Jailhouselawyer's Blog: November 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

Dominic Grieve in Hitleresque bid to abolish human rights

British courts will be able to ignore European human rights rulings, says Dominic Grieve

Courts will be able to ignore European rulings on human rights under Conservative plans to give power back to British judges, Dominic Grieve, the shadow justice secretary, said.

Mr Grieve said in a speech that the current Human Rights Act had been “interpreted as requiring a degree of deference to Strasbourg that I believe was and should be neither required nor intended”.

Instead, he said, a new Bill of Rights - which would replace the Human Rights Act - would make clear that British courts could allow for UK common law to take precedence over decisions by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Dominic Grieve. Pencil. Box. Not sharpest.

Jack Straw drags feet over prisoners' right to vote

Jack Straw drags feet over prisoners' right to vote

Government fails to act on European court ruling that Britain's ban was a breach of human rights

By Marcel Berlins

It's not a vote winner, and there is no public clamour for it. One can understand that a law allowing prisoners to vote in elections wouldn't be very high on any government's list of priorities. But for nearly six years the Labour administration has been under a legal duty to ensure that we have such a law – and has done nothing about it. This deliberate indolence looks likely to continue until the next election.

In March 2004, the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled that Britain's blanket ban on giving prisoners the right to vote was a breach of the European convention on human rights.

What was then supposed to happen is clear. The British government was obliged to implement the court's ruling. That's what the rule says. Even allowing for the government's appeal against the decision (which it lost), and for time to think about and draft the new law – not a complicated matter – something should and could have been done by the end of 2006.

This week the Council of Europe's committee of ministers meets to discuss the cases of those countries that have failed to give effect to the ECHR's rulings. This will not be the first time that Britain's foot-dragging on prisoners' votes has come up before the committee.

Last June, following a complaint by the Prison Reform Trust, the committee "expressed concern about the significant delay … and recognised the pressing need to take concrete steps to implement the judgment, particularly in light of upcoming UK elections …"

The government's response was to carry out a short public consultation, which ended in September, since when nothing has been heard officially.

There has been the predictable but misguided outcry from those who cannot bear the thought of the vote being given to mass murderers and the perpetrators of other horrific crimes.

But the ruling of the Strasbourg court merely insisted that there must not be a total ban (on voting) on all prisoners. It would be perfectly acceptable – and many other countries have done it – to impose a cut-off point that excludes the most serious offenders. Indeed, the government's consultation document included several options along those lines.

I don't fully understand the government's reluctance. It cannot be for logistical reasons. It would not be difficult to make the arrangements for eligible prisoners to vote. Even at this late stage it would be easy to include the topic in the proposed constitutional reform and governance bill referred to in the Queen's speech. And votes for prisoners, if not an electoral winner, wouldn't be a loser either. There are many more important issues to sway the electorate.

The government, or at least Jack Straw, still seems to be wedded to the Victorian argument that voting is a privilege and an honour, to be refused to the undeserving. Today's reality is that it is a legal right. Exercising it can only help a prisoner's rehabilitation and reintegration into the community. That is to the benefit of all of us. There is still time for the government to do the decent thing.

Meanwhile...

Public vote on youth punishments

People are being given the chance to vote for how young offenders in the north west of England are punished.

A government website has been set up allowing users to suggest punishments for criminals aged between 10 and 17.

Voters can choose from tasks including cleaning graffiti, repairing vandalism, working in libraries and charity work.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Cressman family v Jane Andrews

Cressman family v Jane Andrews

The Sunday Telegraph is claiming that the Criminal Justice System has let down the family of Thomas Cressman, who was murdered by Royal aide Jane Andrews.

"Royal aide Jane Andrews was recaptured after little more than 48 hours on the run but her antics have raised serious questions over how Britain's criminal justice system has favoured a convicted murderer rather than those left to suffer from her vicious crime".

The first accusation is that East Sutton Park open prison is like a 5 star hotel rather than a prison.

The second accusation is that security is lax in the open prison.

The third accusation is that Jane Andrews should not have been transferred to East Sutton Park.

The fourth accusation is that as Jane Andrews sentence has progressed towards release back into the community the regime she suffers has beome softer.

The fifth accusation is that the Prison Service Life Sentence Process favours life sentence prisoners over the victim's family.

According to the Sunday Telegraph report: "Rick Cressman, the victim's brother and the family spokesman, is due to meet Jack Straw next month after demanding the Justice Secretary's resignation over the affair...Mr Cressman plans to raise a number of points with Mr Straw next month including the fact that the wishes of his family were ignored when he attended a parole board hearing this spring to consider Andrews' request to be moved to an open prison".

