Gourock Pier at night Image By Paul Tipping

Coordinates: 55°57′N 4°49′W / 55.95°N 4.82°W / 55.95; -4.82

Gourock
Scottish Gaelic: Guireag
Gourock  Gourock shown within Inverclyde
OS grid reference	NS242770
Council area	Inverclyde
Lieutenancy area	Renfrewshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GOUROCK
Postcode district	PA19
Dialling code	01475
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Inverclyde
Scottish Parliament	Greenock and Inverclyde
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Gourock (Scottish Gaelic: Guireag, pimple-shaped or rounded, pronounced [kuɾʲak]; GOOR-uck) is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde. Its principal function today, however, is as a popular residential area, extending contiguously from Greenock, with a railway terminus and ferry services across the Clyde.

History[link]

As far back as 1494 it is recorded that James IV sailed from the shore at Gourock to quell the rebellious Highland clans. Two hundred years later William and Mary granted a Charter in favour of Stewart of Castlemilk which raised Gourock to a Burgh of Barony. In 1784 the lands of Gourock were purchased by Duncan Darroch, a former merchant in Jamaica. He built Gourock House near the site of the castle in what the family eventually gifted to the town as Darroch Park, later renamed by the council as Gourock Park.

View from Lyle Hill over Cardwell Bay and Gourock Bay to the pierhead

The west front looking past the Royal Gourock Yacht Club to the pierhead.

From a small fishing village in the traditional county of Renfrewshire, Gourock grew into a community involved in herring curing, copper mining, ropemaking, quarrying and latterly yacht-building and repairing.

When the competing railway companies extended their lines to provide fast connections to Clyde steamer services the Pierhead was built as a railway terminus. Nowadays a Clyde Marine ferry serves Kilcreggan and Helensburgh, and electric trains provide a service to Glasgow from Gourock railway station at the pierhead. The David MacBrayne Ltd headquarters is at the pier, a passenger ferry service to Dunoon is run by their Argyll Ferries subsidiary. A car ferry service is run by Western Ferries from McInroy's Point on the west side of the town to Hunter's Quay to the north of Dunoon.

Like many Scottish seaside towns, Gourock's tourist heyday was in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. Evidence of this part of its past is gradually disappearing - The Bay Hotel and Cragburn Pavilion and The Ashton, three local landmarks, disappeared towards the end of the last century. At the same time, Gourock has continued to expand along the coastline, almost to the Cloch lighthouse which overlooks Innellan on the western shore.

Within sight of Gourock, in the early hours of Friday 21 October 1825, PS Comet (II) was run into by the steamer Ayr, some 62 persons losing their lives.

Places of interest[link]

Gourock boasts one of the two remaining public outdoor swimming pools in Scotland. Gourock Outdoor Pool was built in 1909 and reconstructed in 1969, it was once tidal and had a sandy floor, but is now a modern, heated facility, with cleaned sea water used in the saltwater pool. The pool was closed at the end of the 2010 summer season for a major improvement project, due to be completed before the end of 2011. The existing changing accommodation has been demolished and will be replaced with a more modern leisure centre, incorporating an enlarged gymnasium and lift access from the street level down to the new changing accommodation and the upgraded pool.^[1]

The megalithic Kempock Stone, popularly known as "Granny Kempock Stone", stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, the main shopping street. The supersition was that for sailors going on a long voyage or a couple about to be married, walking seven times around the stone would ensure good fortune. A flight of steps winds up from the street past the stone to Castle Mansions and St John's Church, whose crown steeple forms a landmark dominating Gourock. Kempock Street itself has a good variety of traditional shops including baker's and greengrocer's shops.

Gourock park was formerly the grounds of Gourock House, now demolished, and lies to the east of the town. Gourock Burn runs down to the west side of the park, and the Scout Hall of the 1st Gourock and 6th Greenock & District Scout Group, known as Colonel Darroch's Own, is on that side of Gourock Park. Within the Park lies Gourock Park Bowling Club, one of two bowling clubs in the town, the other being The Gourock Bowling Club in Barrhill Road. These clubs have strong links and also a healthy rivalry as can be seen on their respective websites.www.Gourockpark.com and www.Gourockbc.com

Gourock has two sailing clubs, Royal Gourock Yacht Club and Cardwell Bay Sailing Club, founded in 1906. These clubs provide social activities for members throughout the year and play host to competitive sailing during the summer mouths with many yachtsmen being members of both.

Gourock also has a golf course, which stretches from behind Trumpethill to Levan estates.

