Rebel Justice - changing the way you see justice
What is justice? Who does it serve? Why should you care?
When we think about justice, we think about it as an abstract, something that happens to someone else, somewhere else. Bad people. But justice and the law regulate every aspect of our interactions with each other, with organisations, with the government.
We never think about it until it impacts our lives, or that of someone close.
News, views and trues from The View Magazine, a social justice and campaigning platform for the rights of women in the justice system.
Our guests are women with lived experience of the justice system whether as victims or women who have committed crimes; people at the forefront of civic action who put their lives on the line to demand a better world such as maligned climate justice campaigners.
We ask them to share their insight into how we might repair a broken and harmful system, with humanity and dignity.
We also speak with people who are in the heart of of the justice system creating important change, climate activists, judges, barristers, human rights campaigners, mental health advocates, artists and healers.
The View believes that we can rebuild lives with hope, and successfully reintegrate people who have caused harm or been harmed, through the restoring nature of art and creativity, open dialogue and - love.
Rebel Justice - changing the way you see justice
E. 70. Farah's Fight: 13 months on remand
Held on remand for 13 months, Farah Damji's story exposes the brutal reality of how Britain's legal system can become an instrument of violence against women. With no evidence beyond the claims of her former partner, Nigel Gould-Davies, Farah has been denied bail repeatedly despite battling stage three breast cancer and suffering from untreated PTSD.
The Crown Prosecution Service's case has been riddled with errors. First, they claimed Farrah sent harassing emails. Now they've pivoted to claim she "forced others" to send them. Meanwhile, they consistently ignore court orders to produce crucial evidence like Nigel's bank statements and medical records that could reveal the truth. The prosecution's barrister continues to spin tales while judges at Wood Green Crown Court refuse to grant bail under any conditions.
We bring you the suppressed testimony of Holly Bright, who has known Farah for 40 years. Her shocking statement details a disturbing pattern of abuse, manipulation, and control by Nigel Gould-Davies—evidence the court refuses to hear. She describes how Nigel isolated Farah from friends, monitored her communications and made cruel comments about her body during cancer treatment. Despite multiple witnesses ready to testify about these behaviours, their voices are being silenced.
This episode reveals how institutions meant to protect the vulnerable can instead become weapons against them. As Holly states in her testimony: "I believe Nigel Gould-Davies has been a perpetrator of violence against women for many years." Yet it's Farah who sits in a cell while her health deteriorates.
Join our growing community of justice advocates by subscribing to Rebel Justice. Visit theviewmag.org.uk to learn more about Farah's case and other women fighting against a system that fails them daily.
For more unmissable content from The View sign up here
For more unmissable content from The View sign up here
Welcome to Rebel Justice podcast from the View magazine, a platform by and for women in the justice system. This week's episode shines a spotlight on one women's ill treatment from both the justice and the prison system. Imagine being kept on remand for 13 months on no evidence and trumped up charges. Imagine suffering from an acute mental illness PTSD and getting no treatment for it in prison. Now add to that going through stage three aggressive breast cancer and a savage group of judges at Wood Green Crown Court who will not give you bail on any conditions. This is the judicial summary of state-sponsored violence against women the British legal system.
Speaker 1:For 13 months, farah has been incarcerated at HMP Bronzefield, a notorious private prison. She has had to fight constant battles with the prison management to get the healthy food and nutrients she needs. Jessica, the inexperienced kitchen manager, says food is not her responsibility when she's not in the prison. Angie, the residential manager, just lies and smiles and smiles and lies. For 13 months, the CPS have insisted that Farah is behind an email that caused Nigel Gould-Davis, a former partner a failed academic slash diplomat. Davis, a former partner, a failed academic slash diplomat so much anxiety and distress that he experienced trauma. However, they now say that Farah didn't send the messages that she forced other people to send them. They still haven't figured out what their case is. At a recent hearing at Wood Green Crown Court in front of the trial judge, judge Greenberg, it was clear that the CPS had no intention of complying with disclosure orders made recently. In three hearings, chris, the prosecution barrister, was worse and told more and more lies. They've been ordered to hand over Nigel Davis's bank records and medical evidence, but they're just not doing it. They've been ordered to hand over unredacted bank statements, as one of his false allegations is that she used his card fraudulently. But she in fact used his card to buy stuff for his flat and to get it decluttered and cleaned professionally. As he has a hoarding disorder, they've been ordered to hand over his mental health records for the last five months, as Judge Greenberg said she would decide what was disclosable. They still haven't complied. They haven't even finalized an opening note. They've not got any witnesses, except for Nigel Gould-Davis and Gould-Davis's brother.