It is good that a knee-jerking politician is to be confronted by a member of the victim's family, especially after all this get tough talk on rebalancing rights in favour of the victim. However, Rick Cressman is not just some innocent victim but part of a pressure group which is designed to lobby for the rights of victims. Jane Andrews cannot lobby her MP for the simple reason that she is denied the vote. The Minister responsible for breaching Jane Andrew's human right to vote is Jack Straw. I would question why is Rick Cressman attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to influence Jack Straw in the treatment of Jane Andrews? And, why is Jack Straw allowing this meeting which may give rise to the appearance of bias against Jane Andrews?

Does anyone really want me to answer the 5 silly accusations?

Woman fined £75 for dropping a tissue as she blew her nose

Woman fined £75 for dropping a tissue as she blew her nose

A mother has been fined £75 for littering after a tissue she was blowing her nose with blew away in strong winds and flew over a busy road.

Kerrie-Anne Hickin was dashing to catch a bus and as she took the tissue out of her pocket it blew away in a gust of wind.

She said the next thing she knew, a warden was at her side at the bus stop writing a ticket.

Mrs Hickin, 30, a customer services advisor, said: “I stood there dumbstruck when I was stopped and the warden started reciting legal acts.

"It was really windy. I did not do it intentionally. I would hold my hands up if I did it on purpose.

"I am totally disgusted by it all. It is absolutely ridiculous and petty."

The warden was representing Sandwell Council, which faced criticism earlier this month for fining a young mother for feeding the ducks with her son at a park.

Tory tax cheat born in UK claims he's a foreigner living abroad

Zac Goldsmith has been allowed to dodge paying taxes in the UK by claiming that he is non domiciled in the UK. It is a blatant lie. This liar and tax dodger now wants to be the Tory MP for Richmond. It is clear where his interests lie, and it is not with the electorate in this country.

Related content...

Taxman targets exiles who keep UK toehold

Lord Ashcroft guilty of gerrymandering...

"The Tory peer is ploughing millions of pounds into marginal constituencies and has been tipped for a foreign affairs role if the Tories win power...In a sign of how Lord Ashcroft's largesse is paying political dividends, a poll for The Daily Telegraph yesterday showed the Tories streaking ahead in key marginals where the money has been directed".

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Bail hostel firm could lose contract

Bail hostel firm could lose contract

The company responsible for managing more than 200 bail hostels faces losing its contract after a resident was murdered in one premises.

The Ministry of Justice has demanded urgent remedial action from ClearSprings following the death of Mark Bradshaw at a hostel in Stockton, Teesside.

If the company fails to address concerns in a satisfactory manner it could be stripped of the multi-million contract for the hotels, which can house potentially dangerous suspects and criminals.

One concern centres on unauthorised individuals being present in hostels following evidence that a girlfriend of one of Mr Bradshaw's killers had been in the building when she should not have been.

In the wake of the case, the MoJ served a "rectification notice" on ClearSprings and it had until this weekend to respond with a series of "remedial measures".

Work on any measures will then be monitored by the National Offender Management Service and if it fails to comply one "option" can be "termination" of the three-year contract.

ClearSprings manages 204 bail hostels in England and Wales and has earned more than £10 million in the last two years alone, although the contract is up for renewal next year.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Ferrets Go Fishing 2010 calendar

From the people behind the best-selling Guinea Pig Games calendar, comes Ferrets Go Fishing, in which Humphrey and Boris, residents of Ferkin village, escape for a few days fishing

Follow Humphrey and Boris as they search the waterways and coastline of England to find Moby Trout, rumoured to be the daddy of all the river fish
Picture: www.maverickartsclub.com

Ferrets Go Fishing 2010 is beautifully photographed and captures not only the charm of ferrets, but also the majesty and beauty of Britain’s countryside, making the wall calendar great for those with a love of wildlife
Picture: www.maverickartsclub.com

No ferrets or fish were harmed in the making of this calendar - a bit of Photoshop trickery never hurt anyone. Picture: www.maverickartsclub.com

Picture: www.maverickartsclub.com

Web racists challenge convictions

Web racists challenge convictions

Two men have started appeals against the UK's first convictions for inciting racial hatred via a foreign website.

Simon Sheppard, 51, was sentenced to four years and 10 months, and Stephen Whittle, 42, to two years and four months at Leeds Crown Court in July.

Sheppard, from Selby, North Yorks, and Whittle, of Preston, Lancs, controlled US websites featuring racist material.

Sheppard's counsel Adrian Davies told the Appeal Court on Thursday the sites were "entirely lawful" in the US.

He said that there was no evidence that anyone in England and Wales - except for the police officer in the case - had ever seen any of them.

Referring to the jailed UK extremist Muslim cleric Mr Davies said: "Despite this, Mr Sheppard has been sentenced to a longer term of imprisonment than Abu Hamza," he told the court.

"These are matters which, in my submission, ought to attract the closest and most careful scrutiny of the court of the supposed legal basis of these convictions."

