A Happy New Year
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
A tragedy that could have been avoided
A tragedy that could have been avoided
I think that it is a tragedy that a 7 year old girl is killed on Boxing Day riding a quad bike that her father bought her as a Christmas present.
However, it was a tragedy that could have been avoided had the father acted as a responsible rather than as a irresponsible parent.
I don't know the details of how the road traffic collision occurred. However, it is reported that a woman driver of a Range Rover has been arrested for careless driving through drink or drugs.
I am somewhat puzzled why the father has not been arrested over the incident. He owns almost 50 acres of land upon which his daughter could have ridden her quad bike legally in relative safety. And yet, he chose to allow her to ride illegally upon the public highway. He has to take a large measure of responsibility for her death. Had this happened to the child if she was in the care of teachers on a school trip, then the teachers would have been charged with manslaughter.
I think that it is a tragedy that a 7 year old girl is killed on Boxing Day riding a quad bike that her father bought her as a Christmas present.
However, it was a tragedy that could have been avoided had the father acted as a responsible rather than as a irresponsible parent.
I don't know the details of how the road traffic collision occurred. However, it is reported that a woman driver of a Range Rover has been arrested for careless driving through drink or drugs.
I am somewhat puzzled why the father has not been arrested over the incident. He owns almost 50 acres of land upon which his daughter could have ridden her quad bike legally in relative safety. And yet, he chose to allow her to ride illegally upon the public highway. He has to take a large measure of responsibility for her death. Had this happened to the child if she was in the care of teachers on a school trip, then the teachers would have been charged with manslaughter.
Teenager found dead in jail cell
Teenager found dead in jail cell
A teenage prisoner serving a one-year term was found hanging in his prison cell on Christmas Day, the Ministry of Justice has said.
Paramedics sought to revive Joker Idris after he was found in his cell at HMP Chelmsford, Essex, in the morning but he was pronounced dead shortly after.
The 18-year-old had been serving a sentence for possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has started an inquiry into the death.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "HMP Chelmsford prisoner Joker Idris was found hanging in his cell at 0715 GMT on 25 December. Staff and paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at around 0730 GMT.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Idris."
A teenage prisoner serving a one-year term was found hanging in his prison cell on Christmas Day, the Ministry of Justice has said.
Paramedics sought to revive Joker Idris after he was found in his cell at HMP Chelmsford, Essex, in the morning but he was pronounced dead shortly after.
The 18-year-old had been serving a sentence for possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has started an inquiry into the death.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "HMP Chelmsford prisoner Joker Idris was found hanging in his cell at 0715 GMT on 25 December. Staff and paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at around 0730 GMT.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Idris."
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Rocky finds a squeaky toy in his Christmas stocking
Rocky finds a squeaky toy in his Christmas stocking
Monday, December 24, 2007
A Happy Christmas to all my readers
A Happy Christmas to all my readers
There are newer posts below this fixed post and I will announce at a later date when blogging will cease for the Christmas holiday.
There are newer posts below this fixed post and I will announce at a later date when blogging will cease for the Christmas holiday.
Prison 'is splitting up families'
Prison 'is splitting up families'
"More children will be separated by prison than divorce this Christmas, the Prison Reform Trust has said".
And on that note I am signing off until after Christmas. I may be back before the New Year then again...
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Guest House or the Bates Motel...
The Guest House or the Bates Motel...
Liana turned up yesterday with her sister and her daughter from Thetford and asked if I could put them up for a few days over the holidays. I agreed to this request so the Bates Motel was full last night. There was a couple of problems. Initially, it was thought that my double bed would suit them fine. But, I explained that Rocky sleeps on a sofa in my bedroom and I wasn't sure how he would react or manage if we had to sleep in one of the other bedrooms. I did tidy and make up the other beds in the other bedrooms, but the bedding had not been washed since June when other guests had intended to stay but instead all crammed into Lasma's flat. In the end they did sleep in the spare bedrooms, and now I have to wash the bedding in case they wish to continue their stay here. This is not certain because Liana gets up to her old tricks when she has had too much to drink. I called an end to her party last night when her sister retired to bed and I was tired, but Liana and her sister's daughter desired to party on. So, I kicked Liana out of the house and went to bed. This morning Liana's relatives left without having either a tea or coffee or breakfast, to go and find Liana.
All three have just turned up and said they are going into the City Centre to do some shopping. I have to get the washing done, tidy up a bit, and get some Vermouth which is Liana's favourite tipple. She has apparently got over her bad behaviour from last night. It is this lack of control over drinking which turned me off the idea of marrying Liana. Whereas I go quiet after drinking Liana likes to get noisy and start a row. The chemistry is wrong for my nice and quiet house.
Liana turned up yesterday with her sister and her daughter from Thetford and asked if I could put them up for a few days over the holidays. I agreed to this request so the Bates Motel was full last night. There was a couple of problems. Initially, it was thought that my double bed would suit them fine. But, I explained that Rocky sleeps on a sofa in my bedroom and I wasn't sure how he would react or manage if we had to sleep in one of the other bedrooms. I did tidy and make up the other beds in the other bedrooms, but the bedding had not been washed since June when other guests had intended to stay but instead all crammed into Lasma's flat. In the end they did sleep in the spare bedrooms, and now I have to wash the bedding in case they wish to continue their stay here. This is not certain because Liana gets up to her old tricks when she has had too much to drink. I called an end to her party last night when her sister retired to bed and I was tired, but Liana and her sister's daughter desired to party on. So, I kicked Liana out of the house and went to bed. This morning Liana's relatives left without having either a tea or coffee or breakfast, to go and find Liana.
All three have just turned up and said they are going into the City Centre to do some shopping. I have to get the washing done, tidy up a bit, and get some Vermouth which is Liana's favourite tipple. She has apparently got over her bad behaviour from last night. It is this lack of control over drinking which turned me off the idea of marrying Liana. Whereas I go quiet after drinking Liana likes to get noisy and start a row. The chemistry is wrong for my nice and quiet house.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
My Christmas message to the McCanns: Bah humbug
My Christmas message to the McCanns: Bah humbug
There is only one thing worse than the Queen's Christmas message this year and that's the McCanns Christmas message. The child killers from Rothley have become the Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, have they no shame? "Kate and Gerry McCann say their only Christmas wish is to have their daughter back". It comes to something when the media plays along with this farce. Had Kate McCann not killed Madeleine and Gerry McCann not disposed of her body, then Madeleine would have been enjoying Christmas. It keeps getting forgotten that it is Madeleine who is the victim here and not her child killing parents. According to the BBC "The couple believe their daughter is still alive, and have employed private investigators in their search for her". The couple believe no such thing, having killed and disposed of her body, but for the sake of publicity they have to keep her memory alive to keep the donations pouring in. They are well aware that employing a private detective agency is a pointless and costly exercise. "In the first part of the video the couple talk about the possibility that someone knows what happened to their daughter". I would say that it is more than a possibility. In fact, I would say that it is certain. Gerry and Kate McCann, you know what happened.
There is only one thing worse than the Queen's Christmas message this year and that's the McCanns Christmas message. The child killers from Rothley have become the Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, have they no shame? "Kate and Gerry McCann say their only Christmas wish is to have their daughter back". It comes to something when the media plays along with this farce. Had Kate McCann not killed Madeleine and Gerry McCann not disposed of her body, then Madeleine would have been enjoying Christmas. It keeps getting forgotten that it is Madeleine who is the victim here and not her child killing parents. According to the BBC "The couple believe their daughter is still alive, and have employed private investigators in their search for her". The couple believe no such thing, having killed and disposed of her body, but for the sake of publicity they have to keep her memory alive to keep the donations pouring in. They are well aware that employing a private detective agency is a pointless and costly exercise. "In the first part of the video the couple talk about the possibility that someone knows what happened to their daughter". I would say that it is more than a possibility. In fact, I would say that it is certain. Gerry and Kate McCann, you know what happened.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Foreign criminals 'won't be deported'
Foreign criminals 'won't be deported'
The Border and Immigration Agency has reached a decision that it is not interested "in deporting foreign national prisoners serving sentences of under a year".
This news may embarrass Gordon Brown who has stated that all those foreigners who commit offences will be deported.
I am more interested in learning the reasoning behind this decision. The article does not offer any enlightenment. Personally, I think it is difficult to justify deportations on the grounds of such lenient sentences. However, I suspect that the decision is based upon some EU legislation similar to that used in the Learco Chindamo case.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's my Party I can cry if I want to...
