Saturday 30 November 2019

Never Forget, These People Hate Us, And Our Way Of Life...

What..?

No, no. Not terrorists! I mean these people:


The people sitting safely at home or in their offices, wringing their hands over murdering scum.


It's more than 'OK', it's what we need to do. And we need to see it.


And conspiraloons are a whole other branch of crazy...

And finally:

Yup! That's the State broadcaster making no distinction between perpetrator and innocent victims.

Yet Again, Too Close To Home...

I was chilling at home on leave yesterday when the news came in about the latest terrorist attack, and Twitter obligingly showed me pictures of my friend's office on London Bridge (luckily, she'd chosen to work at home) and the little Waitrose I often call in when I'm working up there.

And the incredible video of members of the public tackling the terrorist and holding him down until police arrive and deal with him as all of these animals should be dealt with...

And this morning we learn that he was a convicted terrorist freed on licence! The papers are reporting he was attending an event at Fishmonger's Hall for ex-cons. And was wearing an electronic tag.

And started his knife rampage there, before running up to near Bank station, according to the position of a body in this Tweet below, then running back to the bridge. Which seems odd.

The 'Daily Mail' is still the same, though:
An unnamed hero, who was inside the conference hall, was said to have grabbed a five-inch narwhal tusk from the wall' and went to confront the terrorist, the Mirror reported.
That's one tiny narwhal!


Yeah. That's more like it.

Friday 29 November 2019

Tweet Of The Month

Priceless!


Post Title Of The Month

Well, who else..?


Quote Of The Month

DumbJon on fine form, commenting on the rap movie controversy:
"Needless to say, the BBC was fearless in holding the filmmaker to account for his exercise in social arson.... by quoting from his Instagram account without comment:
Blue Story's writer and director, Andrew Onwubolu, said Saturday's disturbance in Birmingham was "truly unfortunate".
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the rapper-turned-filmmaker wrote: "Sending love to all those involved in yesterday's violence at Star City in Birmingham.
"It's truly unfortunate that a small group of people can ruin things for everybody.
"Blue Story is a film about love not violence.
Yep: it's all about the love except somehow people keep seeing it as a call for homicidal madness.
So, you know, it's basically the Koran of movies."

Post Of The Month

A tie this month:

First up, Longrider on yet another bonkers claim for the feminists.

And a reader-nominated post from Al Jahom, back blogging with gusto, on the 'OK Boomer' meme.

Ooh, Ooh, I Think I Know!



...is it because they are criminals?
Nottinghamshire Police said drugs are the main reason that gang members fall out and settle these disputes with firing a weapon.
Wow! I should be a detective!

Thursday 28 November 2019

I Thought Labour Were Against Hunting..?

Yet here they are, attempting to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds...
Labour has said that it will preserve women-only spaces where such treatment “is justified”, amid an internal rift over its policy towards trans people.
The clarification from the party came after women’s rights activists accused the party of backsliding on its manifesto commitment to retaining “single-sex-based exemptions”. They said the exemptions were necessary to ensure that services such as refuges, prisons and changing rooms would not have to be open to people who self-identify as female, as well as those born female.
Confusion emerged after Labour’s equalities spokeswoman, Dawn Butler, attacked what she described as outdated legal measures designed to protect single-sex facilities. She said there was “no way [that] spaces will be permitted to discriminate against trans people”.
I guess she didn't get the memo. Or, like her fellow MP, is too thick to understand it.

Me, I'm ordering more popcorn!

Where's The Tragedy..?

A mother who died while pregnant with her seventh child had cocaine in her system that may have 'contributed' to the tragedy, an inquest heard.
Six kids and a coke habit? Wow! She (or her husband) must have had a very well paying job, eh, reader?
North West Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones concluded Miss Hughes's death was due to natural causes.
He told an inquest in Caernarfon: 'If she had not taken cocaine in the past the probability is that she would have survived the bronchopneumonia, but we cannot be sure.'
Mr Pritchard Jones issued a warning to the public that cocaine can and does cause long-term issues.
Maybe that's why it's illegal?
Miss Hughes was found to have 'abnormally high' levels of the cocaine in her system, the court heard, but the coroner said it was 'not a drug death'.
Make up your mind!
Mr Pritchard said: 'I am seeing far too many cocaine deaths as the use of cocaine in this part of the world is very common.'
Isn't it rather more expensive than other drugs? Isn't Wales a poverty-stricken area?
In March it was reported that Miss Hughes's parents have now moved in to care for her heartbroken children, Carly, 16, Lennox, 15, Holly, 11, Poppy, six, Jaxton, two, and one year old Xavi.
But not pay for them. That's on the poor bloody taxpayer, as usual...

Wednesday 27 November 2019

No Amount Of Signage Will Help...

Jonathan's mum, Joyce Adebanjo, said her son was a "nice guy" and a "peaceful person". She is now in contact with other drowning victims' loved ones to prevent further deaths and improve signage around the river.
What's wrong with the signage then?
She added: "A smartphone was bigger than the signage there.
"Nothing has been done to prevent these deaths in the most dangerous part of the river.
Apart from all the warnings, the previous deaths, the expectation that people take responsibility for their criminally-stupid actions, you mean?
"I'm working to start a class action with other families who have lost relatives in the river.
"Next week I am meeting with a mum who lost her son near to where Jonathan died. We are going to come together. It's someone's child, someone's brother who has died.
"I want something to be changed. My son is not going to be a statistic."
He already is. Nothing's going to change that.
A sign located around five metres from the ladder where Jonathan entered the water indicated that people had previously drowned in the basin, the hearing was told.
No point putting up more signage for Darwin Award winners to ignore.