'High levels' of force at prison

'High levels' of force at prison

"Extremely high" levels of force are used to subdue prisoners at Belmarsh high-security jail, an inspection report has revealed.

Since the last inspection of the south London prison the number of inmates who said they had been victimised or intimidated by staff had increased.

One in five prisoners had been involved in violence, the report said.

The National Offender Management Service said there were "inherent complexities" in running the prison.

Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, said although security flaws had been tackled since the last inspection it had been to the detriment of prisoner care.

Scotland's prison population rises by 6%

Scotland's prison population rises by 6%

Scotland's prison population has continued to rise, according to new national statistics.

The figures showed the average daily prison population in the year to March was 7,835, up by 6% on the previous year and 31% over the past 10 years.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said prison would always be the right punishment for those involved in serious crime.

But he said simply building more prisons was not the answer.

Thousands of children jailed – before being found guilty

Thousands of children jailed – before being found guilty

Under-18s can be held on remand for a year before being tried, figures reveal

More than 27,000 children have been locked up before being convicted of any crime over the last five years. They include 1,004 under-18s held on remand for more than six months and 83 detained for more than one year.

The extent of youngsters being detained before appearing in court emerged as the Government trumpeted a sharp fall in youth crime. Around 2,600 under-18s are behind bars at any one time in England and Wales, which is among the highest rates of youth incarceration in Europe.

Youth Justice Board figures have disclosed that around 5,000 children are held on remand at some point every year. They include 5,471 in 2004-05, 5,673 in 2005-06, 5,601 in 2006-07, 5,301 in 2007-08 and 4,963 last year, adding up to 27,009 over five years.

Last year, 198 children were locked up on remand for more than six months. Numbers of children held on remand are 40 per cent higher than in 2000 and a recent survey estimated two-thirds of them were subsequently acquitted or given a community sentence.

The man who couldn't let his wife RIP

The man who couldn't let his wife RIP

Vietnamese man dug up wife's corpse 'so he could hug her'

A Vietnamese man dug up his wife's corpse and slept beside it for five years because he wanted to hug her in bed, it has been reported.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Murderers to be jailed for longer

Murderers to be jailed for longer

Killers could have to spend the rest of their natural lives behind bars after appeal court judges increased the minimum prison term for murder.

The judges said the 12-year minimum sentence which was often imposed in murder cases was generally too lenient.

And they said the worst killers should spend longer than 30 years in prison - the previous maximum sentence.

The judges issued the new guidelines in response to an appeal by Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC.

While I can accept the argument for increasing the tariff within a life sentence when it is deemed to be too low, however, it makes a mockery of justice when it goes too far, for example, "He said it would be open to a sentencing judge in a murder case "to specify a period which was in excess, even well in excess, of the offender's anticipated lifespan"". This is overkill! What do they intend doing, leaving a dead murderer in a prison cell until his time is up and then bury the bones? The death penalty has been abolished, all this will do is bring it back in through the back door.

2 years in open prison for banker who stole £380,000

2 years in open prison for banker who stole £380,000

Uncle of meningitis sufferer jailed for stealing £315,000 from trust fund

A banker who stole £315,000 from the trust fund of his five-year-old niece after she lost her limbs to meningitis has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Ellie May Challis had hundreds of thousands donated into a trust following reports she had lost her arms and legs aged 16 months old.

Her uncle Darren Pease, 33, was made one of two trustees with access to her money due to his financial acumen but was caught using the money to pay for jewellery and holidays in a bid to save his marriage, Basildon Crown Court heard.

The court heard that Pease, from Dagenham, Essex, initially took money from the account to pay for a credit card-bill and intended to repay it. However this spiralled out of control and Pease handed himself into police earlier this year when the family found there was only £239 left in the fund.

Father-of-two Pease, who earlier pleaded guilty to 18 counts of committing fraud while in a position of trust and obtaining property by deception and asked for another 31 offences to be taken into consideration, had also taken £65,000 from his grandmother's life savings, the court heard.

Who says crime doesn't pay?

Prison raffle offers inmates chance of a 'day out'

Prisoners have been offered the chance of winning a day out of jail as top prize in their Christmas raffle in a move which has angered victim support groups.

Inmates at HMP Kirkham, near Blackpool, Lancashire, have been told they could enjoy a whole day of freedom if they enter the £1 draw.

The raffle is open to the 590 prisoners held at the category D jail, some of whom will include rapists, murderers and other violent offenders coming to the end of their sentences

However, to be eligible for entry in the draw, they must first volunteer to cook Christmas dinner for the elderly at the nearby Milbanke Day Centre.

The reward, which has been condoned by Justice Secretary Jack Straw, has angered the families of violent crime victims.

The Big Picture photography competition: round 78

This week's Big Picture winner - and recipient of a Nikon Coolpix P90 camera worth £379.99 - is Chris Moore from Billinge, Lancs, for this colourful shot of Mount Fuji taken from Kawaguchiko Town.