It's my Party I can cry if I want to...
I cannot help wondering if Iain Dale is destined to always be the bridesmaid and never the bride?
Could it be that as bad as he is he isn't nasty enough for the Nasty Party?
I cannot help wondering if Iain Dale is destined to always be the bridesmaid and never the bride?
Could it be that as bad as he is he isn't nasty enough for the Nasty Party?
Royal 'blackmail' - two in court
Royal 'blackmail' - two in court
"Two men have appeared in court charged with a blackmail plot involving a member of the Royal Family".
The minor Royal involved, Viscount Linley, cannot be named for legal reasons...
"Two men have appeared in court charged with a blackmail plot involving a member of the Royal Family".
The minor Royal involved, Viscount Linley, cannot be named for legal reasons...
Churchill great-grandson jailed over drugs racket
Churchill great-grandson jailed over drugs racket
"Winston Churchill's great-grandson has been sentenced to three years in an Australian jail for his role in a multimillion-dollar ecstasy racket".
Poor sod it must have something to do with his genes...
"Winston Churchill's great-grandson has been sentenced to three years in an Australian jail for his role in a multimillion-dollar ecstasy racket".
Poor sod it must have something to do with his genes...
Judge orders return of deported asylum-seeker, 15
Judge orders return of deported asylum-seeker, 15
"Jacqui Smith was ordered yesterday to ensure the return to Britain of a teenage asylum-seeker who was taken from his foster carer’s home in a 4am raid and removed to Austria.
The boy, aged 15, spent a night at a police station in Austria before spending three nights on the streets, until he was admitted to a hostel for adults.
The Home Office was accused in the High Court of failing to inform the Austrian authorities that the unaccompanied boy, who was in the care of social services, was only 15.
Mr Justice Collins condemmed as “arguably disgraceful” the way the “vulnerable minor” had been removed from Britain".
Its stories like these that lead me to believe that we live in a police state as opposed to a democracy.
"Jacqui Smith was ordered yesterday to ensure the return to Britain of a teenage asylum-seeker who was taken from his foster carer’s home in a 4am raid and removed to Austria.
The boy, aged 15, spent a night at a police station in Austria before spending three nights on the streets, until he was admitted to a hostel for adults.
The Home Office was accused in the High Court of failing to inform the Austrian authorities that the unaccompanied boy, who was in the care of social services, was only 15.
Mr Justice Collins condemmed as “arguably disgraceful” the way the “vulnerable minor” had been removed from Britain".
Its stories like these that lead me to believe that we live in a police state as opposed to a democracy.
Car thief has a swift change of heart after checking his rear-view mirror
Car thief has a swift change of heart after checking his rear-view mirror
"BRIXHAM A thief who stole a car after spotting the keys in the ignition swiftly abandoned it when he was confronted by a great dane that had been asleep on the back seat".
Kenny Richey to walk free after plea deal
Kenny Richey to walk free after plea deal
"A British man who has been on Death Row for 20 years for the murder of a two-year-old girl is to be set free after striking a deal with American prosecutors".
This is a strange old case. I don't hold no view as to guilt or innocence. Originally, he was offered a plea bargain which he rejected and spent 20 years on death row instead. He was lucky to escape the electric chair. Now he has accepted a plea bargain.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Crown refuses to reveal secret Lockerbie paper
Crown refuses to reveal secret Lockerbie paper
"The Crown Office has refused to hand over a secret document vital to unearthing the truth about the Lockerbie bombing.
The defence team of the Libyan convicted of the bombing has now called for a procedural hearing to discuss the Crown's refusal to disclose the document from an unnamed "foreign" country.
At the hearing, in the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, the defence will ask the three judges to decide whether the document should be disclosed".
What has the Crown got to hide?
Hat-Tip to Barnacle Bill for spotting this.
"The Crown Office has refused to hand over a secret document vital to unearthing the truth about the Lockerbie bombing.
The defence team of the Libyan convicted of the bombing has now called for a procedural hearing to discuss the Crown's refusal to disclose the document from an unnamed "foreign" country.
At the hearing, in the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, the defence will ask the three judges to decide whether the document should be disclosed".
What has the Crown got to hide?
Hat-Tip to Barnacle Bill for spotting this.
The sky is green and the grass is blue...
The sky is green and the grass is blue...
Car lover builds makeshift Mercedes for £70
"A mechanic couldn't afford his dream vintage Mercedes racing car, so he made one out of a £70 Citroën 2CV".
"Mr Hyde has spent two years and around £10,000 on the car".
I am rather confused by a headline which proclaims that a man has built a car for £70, only to read on and discover that the true cost is £10,000.
Another confusing headline is...
Midnight mass at 8pm to fool drunks
Well, I am not drunk. Whatever else you want to call a church service it is not a Midnight mass if it is held for whatever reason at a time other than Midnight.
Another story which does not add up is this...
Tory leader’s local party failed to make basic checks on donations
"Mr Cameron’s local party in Oxfordshire accepted both donations at a fundraising event in August. The first was a gift in kind of a holiday, which was valued at £1,500 and was donated by Geoffrey Dobbs, from London, as a prize for an auction.
Roger Fletcher, from Guernsey, bid £5,900 to win the auction for the holiday with his payment going to the local party".
What kind of idiot pays £5,900 to win a holiday only worth £1,500? If it was in aid of charity I could understand the desire to pay in excess.
Police hunt for prison absconders
Police hunt for prison absconders
Derbyshire Police are continuing to hunt a murderer and two men convicted of drug offences who absconded from an open prison.
Three more prisoners go missing
Three more prisoners have absconded from an open jail, making a total of five at large in the past week.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
UK Guantanamo detainee near suicide after years of torture, doctors warn
UK Guantanamo detainee near suicide after years of torture, doctors warn
A British resident being held in Guantanamo Bay may be close to suicide after five years of captivity and torture at the hands of the Americans, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been warned in a medical report sent to the Government this week.
A British resident being held in Guantanamo Bay may be close to suicide after five years of captivity and torture at the hands of the Americans, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been warned in a medical report sent to the Government this week.
New York millionaires guilty in 'modern day slavery' case
New York millionaires guilty in 'modern day slavery' case
A jury yesterday convicted a millionaire couple of enslaving two Indonesian women they brought to their New York mansion to work as housekeepers, subjecting them to repeated psychological and physical abuse and forcing them to work 18 hours or more a day.
A jury yesterday convicted a millionaire couple of enslaving two Indonesian women they brought to their New York mansion to work as housekeepers, subjecting them to repeated psychological and physical abuse and forcing them to work 18 hours or more a day.
Illegal immigrant was working at front desk of Home Office
Illegal immigrant was working at front desk of Home Office
A man who did not have the legal authority to be in this country has for 18 months been illegally working on the front desk of the Home Office...checking upon visitors legal authority to enter the Home Office...
You couldn't make it up could you?
A man who did not have the legal authority to be in this country has for 18 months been illegally working on the front desk of the Home Office...checking upon visitors legal authority to enter the Home Office...
You couldn't make it up could you?
Nice work if you can get it...
Nice work if you can get it...
And a Partridge (with a nice little nest egg) in a pear tree...
It can be disclosed that almost half of the tax evasions investigated by HM Revenue and Customs have been committed by HM Revenue and Customs!
And a Partridge (with a nice little nest egg) in a pear tree...
It can be disclosed that almost half of the tax evasions investigated by HM Revenue and Customs have been committed by HM Revenue and Customs!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Rebels among 300 who escaped from India jail
Rebels among 300 who escaped from India jail
Nearly 300 prisoners, including 40 communist rebels, escaped from an Indian jail last night after inmates overpowered prison guards during dinner.
The escape is the latest in a series of spectacular attacks staged by India's "Naxalite" Maoist rebels who have waged a 40-year insurgency in the country's restive eastern states.
"The inmates overpowered the prison guards and escaped amid a hail of gunfire," said Rahul Sharma, the local superintendent of police for Dantewada Prison, in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh.
Mr Sharma said the escape was a "premeditated conspiracy".
It was suggested that some prison guards must have helped the rebels.
Nearly 300 prisoners, including 40 communist rebels, escaped from an Indian jail last night after inmates overpowered prison guards during dinner.
The escape is the latest in a series of spectacular attacks staged by India's "Naxalite" Maoist rebels who have waged a 40-year insurgency in the country's restive eastern states.