Putting A Fox In Charge Of The Henhouse...

Kingston Crown Court heard how he told four girls he caught shoplifting from the store that they would get criminal records, their parents would be informed and they would be detained for some time unless they carried out the sexual acts.
The 27-year-old, who was employed by Brooknight Security, was caught out in after a complaint was made about him and police were called in. He also failed to fill out the correct incident report paperwork in shoplifting situations and asked colleagues to delete CCTV footage.
He was also known to keep condoms in the control room.
And this rang no alarm bells?
Graham Partridge, from the CPS, said: "Zia Uddin preyed on young girls in a vulnerable situation.
"He abused his authority by telling them to perform sexual acts for him on the promise that they would then be released without their parents or the police being informed about what they had done.
"Having worked in security, Uddin was also well aware of the CCTV camera 'blind spots' and took advantage of these in order to carry out his offending."
Who's surprised? Not me. I wonder his lawyer didn't try the Race Card...

Tuesday 26 November 2019

Choose Your Friends Carefully...

Anja Housden-Brooks was left with a broken nose, shattered cheekbones and a split tear duct in the attack on Saturday.
She says she was battered 'out of the blue' by a member of staff at The Venue Bar in Southend, Essex, after having drinks with friends.
Hmmm. Let's see if this one passes the smell test.
Mother-of-three Ms Housden-Brooks explained she was running errands in Southend on Saturday evening when she bumped into a friend by chance. She joined the pal who was meeting a group of friends at The Venue Bar and drank two gin and tonics.
Ms Housden-Brooks added: 'There was a wider group of about ten of us. We were laughing a joking and maybe being a bit loud - but no more than any other town centre bar on a Saturday evening.
'A woman working behind the bar came over a couple of times and kept telling us to keep the noise down.
'In the end she singled me out and told me I would have to leave because I was being too noisy.
'I told her I'd done nothing wrong and stood my ground. She didn't like it all and kept giving me evil looks from behind the bar, but I just ignored her.'
So you were causing a noise nuisance, were told to get out but didn't?
Ms Housden-Brooks says she left about fifteen minutes later to return home.
'I admit that I did have a couple of choice words for her as I left,' she said.
Ah!
'As I reached the door of the bar, my face exploded in pain. This bar worker was raining punches on me.
'I begged her to stop, but she just kept hitting me. It was over in minutes, but felt like a lifetime.'
And what were your friends doing during this? Or any of the other people in the bar?
Ms Housden-Brooks says she staggered into the street where a motorist took pity on her and drove her home.
She said: 'This guy saw me slumped in a heap against the wall. I'm so grateful to him. He said I should go to hospital but I just wanted to be with my family.'
So...your friends didn't step in to defend you. And didn't check you were OK to get home?


A spokesperson for The Venue Bar said: 'We've been advised by the police not to say anything.'
Yes. I bet you have...

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree...

Mr McLean's family were campaigning for justice following the incident.
'The incident' being the young scamp fleeing police, straight under the wheels of a police car.


Some might say justice was indeed done.
Following the jury's verdict, which said there was not enough evidence to establish a connection between the actions of the police and Mr McLean's fall, the Berkshire Coroner, Heidi Connor's inquest hall erupted into shouts - and police said a fight broke out which spilled into the lobby outside the inquest meaning additional officers were called to the scene.
The moral of the story being: Don't run from the police, and if you do, and something bad happens, you've only yourself to blame.
ACC Ward said: 'An internal review of this incident has been carried out and no changes to our officers training have been identified...'
We haven't lost a budding brain surgeon here.

Monday 25 November 2019

Too Close To Home...

An eyewitness described seeing a child of no more than seven or eight years old being savaged by a pit bull in Ilchester Road, Dagenham, on Tuesday, November 19.
The man, who asked not to be named, said neighbours rushed out of their homes after hearing the youngster's screams, before trying to beat the beast off him.
He said: "I've never seen anything like it in my life. I saw people running. Someone said there was a dog attacking a child. I saw a child on the ground and the pit bull on top of him.
"It was horrible. It was too much. The child was crying, screaming. It was bad I'm telling you. The dog was mad."
I know Ilchester Road, it's not far from my mother's house, and I've probably driven down it a few time when taking one of her friends home from a visit.
According to the witness, another man came and tied a lead around the animal's neck with police later taking it away.
Why wasn't it shot then and there at the scene? We should adopt the US method of dealing with these things. And tell the bloody useless CPS that that's not going to give them an excuse not to do their job.
A spokesman for the Met Police said officers were called at 3.24pm to reports of a dangerous dog.
Paramedics treated the boy in the street before taking him to hospital.
"His condition has been assessed as not life-threatening, but life-changing," the Met spokesman said before adding that the dog has not been destroyed.
A man, woman and teenage boy were all arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control and of having a prohibited dog out in public. They were taken into custody and later released, though they are still under investigation.
Now it sits in kennels, wolfing down taxpayer-funded Pedigree Chum until the justice system can get it's arse in gear. How many more of these cases do we need?

Fear The Wolves, Not The Sheepdogs...

Another woman told The Mirror: 'That's probably one of the scariest moments of my life. Me and my daughter were in a queue to watch frozen, loads of little kids there, all dressed up and everything, then these girls jumped on another girl and loads of these kids just started fighting.
'Armed police came with Tasers. All the people that were fighting run off into the cinema. There's about 15 to 20 police cars. I'm shaking.
'The police were very aggressive there was lots of little kids there.'
I wonder why the police were 'aggressive', I mean that's not....

Oh.

 Yeah. That'll be why.