Vicunas on the plains in Peru - Steve Towler from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancs

Procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales

Procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales

The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission have today responded to the National Audit Office’s report into procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales.

Welcoming the report, Legal Aid Minister Willy Bach commented:

‘I would like to thank the NAO for the work that they have done and I and the LSC are keen to see the majority of their recommendations implemented as soon as possible.

‘I am concerned about the weaknesses previously identified by the NAO in the LSC’s control systems that have led to a substantial number of overpayments. I have therefore asked the Commission to put in place an action plan to recover these amounts and to impose tighter controls to ensure claims are more effectively scrutinised to prevent repetition.

‘On a more positive note I am confident that the reforms which the LSC started to introduce in 2006, such as the introduction of magistrates’ courts means assessment and police station fixed fees, have already strengthened the LSC’s controls over criminal legal aid funding. The NAO’s work will help the LSC to make further improvements.

‘In addition to the work already in hand, some weeks ago I asked Sir Ian Magee to review the existing delivery and governance arrangements of the legal aid system. Sir Ian is due to report back in January.’

Man jailed for racist row killing

Man jailed for racist row killing

A 22-year-old man has been jailed for killing a Qatari student during a racist row in East Sussex.

George Austin, from south London, who was convicted of manslaughter at an earlier hearing at Lewes Crown Court was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Mohammed al-Majed, 16, died after he was punched in the face and hit the pavement in Hastings on 22 August 2008.

Given that this attack was racially aggravated, and that being drunk is no excuse the sentence does not appear to reflect the seriousness of the crime. Especially, if it is taken into account that he will only serve 2 years and 3 months for taking a life.

"Mohammed died in hospital three days after being assaulted outside a kebab shop on Hastings seafront during a row which began with racist taunts.

He suffered a brain haemorrhage and fractured skull, and died after going into cardiac arrest".

"Defence counsel Susan Rodham asked if Austin's sentence could reflect that the death followed a single punch.

She said: "It was not premeditated in any way, it was an indirect injury that was not foreseeable in the circumstances"".

If someone is knocked unconscious it is reasonably forseeable that they will fall to the ground and be unable to break the fall and therefore more likely to receive a greater injury with the head striking the pavement. I am not happy with this nonsense about the sentence should only reflect a single punch. It is not a case of accidental death. In my view, he got off very light in the circumstances.

Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard valued at £3.3m

Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard valued at £3.3m

Proceeds of sale of 1800 gold, silver and jewelled objects to be split between amateur metal detectorist and farmer

The glittering heap of treasure of the Staffordshire hoard, the largest and arguably most beautiful hoard of Anglo Saxon gold ever found in Britain, has been valued at nearly £3.3m by a panel of experts, a reward that will now be shared between the amateur metal detectorist who found it and the farmer in whose pasture it lay hidden for 1300 years.

Professor Norman Palmer, chair of the Treasure Valuation Committee, whose members pored over 1800 gold, silver and jewelled objects in a session at British Museum said: "It was breathtaking – we all agreed that it was not only a challenge but a privilege to be dealing with material of such quantity, quality and beauty. It was hard to stop our imaginations running away with us."

The scramble will now begin between local museums in Staffordshire to raise the money – £3.285m to be precise – which will be paid as compensation to metal detectorist Terry Herbert, and farmer Fred Johnson.

The dumb Blond

The homophobic and racist Phillip Blond is Director of ResPublica, a Tory think tank funded by such as Michael Ashcroft and Rupert Murdoch. It is claimed that the think tank is independent, in the same way that Iain Duncan Smith claims the the Centre for Social Justice is independent of Tory influence.

Last night, the homosexual Tory mouthpiece for David Cameron, Iain Dale, on Newsnight, stated it did not matter that Blond is homophobic. Launching ResPublica yesterday, "A spokesman for Mr Cameron said: 'The fact that David Cameron is appearing at this event doesn't mean that he endorses all of Phillip Blond's views.'

So, the homophobic and racist views are not endorsed by the Tories. They remain the sole property of the Red Tory and not part of the Nasty party. In the same way, one presumes, that Polish Law and Justice Party MP Michal Kaminski's racist and homophobic views have been ignored by Iain Dale and David Cameron when it suits them.

This quackery from the dumb Blond reminds me of Rasputin. The red mist is descending. Perhaps, balance could be restored by Blue Labour?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Money talks and Polanski walks free on bail

Money talks and Polanski walks free on bail

A Swiss court has accepted Roman Polanski's plea to be freed on bail from jail where he is being held on US child sex charges

The court accepted $4.5 million (£2.7m) to allow him to remain under house arrest at his chalet in the Swiss resort of Gstaad.

The film director will stay in prison for up to 10 days while the Swiss government decides whether to appeal.