"The inmates overpowered the prison guards and escaped amid a hail of gunfire," said Rahul Sharma, the local superintendent of police for Dantewada Prison, in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh.
Mr Sharma said the escape was a "premeditated conspiracy".
It was suggested that some prison guards must have helped the rebels.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Top British terror suspect escapes
Top British terror suspect escapes
"The alleged British terrorist mastermind behind a plot to simultaneously blow up at least 10 transatlantic airliners in an atrocity that had the potential to dwarf 11 September was on the run last night.
One of Britain's most wanted men slipped his handcuffs and fled after appearing at a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, where his lawyers were protesting against requests for his extradition. Last night two policemen were being questioned about the incident".
How much were the two policemen bunged to release him?
"The alleged British terrorist mastermind behind a plot to simultaneously blow up at least 10 transatlantic airliners in an atrocity that had the potential to dwarf 11 September was on the run last night.
One of Britain's most wanted men slipped his handcuffs and fled after appearing at a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, where his lawyers were protesting against requests for his extradition. Last night two policemen were being questioned about the incident".
How much were the two policemen bunged to release him?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The 23-hour lock-up
The 23-hour lock-up
Cuts forcing prisoners to stay in their cells all day will make it harder for them to rejoin society
Erwin James
Saturday December 15, 2007
The Guardian
"Bang up" - the time a prisoner spends in his or her cell "behind the door" - is the least productive time that anyone who ends up behind bars will experience. It's a time to wallow in a mire of meaninglessness; a total and utter waste of life. The nights are one thing, but being shut in during daylight hours is the most debilitating, dehumanising feeling, a state that breeds detachment from society and reinforces the criminal identity. In Wandsworth, where I was in solitary for the first year of my own sentence, I spent 23 hours in a cell with a table, a chair and a bucket, trying not to smell the dank air, and later, my cellmates. Maintaining any sense of prison being reformative is almost impossible.
The authorities recognise this - so much so that time spent out of cells has been one of the major key performance indicators of prisons for some years. Inspectors invariably note that the fewer hours prisoners spend locked up in their cells is a sign of a "healthy" prison. Conscientious prison governors pride themselves on maximising the number of hours prisoners spend out of their cells during a prison's "core day." The reason why this is so important is that the more time an inmate spends out of cell and engaged in "purposeful activity", the less likely he or she is to re-offend after release.
From next April, however, the government is to introduce a "standard core week" which, in order to save an estimated £60m, will entail an extra period of "bang up" on Friday afternoons. From April 2008, workshop and education class attendance will cease at lunchtime on Fridays. Apart from being opened up briefly for the evening meal, cells will be locked up until Saturday morning. "Bang up" is already at a maximum at weekends, with most prisons keeping inmates in their cells for about 17 hours every Saturday and Sunday.
Paul Tidball, president of the Prison Governors' Association, said the new proposal will reduce the average time spent out of cell each week by each prisoner to its lowest level for nearly 40 years. Tidball told MPs on Wednesday that he and his colleagues will be locking prisoners up "for more hours than they were in 1969".
This is perhaps the most cynical development of prison policy during the last 10 years. The primary purpose of prison is, of course, to keep some people separated from the rest of us. But equally important is that once released, prisoners should be less inclined to commit further offences. Prison time should be constructive: it can be an opportunity to address failings, learn skills and prepare to re-engage positively with society.
But in order for that to happen, it is essential that every moment of incarceration is used effectively. Prisoners lying on their beds dozing or watching daytime TV serves no useful purpose and amounts to a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money. If prison service budget cuts are truly necessary, the government would do better to look again at the proposed building of three so-called titan prisons, set to hold upwards of 2,500 prisoners each at a cost of £1.2bn.
Tidball described prison governors as being "underwhelmed" by the case made for the super-prisons, arguing that they would lead to an escalation in gang culture and be more susceptible to riots. If anyone knows about how best to run a prison it is the prison governors, and the government would do well to take note.
The simplest and most honest way to meet budget targets and reduce time spent on "bang-up" would be for a drive to reduce prison numbers. Everybody in the prisons business knows there are too many people locked up unnecessarily. It is a simple solution that would ultimately negate the need for the super-prisons - and their cost, too, of course.
erwin.james@guardian.co.uk
Cuts forcing prisoners to stay in their cells all day will make it harder for them to rejoin society
Erwin James
Saturday December 15, 2007
The Guardian
"Bang up" - the time a prisoner spends in his or her cell "behind the door" - is the least productive time that anyone who ends up behind bars will experience. It's a time to wallow in a mire of meaninglessness; a total and utter waste of life. The nights are one thing, but being shut in during daylight hours is the most debilitating, dehumanising feeling, a state that breeds detachment from society and reinforces the criminal identity. In Wandsworth, where I was in solitary for the first year of my own sentence, I spent 23 hours in a cell with a table, a chair and a bucket, trying not to smell the dank air, and later, my cellmates. Maintaining any sense of prison being reformative is almost impossible.
The authorities recognise this - so much so that time spent out of cells has been one of the major key performance indicators of prisons for some years. Inspectors invariably note that the fewer hours prisoners spend locked up in their cells is a sign of a "healthy" prison. Conscientious prison governors pride themselves on maximising the number of hours prisoners spend out of their cells during a prison's "core day." The reason why this is so important is that the more time an inmate spends out of cell and engaged in "purposeful activity", the less likely he or she is to re-offend after release.
From next April, however, the government is to introduce a "standard core week" which, in order to save an estimated £60m, will entail an extra period of "bang up" on Friday afternoons. From April 2008, workshop and education class attendance will cease at lunchtime on Fridays. Apart from being opened up briefly for the evening meal, cells will be locked up until Saturday morning. "Bang up" is already at a maximum at weekends, with most prisons keeping inmates in their cells for about 17 hours every Saturday and Sunday.
Paul Tidball, president of the Prison Governors' Association, said the new proposal will reduce the average time spent out of cell each week by each prisoner to its lowest level for nearly 40 years. Tidball told MPs on Wednesday that he and his colleagues will be locking prisoners up "for more hours than they were in 1969".
This is perhaps the most cynical development of prison policy during the last 10 years. The primary purpose of prison is, of course, to keep some people separated from the rest of us. But equally important is that once released, prisoners should be less inclined to commit further offences. Prison time should be constructive: it can be an opportunity to address failings, learn skills and prepare to re-engage positively with society.
But in order for that to happen, it is essential that every moment of incarceration is used effectively. Prisoners lying on their beds dozing or watching daytime TV serves no useful purpose and amounts to a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money. If prison service budget cuts are truly necessary, the government would do better to look again at the proposed building of three so-called titan prisons, set to hold upwards of 2,500 prisoners each at a cost of £1.2bn.
Tidball described prison governors as being "underwhelmed" by the case made for the super-prisons, arguing that they would lead to an escalation in gang culture and be more susceptible to riots. If anyone knows about how best to run a prison it is the prison governors, and the government would do well to take note.
The simplest and most honest way to meet budget targets and reduce time spent on "bang-up" would be for a drive to reduce prison numbers. Everybody in the prisons business knows there are too many people locked up unnecessarily. It is a simple solution that would ultimately negate the need for the super-prisons - and their cost, too, of course.
erwin.james@guardian.co.uk
Friday, December 14, 2007
Soldiers charged with embezzling jungle funds
Soldiers charged with embezzling jungle funds
"Six soldiers, reportedly members of the SAS, were arrested yesterday and charged with embezzling thousands of pounds earmarked for jungle training".
"It is likely the identities of the men will be kept secret for national security reasons".
I am somewhat puzzled by the claim that this is some way involves national security.
"Six soldiers, reportedly members of the SAS, were arrested yesterday and charged with embezzling thousands of pounds earmarked for jungle training".
"It is likely the identities of the men will be kept secret for national security reasons".
I am somewhat puzzled by the claim that this is some way involves national security.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Officers vote over strikes and call for Home Secretary to quit
police on strike in 1919
police not on strike today but still standing around doing nothing about crime
Officers vote over strikes and call for Home Secretary to quit
"Gordon Brown refused to back down over the police pay award yesterday, despite a vote by rank-and-file officers to stage a nationwide ballot to seek the right to go on strike".
Why is Home Office trying to stage murder trial in secret?
Why is Home Office trying to stage murder trial in secret?
"The Home Secretary is seeking to have the trial of a man accused of murdering a prize-winning author held in secret because the defendant may have links with British Intelligence, The Times has learnt".