Saturday 23 November 2019

Oooh, Where To Start..?

A heartbroken mum whose son was jailed for the murder of teenager Lyrico Steede said her world was torn apart when she found out he was responsible.
Amanda Jamieson, 49, from Beeston, said she went through her life "with a fine-toothed comb" and spent many days hiding under a quilt while she tried to make sense of what went wrong.
Hmmm, are there any clues?
The single mum believes her son, Christian Jamieson, who was brought up going to church, probably needed more male mentors to stop him falling in with the wrong crowd.
Ah!
As a mother, she said, she tried to do everything to steer her son away from crime, even moving out of St Ann's.
But not settling down in a stable relationship with the father.
She added: "We need to provide support to families - the home should be the biggest pull - the best gang should be the family unit."
That's the 'family unit' you clearly failed to provide?

The Changing Face Of Christmas...

I took a day off yesterday and went on a trip to the Bury St Edmunds Christmas market with some work colleagues.

If you've not been, I thoroughly recommend it - Bury St Edmunds is a lovely little town, lots of small cobbled streets, independent traders, an astounding cathedral with lovely grounds, and the Christmas Market itself was huge. It bills itself as the biggest in the UK, and that's not a vain boast.

We had a great time wandering around sampling the various cheeses, liqueurs, preserves and other local produce, and despite having all my presents bought already, I couldn't resist buying a few more (ok, a LOT more!). When we'd done the main market and needed a rest, we had some lovely tea at the quirky little Edmundo Lounge, just off the main area and refreshingly free of Christmas Market shoppers.

Making our way back to the main market from there down the little cobbled side streets to pick up some things we'd noted down but wanted to get last so as not to carry them around all day, we were met with this jarring reality of Christmas in modern Britain:


Yes. They are exactly what they look like - anti-Muslim terrorism barriers. I wouldn't say the sight of them spoiled the day, we still had a lovely time.

But even so...is this what we can now expect every Christmas, even in the smallest, most quintessentially English town? How very sad.

And how very avoidable...

Friday 22 November 2019

It's ... Not The Word I'd Have Chosen!


The Crumpet Burger will feature two fillets sandwiched between three crumpets.
Born out of the British obsession with crumpets, it will be topped with cheese and smothered in sweet chilli sauce.
I'd have chosen 'abomination'.

Give Some People Power....

...and they behave like this:
'At parents' evening I went to the toilet and there was a single tissue dispenser and my daughter counted out five sheets and went to the toilet. There are no tissue dispensers in the cubicles.
'I spoke to the head teacher and she told me it was so that children don't block the toilets using too much toilet paper.'
Oh? Not because she's a cold-blooded control freak or Green fruitcake who has listened to too much Sheryl Crow then?
Fahmim who is an adviser at Cartrefi Cymru Co-operative, and her husband Afjul Ali, have written a formal letter of complaint to the school's head teacher Ruth Jackson.
Following her complaint the school has now said it has reviewed its policy.
A spokeswoman from the school said: 'We have reviewed our policy and will soon be installing dispensers in all our cubicles. We will be contacting parents shortly to let them know of the change.'
Translation: "Ooops! Busted!"

Thursday 21 November 2019

Can They Do Themselves For Wasting Police Time..?

A police sergeant who allegedly dangled a pepperoni pizza over the food of a Jewish officer is facing a disciplinary hearing.
Giving only the officer’s surname and rank, Sussex Police said PS Jacobs will appear before a panel over an allegation that his conduct breached police equality and diversity standards.
I suspect if it was a member of the public, they'd be doing him under 'hate crime' laws as well...

Bah Humbug!

A move to tackle aggressive begging and rough sleepers on Southend High Street is expected to come into force before Christmas.
Southend Council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which promises to bring fines of £100 against rough sleepers and ‘aggressive’ beggars in the heart of Southend, has taken almost five months to be implemented but the council now says it will be in operation before Christmas.
I note they didn't say which Christmas....
...it has come under fire from rights groups who believe it will criminalise the homeless. Some residents have also questioned how people who are homeless would be expected to pay financial penalties.
Josie Appleton, director of the freedom group, the Manifesto Club, said in August that the order could “severely restrict homeless people’s ability to feed themselves and survive outside in cold weather”.
Human rights group Liberty also raised objections during the council’s public consultation, writing in a six-page letter that it would be “unlawful and unreasonable”.
Why doesn't Liberty consider that being forced to dodge aggressive junkies begging in the high street on your way to work or shop, or having to mop up human excrement or urine or used needles from your shop doorway, is 'unlawful and unreasonable', I wonder?

Wednesday 20 November 2019

That Telling Phrase...

..."in his native Pakistan":
His lawyer Mr Ben Rich told the hearing: 'Dr Awan's conduct was at the lower end of the spectrum. He has undertaken courses to educate himself on the impact of social media as well as his reporting obligations in respect of vulnerable children. He has continued practising since 2016 without any further issues.'
He needed to take courses for that...?

Ah, well. He's Canada's problem now.

*Shrug*

The wife of a prisoner who had a heart attack questioned if he might have survived if he had not been inside, an inquest heard.

Miss Hamilton-Deeley said: “You feel if William had not been in prison then we would not be here today but we are where we are.
“Professor Hildick-Smith is a leading figure in his field and if anybody could have saved William it would be him.”
Miss Hamilton-Deeley praised ambulance crews and prison staff for their actions and said:
“Even if the hospital had been five minutes down the road, at that stage it was too late.”
Thankfully, a coroner with a working brain who doesn't think her role is to simper and protect the feelings of criminals' relatives...
Mrs O’Donoghue paid tribute to her husband and said: “His children were his life, and he loved life. His whole world revolved around them. Everything he did was for them, good or bad.”
I'm assuming he didn't do that much that was good, as it's the bad that would have meant he wound up in prison...