The verdict does not affect the Swiss Justice Ministry's ongoing assessment of whether Polanski should be extradited to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski fled sentencing in Los Angeles a year later.

The court said Polanski would be subjected to "constant electronic surveillance" at his chalet and an alarm would be activated if he leaves the premises or takes off the bracelet.

Polanski has been wanted in the US since fleeing the country in 1978 after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex a year earlier with a 13-year-old girl.

He was held in Zurich after travelling from France to collect an award at the city's film festival in September.

He's been on the run for 30 years and they've given him bail? These electronic tags have been removed by kids in this country. Polanski has the money to employ an electrician to remove the electronic tag and fit it to a rocking horse whilst he goes over the border to France!

What is it about Switzerland and cuckoos?

Mark Leech joke: Ho, ho, ho

On 11th of November 2009, I went to the book launch of the 2009/10 edition of Insideinformation. It is priced at £35.00 RRP, however, organisations etc can purchase it for £25.00.

Therefore, I was rather tickled by the desperate actions of Mark Leech.

"SAVE £50 THIS CHRISTMAS AND
PURCHASE THE PRISONS HANDBOOK 2009 (normally £85.00)
FOR JUST £34.99 inc p&p!!".

Mark Leech on his so-called forum states:

"For the next 21 days we are offering prisoners, their families and
legal advisors the chance to buy the Prisons Handbook 2009 at £50 off
- just 34.99 inc p&p".

Samina Ahmed asked:

"Is this 2010 version or 2009?".

Mark Leech responds:

"Hi Samina
Its the 2009 edition - the 2010 edition is not out for another six months yet
Mark".

So, we can buy the latest Insideinformation prison directory 2010 edition for £25.00 from Inside Time, or an outdated 2009 edition from Mark Leech for £35.00?

I think Mark Leech would make a good stand up comedian.

Seven major banks and a building society had challenged High Court and Court of Appeal decisions that the charges come under "unfair contract" rules and are therefore subject to regulation by the Office of Fair Trading.

Today's result was awaited by tens of thousands of customers whose refund claims have been frozen while the test case went through the courts.

Handing down the unanimous ruling, Lord Phillips, president of the Supreme Court, said: "It may be open to the Office of Fair Trading to assess the charge under other criteria."

This is a blow for me. I was hoping for hundreds of pounds in refunds. Once again the banks get away with robbing the customers. And yet when the banks almost went bust it was public money which bailed them out. As Jonathan Ross would say they are a bunch of Wankers!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Cokehead Dave loses his head

The brutal truth of child detention

The brutal truth of child detention

2,000 asylum seekers' kids a year are locked up, and the only beneficiaries seem to be firms running centres like Yarl's Wood

A report by the novelist Clare Sambrook of End Child Detention Now, which campaigns against the detention of 2,000 asylum seekers' children every year, asks the very reasonable question: who does this expensive incarceration benefit?

Clearly not the children who, according to every study ever written on this issue, suffer acutely from being taken from their homes on the orders of the UK Border Agency and placed in a confined space for an indeterminate period.

Jack Straw talks the talk but he cannot walk the walk

Jack Straw talks the talk but he cannot walk the walk

Constitutional change and the future of parliamentary democracy

24 November 2009

Magna Carta Institute, Brunel University

An abridged version of a lecture given by Jack Straw at Brunel University's Magna Carta Institute on Monday 23 November 2009.

Fox attacks vulture feeding on carcass

Fox attacks vulture feeding on carcass

A vulture was forced on to the defensive when a fox attacked it as it fed on a carcass in a scene captured by a photographer in Bulgaria.

BMW celebrates 25 years of its fastest M cars

BMW celebrates 25 years of its fastest M cars

Performance is taken for granted, but cars are only part of BMW's expansion of its motorsport-inspired M label.

Any old excuse to show off my old Beamer. It wasn't an M, nevertheless just tickle the accelerator and it was go baby go...until I was rear ended.

Search for former royal aide after she absconds from jail

Search for former royal aide after she absconds from jail

Murderess goes missing from open prison where she is serving a life sentence

Jane Andrews, a former aide to the Duchess of York, was on the run last night after absconding from jail while serving a life sentence for murder.

Andrews killed her boyfriend, Tom Cressman, in 2000 by bludgeoning his head with a cricket bat before plunging a kitchen knife into his chest as he lay asleep in his bed.

She was moved to an open prison earlier this year but was found to be missing from East Sutton Park in Kent when a roll call was carried out on Sunday night.

Roger Avary 'tweeting from inside prison'

Roger Avary 'tweeting from inside prison'

Roger Avary, who received an Academy Award for Pulp Fiction, is posting daily tweets with grim, sometimes poignant tales of prison life.

