Supergrass is a British
slang
Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...
term for an
informant
An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informant ...
who
turns King's evidence, often in return for protection and
immunity from prosecution
Legal immunity, or immunity from prosecution, is a legal status wherein an individual or entity cannot be held liable for a violation of the law, in order to facilitate societal aims that outweigh the value of imposing liability in such cases. Su ...
. In the British criminal world, police informants have been called "grasses" since the late 1930s, and the "super" prefix was coined by journalists in the early 1970s to describe those who
witnessed against fellow criminals in a series of high-profile mass trials at the time.
Etymology
The first known use of "grass" in that context is Arthur Gardner's
crime novel ''Tinker's Kitchen'', published in 1932, in which a "grass" is defined as "an informer". The etymology of "grass" being used as signifying a traitor, a person who informs on people he or she knows intimately, ostensibly can be traced to the expression "snake in the grass", which has a similar meaning. The phrase derives from the writings of
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
(in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, ''latet anguis in herba'') and has been known in the English language, meaning "traitor", since the late 17th century.
["grass up" (v.)]
Gary Martin, PhraseFinder online
An alternative claim is made for the term originating from
rhyming slang, whereby "grasshopper" is defined as "copper", meaning "policeman".
[
Farmer, John Stephen & ]William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley (23 August 184911 July 1903) was an English poet, writer, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem "Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, the o ...
''Dictionary of Slang''; 1893 The rhyming slang version was supported in 1950 by lexicographer Paul Tempest, who wrote
Usage in Northern Ireland
In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, the term "supergrass" especially refers to arrested paramilitaries who divulged the identities of their compatriots to the
Royal Ulster Constabulary, possibly in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Sir
John Hermon, former Chief Constable of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary, did not deny reports that inducements were paid but denied figures as high as £50,000 were involved. The use of the term in Northern Ireland began with the arrest of Christopher Black in 1981. After securing assurances that he would have protection from prosecution, Black gave statements which led to 38 arrests. On 5 August 1983, 22 members of the
Provisional IRA
The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...
were sentenced to a total of more than 4,000 cumulative years in prison, based on Black's testimony alone (eighteen of these convictions were overturned on appeal on 17 July 1986).
By the end of 1982, 25 more "supergrasses" had surfaced contributing to the arrests of over six hundred people from
paramilitary organizations, such as the Provisional IRA, the
Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) and the
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign ...
. On 11 April 1983, members of the
loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force were jailed on the evidence of supergrass Joseph Bennett. These convictions were all overturned on 24 December 1984. In October 1983, seven people were convicted on the evidence provided by supergrass
Kevin McGrady although the trial judge Lord Chief Justice Robert Lowry had described McGrady's evidence as "bizarre, incredible and contradictory". The last supergrass trial finished on 18 December 1985, when 25 members of the INLA were jailed on the evidence of
Harry Kirkpatrick. Twenty-four of these convictions were later overturned on 23 December 1986.
Many convictions based on supergrass testimony were later overturned, and the supergrass system was discontinued in 1985 until reintroduction in 2011. The first supergrass trial in 26 years began on 8 September 2011 for the murder of
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 as an umbrella group for various loyalist groups and Timeline of Ulster Defence Association act ...
(UDA) member
Tommy English. In Northern Ireland the term "tout" is a popular alternative to "grass". The
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ')
is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it was reform ...
have refused to use this term and prefer the term
Assisting Offender, based on the legislation that enables the use of such evidence.
Other usages
The term has also been used by ''
The Royal Gazette'', a daily newspaper in Bermuda, a British dependent territory. An article in the paper uses the term to describe a Transport Control Department worker convicted of selling driver's licenses to Portuguese applicants lacking the necessary English skills to pass the multiple choice exam. The worker was granted a conditional discharge in exchange for information on other Transport Control Department employees abusing the public trust.
One of the most prolific supergrasses in recent British history was
Michael Michael whose evidence in 2001 led to 32 criminals being convicted, including his own mother, and the disruption of a £132 million drug ring.
The term was used to describe Girolamo Bruzzese after his brother Marcello was assassinated by the
'Ndrangheta on Christmas Day 2018 in revenge for Girolamo's serving as a witness in court against the 'Ndrangheta.
See also
*
Pentito
''Pentito'' (; lit. "repentant"; plural: ''pentiti'') is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian criminal procedure terminology who were formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a public ...
*
Supergrass, an English alternative rock band
* ''
The Supergrass
''The Supergrass'' is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Peter Richardson, (who also plays a major role) who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens. The film stars Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen, Nigel ...
'', a 1985 English comedy film
References
Sources
*''Supergrasses: The Use of Accomplice Evidence in Northern Ireland'';
Tony Gifford {{ISBN, 0-900137-21-5
*
The Crowned Harp: Policing Northern Ireland' — by Graham Ellison and Jim Smyth (2000)
Supergrass tells of terror fight— BBC News article
Kevin Morrison Liverpool
Kevin Morrison Police informant jailed for life Liverpool
Law enforcement terminology
The Troubles (Northern Ireland)
British slang
Police informants