Clan Darroch[link]

Clan Darroch's links with Gourock began in the later half of the 18th century with Duncan Darroch, 1st of Gourock, who had returned to Scotland after making a fortune in the West Indies. There is a story that as a lad, before leaving for Jamaica, he climbed into the garden of Gourock House to get apples from the orchard, and when chased out by the gardener said he would return to buy the estate with its orchard. He acquired the Barony of Gourock from the Stewarts of Castlemilk in 1784. He was also granted arms by the Court of the Lord Lyon and designated Chief of McIireich.^[2]

The present head of the Scottish clan Darroch is titled Claire Darroch-Thompson, 8th of Gourock, Lady of the Barony of Gourock, following the death of her father, the late Duncan Darroch of Gourock on 1 February 2011.^[3]

Industry[link]

Gourock's principal industry, apart from tourism and fishing, was small craft repair and chandlery. An eponymous ropework opened in the town but later moved to Port Glasgow. More recently Amazon.com opened a distribution centre at Faulds Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town.

Areas of Gourock[link]

Ashton, Cardwell Bay, Levan, McInroy's Point, Midton, Trumpethill

Photographs of Gourock[link]

• 

  Sunset view from Lyle Hill

• 

  The Waverley in front of the old Bay Hotel

• 

  Caledonian MacBrayne ferries at the pierhead

• 

  Granny Kempock Stone

• 

  Greengrocer's shop in Kempock Street

• 

  Baker's shop in Kempock Street

• 

  Gourock Outdoor Pool

• Gourock from west 2004.jpg

  Ashton Front promenade

Notable residents[link]

• Iain Banks (1954– ), author
• Charlie Barr (1864–1911), yachtsman and three-time America's Cup winner
• George Wyllie (1921–2012), artist

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gourock

• Gourock Community Council
• Gourock Golf Club
• 1st Gourock (CDO) Scout Group

Martin Eric Stephens (born 1976^[1]), an Australian former bartender, was convicted in Indonesia for drug trafficking as a member of the Bali Nine. In 2005, on his first trip to Bali, Stephens was arrested at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar with 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) of heroin taped to his chest and concealed under his clothing. After a criminal trial, on 14 February 2006 Stephens was sentenced to life imprisonment. His appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court to have the sentence reduced to 10 years was rejected in January 2011.^[2]

Alleged trafficking conspiracy[link]

Stephens, from Towradgi, a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, was employed at at Eurest, a catering company, where he met Renae Lawrence, Matthew Norman, and his supervisor, Andrew Chan. All four would later be convicted of drug trafficking as fellow members of the Bali Nine.^[3]

According to media reports based on the testimony of Renae Lawrence, acting under the instructions of Andrew Chan, Stephens and Lawrence departed Australia on 6 April 2005. The day before, Stephens, Lawrence, and Si Yi Chen met with Myuran Sukumaran where police allege drug smuggling tools such as sealable plastic bags, medical tape, elastic waist bands and skin tight bike shorts were stuffed into the bags of Stephens and Lawrence. Lawrence claimed she was given cash; whilst Stephens claimed that his life was threatened.^[4] Media reports claim that police records show that whilst in Bali, Lawrence was in daily contact with Chan until 13 April, when Chan changed his mobile phone number. On the same day, he instructed Stephens and Lawrence, staying at the Kuta Laguna, to change hotels. Together with Chen and Norman, Stephens and Lawrence checked into the Adhi Dharma hotel on 14 April. Indonesian police were in an adjacent room in the same hotel. Nguyen arrived on 16 April, and booked into the same hotel.^[5] The original planned departure date of 14 April from Bali was delayed^[6] as Chan suspected Australian and Indonesian police were aware of his plans.

On 17 April, Chen, Norman, and Nguyen checked out of the Adhi Dharma hotel, leaving Stephens and Lawrence in the hotel^[5] until they departed for the airport.

Arrest in Indonesia[link]

Stephens was arrested by Indonesian police on 17 April 2005 at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali. Heroin weighing 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) was discovered strapped to his legs and chest, concealed underneath his clothing. Scott Rush, Michael Czugaj and Lawrence were arrested at the same time as Stephens. On 20 April 2005, graphic footage of the arrests and subsequent police questioning of Stephens and other members of the Bali Nine was aired on Australian television.^[7]

On the same day that Stephens was arrested, Indonesian police also arrested Si Yi Chen, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Myuran Sukumaran and Matthew Norman at the Melasti Hotel in Kuta. Alleged co-ringleader, Andrew Chan was also arrested the same day whilst seated on an Australian Airlines flight waiting to depart Denpasar for Sydney. At the time Chan was arrested, he was carrying three mobile phones and a boarding pass. No drugs were found in his possession.^[5]

At the time of the arrest, it was reported that Stephens, speaking with Lawrence, was recorded as saying:

"Should we dob them in?"

