, which she then handed over. We were then offered a lift back home by Peter Dearden which we accepted. However, as Ruth felt bad about the amount of work that was put in by members of the family and the fact that some of the supporters were returning to the park, Peter Dearden ended up taking us back to Colindale Park where we joined other members of the family and a small group of supporters.
I would just like to say that the treatment Ruth and I both received from Peter Dearden and Richard Peach, who are policeman, was fantastic.
Now we await a phone call from the police. We were told that we would be contacted on Monday with the opportunity an appointment to get answers to the many questions which Ruth has been after from day one. Once we have attended this meeting I will be sure to post the responses here.
We would like to say a massive thank you to those who took the time out to attend the walk and support Ruth, in delivering her questions to Colindale Police station. Every single persons presence, including the children, was extremely valuable. The fact that the turnout was far lower than expected meant that the presence of those who did turn up, was even more valuable. I am sorry I can’t remember all your names, as I didn’t really get the chance to mingle as it were, but I’m sure you’ll know who you are.
Once again thank you very much for all your continuing support, whether on here on in real life via walks/marches. We hope to do another walk in the near future. We will be sure to post details of this when we have a date. Like before any of those who can attend, will be more than welcome.”
Clare followed us for 10 months. She promised us that the programme ‘This is Tottenham’ would tell the truth regarding Ambroses’ disappearance, death and the way we had been treated by the Metropolitan Police, from the moment Ruth reported Ambrose missing to Colindale Police station.
As we were approaching the Inquest into Ambroses’ death, Ruth had been going through a very hard time and she had become even more depressed. She wasn’t seeing anyone, preferring instead to stay in her room and go on social media, hoping and praying for a break through in Ambroses’ case. As a result of Ruth refusing to take Clares’ calls or agreeing to see her, Clare Johns came to my house, unannounced, on Sunday 15th November 2015. This wasn’t a social visit, it was a visit to show us the finished version of the BBC 2 documentary programme, ‘This is Tottenham’.
Although we originally told Clare we liked the programme, (as one of the emails explains below), once she left and once we were able to discuss this in private, we decided that we wanted nothing to do with the programme.
First of all Ruth contacted Clare Johns by telephone to let her know how we felt about the whole situation, including wasting 10 months of her time. I believe given the circumstances we found ourselves in, Ruth and I handle the situation quite well, however, emotions do run high, and bad language can be heard at times. If you want to, you can listen to the FULL telephone conversation on my YouTube channel and make up your own minds… https://youtu.be/Q1FPaaOVL4I
Following the above phone-call, both Ruth and I sent emails off to Clare Johns and the other people who were involved in the making/airing of the programme ‘This is Tottenham’. The exchange of emails were as follows:
FW: BBC – This is Tottenham
Inbox
CHAPMAN, Claire <CHAPMANC@parliament.uk>
16/12/2015
Reply
to me
Dear Mrs Lovell
Theresa has received the response below from the BBC and has asked me to pass this on to you.
Kind regards
Claire
Claire Chapman
Senior Parliamentary Assistant to
Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet
Tel:
theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk
www.theresavilliers.co.uk
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Dominic Groves
Date: 11 December 2015 at 13:33
Subject: BBC – This is Tottenham
To: “theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk” <theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk>
Ref TV/CC/5250
11/12/15
Dear Mrs Villiers,
Thank you for your letter to the Director-General, dated 23 November 2015 which I’m responding to on his behalf. Please accept our apologies for not getting back to you sooner. Unfortunately your letter did not reach our office until two days ago.
As you may know, Mrs Harrison contacted the BBC directly prior to the broadcast of This is Tottenham. The programme team replied to her on 2 December and I have attached a copy of that reply for your information.
The programme was of course very disappointed that Ruth Lovell and her sister Alexandria were no longer happy to be included in the documentary. However they remain confident that the portrayal of those featured in the programme is fair and accurate and therefore proceeded with the broadcast as planned.
If you remain unhappy and wish to contact us again, Paul Kettle has been liaising with the production team about this matter and is happy to correspond with you.
I will make the Director General aware of our correspondence.
Yours sincerely,
Dominic Groves
Chief Complaints Advisor
Director General’s Office
Reply to Alexandria Harrison – 2 December
Thank you for your correspondence regarding This is Tottenham.
As Wendy Robbins said in her email of 30 November, we are very disappointed to learn that you are no longer happy to be shown in the documentary. As you are aware, throughout the entire filming process, filming was carried out with fully informed consent from you and your family. Your family always knew they would have been identifiable and the issue of anonymity was never raised.
The team feel that you have an important story to tell and one that fits within this documentary on David Lammy’s surgery. We believe we have reflected events in a fair and accurate way, and are confident that the scenes in which you appear demonstrates this. The documentary will be aired tonight, Wednesday 2nd December, at 9pm on BBC 2.