Tuesday 19 November 2019

Once Again, They Show Us Whose Side They Are On...

...and it's not the side of the long-suffering law-abiding taxpayer:
The home secretary, Priti Patel, this month announced plans to crack down on unauthorised Traveller camps, including by making trespass a criminal offence.
But police responses to a consultation launched last year about dealing with such encampments show forces are opposed to such a move.
See...?

It's perfectly clear now who they work for. It's not me, or you. It's not objective scientific rationality either, so this shouldn't really come as a surprise.
... 75% of police responses indicated that their current powers were sufficient and/or proportionate. Additionally, 84% did not support the criminalisation of unauthorised encampments and 65% said lack of site provision was the real problem.
I wonder if 65% of police think that lack of provision of free stuff is 'the real problem' behind shoplifting, mugging and burglary?
Abbie Kirkby, advice and policy manager at FFT, said the proposed laws would make the lives of Gypsies and Travellers a misery.
Good! It's more than time they got a little back of what they dish out to others on a regular basis.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “As part of the consultation further views from police forces will be taken into consideration along with the views of local authorities, travellers and communities. It is not for us to pre-empt the outcome of these discussions.”
I sincerely hope that's civil service-ese for 'We're going to ignore the whiners' but, frankly, I doubt they are on our side either!

Errr, Well, Probably Not...

...particularly as it isn't actually real sushi, but 'vegetarian sushi'.



Anna’s “Fully Loaded” teriyaki sushi burrito is stuffed with sweet potato wedges, avocado, red pepper, and imitation chicken made out of soybeans.
But you knock yourself out, love.

The fact that when I browse the 'eat by today!' section of reduced-price food in most major supermarkets it's increasingly crammed with unsold vegan and vegetarian marked stuff should be no bar to your schemes.

Monday 18 November 2019

"Don't You Know Who.i.am..!?"

will.i.am, real name William Adams, was wearing noise-cancelling headphones as he mixed music on his computer as the plane was coming in to land.
And didn't hear the announcement to put laptops away. And was told to do so mt a stewardess. And then threw a strop...
'I've never seen this, it was like a police state,' he told the Sunday Telegraph. 'I am the coolest traveller, I don't ask for much. I try to stay out of their way. I come on the plane to go to sleep or I go to work.'
'She asked me to put my laptop away and I put it away and I told her to relax because the whole flight she was stressed.'
It's not really surprising, is it..?

There you are, locked in a metal tube high in the sky, playing nanny and nursemaid to people who the moment they board behave like toddlers, trying to do the best job you can. And when one of them disobeys and you call them on it, they immediately wave the Race Card™ and get their followers to dogpile on you on social media.

They should issue them tasers...

"I spun around and said; "Now listen you may be a charming fella, but you're just cruisin' for a bruisin' just the same""

Andrew Graham, of Sandbrook Close, Shavington admitted sexually assaulting a train worker at Manchester Oxford Road Station following a British Transport Police investigation.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to sexual assault by touching at Manchester Magistrates Court on Monday, October 28.
The court heard how on Friday, March 29, Graham approached the train dispatcher from behind and grabbed his bottom. The Northern staff member immediately turned around and confronted Graham, refused him travel and told him to leave the station.
Graham did so but then returned and began remonstrating with his victim, arguing and squaring up to him and the victim’s colleague.
He seems charming...
In police interview Graham admitted he was drunk at the time and could remember few details but claimed that any touching had merely been ‘banter’.
Probably was. So...why the sexual element to the charge? Is it because it attracts a higher sentence?

Saturday 16 November 2019

It's Turtles All The Way Down!

Britannia Enterprises, which ran a number of cafes in Norwich, has collapsed into liquidation owing £629,739.
Hmmm, I wonder if 'Brexit' will be to blame...?
Businesswoman Davina Tanner MBE, has now appointed liquidators Stewart Bennett to wind down the company, owing a total of £629,739.
The greatest amount owed is to Brand Strategy Partners, a management consultancy and financial management practice.
They seem as good at financial management as she is at business. And with good reason!
 This firm is reportedly owed £94,722 and is also owned by Ms Tanner.
Oooh!
A community interest company is a business run as a social enterprise, which aims to use its profits and assets for the public good.
That's a very strange definition of the term, isn't it?

H/T: Dave Ward via email.


I Thought Lawyers Were Good At Latin...?

Like 'in vino, veritas':
Mandeep Sehmi, defending, said: 'He lives at an address with his partner of three-and-a-half-years and their child who is 15 weeks old.
'He is looking at his liberty being taken away, and he also has another child aged 12.
'He was intoxicated at the time of the offence. If he had been sober he wouldn't have acted in such a manner.'
Wha...?


Sweetie, I know you're paid to parrot whatever the accused claims, no matter how unlikely, but seriously..? 
'He is extremely ashamed and sorry for this offence.'
Which is why he handed himself in to the police the moment he sobered up and saw the publicity, right? Oh no, he didn't. Of course. His kind never do, do they? 
'His family have received various threats including death threats and threats against both of his children.
'His family will have to deal with such repercussions alone without support. He is on Universal Credit and is in receipt of no other income.'
If the chat on social media about his traveller background is correct, then that's almost certainly a lie too...
Jailing him at Walsall Magistrates' Court, chair of the bench Brian Benton said: 'This court is restricted to a maximum sentence of 26 weeks. However, due to your early guilty plea you are entitled to a reduction of one third.
'The sentence this court will pass is one of 18 weeks. We are imposing a disqualification on you keeping an animal for life.'
Won't make a blind bit of difference unless you also impose it on this sewer rat's family, who will simply claim to be the owner should he be caught with another lurcher.