Surely the Home Office knows whether the suspect has links with British Intelligence? And, even if he has what has that got to do with him being accused of murder?
We don't want to go down the slippery slope of secret trials.
"The Home Secretary is seeking to have the trial of a man accused of murdering a prize-winning author held in secret because the defendant may have links with British Intelligence, The Times has learnt".
Surely the Home Office knows whether the suspect has links with British Intelligence? And, even if he has what has that got to do with him being accused of murder?
We don't want to go down the slippery slope of secret trials.
Prisoners face Friday ‘lockdowns’ in drive to save cash
Prisoners face Friday ‘lockdowns’ in drive to save cash
"State run jails in England and Wales are to be “locked down” for the weekend from Friday lunchtimes in an emergency measure to meet Treasury-imposed cuts".
"State run jails in England and Wales are to be “locked down” for the weekend from Friday lunchtimes in an emergency measure to meet Treasury-imposed cuts".
Free the 'Grandfather One'
Free the 'Grandfather One'
"Is it really in the public interest that a grandparent is jailed for not avoiding his grandson?".
I feel that Camilla Cavendish should be congratulated for bringing this case to our attention. It is disgusting that at a time when our prisons are so overcrowded a court can sentence a grandfather to 20 months imprisonment for not committing any criminal offence. There is something wrong with our society when the McCanns are rewarded for doing the wrong thing and this grandfather is punished for doing the right thing.
"Is it really in the public interest that a grandparent is jailed for not avoiding his grandson?".
I feel that Camilla Cavendish should be congratulated for bringing this case to our attention. It is disgusting that at a time when our prisons are so overcrowded a court can sentence a grandfather to 20 months imprisonment for not committing any criminal offence. There is something wrong with our society when the McCanns are rewarded for doing the wrong thing and this grandfather is punished for doing the right thing.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Snail mail: I don't believe it...
Snail mail:I don't believe it...
This morning I received a letter addressed to me from Royal Mail which has a printed first class stamp upon the envelope. On the reverse is the message "Returned to sender by Royal Mail". Below this is some advice "When posting, always remember to:...Send it with correct postage paid".
I open the envelope only to discover the letter and envelope I had posted from Hull to a friend in Scunthorpe, just across the Humber Bridge, and the postmark from this side reads "Hull Mail Centre 24 Sep 2007" and from the other side one reads "Scunthorpe DN15 7AA 28 Sep 2007". Why it should have taken 4 days is anybody's guess, I could have walked across the bridge free of toll charge 4 times and hand delivered it within the same time.
Of course the letter was urgent, enclosing a phone bill due to be paid by 29 September 2007, that is why I put a first class as opposed to a second class stamp upon the envelope. Nevertheless, when my friend failed to phone me to confirm delivery I phoned her and gave her the details and she paid it for me to Kingston Communications over the phone and I promptly forgot about the letter until this morning.
On the envelope I had sent to my friend is a yellow sticker it proclaims: "POSTAGE UNPAID DEFICIENT POSTAGE 6p - Handling FEE £1.00 - TO Pay £1.06 - REVENUE PROTECTION". I thought the whole point of delivering letters involved the handling of them therefore it comes within the price of the stamp?
Below this is a red sticker which reads: "Royal Mail - We were unable to deliver this item because..." and there follows boxes to tick and there is a tick in the box next to "not called for". You're so fucking right it is not called for what you are doing Royal Mail! Instead of delivering the letter which you are supposed to do after I have put a stamp upon it, you deliver a little card through my friend's letter box telling her if she wants my letter which you have held hostage she must visit her local sorting office and pay the ransom which you unreasonably demanded.
Meanwhile, I note that the envelope of the letter addressed to me has a return address in Belfast. I do now seem to recall seeing adverts stating that the Royal Mail had started a new scam involving charging more for larger envelopes and heavier ones. So, size does matter after all. There is only one thing. I noticed that the envelope you sent to me is the same size as the one I sent to my friend, and the postman had no difficulty folding it to get it through my letter box. Therefore, your statement "We were unable to deliver this item..." is not true is it? The truth is you were able to deliver it, but you didn't want to because you wanted to charge my friend £1.06 because I had not measured and weighed the envelope at a post office and bought a first class stamp at the corner shop instead.
Given that you are closing so many post offices lately, does that mean we will all now have to walk around with weights and measures in our back pockets to ensure that on the odd occasion we have to resort to snail mail we can "Send it with the correct postage paid"?
This morning I received a letter addressed to me from Royal Mail which has a printed first class stamp upon the envelope. On the reverse is the message "Returned to sender by Royal Mail". Below this is some advice "When posting, always remember to:...Send it with correct postage paid".
I open the envelope only to discover the letter and envelope I had posted from Hull to a friend in Scunthorpe, just across the Humber Bridge, and the postmark from this side reads "Hull Mail Centre 24 Sep 2007" and from the other side one reads "Scunthorpe DN15 7AA 28 Sep 2007". Why it should have taken 4 days is anybody's guess, I could have walked across the bridge free of toll charge 4 times and hand delivered it within the same time.
Of course the letter was urgent, enclosing a phone bill due to be paid by 29 September 2007, that is why I put a first class as opposed to a second class stamp upon the envelope. Nevertheless, when my friend failed to phone me to confirm delivery I phoned her and gave her the details and she paid it for me to Kingston Communications over the phone and I promptly forgot about the letter until this morning.
On the envelope I had sent to my friend is a yellow sticker it proclaims: "POSTAGE UNPAID DEFICIENT POSTAGE 6p - Handling FEE £1.00 - TO Pay £1.06 - REVENUE PROTECTION". I thought the whole point of delivering letters involved the handling of them therefore it comes within the price of the stamp?
Below this is a red sticker which reads: "Royal Mail - We were unable to deliver this item because..." and there follows boxes to tick and there is a tick in the box next to "not called for". You're so fucking right it is not called for what you are doing Royal Mail! Instead of delivering the letter which you are supposed to do after I have put a stamp upon it, you deliver a little card through my friend's letter box telling her if she wants my letter which you have held hostage she must visit her local sorting office and pay the ransom which you unreasonably demanded.
Meanwhile, I note that the envelope of the letter addressed to me has a return address in Belfast. I do now seem to recall seeing adverts stating that the Royal Mail had started a new scam involving charging more for larger envelopes and heavier ones. So, size does matter after all. There is only one thing. I noticed that the envelope you sent to me is the same size as the one I sent to my friend, and the postman had no difficulty folding it to get it through my letter box. Therefore, your statement "We were unable to deliver this item..." is not true is it? The truth is you were able to deliver it, but you didn't want to because you wanted to charge my friend £1.06 because I had not measured and weighed the envelope at a post office and bought a first class stamp at the corner shop instead.
Given that you are closing so many post offices lately, does that mean we will all now have to walk around with weights and measures in our back pockets to ensure that on the odd occasion we have to resort to snail mail we can "Send it with the correct postage paid"?
Jack Straw's sick joke
Jack Straw's sick joke
"Labour's decade is liberty's best since the vote was won
Liberty and the state: A false orthodoxy seeks to deny the government's successes, but we have greatly improved people's rights and democracy".
"So let's take a look at the list. First, the Human Rights Act. We really did "bring rights home", as we said we would. At last British people have been able directly to access and to enforce positive rights in the British courts, rather than having to go to Strasbourg and wait for years in a queue".
Following the passing of the HRA (1998), I thought I would test this claim made by Jack Straw. In theory, what he states is right. In practice, I stumbled across the corruption of politicians and judges. It should have been a simple matter, "During the passage through Parliament of the Representation of the
People Act 2000, which permitted remand prisoners and unconvicted mental
patients to vote, Mr Howarth MP, speaking for the Government, maintained
the view that “it should be part of a convicted prisoner’s punishment that he
loses rights and one of them is the right to vote”. The Act was accompanied
by a statement of compatibility under section 19 of the Human Rights Act
1998, namely, a statement that in introducing the measure in Parliament the
Secretary of State considered its provisions to be compatible with the
Convention". What George Howarth should have done had he not have been corrupt was to declare that Section 3 of the Representation Act (1983) was incompatible with the HRA (1998). And, it should have been a simple matter of going to court and pointing out this incompatibility to a judge and asking for and being granted a declaration of incompatibility. Then the government could have drafted a Bill to amend legislation and put it before Parliament to change the law. But, no, instead I came across two corrupt judges, Lord Justice Simon Brown and Lord Justice Kennedy. Therefore, although I was able to access British courts, I was unable to enforce positive rights in the British courts and had no option but to go abroad to Strasbourg to claim the rights I was being denied at home.