Monday, November 23, 2009

No escape from debt by selling jails

No escape from debt by selling jails

Arizona's plan to sell prisons to the highest bidder is a leap back in time for correctional thinking, and a recipe for fiscal disaster

Here's an idea: sell off our prisons to the highest bidders, reap a pile of short-term cash to inflate near-empty state coffers, then lease back the prisons for 20 years at a cost to the state that far exceeds the original purchase price paid by the companies. While we're at it, let's completely privatise medical and mental health services – and mandate that bidders come in with lower per prisoner cost estimates than those currently paid out by the state. And, to cap it off, privatise the day-to-day operations of all the prisons, including supermaxes and death row sites, and, in an incentive to cut corners, split the savings 50-50 between the state and the private companies doing the administering.

Conservative fantasy? Alas, no. This is the set of kooky proposals recently embraced by legislatures in a near-insolvent Arizona, looking to trim dollars from their state budget.

Meeting due over prison walkout

Meeting due over prison walkout

Prison Service bosses are to meet with with union officials later to hold talks following an unofficial strike at HMP Liverpool.

Hundreds of prison officers returned to work at Walton Prison on Wednesday evening after a 25-hour walkout over claims of bullying by senior managers.

Representatives from the Prison Officers Association (POA) are to hold talks in London from 1100 GMT.

The Prison Service had called the walkout on Merseyside "unlawful".

Officers at jails in Lancashire, Cheshire and Dorset also joined the strike.

Colin Moses, national chairman of the POA, said: "The dispute at Liverpool was both preventable and unnecessary.

"This is the last chance for the employer to put things right,"

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC Union, will attend the meeting at the POA headquarters later.

The Prison Service has said last week's walkout related to an "ongoing investigation into an allegation within the prison".

The service added that the incident was being investigated under the National Offender Management Service's code of conduct and said it was "our belief that the actions taken so far by the prison management are appropriate within the circumstances".

Sack the bloody lot of them! If prisoners refuse to work they are subjected to disciplinary action.

Jam mobile phone signals in prisons, says inspector

Jam mobile phone signals in prisons, says inspector

Technology should be used to jam mobile phone signals in prisons, an inspector at Britain's largest jail has said.

David Jamieson, chairman of Wandsworth prison's Independent Monitoring Board, says illegal phones fuel prison drug trading, bullying and gang problems.

Behind bars, phones can cost £400 each. He said the trade had been worth £9m in 2008, when 7,000 phones were seized.

The Prison Service says signal blocking is technically challenging and not quick, simple or cheap to implement.

Mr Jamieson told the BBC's Inside Out London programme he believed three times as many mobile phones were in circulation within prisons as had been seized.

Tories are wrong on Human Rights Act

Tories are wrong on Human Rights Act

Any attempt by a Tory government to repeal the HRA would harm Britain's relationship with Europe, leaving us out in the cold

Conservative party policy is to "replace the Human Rights Act, which has undermined the government's ability to deal with crime and terrorism, with a British bill of rights." The shadow justice minister, Dominic Grieve, does not explain how the act has undermined the government's powers, nor does he say how a bill of rights would differ from the European convention on human rights, to which the UK is a signatory.

The only country in Europe which has not adopted the convention is Belarus. Do the Conservatives really want to leave us out in the cold with a country whose president is described as "Europe's last dictator"?

Hendon MP Andrew Dismore faces £65,000 expenses question

Hendon MP Andrew Dismore faces £65,000 expenses question

A second member of the committee that regulates MPs’ conduct is facing questions over his expenses.

Andrew Dismore reportedly claimed £34,000 in second home expenses for a west London flat, which hosts his girlfriend’s homeopathy surgery, while declaring a property just a few miles away in his north London constituency as his main home.

Mr Dismore - who serves on the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee - then allegedly “flipped” his second home designation to the north London property and claimed a further £31,000.

The Labour MP for Hendon split a total of £65,000 in second home allowances between the two London properties over an eight year period.

When the corrupt oversee the corrupt it is easy to see why corruption is not being tackled.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Just a couple of interesting photos

A tornado photographed in Colorado, USA Picture: CHRIS HARLAN / NATIONAL

HMS Gloucester sails past king penguins and elephant seals during a tour of the South Atlantic during a mission to help scientists assess environmental changes and locate unexploded ordnance left over from the Falklands War, Picture: PA

Mistaken identity...

Mistaken identity...

Criminal past of John Hirst the island fraudster

JOHN HIRST, the financier being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office over an alleged £20m Ponzi scheme, served two-and-a-half years in jail in the 1990s for similar offences.

The SFO launched an investigation into Hirst’s Gilher Inc earlier this month after he abruptly left Mallorca, where he spent the past seven years. More than 150 people, many of them British expats, gave him an estimated £20m to invest on the promise of “guaranteed” 20% annual returns.

He returned to Britain in August claiming to be suffering from leukaemia. He closed the fund but has not returned money to investors. Inquiries have since revealed a criminal past.