And no news report that I've read on this gives the fate of the dog in question. Is it too much to hope the cops that arrested him shot it in front of him and his twisted 'family'..?

Friday 15 November 2019

The Wisdom Of Fashionistas...

PR guru Lynne Franks, 71 on the news that Harvey Nicholls will still stock real fur:
'Consumer trends are going to go more into natural clothes, natural fibers, as people become more aware of what's going on in the world.
'That trend is going to increase and that includes money to spend.
'I think Harvey Nichols will actually alienate a lot of their potential customers by selling fur. It's not the way the market is going, it's not the way the trends are going.'
What, exactly, does she think fur is, if not a natural, biodegradable, sustainable resource?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes...

Graeme “Taff” Williams...was a long-standing “sudden death co-ordinator” in east London, helping to catalogue belongings and find family members of deceased residents.
He continued in the role as a volunteer after his retirement.
And maybe that's when alarm bells should have started ringing....
Williams, whom police bosses “trusted implicitly”, stands accused of stealing cash from two estates, and taking expensive furniture, electrical goods and artwork from a third home when the grieving family believed it was heading to a homeless charity.
Hmmm. So when they aren't ordering porn on your TV, they are eyeing up the TV itself!
Williams, of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, denies three charges of theft and one of fraud. The trial continues.
Definitely one to watch!

Thursday 14 November 2019

Intestinal Fortitude...


I wonder what 'this' is?

The death of a loved one? Being told you have incurable cancer? Losing your life savings?



Oh....
Having called the takeaway to complain, Miss Baxter said she was "disgusted" by the response. "I rang and there was just no remorse, no apology. He said to me three times 'come back and I'll make you another curry', but that wasn't the point.
"The whole experience was completely devastating and I was in tears all night. My 12-year-old daughter's not a vegetarian but was so upset she didn't eat her own dinner."
Good grief! Snowflake mother, snowflake daughter!
Responding to Miss Baxter's claims, Rakib Imam from Melton Spice said: "Someone called to say they had chicken in their vegetarian curry and we have refunded them.
"If there is a mistake, we have to see the curry first and then we can investigate what has happened. The lady said it had chicken in it, but refused to bring it back to us."
I wonder why..?

H/T: Dave Ward via email

Fatal Attraction...

Janet D'Aleo died Wednesday after being rushed to Baystate Medical Center. The dog lived at 584 Thrall Avenue, which is the home of former state Rep. Annie Hornish, an animal rights activist.
D'Aleo had been visiting Hornish's mother, Agnes Wosko, when the pit bull attacked her, causing "substantial and severe injuries," Chief Richard Brown said.
What is it with these creatures, that people still think they can be rehabilitated?
Hornish has now been quoted as blaming her mother's home health aid who struck the dog with a metal stool after the dog jumped on D'Aleo, who uses a walker.
"It seems as if the dog got excited and it was overexuberant," Hornish said. "[The dog] jumped on a friend with a walker and she fell backward and we believe that's what killed her."
Luckily, the coroner isn't fooled.
By Friday evening, it was reported that the medical examiner's office determined the 95-year old's death was caused by the dog bite.
Were there no other warning signs (as if 'being a pit bull' wasn't enough)?
Dexter had six different owners by the age of 4 when he reaches Hornish.
QED, I think!

H/T: DogsBiteOrg via Twitter

Wednesday 13 November 2019

Chief Amongst Them Being Their Parentage...

Philip Tully, defending, said his client's benefits were reduced and she was "struggling to make ends meet and provide for her five children".
He said some of Rooney's children had difficulties and she "experienced a very difficult childhood and was a victim of crime herself".
Victim, perpetrator, what's the difference, eh, Phil?
Judge Murray told Rooney: "You committed very serious offences and caused misery to a number of elderly and vulnerable people.
"You've got a terrible record and for these offences, immediate imprisonment is richly deserved."
Yeah. There's a 'But...' coming. You knew that, right?
"On the other hand, you're a single parent with responsibility for five children and you've been out of trouble for six years.
"The author of the pre-sentence report says you're a good prospect for rehabilitation. At this stage, I'm just not sure about that."
But you're going to take the chance anyway. It's unlikely to be your elderly relatives targeted, after all.

I doubt they live in the sort of areas preyed on by this useless waste of oxygen, after all...
"Although you've been out of trouble for six years, this was a three-month period of planned and sustained activity, targeting vulnerable people."
The judge said in order to contemplate sparing Rooney jail, he needed more evidence, so deferred passing sentence.
If you don't already have enough, I'm not sure what more would help...

H/T: SmallThunderdog via Twitter

Oh, Really...?

Cllr Patel, who is Muslim, said: "I think he needs to be extremely careful with the words he uses on any platform within social media.
"It was absolutely abhorrent and does not reflect what most people in the country believe."
Gosh! What on earth did he say that was so controversial that a politician hundreds of miles away felt this?
Cllr Patel (@maspatel01) posted: "WoW: Johnson destroyed on BBC Question Time by hijab-wearing Politics teacher!
"'Why do we have a Prime Minister who gets away with inciting hate...who goes against our British values?'"
The Twitter account for the bar and restaurant, Spoken, in Exmouth, (@spokenexmouth) responded: "Want that then go to the Middle East!! Want to live in Britain then accept Britain for what it is!"
Cllr Patel posted in reply: "Want what exactly? And why should she or anyone 'go to the Middle east?'. Do you have a problem with people who dress differently?
"Come on let the hate flood out! You know you want to..."
Spoken responded: "It's not hate, it's not racism. British culture is the same as (say) Indian culture and each should be respected. What 'we' white British rather than immigrants, whether first or fifth generation think is that British culture is first in Britain."
Spoken continued: "Total opposite of a racist just putting a view across. Maybe one day what you think (of) as racists will be a minority that you'll defend (laughing emoji)"
Yes. Clearly, most people in this country won't agree. Or....will they?