Speaker 1:The View magazine stands by the safeguarding complaints raised to Jane Graham, head of HR at Nigel's think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies. These complaints were never investigated. Instead, Jane told Nigel to break off the relationship in November 2023. He didn't break it off when Farrah finally had enough of him After he told her that she was so fat she should stay at the Royal Free Hospital so other women could use her fat for their breast reconstruction operations. She had enough and emailed Jane Graham and her medical team to tell them to remove him from our next of kin and emergency contacts.
Speaker 1:The View were deeply concerned about Nigel's behavior from the onset of the relationship and remained so. As evidence about him trying to keep former partner's property, such as Miss Lee, whose name appears on the police national computer, have reinforced our concerns that this is not a man who can be trusted and it's a man who feels that he's entitled to take whatever he wants from women. The police and the CPS have made absolutely no effort to contact anyone from the View magazine. We've contacted the officer in the case repeatedly, initially to try and find her passport, then to make a formal complaint about the officer in the case, then to meet her at Islington Police Station. Then we contacted her to get a company phone and laptop back. She said to Judge Deacon last week that she didn't recall any of these messages. She didn't recall any contact. However, it's irrefutable that directors of the View have been in contact with the police since March 2024.
Speaker 1:This case has gone far enough and the Crown has no case and knows that it's time to call it a day and end this performative justice exhibition. We've said all along we are willing to give evidence and have told the court and the CPS that, but of course this does not suit their false narrative that Farrah is behind all of this or that she forced people to send emails. This is just not true. The following is a statement from Holly Bright, a statement she has been told she cannot give as evidence in court. Why not? This is not justice. This is a sham, and this stops now. The statement you are about to hear is not Holly's voice, but the words are all hers.
Speaker 2:I am a 58-year-old woman. I have known Farah Dhanji for 40 years. We met in New York City when she was released from prison in 2019, and I helped her set up the View magazine. I am, amongst other things, a consultant forensic psychologist by trade. Holly is my middle name.
Speaker 2:I met Nigel Gould-Davies at several events at the View Cafe while in London in winter 2023. I immediately became very concerned as a professional in mental health about his behavior. When he complained because Farrah asked him why he never raised the issue of the British invasion of Afghanistan, although he was vocally exercised by Putin's invasion of Ukraine, although he was vocally exercised by Putin's invasion of Ukraine. After she raised this with him in late August 2023, he complained about her to me and said she was embarrassing him publicly. He demanded that we should not use some podcasts he had insisted on hosting with Rupert Reed, the climate justice campaigner. I refused to remove them and he threatened me repeatedly over the course justice campaigner. I refused to remove them and he threatened me repeatedly over the course of the relationship.
Speaker 2:Both I and other people close to Farrah were more than concerned about Nigel Gould Davies' conduct towards Farrah. At all times he tried to alienate her against me and others, most significantly our friend and colleague Claire Sims. He insisted that he alone should accompany her to hospital appointments and try to manipulate timing so that he could make them. He also tried to open direct communications with her consultants, which they refused to do. He insisted on being named as her next of kin and emergency contact on the hospital communications care plan. Farah told him sometime in August about her true identity because they were getting closer. He told her he was not concerned about this, but he asked that she should keep the name she had used in Ireland, the name he knew her by and had met her on Bumble. In case his think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, found out, he felt they would not approve of their relationship. In fact, in November 2023, he told FARA that their head of HR, jane Graham, told him to break up with her and have nothing else to do with the View magazine. I was very pleased.