Hat-Tip to Barnacle Bill

Johnny Walker: A terrible injustice

Johnny Walker: A terrible injustice

Thirty five years ago, the IRA murdered 21 in the Birmingham pub bombings. Six Irishmen were jailed for crimes they did not commit, and spent 16 years in jail before their convictions were quashed. But how was life on the outside? Jonathan Owen talks to Johnny Walker

As blows rained down on Johnny Walker's stomach during a brutal beating at the hands of the police, he realised that in saying almost nothing, he had still said too much. "They were beating me up and my shirt came open and I told them I had stomach ulcers, so all the punches went down there... I should have shut my big mouth," he says, his voice quavering.

Even now – 35 years after he was wrongly convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings – the trauma he endured has left raw mental scars to go with the physical marks left by torture and beatings at the hands of the police and prison officers. "I still got parts of my body that is not right... they knocked all my teeth out... I'll carry these scars to my grave."

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Gordon Brown's B and B

Is 3 years for this yobbo a mockery of justice?

The BBC is reporting that "A boy who drove a stolen car into a pedestrian just hours after he was released from a youth detention centre has been jailed indefinitely".

Judge Anthony James Hammond jailed him indefinitely, describing him as a danger to the public.

He must serve at least three years before being considered for parole and banned for applying for a driving licence for five years.

The judge said: "You are a defendant who is highly likely to commit further dangerous offences and you are highly likely to cause death or serious harm to others."

Whilst accepting that he must serve at least 3 years does not necessarily mean he will only serve 3 years, nevertheless I am puzzled why the judge did not impose a sentence of Her Majesty's Pleasure? If any offence and any offender warranted a life imprisonment it was this case. It is cases like this which make a mockery of justice and lead to claims that sentences do not say what they should say. In my view, this person should not see light of day for at least 15-20 years.

Prostitute in Rome scandal dies

A body believed to be that of a Brazilian prostitute involved in a scandal that brought down the governor of the Rome area was found in an apartment fire yesterday.

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, looks towards a likely suspect...

Politics is a nice little earner – if you're a Tory

Politics is a nice little earner – if you're a Tory

Harvard study reveals the financial benefits of winning a seat in the House of Commons

By Michael Savage, Political Correspondent

After revelations about duck houses, moats and fake mortgages, many suspected it. Now a Harvard study claims to have proof that the life of a politician really is a nice little earner.

In recent history it has been Conservatives who have managed to profit the most, according to Andy Eggers and Jens Hainmueller, who have calculated that a career gracing the benches of the Commons leaves Tory MPs almost twice as wealthy as their unfortunate colleagues who ran unsuccessfully for Parliament.

Evidence, if it was needed, why the electorate should not vote for the Tories at the next general election!

US senator calls for return of Lockerbie bomber to jail

US senator calls for return of Lockerbie bomber to jail

A US senator has written to Gordon Brown, demanding the immediate return of the Lockerbie bomber to prison. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's early release from Greenock jail in Scotland on compassionate grounds was granted on the assumption that he had only three months to live because he was suffering from prostate cancer.

But three months had now elapsed since he was freed on 20 August and there was "speculation" that the severity of the Libyan's condition had been exaggerated, the senator said. He went on: "The bottom line is Megrahi should have never been released in the first place but it would be even more outrageous if he were to be able to live a long and free life after his release." In his letter to the Prime Minister he said: "Justice in this case was life in prison, no exceptions." Megrahi, who has now returned home to Tripoli, was serving a life sentence for the 1988 jumbo jet bombing which claimed 270 lives.

This headline should have read US senator makes a complete fool of himself. As I understand it, Gordon Brown has got nothing to do with the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. The jurisdiction rested with Kenny MacAskill the Scottish Justice Minister.

It is not up to this stupid Yank, Charles Schumer, to start telling other jurisdictions what justice entails. I note that he has added the provision "no exceptions". In both the English and Scottish legal systems we have the provision of compassionate release.

If I was Gordon Brown, I would respond to Charles Schumer's publicity seeking bollocks with MYOB Mind Your Own Business!

Bank loses appeal over wheelchair access case

Bank loses appeal over wheelchair access case

The Royal Bank of Scotland has lost its appeal over a ruling that it failed to cater for the wheelchair access needs of a disabled teenager who was awarded £6,500 damages.

David Allen, 18, who has muscular dystrophy, took legal action after the bank failed to install wheelchair access at the Church Street branch in Sheffield, close to where he is studying creative writing at Sheffield Hallam University.

Judges at the Court of Appeal dismissed the bank's appeal yesterday and ordered it to carry out the necessary access work, which has been estimated as costing £200,000. They also ordered the bank to pay Mr Allen's legal costs and refused permission to take the case to the Supreme Court.