The CASE OF HIRST v. THE UNITED KINGDOM (NO. 2) was decided in my favour. It should have been a simple matter for Jack Straw's predecessor, Lord Falconer, to honour the UK's obligation to the European Convention by implementing the ECtHR's decision. However, Lord Falconer's corruption intervened.
Jack Straw now has the opportunity to set the record straight and stop the corruption by introducing a draft Bill to facilitate convicted prisoners having the postal vote. However, it would appear that his sick joke which is the article he has written for the Guardian indicates that the age of corruption is not over and that he intends to be just as corrupt as the Minister of Justice as those I have named and shamed in this post.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Homeless man attacked by actor Alan Davies
Homeless man attacked by actor Alan Davies
The last thing that the actor, who plays Jonathan Creek on the BBC and is a panellist on the BBC's QI show, needs when he comes out of night club at 2am, after a heavy drinking session, is for him to be recognised by a fan of Jonathan Creek and greeted by that name. Nevertheless, there was no excuse for Alan Davies to launch a vicious assault, upon the homeless and jobless Paul McElfatrick by biting his ear and drawing blood. In the Daily Mirror article Paul McElfatrick, from stills taken from CCTV footage, can be seen offering his hand to shake by the actor. In return he is not offered a friendly hand shake but is instead the subject of a vicious attack. What makes it worse in my eyes is that Alan Davies later found the incident amusing, and he apologised by text to a woman friend the next morning for his conduct but failed to apologise to the man he had attacked.
I suppose that the police are too busy shooting innocent Brazilian electricians to bring this criminal to book?
And, no doubt the BBC will employ him again even though his conduct is not what people expect for their TV licence fee?
The last thing that the actor, who plays Jonathan Creek on the BBC and is a panellist on the BBC's QI show, needs when he comes out of night club at 2am, after a heavy drinking session, is for him to be recognised by a fan of Jonathan Creek and greeted by that name. Nevertheless, there was no excuse for Alan Davies to launch a vicious assault, upon the homeless and jobless Paul McElfatrick by biting his ear and drawing blood. In the Daily Mirror article Paul McElfatrick, from stills taken from CCTV footage, can be seen offering his hand to shake by the actor. In return he is not offered a friendly hand shake but is instead the subject of a vicious attack. What makes it worse in my eyes is that Alan Davies later found the incident amusing, and he apologised by text to a woman friend the next morning for his conduct but failed to apologise to the man he had attacked.
I suppose that the police are too busy shooting innocent Brazilian electricians to bring this criminal to book?
And, no doubt the BBC will employ him again even though his conduct is not what people expect for their TV licence fee?
Christmas crackers or what?
Christmas crackers or what?
It's alright for our troops to get shot at by the enemy or blown up by landmines or caught up in crossfire between enemy and friendly forces, but God forbid that they should be let loose with Christmas crackers that go "bang"!
If the rules do not allow explosives to be flown over there, how do they get their ammunition out there in the first place?
Mother faces jail for swearing at toilet
Mother faces jail for swearing at toilet
"A woman in the United States could face up to 90 days in jail after she was arrested for swearing at an overflowing toilet".
Only in America, the land of the free...
Monday, December 10, 2007
International Human Rights Day
International Human Rights Day
Today it is International Human Rights Day. According to William Hague:
"As we enter into the 60th year of the existence of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must remember that the declaration was not in itself conclusive.
It was a call for continued action and the duty now rests with our generation to ensure that its principles, set out in the spirit of such hope and optimism, will shine brightly forth in places which sadly remain in darkness and shadow to this day".
He is speaking of some foreign countries when he states "will shine brightly forth in places which sadly remain in darkness and shadow to this day".
I agree that we should pursue human rights internationally. But, we need to put our own house in order first. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is also sending a message to other countries that we don't say one thing and then do the complete opposite at home. Only a good example being shown can we expect others to follow our lead.
The places which I refer to as being in darkness and shadow to this day are our prisons. In particular, it is the plight of the disenfranchised convicted prisoners. It is their human right to vote. And yet, the government has not drafted a Bill to facilitate this. Moreover, neither the Conservative Party nor the LibDems have attacked the government on this failure to do its duty.
Today it is International Human Rights Day. According to William Hague:
"As we enter into the 60th year of the existence of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must remember that the declaration was not in itself conclusive.
It was a call for continued action and the duty now rests with our generation to ensure that its principles, set out in the spirit of such hope and optimism, will shine brightly forth in places which sadly remain in darkness and shadow to this day".
He is speaking of some foreign countries when he states "will shine brightly forth in places which sadly remain in darkness and shadow to this day".
I agree that we should pursue human rights internationally. But, we need to put our own house in order first. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is also sending a message to other countries that we don't say one thing and then do the complete opposite at home. Only a good example being shown can we expect others to follow our lead.
The places which I refer to as being in darkness and shadow to this day are our prisons. In particular, it is the plight of the disenfranchised convicted prisoners. It is their human right to vote. And yet, the government has not drafted a Bill to facilitate this. Moreover, neither the Conservative Party nor the LibDems have attacked the government on this failure to do its duty.
Rape case ruling shocks Australia
Rape case ruling shocks Australia
"A judge's decision not to jail nine men guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community has triggered outrage in Australia.
The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland".
"A judge's decision not to jail nine men guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community has triggered outrage in Australia.
The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland".
CIA photos 'show UK Guantanamo detainee was tortured'
CIA photos 'show UK Guantanamo detainee was tortured'
"Lawyers for a British resident who the US government refuses to release from Guantanamo Bay have identified the existence of photographs taken by CIA agents that they say show their client suffered horrific injuries under torture.
The photographic evidence will be vital to clear Binyam Mohammed, 27, who the Americans want to bring before a Military Commission on charges of terrorism, say his lawyers".
"Lawyers for a British resident who the US government refuses to release from Guantanamo Bay have identified the existence of photographs taken by CIA agents that they say show their client suffered horrific injuries under torture.
The photographic evidence will be vital to clear Binyam Mohammed, 27, who the Americans want to bring before a Military Commission on charges of terrorism, say his lawyers".
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Is Peter Hitchens drunk on Christmas spirit?
Is Peter Hitchens drunk on Christmas spirit?
Yes, jails should be tough. But evil places of torture?
I think prisons should be harsh, austere places where wrongdoers work hard to pay for their keep, to make restitution to their victims, and to save for their release.
If only we had such prisons, instead of the squalid, disorderly warehouses we do have, our streets would be calmer and safer, and many would never be tempted into crime.
That is why I also believe in proper justice, fair trials and the presumption of innocence. Nobody should go inside unless we are very sure he deserves it. And I think that the punishment in jail should be imposed by the authorities on our behalf, not by the prisoners.
It would be easy for me to join other commentators in laughing at the miseries inflicted in prison on those who are despised even by the 'normal' criminals, though quite why we should applaud the cruelty of heartless robbers and men of violence, I do not know.
But I do not join in. I fear that a growing number of innocents are in jail because it is easier to convict them than it is to arrest, let alone to convict, violent brutes and professional thieves who can and do frighten witnesses into silence.
And even the guilty, including the very worst offenders, should be punished in an orderly, measured and limited fashion, according to law, not driven into suicidal misery by lawless persecution, with no hope of an end to it.
So please be kind enough to read what follows (though not while you are having breakfast) and ask yourselves if this is what you want happening in your name, least of all to an innocent person.
I am unconvinced that this man is guilty of the dreadful crime alleged against him – a rape supposedly inflicted on his own stepdaughter, mysteriously 'remembered' many years later after a bitter family row about her drug abuse, with no evidence but one person's word against another.
Two members of the jury were likewise unconvinced of his guilt which, in better days, would have been enough to prevent his conviction. His wife and his employer, also, think the charge a nonsense.
It makes no difference. He now faces seven years in segregated units, supposedly to save him from violent attacks.
His wife describes his life: 'Food is invariably contaminated and inedible – urine in mushy peas and mashed potatoes, semen in rice pudding and custard, bleach in boiled potatoes, dirt, filth and hair in rice, sputum and faeces in everything.
My husband is frightened that he may contract hepatitis or HIV...verbal abuse is constant... physical attack only a matter of time...help and advice non-existent...clothes, bed-linen and towels are again contaminated...there are piles of faeces in the communal showers.'