Speaker 2:I complained about his abusive conduct and bruises on her arms to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Repeatedly they ignored my complaint. International Institute for Strategic Studies. Repeatedly they ignored my complaint. His conduct was increasingly alarming from a domestic abuse point of view and the senior team of the View magazine told him to stop behaving in such a destructive and abusive way towards Farrah repeatedly. His ex-girlfriend, amalia Bianchi, contacted the View magazine in about November, while Nigel Gould Davis was in Washington, and warned us that he had untreated bipolar disorder and was possibly schizophrenic. She told us about his abusive relationship with his father, who had abandoned him, and also about several very alarming incidents of emotional abuse and gaslighting that Nigel Gould Davis was repeating with Farah.
Speaker 2:Abuse and gaslighting that Nigel Gould Davis was repeating with Farah as our oldest friend, claire and I were more and more concerned about her mental and physical health due to Nigel's behavior. He would gaslight her into believing he would always be there for her and would help her however she wanted. Then he would ghost her and cut off all contact. One example was when he went to Oxford on a Friday evening for a PPE dinner and texted her over 100 times in one day the following Saturday. When he returned to London on Sunday evening, they planned to meet and speak and, knowing about her stage three cancer diagnosis, which she had contracted at the early stages of their relationship, and the anxiety and trauma around that, he ignored her and didn't even tell her he was back. We later discovered he was seeing other women a Chinese supermodel, a Brazilian academic he met on Bumble and a Nigerian actress. Meanwhile he insisted that Farah was faithful to him. He claimed he was affected by my legitimate complaints to his firm, and my emails affected him so much that he had to get trauma counseling. He did this by lying to the International Institute for Strategic Studies and claiming our actions traumatized him. The truth was that he'd been in therapy before for some years. It hasn't worked. He lied so the company would pay for it and blamed the View magazine so he could say it was a new condition covered by his Axe Company health insurance.
Speaker 2:Nigel kept Farrah from her close friends and was always answering her phone and accusing her of having affairs with other men, particularly men who were previous partners and close friends. He shamed her sexually by telling her they were not a good sexual match, insulting her by saying she was too large because she'd had so many lovers, which is an assumption he could attack her with. He also told her that she was fat all the time and made a disgusting comment on the way home from the Royal Free Hospital that she was so fat she should stay in hospital so other women could access her excess fat for their breast reconstruction operations. I recall meeting Nigel Gul-Davi's at the View Cafe opening, but I only said hello and introduced myself. But he did not socialize. He just appeared to sit on his laptop and watch Fahara and her interactions, noting who she was speaking to, and then he would come up and demand to be introduced speaking to, and then he would come up and demand to be introduced.
Speaker 2:I met him when I was helping to paint the cafe with some other friends and he stalked her outside for several minutes watching from the window and finally stormed in sulking and angry and said so you did block me, you're just too busy for me. We were shocked by his childish behavior. She had blocked him because he was insisting she should go home. They were living together in his flat but she wanted to stay with friends and work on a painting. He was texting her endlessly and he was distracting her while we were rushing to get the cafe painted. I also met him briefly in November while we were having dinner at Carluccio's in King's Cross.
Speaker 2:Nigel Gould-Davies said he was so traumatized by me and my emails that he told the International Institute for Strategic Studies and his GP that he needed time off. So the GP gave him one month off. In that time he was looking for other work. Month off In that time he was looking for other work. She was so worried about him at that dinner and his lack of hygiene and the fact that there was no food in this flat that she bought him groceries which she dropped off after our meal. She often complained about how disgusting and dirty his flat was and she sent me pictures which showed piles and piles of books and clothes everywhere. In some rooms the furniture was inaccessible. There were layers and layers of dust that were bad for her health. She had seen him in the middle of our dinner because he walked by. He'd known that we would be there because she'd mentioned that she was coming to Carluccio's to have dinner with me. Nigel had told her he was ill and staying at home that evening and he admitted he was going to a friend's dinner party and on his way to buy chocolate for his friends. Farrah was confused and upset. She had been so worried about him but in fact he was fine and lying to his work to get his sick leave paid.