Unfortunately Clare had been lying to us for the 10 months she was by our side. Ruth especially, had grown to trust Clare and had began to look at her as a friend. Clare would even go as far as to give Ruth random calls just to check in on how things were going with the case, so that she could make a note of it.
Getting wider media attention has been something which has always been denied to Ruth, since the 24th January 2015. However having said that, Victor O’lisa had made an offer for Ruth to appear on Crimewatch, during the meeting he attended at my home and which was televised. This too was filmed by Clare, although none of it made the programme. Clare also failed to mention that Ruth had only been out of ICU for 2 days and had sat through a meeting with Victor O’lisa for appropriately 30 minutes before walking out. The programme did exactly what the Metropolitan Police did, and that was to bring her past into the equation of Ambroses’ disappearance and death. They implied that her thoughts/distrust and behaviour were caused by her past and, not related to Ambrose and the treatment she was receiving at the hands of the Metropolitan Police. A disgusting tactic used by the BBC and Clare Johns.
Initially Clare did tell us that the programme she was doing was about a number of people, who lived in Tottenham, and, who had passed through David Lammys’ surgery or, were asking for his help. But, as time went on and as we discovered how corrupt Ambroses’ case was, we did discuss a whole programme just for Ambrose. Clare was fully behind this, saying she would speak with her ‘bosses’. However, leaving that aside, all we were interested in, was getting the truth broadcast to a wider audience, whether that was for 5 or 60 minutes wasn’t the issue.
Clare herself told us on numerous occasions that the case was corrupt and that Ambrose deserved his own programme, which she was going to try and see to. She knew about the unprofessional treatment we had been on the receiving end of, and she herself called it disgusting. Clare was aware of what witnesses had said, what our thoughts were and how the Metropolitan Police and the I.P.C.C. had behaved regarding communicating with us and refusing to disclose disclosures for the inquest. Clare was also aware that a successful DNA test had not been done and that the tissue tested during the PM proved inconclusive. Clare was also aware that within 30 minutes of leaving the mortuary, both Ruth and I were doubting whether we had just seen Ambrose. She also knew about the death threats we had been receiving and the effect this was having on both Ruth and my own mental health. She discussed with us, on numerous occasions, how the press work and how stories spread like wild flower, once media outlet prints/shows something. Clare witnessed first hand the tears, the stress, the pain and heartache that Ambroses disappearance, death and everything that has happened since, has affected Ruth, our families and myself. Taking all of that into account, when we made our objections clear about the programme, Clare turned into a reporter instantly., even though when we made our objections known to Clare, she agreed with us completely.
This programme did nothing but cover up the corruption that exists in this case. The programme made the Metropolitan Police look as though they did everything they could to help us. The programme also portrayed us, the family, in a way which misrepresented us, our story and Ambroses’ disappearance and murder. In short, the programme and those responsible did nothing but play down the circumstances, the involvement and lack of involvement of the Metropolitan Police and the I.P.C.C…
Clare Johns you truly are a disgrace. Something tells me Ruth and Vickys families are not the only ones who have been taken in by you like this. How you can sleep at night, is beyond me. I hope the pay packet was worth it, because the effect it has had on us, is stronger today, than it was 2 yeas ago…
Below is the link to a snippet of audio, which basically covered what was in the programme ‘This is Tottenham’. This is what 10 months of stress, intrusion and being followed around, amounted to. The bit where you hear Ruth say ‘Gina please help me” is what she says just before she collapses in the Police station. Disgusting editing to say the very least. If they were going to include that part, why did they not tell/show the full clip?
This is a tiny snippet of some of the recordings we have. In these Clare also voices her opinion/s about other subjects, however none of the information we shared with Clare regarding Ambroses’ case and the way w have been dealt with by the police. .
6. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ui2vl9c19bg9ly2/With%20Clare%20Johns%20-%20Talking%20About%20The%20Media%20And%20Other%20Things..m4a?dl=0
Could I please, encourage you, to share my Youtube videos and blog via FB, Twitter and any other social media network you have an account with.
We have been struggling to get justice for 3 years and to bring this case to the attention of the wider media and general public, but, we have been blocked at every avenue, by the BBC and the Metropolitan Police to name just a couple of organisations. Re-tweeting and sharing this via social media, in the hope that it goes viral, is our last hope. It only takes a few seconds to do, but it would mean the World to us and, it could make all the difference regarding Ambroses’ case receiving the exposure it deserves. Please don’t do nothing, God forbid, you could find yourself in the same situation, which is something I wouldn’t wish on my worse enemy.
My Youtube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEJbObftneWPDbG2bg2VLcA/videos?view_as=subscriber
Thank you.
Alexandria xxx
The DISAPPEARANCE AND DEATH OF AMBROSE GARFIELD GENE BALL ... 
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