Yes, I know I'm supposed to be Right-wing. And, do you know something? I really am.
The liberals will still think I'm a racist, sexist homophobe and xenophobe, even after I've written this.
But that doesn't mean I can ignore this sort of thing, let alone laugh about it. It's evil, wrong and a scandal, however Right-wing you may be.
Yes, jails should be tough. But evil places of torture?
I think prisons should be harsh, austere places where wrongdoers work hard to pay for their keep, to make restitution to their victims, and to save for their release.
If only we had such prisons, instead of the squalid, disorderly warehouses we do have, our streets would be calmer and safer, and many would never be tempted into crime.
That is why I also believe in proper justice, fair trials and the presumption of innocence. Nobody should go inside unless we are very sure he deserves it. And I think that the punishment in jail should be imposed by the authorities on our behalf, not by the prisoners.
It would be easy for me to join other commentators in laughing at the miseries inflicted in prison on those who are despised even by the 'normal' criminals, though quite why we should applaud the cruelty of heartless robbers and men of violence, I do not know.
But I do not join in. I fear that a growing number of innocents are in jail because it is easier to convict them than it is to arrest, let alone to convict, violent brutes and professional thieves who can and do frighten witnesses into silence.
And even the guilty, including the very worst offenders, should be punished in an orderly, measured and limited fashion, according to law, not driven into suicidal misery by lawless persecution, with no hope of an end to it.
So please be kind enough to read what follows (though not while you are having breakfast) and ask yourselves if this is what you want happening in your name, least of all to an innocent person.
I am unconvinced that this man is guilty of the dreadful crime alleged against him – a rape supposedly inflicted on his own stepdaughter, mysteriously 'remembered' many years later after a bitter family row about her drug abuse, with no evidence but one person's word against another.
Two members of the jury were likewise unconvinced of his guilt which, in better days, would have been enough to prevent his conviction. His wife and his employer, also, think the charge a nonsense.
It makes no difference. He now faces seven years in segregated units, supposedly to save him from violent attacks.
His wife describes his life: 'Food is invariably contaminated and inedible – urine in mushy peas and mashed potatoes, semen in rice pudding and custard, bleach in boiled potatoes, dirt, filth and hair in rice, sputum and faeces in everything.
My husband is frightened that he may contract hepatitis or HIV...verbal abuse is constant... physical attack only a matter of time...help and advice non-existent...clothes, bed-linen and towels are again contaminated...there are piles of faeces in the communal showers.'
Yes, I know I'm supposed to be Right-wing. And, do you know something? I really am.
The liberals will still think I'm a racist, sexist homophobe and xenophobe, even after I've written this.
But that doesn't mean I can ignore this sort of thing, let alone laugh about it. It's evil, wrong and a scandal, however Right-wing you may be.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Friday, December 07, 2007
Round up of prison related stories
Round up of prison related stories
From The Times On Line
Finally — an admission that prison does work
But we need more than 100,000 prison places to beat the criminals
Theodore Dalrymple
The decision of the Government to increase the number of prison places to 100,000 is a tacit admission that the criminal justice policy of all British governments for the past half-century has been based upon lies and deceptions.
From The Guardian Comment is Free
Clash of the 'titans'
The building of giant new prisons entrenches the use of jails as social dustbins. It will backfire on ministers
and this...
I don't get Carter
Ignore the latest prisons review. More of the same policy will only produce more of the same failure
and this...
Posturing and peddling myths, these prison enthusiasts are blind to history
The planned increase in jail capacity is a disastrous admission by Labour that it expects its social programmes to fail
and finally this...
The way forward on Guantánamo
After years of ambiguity about the status of enemy combatants, the US supreme court is poised to make a crucial decision: either charge them or set them free
From The Times On Line
Finally — an admission that prison does work
But we need more than 100,000 prison places to beat the criminals
Theodore Dalrymple
The decision of the Government to increase the number of prison places to 100,000 is a tacit admission that the criminal justice policy of all British governments for the past half-century has been based upon lies and deceptions.
From The Guardian Comment is Free
Clash of the 'titans'
The building of giant new prisons entrenches the use of jails as social dustbins. It will backfire on ministers
and this...
I don't get Carter
Ignore the latest prisons review. More of the same policy will only produce more of the same failure
and this...
Posturing and peddling myths, these prison enthusiasts are blind to history
The planned increase in jail capacity is a disastrous admission by Labour that it expects its social programmes to fail
and finally this...
The way forward on Guantánamo
After years of ambiguity about the status of enemy combatants, the US supreme court is poised to make a crucial decision: either charge them or set them free
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Labour helped Abrahams set up secret cash transfers
Labour helped Abrahams set up secret cash transfers
"Labour officials helped lawyers acting for David Abrahams to draw up complex covenants that allowed the millionaire businessman to pay up to £650,000 indirectly to the party, the Guardian has learned".
Why does Labour legislate to curb a conduct and then pay lawyers to circumvent the legislation?
"Labour officials helped lawyers acting for David Abrahams to draw up complex covenants that allowed the millionaire businessman to pay up to £650,000 indirectly to the party, the Guardian has learned".
Why does Labour legislate to curb a conduct and then pay lawyers to circumvent the legislation?
Smith seeks 42-day detention limit
Smith seeks 42-day detention limit
"The government wants to increase the length of time that terror suspects can be held without charge to 42 days, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said today.
The move appears to be an attempt at a compromise as the government had previously indicated it favoured a 30-day extension to 58 days".
Nay, nay, thrice nay...
"The government wants to increase the length of time that terror suspects can be held without charge to 42 days, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said today.
The move appears to be an attempt at a compromise as the government had previously indicated it favoured a 30-day extension to 58 days".
Nay, nay, thrice nay...
Serial killer nurse Allitt must serve 30 years
Serial killer nurse Allitt must serve 30 years
"The serial killer nurse Beverly Allitt, must serve a minimum of 30 years in jail for the murder and abuse of children in her care, the high court ruled today".
Given that she was sentenced to 13 life sentences, it might be argued that 30 years takes care of 1 of the 13 life sentences, but what about the other 12? It is no wonder that the public lose confidence in the Criminal Justice System when the figures don't add up.
"The serial killer nurse Beverly Allitt, must serve a minimum of 30 years in jail for the murder and abuse of children in her care, the high court ruled today".
Given that she was sentenced to 13 life sentences, it might be argued that 30 years takes care of 1 of the 13 life sentences, but what about the other 12? It is no wonder that the public lose confidence in the Criminal Justice System when the figures don't add up.
'Lyrical terrorist' sentenced over extremist poetry
'Lyrical terrorist' sentenced over extremist poetry
"A 23-year-old former Heathrow shop assistant who called herself the "lyrical terrorist" and scrawled her extremist thoughts on till receipts has been handed a nine-month suspended jail sentence".
I don't think anti-terrorist legislation should be used against authors of bad poetry. In this case it is the authorities who are making a mockery of justice. At least the judge had the common sense not to go overboard in passing sentence.
Poetic injustice
Photo: The Guardian
Jack Straw should walk the plank
Jack Straw should walk the plank
I fail to understand why Jack Straw, the Minister of Justice, is actively looking for a prison ship. It is not that long ago that the Labour government bought a ship for £10M, which it then converted (at a cost unknown) into a prison ship HMP The Weare, and subsequently sold at a loss for £2.5M. It was not intended as a permanent solution but as a temporary measure to ease prison overcrowding.
Jack Straw is in a desperate situation. Nevertheless, he needs to be dissuaded from embarking upon a search for another prison ship. The Hulks should be left to penal history. Temporary solutions are not what is needed with prison overcrowding. Throwing good money after bad is just a waste of taxpayers resources.
The recent proposal to build 3 Titan prisons will not only be blots on the landscape, but the only ones to gain from this act of madness will be the private sector.
I fail to understand why Jack Straw, the Minister of Justice, is actively looking for a prison ship. It is not that long ago that the Labour government bought a ship for £10M, which it then converted (at a cost unknown) into a prison ship HMP The Weare, and subsequently sold at a loss for £2.5M. It was not intended as a permanent solution but as a temporary measure to ease prison overcrowding.
Jack Straw is in a desperate situation. Nevertheless, he needs to be dissuaded from embarking upon a search for another prison ship. The Hulks should be left to penal history. Temporary solutions are not what is needed with prison overcrowding. Throwing good money after bad is just a waste of taxpayers resources.