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Sob Stories...

The couple’s ordeal began last year when Roxanne suffered from serious post-natal depression and other mental health issues following the birth of her youngest child, Aimee.
Roxanne and Craig lived in Cornwall, where Craig worked long hours as a chef.
Roxanne’s illness meant he kept having to take time off work to care for her and his children, and so he lost his job, and the couple fell into rent arrears on their council house in Camborne.
They were eventually evicted by Cornwall Council on May 1 this year, and have not had a permanent home since.
Hmmm, sure, it can happen to anyone. Right?
Craig met Roxanne, started a family and his mum Lou was a huge help as the couple - at that point - had three children, Catelynn, Freddie and Harry.
Freddie, particularly, needed more help - he has a range of special needs, including cerebral palsy, and has to have his legs rubbed vigorously after any exercise.
But three years ago, Lou ‘retired’ back to her native South Bristol, moving into an over-55s flat in Stockwood, and when Aimee arrived last year, Craig and Roxanne struggled on their own.
Wait, so a chef and his partner unable to support the existing children decide to have another? Despite the fact one child already has issues?

What did they think would happen?
Cornwall Council told them their efforts to find them a home had failed, and hit them with another bombshell.
“They told us we had made ourselves intentionally homeless, because we left the day before the bailiffs came,” Roxanne said, as she fought back the tears.
“They told us that there was nothing more they could do, and we would have to find our own privately rented accommodation, and pay for it with our housing benefit.
“I spent weeks searching for somewhere to live. It was impossible. We didn’t have a guarantor. There is absolutely nowhere in Cornwall that will take a family of six on benefits in private rented accommodation,” she said.
You can't blame them. Landlords want people who have some common sense and sense of personal responsibility. It's patently clear you lack either...

This Is Why Local Newspaper Comments Should Always Be Open....

Because they can find the humour in even the most depressing news:
Foul tenants are throwing used sanitary towels from their tower block home windows, it is claimed.
The issue has forced angry tenants to put up a notice in a communal area of the Malvern flats, Malvern, Southend.
The notice, seen by the Echo, states: “To whoever keeps throwing dirty sanitary towels out of their window please stop.
“Thank you in advance, all Malvern residents.”
Take it away, 'Echo' commentariat!


/applause

Monday 11 November 2019

Modern Irony...

A boy aged 18 was stabbed to death in a fight while attending a knife awareness course in the town hall of the Prime Minister's constituency.
Hakim Sillah died as youths clashed 'in the blink of an eye' after a blade was brought into a Youth Offending Service office.
I thought these courses were pure theory, I hadn't realised they had a practical!
Yesterday it emerged that those attending the event were not searched for weapons despite council staff raising concerns about blades being smuggled into the building previously.
Staff said they had called for knife arches to be installed but nothing had been done.
Can't, can they? It'd be racist...
Friends of Hakim reacted with anger yesterday. Selina Clarke, 18, who went to school with him, said: 'I am more angry it happened in a knife crime meeting and they were so careless not to check.
'You would think they would do security checks, especially given the people involved in it. They cannot have been searched properly otherwise they would have seen the knife. It is so simple to put checks in place like a pat-down or a metal detector that could have stopped it.'
Make up your minds, folks. Is that 'discrimination' or isn't it?

H/T: Stephen Brown brings us this great homophone blunder too:

/facepalm

You're Not Wrong, You're Just A Little Early....

After being found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court earlier this week Higgins turned to family and friends in the public gallery and said: 'Can you believe that? It's absolutely disgusting.'
Because being found guilty is an outrage. Almost as big an outrage as this:
An 'immature' learner driver who deliberately mowed down a shopper at a Sainsbury's supermarket was today jailed for five years.
Judge Rees also banned Higgins from driving for four-and-a-half years.
Five years for taking a man's life. That's disgusting....

Sunday 10 November 2019

We Will Remember Them...




What passing bells for these who die as cattle? 
Only the monstrous anger of the guns. 
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle 
Can patter out their hasty orisons. 
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; 
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, 
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; 

Wilfred Owen

Saturday 9 November 2019

You Say That As If His Own Actions Didn't Play Any Part...

'When I see that space where my friend should be sitting, I feel empty and completely lost,' says Yaseen, who is now 18.
'Yousef wanted to be a surgeon; he wanted to save lives and help people, but because of the actions of someone else, he bled to death on the street.'
It takes two to tango, Yaseen, doesn't it? Play silly games, win silly prizes...

Compare And Contrast...

Chief Scout Bear Grylls, who lent his support to the Foundation, said Jodie was 'one of our brightest and best'.
Grylls wrote: 'She put everything into life and her dedication to her friends, her family, to Scouts and her community was incredible.
'When she represented us at the Royal Albert Hall at the Annual Festival of Remembrance, we could not have hoped for a better ambassador for the movement. Now's it's our turn to remember her.'
A worthy member of society. Robbed of her young life by utter filth:
Ong-a-Kwie, whose mother is from Suriname in South America and whose father is Belgian, revelled in his 'tough guy' image, using social media to publicly feud with rivals coming onto his turf in Romford, East London.
...
The other defendant convicted of Jodie's murder had a difficult upbringing too. He was taken into care at a young age after his mother suffered from mental illness and was unable to cope.
The unnamed youth told his Old Bailey trial he did not know his own date of birth or the identity of his father.
Whatever their sentence, it won't be enough. We need the death penalty back. We should not be forced to tolerate these 'people' any longer...