Lord Justice Wall said that Mr Allen could not access the counter facilities at the bank and a duty "plainly thereby arose" under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Sheffield Law Centre, the solicitors representing Mr Allen, said: "This was an important ruling – the first time a court had ever granted an injunction requiring building work under the Disability Discrimination Act."

Friday, November 20, 2009

Homosexual snails take part in Gay Pride parade

Smuggling prison officer jailed

Smuggling prison officer jailed

A prison officer who smuggled drugs in her bra into a maximum security prison has been jailed for seven years.

Lucy Reynolds, 29, of St Philips Drive, Evesham, also smuggled phones and sim cards into Long Lartin Prison, near Evesham, Worcester Crown Court heard.

She had pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and possession of heroin and cannabis with intent to supply.

Prosecutors said the sentence reflected her "breach of trust".

And yet, Liz Truss who was involved with a breach of trust has been selected by Tories in Norfolk to become an MP.

Man gets away with murder...

Man gets away with murder...

A man who strangled his wife during a nightmare in the belief he was attacking an intruder walked free from court today after the case against him was withdrawn.

Brian Thomas, 59, of Neath, South Wales, killed his wife Christine, 57, while they were holidaying in West Wales in July 2008.

Meanwhile, down under...

'Weak little bastard' husband jailed for strangling wife

I have had nightmares, and woke up fighting in my sleep. However, given the amount of energy and time it takes to strangle someone I have to say it takes some suspended belief to accept he committed murder in his sleep. I cannot wait for the headline Man robs bank whilst sleepwalking!

Damn the bloody taxpayer

The woman paid out of taxpayers money to look after a MP's love nest also paid for from taxpayers money has stated when questioned "Damn the bloody taxpayer!".

This just about sums up the attitude of the Tory MP for Skipton and Ripon, David Curry. And, to think that this twat was the chairman of the parliamentary standards and privileges committee!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

CIA 'ran secret prison for al-Qaeda' in Lithuanian riding school

CIA 'ran secret prison for al-Qaeda' in Lithuanian riding school

A former horse riding school in the tiny Baltic state of Lithuania was used as a secret CIA prison to hold and interrogate top al-Qaeda terrorists, it has been claimed.

A photo taken on November 19, 2009 shows a training center of the Lithuanian State Security Department, the country's domestic intelligence agency, in Antavilis near Vilnius Photo: AFP/GETTY

The allegations have sparked a parliamentary inquiry after President Dalia Grybauskaite said she harboured "indirect suspicions" that such a facility existed.

According to unnamed former intelligence operatives quoted by ABC News, the CIA built the secret jail in 2004 and used it for more than a year, flying in at least eight suspected al-Qaeda terrorists from Afghanistan.

The prison was reportedly built from scratch on the territory of a former horse riding school about 15 miles from Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, and included an underground annex. Pictures of the building said to be the former CIA jail show a bland-looking two-storey house surrounded by a fence and CCTV cameras. Locals say the building, which is now used as a training facility by Lithuania's state security service, originally had no windows.

What is the difference between Nazi, Stasi, CIA and MI6?

Not a lot!

The officer had been called to the girl's home in Ozark, Arkansas, by her mother because she was behaving in an unruly manner and refusing to take a shower.

In a report on the incident the officer, Dustin Bradshaw, said the mother gave him permission to use the Taser.

I hardly think To Protect and Serve includes allowing a mother to call the police just because her 10 year old daughter is refusing to take a shower! Now the girl is to face disorderly conduct charges! In my view, it is the mother who should be facing child neglect charges and the police officer for assault.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Happy 59th birthday to me

Young offenders' unit 'squalid'

Young offenders' unit 'squalid'

A youth prison in Dorset has been condemned as "filthy and squalid" two years after inspectors first highlighted the problem.

The prisons inspectorate said one unit at Portland young offenders' institution had no built-in sanitation and was "unkempt and uncared for".

Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, said it "should be demolished".

In 2007 she criticised the 160-year-old jail's sanitation in a report following an unannounced inspection.

The prison holds 588 young offenders aged 18-21.

Prison officers' strike spreads

Prison officers' strike spreads

Strike action among prison officers has spread to a second jail, the Prison Officers' Association has said.

Hundreds of officers have been on a picket line outside HMP Liverpool on a second day of unofficial action there.

They first walked out on Tuesday, amid claims of bullying and harassment by their supervisors.

Hundreds more officers from Risley Prison near Warrington have joined them and staff at three other jails are threatening to walk out later.

Staff at Preston, Wandsworth and Cardiff prisons are threatening to stop work at lunchtime unless managers agree to talks, Prison Officers Association (POA) deputy general secretary Mark Freeman said.

Walking in a Wiltshire wonderland

A spectacular autumn display at the National Trust's Stourhead estate Photo: PHIL YEOMANS

Wiltshire is the richest area of Britain for prehistoric remains Photo: GETTY