Speaker 2:Another time, after Farrah had 12 biopsies in one day and gone to him. Afterwards. He picked a fight with her discussing his former student, a young black woman whom he had an affair with. He said Farrah's skin tone reminded him of his former student. She called me and I told her she should leave. There was no point staying there. The next day we had a meeting and I saw bruises all over her arms. She tried to brush it off, saying it wasn't serious. This happened a few times. I'm also aware he threw a chair at her and this violence was reported to his church, king's Cross Church. I'm also aware he threw her down some stairs at the Oxford and Cambridge Club when she didn't want to go back inside with him after a meeting when he told her he was going to see another woman the next day.
Speaker 2:I'm aware of emails Nigel Gould Davies claims I have sent from a Gmail account purporting to be mine. I did not send these emails. As far as I'm aware, farrah read them to me. I've never apologized to him about anything. I've done nothing wrong. I've never harassed or stalked him. I'm not an alcoholic. I've never been in rehab. I've not seen the emails that Nigel Gould Davies was referring to, so I can't comment on whether they were sent by me. They should be provided as evidence so I can see them. I do believe Nigel Gould Davies hacked into our email address as far as I had access to this and used it on his laptop in his flat.
Speaker 2:I contacted David from his expert witness firm to find out what happened with the document that Nigel threatened was legally privileged and that Farah had allegedly stolen, and whether the police had been called. She had been remanded. At this time I called from the 1051 number as I was in London and I wanted to speak to him. I left that number for him to call me back on. I do not remember speaking to him about the Sunday Times or making allegations about Nigel Gold Davies.
Speaker 2:I am concerned about Nigel's behaviors, which are typical behaviors of a narcissistic stalker and a perpetrator of violence against women. I say this in my professional capacity. I believe he is a danger to all women. I am aware of an email sent by Farrah to her legal team and Jane Graham asking her medical team to remove Nigel from her medical contact in case of an emergency. She finally realized how toxic and dangerous the relationship was. The View magazine also emailed Jane Graham to recover Farrah's medication, including Zopiclone, which could not be prescribed again by her GP. Jane Graham said she had asked Nigel Goldavis to make arrangements for her to collect the medication from his flat, but he was uncooperative. Around the 24th of January, farrah told me Nigel Gould-Davies was leaving for Berlin for one month because of trauma caused by her and me in particular. He told her where he was staying. On WhatsApp messages she told me she was in bits.
Speaker 2:I have witnessed many incidents of domestic violence, coercive control and emotional abuse by Nigel Gould-Davies towards Farah. I've also spoken to other women and I'm due to speak to another friend who was in a relationship with Nigel Gould-Davies, whom he referred to as his stalker. In fact, he stalked her and stole her property. The Met Police are aware of this situation. I am aware Nigel Gould-Davies has stolen a Rolex watch that Farrah had since 1984.
Speaker 2:It was given to her by her father. He has also stolen a Chanel coat, which is pictured in photography with him, and otherwise he has clothing that she left at their home when they were living together. He did not return these when he sneakily dumped some of her things at the View Cafe in a paper bag when he knew that she wasn't in. We've been watching the cafe on CCTV, watching him leave and enter. In this paper bag, we found his passport. There is no reason that he should have left his passport for her to find.
Speaker 2:I believe Nigel Gould Davies has been a perpetrator of violence against women for many years. He has a fatal psychological scar left by his father, who abandoned him as a child, and an overprotective mother who was very abusive towards Farrah. He has an unhealthy and unnatural relationship with his mother, probably stemming from early life sexual abuse which he revealed to Farrah and other women, but he is now ashamed and set to destroy her and the View which he told us repeatedly he would do. I believe, to the best of my knowledge, that this statement is a concise description of the events as they happened.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to Rebel Justice, a podcast from the View magazine. If you want to find out more about farah and other women impacted by the justice system, you can visit our website, theviewmagorguk. You can find us on ex-formerly twitter, at rebel justice, on facebook, linkedin and instagram at the view magazine. Please like and subscribe to the show if you want to hear new episodes as soon they're released. Thank you for listening.