Friday 8 November 2019

Don't We All Keep Our Kitchenware In Our Handbags..?

A Bulgarian mother has feared for her ability to remain in the UK post-Brexit...
Here we go, another whinge about paperwork and the Home Office and...

Oh!
...after being found with a plastic-covered knife at a shopping centre, a court has heard.
Hmmm...
Silviya Pavlova had been arrested for an unrelated matter at TJ Hughes in The Mall, Maidstone, on December 18 when the small purple kitchen knife, with a 3.35in blade, was found inside her handbag.
The 53-year-old told officers she wasn't from England and wasn't aware that carrying such an item was illegal, claiming it was "only a thin, small knife, not a butcher's knife".
Really? She missed all the news reports about knife crime, then?
Geoff Playford, defending, told the court the blade had been bought a week or two before the offence for kitchen use, but Pavolva then forgot it was in her bag when she grabbed it to go shopping on December 18.
A likely story...
"She came in 2017 to join her husband and son who were already here.
"As a result of the shenanigans of Brexit, she's got to apply for residence status to remain, and her case can’t be dealt with until this matter is resolved."
So..?
Pavlova, of Melford Avenue, Barking, Essex, pleaded guilty through a translator, to possessing a blade in a public place. She was then given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £105.
*sighs*
District judge Paul Goldspring told her: "I accept it is probably not an offence in these circumstances in Bulgaria and nobody is suggesting you have done anything other than cut vegetables with this knife."
And then put it back in your handbag?

At Last, A Judge With Sense!

Judge Peter Veits heard how Barnes had failed to honour a community resolution with the police to re-home, meaning the case was sent to court.
I bet the excuse was good!
Roger Lowther, defending, said Barnes had been looking after the dog for his son for the past 18 months and the dog would be returned to him in the course of time adding that Barnes did not ignore the community agreement but could not find anyone to take the dog.
Did he tell anyone that? I bet he didn't...
He also said the dog had build a fence to stop the dog getting out again.
Uh...?
However Judge Veits said Staffordshire Terriers are "by nature nasty and dangerous dogs" and it was "clearly out of control on that day".
He also said the fence was "not good enough" because the dog could easily jump over it.
I'm amazed he hasn't had to have police protection from fanatic Kennel Club activists!
Barnes was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 compensation to Mrs Day and £106 in costs and charges. He also issued a contingent destruction order for the dog, stating that it must be muzzled at any time it is out in the garden or in public and must always be on a lead when it is in public. He also ordered Barnes to improve the fence within a month so that was six feet high, warning him that if he didn't do any of these things, the dog would be put to sleep.
Pity the owners can't be under a similar order...

Thursday 7 November 2019

Move Over, Leigh, There's Another 'Sob Story Samantha' In Town!

Laura Hope was emotionless in the dock at court when she received her sentence for causing the death of John Hevey, 61, in a horrific crash on Eastern Avenue in Southend on May 21 last year.
The 28-year-old was driving her partner’s BMW along the road. She had 2.9 micrograms of cannabis in her system at the time – over the legal drug driving limit – when she approached a roundabout.
She pulled out into the roundabout but failed to check for oncoming vehicles and ended up hitting Mr Hevey as he drove around.
An utterly avoidable death.
In a victim impact statement, his daughter Yasmine Hevey said her father had been “robbed” of his life, and that he will “leave a hole that no one will be able to fill”.
Her brief tried the 'plead her belly' trick:
Mitigating for Hope, Michael Rawlinson said she was remorseful for her actions and that she “will live with them for the rest of her life” and argued that her sentence should be suspended due to the fact that she has a six month old daughter to which she is the sole carer for, and that an immediate prison sentence would do serious damage to her upbringing.
But at least she wasn't up before Judge 'Lenient' Leigh. This was another Samantha.
Sentencing Hope, of Coleman Street, Southend, Judge Samantha Cohen said that Mr Hevey’s death had a “devastating” impact on his family but chose to suspend her sentence due to the effects it would have on her daughter.
Hope received 18 months in prison suspended for two years, 300 hours unpaid work, and a curfew for four months meaning she cannot leave her home between 8pm and 6am.
/facepalm

Still, if she had a clean reco..

Oh.
A woman viciously assaulted her ex-partner and his new girlfriend, a court heard. Laura Hope, 27, of Dolphins, Westcliff, launched a prolonged attack on the couple who were forced to seek refuge in a shop where the attack continued.
Hope denied two counts of assault, but was later found guilty after a trial at Basildon Crown Court and appeared at the same court to be sentenced, despite insisting she was not guilty.
Judge Graham handed her a 12-month community order. The order requires her to complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement with probation and 60 hours of unpaid work.
There's no hope for justice any more, is there?

On The Buses!


This mangled 'Echo' headline brought out the wags in the comments:

Heh!

Wednesday 6 November 2019

Just What More Do You Need To Know, Judge?