The recent proposal to build 3 Titan prisons will not only be blots on the landscape, but the only ones to gain from this act of madness will be the private sector.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Guantanamo inmate cuts throat with fingernail
Guantanamo inmate cuts throat with fingernail
"A prisoner in the Guantanamo Bay prison base, Cuba, slashed his throat with his own fingernail, one of the base commanders has said".
Supreme court hears Guantánamo case
"Several hundred spectators lined up at the US supreme court today to watch lawyers for the Bush administration and 305 detainees in custody at Guantánamo Bay argue over the indefinite detention of foreign terrorism suspects, many of them held for nearly six years".
photo: Daily Telegraph.
Titanic disaster on the horizon if prison building goes full steam ahead
Titanic disaster on the horizon if prison building goes full steam ahead
"The Government is to build three huge new prisons as part of a package of measures designed to ease over-crowding by creating 10,500 extra places. The so-called "Titan" prisons - which could be built in London, the West Midlands and the North West - will hold 2,500 inmates each, and the first could be up-and-running within five years".
The obvious problem with the government's proposed solution in Lord Carter's Review of Prisons, given that one of the main issues is prison overcrowding, is that the plan is designed to accommodate 96,000 prisoners by 2014, when the Prison Service predicts the prison population will reach 102,000 by 2011. That's a shortfall of 6,000 prison places with 3 years still to run before 2014.
Another problem is that the Prison Service has shown that it is unable to cope with providing enough courses for prisoners to rehabilitate themselves in prisons with a population of 1,000 prisoners, how much worse is the problem going to be in prisons with a population of 2,500 prisoners? On present figures that's 150% worsening of the situation.
It has been suggested that as we build a new prison it should replace one of the old Victorian prisons. These should be replaced. However, it would appear that planning has not taken into account that by replacing the Victorian prisons you also need to provide extra prison places which will result by their removal from the penal estate.
So far, I have only exposed the tip of the iceberg. It's what lies beneath the surface which will sink this Titanic.
"The Government is to build three huge new prisons as part of a package of measures designed to ease over-crowding by creating 10,500 extra places. The so-called "Titan" prisons - which could be built in London, the West Midlands and the North West - will hold 2,500 inmates each, and the first could be up-and-running within five years".
The obvious problem with the government's proposed solution in Lord Carter's Review of Prisons, given that one of the main issues is prison overcrowding, is that the plan is designed to accommodate 96,000 prisoners by 2014, when the Prison Service predicts the prison population will reach 102,000 by 2011. That's a shortfall of 6,000 prison places with 3 years still to run before 2014.
Another problem is that the Prison Service has shown that it is unable to cope with providing enough courses for prisoners to rehabilitate themselves in prisons with a population of 1,000 prisoners, how much worse is the problem going to be in prisons with a population of 2,500 prisoners? On present figures that's 150% worsening of the situation.
It has been suggested that as we build a new prison it should replace one of the old Victorian prisons. These should be replaced. However, it would appear that planning has not taken into account that by replacing the Victorian prisons you also need to provide extra prison places which will result by their removal from the penal estate.
So far, I have only exposed the tip of the iceberg. It's what lies beneath the surface which will sink this Titanic.
Life insurance scam put lives at risk
Life insurance scam put lives at risk
It comes as no surprise that the police have arrested the prison officer who reappeared 5 years after faking his death so that his wife could claim on his life insurance policy.
What has annoyed me, is that the couple put the lives of those involved in the Air and Sea Rescue at risk. Furthermore, when they are tried and sentenced for this scam, I hope that the court imposes a cost order upon them to cover the cost of the 16 hours spent searching for John Darwin. I don't see why the taxpayers should foot this bill.
It comes as no surprise that the police have arrested the prison officer who reappeared 5 years after faking his death so that his wife could claim on his life insurance policy.
What has annoyed me, is that the couple put the lives of those involved in the Air and Sea Rescue at risk. Furthermore, when they are tried and sentenced for this scam, I hope that the court imposes a cost order upon them to cover the cost of the 16 hours spent searching for John Darwin. I don't see why the taxpayers should foot this bill.
Teenager handed internet Asbo
Teenager handed internet Asbo
"A teenager who boasted of his criminal exploits on Bebo has been handed an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).
The 17-year-old, from Norfolk, posted comments and photographs on the social networking site glorifying his criminal exploits including drug-taking, according to the police".
"A teenager who boasted of his criminal exploits on Bebo has been handed an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).
The 17-year-old, from Norfolk, posted comments and photographs on the social networking site glorifying his criminal exploits including drug-taking, according to the police".
Life prisoner wins artificial insemination case
Life prisoner wins artificial insemination case
CASE OF DICKSON v. THE UNITED KINGDOM
Kirk and Lorraine Dickson complained about the refusal of access to artificial insemination facilities which they argued breached their rights under Articles 8 and/or 12 of the Convention.
The ECtHR held that the Home Office policy limiting artificial insemination in cases in exceptional circumstances to be a breach of human rights because the test to be met by the Dicksons was set too high to be able to be met.
"The core issue was whether a fair balance had been struck between the competing public and private interests involved" (see below).
ECtHR Press Release
Given the largely ignored coverage by the media of the above story, I can only assume that it is a good day to bury bad news. Hence releasing this information today.
CASE OF DICKSON v. THE UNITED KINGDOM
Kirk and Lorraine Dickson complained about the refusal of access to artificial insemination facilities which they argued breached their rights under Articles 8 and/or 12 of the Convention.
The ECtHR held that the Home Office policy limiting artificial insemination in cases in exceptional circumstances to be a breach of human rights because the test to be met by the Dicksons was set too high to be able to be met.
"The core issue was whether a fair balance had been struck between the competing public and private interests involved" (see below).
ECtHR Press Release
Given the largely ignored coverage by the media of the above story, I can only assume that it is a good day to bury bad news. Hence releasing this information today.
90mph police chief's driving ban
90mph police chief's driving ban
"The former chair of roads policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) has been been banned from driving for speeding at 90mph".
Don't you think he has more than a passing resemblance to Nich Starling the Norfolk Blogger?
Flatulence ban for club pensioner
Flatulence ban for club pensioner
"A social club in Devon has banned a 77-year-old man from breaking wind while indoors".
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Bob Piper's public spirited act to identify the Missing Link
Bob Piper's public spirited act to identify the Missing Link.
Story here.
Story here.
Labour councillor in sex scandal with a Leprechaun
Labour councillor in sex scandal with a Leprechaun
"A Labour Party councillor has been arrested in Belfast on suspicion of gross indecency and other offences.
Steven Bayes, a city councillor in Hull, was detained yesterday at a hotel room in the city centre.
The 45-year-old, who is also a former chairman of the Humberside Police Authority, had apparently been under surveillance".
"A Labour Party councillor has been arrested in Belfast on suspicion of gross indecency and other offences.
Steven Bayes, a city councillor in Hull, was detained yesterday at a hotel room in the city centre.
The 45-year-old, who is also a former chairman of the Humberside Police Authority, had apparently been under surveillance".
Lord Ashcroft of No Fixed Abode
Lord Ashcroft of No Fixed Abode
I am reminded of the times I entered prison and upon being asked by the Reception Officer "address?", and giving my reply "No Fixed Abode" is written upon my prison record. It's a bit like "Is Lord Ashcroft ashamed to say he lives here?". The only difference is that whilst I genuinely was of no fixed abode, on the other hand, for tax dodging purposes, Lord Ashcroft is unwilling to state his place of residence. Money that he should be paying in taxes is instead donated to the Tory Party. He bought his peerage after donating £2.6M to the Tory Party. He makes David Abrahams appear like a saint.
Before Margaret Thatcher introduced Fresh Start, there was the position of Chief Officer in the Prison Service. Although the Governor was in charge of the prison, in effect, the Chief Officer held the power. This is similar to Caroline Spelman, the party chairman of the Tory Party, her position is only a nominal one and the real power is held by the deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft. It might even be argued that he is really the leader of the Tory Party and David Cameron just the front man.
One thing is clear Lord Ashcroft owes his position to a breach of promise. If the deputy chairman will not honour a promise and the Tory Party support this position, what is all this talk about the Tory Party and the need for change? I am not convinced that the Tory Party will honour any of its election promises come the next election.
According to Lord Ashcroft's website:
What country would that be? Where is the evidence that Lord Ashcroft resides here at all?