Lawrence replied:

"By dobbing some other **** I'm not killing my family. And what's the point anyway, because if we dob them in, right, we dob them in, they kill our family and then we're dead anyway. So, you know, why... Don't tell them and they'll just kill us instead and leave our families alone."^[7][8][9]

Criticisms of Australian Federal Police tipoff[link]

Wikinews has related news: Bali Nine refused access to federal police files

Lee Rush, the father of Scott Rush, a fellow member of the Bali Nine, said that he contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP) prior to the commission of the offence, fearing his son was travelling to Bali and would commit a drug-related crime. Rush senior claims then to have received assurances from the AFP that they would tell his son he was under surveillance to dissuade him from going through with the crime before the group's departure from Indonesia. Scott Rush's lawyers said he was never contacted. It was revealed that the AFP alerted Indonesian police that a crime was to be committed approximately two weeks before the arrests, and had commenced an investigation about ten weeks prior to the arrests.^[10][11][12] When the Bali Nine were arrested, the news of the tipoff became public^[13] and there was criticism of the role of the AFP in protecting the interests of Australian citizens.^[12] Commenting on the matter at the time, AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty was reported as saying:

"One of the things we've got to remember is that we operate within our criminal-justice system here in Australia, and if we only co-operated with countries that had the same criminal-justice system, then our co-operation wouldn't extend very far beyond Australia. We have to work with the systems that operate in other countries, and to a large degree this has been successful, certainly in terms of heroin trafficking."^[14]

Rush took action in the Federal Court of Australia against the AFP for breach of the bilateral treaty between Indonesia and Australia when information was handed by the AFP to the Indonesians. Rush's case claimed that such information should only be released by the Attorney-General. However, the Commonwealth Government maintained that the treaty only applies after a suspect is charged.^[15] The application was dismissed by the Federal Court in January 2006.

Criminal trial[link]

Criminal trials for the accused commenced in the Denpasar District Court on 11 October 2005. Chen, Nguyen, and Norman, all arrested at the Melasti Hotel and earning the numeric epithet, The Melasti Three, were tried together, with the remaining six defendants tried separately.^{[citation needed]}

Wikinews has related news: Bali nine lawyer challenges police on legality of drug case

In December 2005, as the trials began, it was reported that tensions were building between the Bali Nine drug mules and Sukumaran and Chan.^[16] Several days later, lawyers acting for some members of the Bali Nine initially sought the support of the Director of Public Prosecutions to intervene and lay charges for conspiracy to import drugs, so that the nine could be extradited and charged under Australian law.^[17] However, the judges hearing the trial matters in Bali called for Australia not to intervene in Indonesia's right to impose capital punishment;.^[18] Lawyers acting for Stephens claimed that the fairness of his trial was in jeopardy following comments made in the media by Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda that Australians should be prepared for members of the Bali Nine to receive a death sentence, if found guilty.^[19]

During his trial, Stephens claims he was forced by Chan to travel to Bali and proceed with the smuggling. Stephens claims that Chan showed him photographs of his family going about their daily lives, and saying they would be killed if he did not cooperate, saying:

"They threatened me. They threatened my family, my friends, my love - my girlfriend… They showed me pictures."^[20]

Adnan Wirawan, Stephens' lawyer, claimed that his client has been unfairly accused as the ring leader of the alleged conspiracy. "He's a human suitcase... he was being told what to do."^{[citation needed]} During legal proceedings, Czugaj and Rush, fellow members of the Bali Nine who have since been convicted of drug trafficking, testified that they had never met Stephens or Lawrence until they were all arrested on 17 April 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Sentencing and appeal[link]

Sentences for the majority of the Bali Nine were handed down on 13 February 2006 and 14 February 2006. As Stephens' sentence was about to be handed down, his mother Michelle, speaking from Bali, was reported as saying:

""...faith gave them strength, and asked Australians to think before they judged [her] son."^[21][22]

On 14 February 2006 Stephens was sentenced to life imprisonment.^[23]

Commenting on the sentences at the time, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Keelty stated:

"I stand by the police and what they've done … The Federal Court actually made a decision saying not only had they acted lawfully but they acted in accordance with government policy."^[23]

Australian Prime Minister John Howard was reported as commenting:

"The police are there to protect us from the ravages of drugs and I just hope that every young Australian who might in their wildest imagination think that they can get away with this will take a lesson from this"^[23] and "I feel desperately sorry for the parents of these people. I do. All of us as parents will feel that way, but the warnings have been there for decades."^[24]

As verdicts and sentences were handed down in the trials of the Bali Nine, additional arrests were made in Australia.^[25]

Stephens, along with eight other members of the Bali Nine, appealed the severity of their sentence.^[2] On 26 April 2006, the Indonesian Supreme Court reduced the life imprisonment sentences to 20-years for each of Lawrence, Nguyen, Chen, Czugaj and Norman, all arrested at Melasti Hotel in Kuta.^[26] Stephens' appeal was upheld.^[2]

On 20 December 2006, Stephens announced he planned to marry Christine Winarni Puspayanti, an Indonesian woman he met at Kerobokan Prison.^[27] Stephens met Puspayanti months after his arrest while she was visiting the prison as a part of a church group. Stephens married Puspayanti in a traditional Indonesian-style wedding in April 2011.^[28][29]

See also[link]

• List of Australians in international prisons
• List of Australian criminals

References[link]