I am reminded of the times I entered prison and upon being asked by the Reception Officer "address?", and giving my reply "No Fixed Abode" is written upon my prison record. It's a bit like "Is Lord Ashcroft ashamed to say he lives here?". The only difference is that whilst I genuinely was of no fixed abode, on the other hand, for tax dodging purposes, Lord Ashcroft is unwilling to state his place of residence. Money that he should be paying in taxes is instead donated to the Tory Party. He bought his peerage after donating £2.6M to the Tory Party. He makes David Abrahams appear like a saint.
Before Margaret Thatcher introduced Fresh Start, there was the position of Chief Officer in the Prison Service. Although the Governor was in charge of the prison, in effect, the Chief Officer held the power. This is similar to Caroline Spelman, the party chairman of the Tory Party, her position is only a nominal one and the real power is held by the deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft. It might even be argued that he is really the leader of the Tory Party and David Cameron just the front man.
One thing is clear Lord Ashcroft owes his position to a breach of promise. If the deputy chairman will not honour a promise and the Tory Party support this position, what is all this talk about the Tory Party and the need for change? I am not convinced that the Tory Party will honour any of its election promises come the next election.
According to Lord Ashcroft's website:
What country would that be? Where is the evidence that Lord Ashcroft resides here at all?
Monday, December 03, 2007
Ex-mayor jailed for benefit fraud
Ex-mayor jailed for benefit fraud
"A former mayor and his wife have been jailed for 15 months and eight months respectively for falsely claiming almost £50,000 in benefits".
I trust that they will have to repay the £50,000, no ifs no buts?
Strange case of the prison officer missing for 5 years
Strange case of the prison officer missing for 5 years
"A canoeist who walked into a police station five years after going missing has no memory of what happened, police have said".
"A canoeist who walked into a police station five years after going missing has no memory of what happened, police have said".
Children of multimillionaire given legal aid in divorce battle
Children of multimillionaire given legal aid in divorce battle
Clare Dyer, legal editor
Monday December 3, 2007
The Guardian
Two children of a multimillionaire jeweller have been given legal aid of £30,750 to protect their interests under a family trust amid a divorce war between their parents.
The case, which has cost the parents, Iqbal Mubarik, 48, and Aaliya Mubarak, 47 - they spell the name differently - more than £4m in legal costs so far, raises doubts about the ability of England's family justice system to enforce divorce awards against rich former husbands whose wealth is tied up in trusts and who are determined to go to any lengths to avoid paying out. The case has also occupied many hours of judges' and courts' time over the past nine years during which the courts have struggled to find time for other pressing cases.
Mubarik has run up a bill of more than £2m in costs trying to avoid paying his former wife, Aaliya, a lump sum of almost £5m, an amount the high court ordered him to pay nearly eight years ago.
Mr Justice Holman, the latest high court judge to grapple with the situation, described it as "about as bad a case as it is possible to imagine". He said taxpayer funding of the couple's two youngest children was "exquisitely ironical" because the pair "although resident here for tax purposes and liable to English taxation, manage to avoid paying any tax at all".
The legal aid means test for children is based on their own income. Two of this couple's four children are under 18 and are parties to the case.
As long ago as 2000, a senior appeal judge, Lord Justice Thorpe, remarked on the high costs of the case, adding that it was "little short of tragic folly that seemingly intelligent and civilised people should think that that is a responsible way to make use of the family justice system in this jurisdiction". In October 2004 he described the costs, which have nearly doubled since then, as "perfectly shocking" and said he could only characterise the litigation as "insane".
The couple, who come from prosperous families in the Kashmir region of India, lived in Kuwait and Hong Kong before moving to London in 1997. Mubarik's companies have business interests at the first two locations and there are also shops in Paris and New Bond Street, in London. The shares in his worldwide empire are owned by a family trust in Jersey, which has complicated his former wife's efforts to acquire his assets.
Mubarik put his net worth at £8m in the divorce proceedings, but Mr Justice Bodey ruled that he had substantial undisclosed assets and ordered him to pay £4.875m. In nearly eight years his former wife has managed to get only £266,000 of that, via the forced sale of Mubarik's properties.
Mubarik was also ordered to pay maintenance of about £14,000 a month; he now owes his former wife about £7m, including arrears in maintenance and legal costs.
Mubarik's solicitor, Alex Carruthers, said his client did not want to comment.
Clare Dyer, legal editor
Monday December 3, 2007
The Guardian
Two children of a multimillionaire jeweller have been given legal aid of £30,750 to protect their interests under a family trust amid a divorce war between their parents.
The case, which has cost the parents, Iqbal Mubarik, 48, and Aaliya Mubarak, 47 - they spell the name differently - more than £4m in legal costs so far, raises doubts about the ability of England's family justice system to enforce divorce awards against rich former husbands whose wealth is tied up in trusts and who are determined to go to any lengths to avoid paying out. The case has also occupied many hours of judges' and courts' time over the past nine years during which the courts have struggled to find time for other pressing cases.
Mubarik has run up a bill of more than £2m in costs trying to avoid paying his former wife, Aaliya, a lump sum of almost £5m, an amount the high court ordered him to pay nearly eight years ago.
Mr Justice Holman, the latest high court judge to grapple with the situation, described it as "about as bad a case as it is possible to imagine". He said taxpayer funding of the couple's two youngest children was "exquisitely ironical" because the pair "although resident here for tax purposes and liable to English taxation, manage to avoid paying any tax at all".
The legal aid means test for children is based on their own income. Two of this couple's four children are under 18 and are parties to the case.
As long ago as 2000, a senior appeal judge, Lord Justice Thorpe, remarked on the high costs of the case, adding that it was "little short of tragic folly that seemingly intelligent and civilised people should think that that is a responsible way to make use of the family justice system in this jurisdiction". In October 2004 he described the costs, which have nearly doubled since then, as "perfectly shocking" and said he could only characterise the litigation as "insane".
The couple, who come from prosperous families in the Kashmir region of India, lived in Kuwait and Hong Kong before moving to London in 1997. Mubarik's companies have business interests at the first two locations and there are also shops in Paris and New Bond Street, in London. The shares in his worldwide empire are owned by a family trust in Jersey, which has complicated his former wife's efforts to acquire his assets.
Mubarik put his net worth at £8m in the divorce proceedings, but Mr Justice Bodey ruled that he had substantial undisclosed assets and ordered him to pay £4.875m. In nearly eight years his former wife has managed to get only £266,000 of that, via the forced sale of Mubarik's properties.
Mubarik was also ordered to pay maintenance of about £14,000 a month; he now owes his former wife about £7m, including arrears in maintenance and legal costs.
Mubarik's solicitor, Alex Carruthers, said his client did not want to comment.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
"Lord" Abrahams of Donorgate
"Lord" Abrahams of Donorgate
At last it has emerged that the so-called Labour Party supporter, David Abrahams, paid more than £670,000 to the Labour Party, in the hope that he would get a peerage in exchange for the money he forked out through various go betweens.
I say "so-called Labour Party supporter", because this last week he has done his utmost to damage the Labour Party. He could not have done a better job had he been a Tory Party mole digging up the beautiful manicured lawns at Chequers.
Hat-Tip to Dizzy Thinks.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Home Office breaks the law and Ministry of Justice turns a blind eye
Home Office breaks the law and Ministry of Justice turns a blind eye
There is no lawful authority under English law for either the Home Office or private contractors operating Immigration Detention Centres to detain people once a judge has ordered their release. The Home Office and the private contractors are in contempt of court by doing so, and those being unlawfully detained are entitled to claim damages for unlawful imprisonment.
What this scandal exposes is the clash between two state departments; the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. Why is the Tory Party not demanding that Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw come before MPs in the House of Commons to face questions on the issue? Could it be simply because the Tory Party is a racist party and the victims here are only Johnny Foreigners and they don't count for anything?
Independent story here.
And a court order which I think is almost impossible to enforce.
There is no lawful authority under English law for either the Home Office or private contractors operating Immigration Detention Centres to detain people once a judge has ordered their release. The Home Office and the private contractors are in contempt of court by doing so, and those being unlawfully detained are entitled to claim damages for unlawful imprisonment.
What this scandal exposes is the clash between two state departments; the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. Why is the Tory Party not demanding that Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw come before MPs in the House of Commons to face questions on the issue? Could it be simply because the Tory Party is a racist party and the victims here are only Johnny Foreigners and they don't count for anything?
Independent story here.
And a court order which I think is almost impossible to enforce.