Joseph Holden appeared before Oxford Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to a string of offences in Headington and Cowley Road.
The 25-year-old, of no fixed abode, was caught on April 8 this year and charged with aggravated vehicle theft, driving while disqualified, handling stolen goods and driving with no insurance.
He has been in prison on remand ever since and was due to be sentenced by Judge Peter Ross after formally admitting the crimes on September 21.
Instead proceedings were brought to a halt by the judge. He criticised the probation service's pre-sentence report, which is carried out to provide courts with more information about the background of the offender and looks at treatment options for any mental health or addiction issues they may have.
Judge Ross said: "It seems to me the probation officer failed to even grasp the need to include the mental health issues."
Whose 'mental issues'? The defendant? Or yours..?
It is not the first time Holden has been before the courts for driving offences, having led police on a 100mph chase in his mother's stolen hire car when he was aged 17, eventually crashing after Heyford Hill Roundabout.
While still on bail for that theft he went on to steal a £32,000 Mercedes and he was finally jailed in 2013 after he drove the wrong way on the A34 during a police chase in a stolen Ford Fiesta.
Holden was at that time sentenced to 15 months in prison for dangerous driving, a further three months for refusing to provide a specimen and four months to run at the same time for driving while disqualified.
He's a serial car thief and absconder. There. What more do you need?
The judge said he was minded to pass a deferred sentence for Holden but only if he was sure plans were in place to deal with the young man's mental health problems. He said otherwise he feared it would simply be a 'revolving door' to him appearing before the court again on similar charges.
Well, unless you sentence him to what he deserves....then yes.

Don't Fancy This New Heston Blumenthal Recipe...


Eeeeewwww!
Lewis Parchment and Amelia Jenner, from Ursa Court in Lewes Road, Brighton, fear for the health of their two-year-old daughter and say they are “livid” with their housing association for “neglecting them”.
Lewis described the family’s disgust after finding “rat wee dripping right outside our front door”.
He said on one occasion they found their bin leaking with tinned spaghetti. He said: “A rat had obviously got in and smeared spaghetti hoops all over the back. This was in our actual kitchen. It was disgusting.”
Yes. Spaghetti hoops are disgusting. No wonder the rat didn't eat them!

Tuesday 5 November 2019

It's Not Down To The Police To Keep Your Son Safe...

...especially when a trawl through his social media gives the lie to your description of him:


Anyone wonder if that heart is covering up a gang sign..?
Elton Gashaj, 15, was murdered during a pre-arranged confrontation between two groups of lads on Saturday night.
For 'lads' read 'street thugs'...
His mum, Vera Gashaj, said she had warned police that her son, who had a brother, Redon, 20, had been attacked previously after mixing with “bad people”.
She said: “I told the police my son was not safe. Two or three times he was in a fight. He had a broken arm. He told me he fell off his bike. He said he was OK. He got into the wrong crowd. He kept saying he was going to change.”
People who keep saying that, rather than actually changing, never will...

Only In Liverpool....


No, not to the dead guy, that'd be stupid!
He said he told their mutual friend Kevin Riley "sorry", after unintentionally shooting Mr Atkins in the stomach , at around 2am.
Asked how he showed his remorse, he said: "What do you want me to do? Buy him a box of Milk Tray to say I'm sorry?"
Loverbale scallies, all!
Under questioning by Nicholas Johnson, QC, defending, Ball accepted he was a heroin, cocaine and alcohol addict.
His criminal record - starting at the age of 12 - includes assault, thefts, going equipped for burglary, robbery and drug offences.
Ball said he was with Mr Riley on May 5 and took around 10 Pregabalin painkillers, prescribed for nerve damage after he was hit by a car.
He said he also had up to 50 of Mr Riley's diazepam tablets, before they were joined by Mr Atkins, and CCTV showed them shoplifting.
I feel there's no loss of human life her at all...

Monday 4 November 2019

Lost: Sense Of Proportion. If Found, Return To Hysterical Luvvie...


Peter Egan and Ricky Gervais are well known animal rights campaigners, with a large following. So it wasn't lot before the mob were in full cry: 


So, what atrocity had got them all riled up? Genuine animal cruelty? Or are they just whining about grouse shooting or trophy hunting? And if...

Wait a minute. Graham and Green? Aren't they an interior design company? What could they poss...

Oh.


They are rather cute. And thanks for directing my attention to their webpage, loons. They've got some really nice sheepskins too!

Only 'Could'...?

A teenage drug dealer has admitted carrying cannabis just five months after dodging jail when he was caught with £38,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin.
Dealer Tyrese Terry appeared dressed in a grey hoodie and trousers at Basildon Crown Court, to admit his latest offence, which could activate a two-year suspended sentence handed to him in May.
Why isn't it automatic? Why should it be left to the judge?
Addressing him in court on Friday, Judge Samantha Cohen (Ed: Whew! Not Samantha Leigh...this time!) said: “Your legal team are making arrangements on whether the much more serious matter should be tried. This will be heard on December 16.”
One to watch...

Saturday 2 November 2019

More CPS Success!

Burnley fan Stewart Higgins, 53, was accused of using the N-word and the term 'black b******' in a racist tirade towards Brighton striker Gaetan Bong.
He and his son Nathan, 19, were also alleged to have used a homophobic slur to shout at Brighton fans in the stands at the Amex Stadium on February 9.
 String 'em up! No mercy! Hate crime!
But the pair walked free this afternoon after the Crown Prosecution Service failed to produce vital bodycam footage from police officers at the match.
Maria Higgins, defending, said that without the vital evidence it would be impossible for the case to proceed as the pair would not get a fair trial.
 Another CPS cock up. eh?
Dominic Dudkowski, prosecuting, apologised for the failure to produce the bodycam footage and said it was a serious oversight though he insisted the Crown Prosecution Service had not tried to manipulate the evidence.
During the trial it emerged that police bodycam footage of the pair which was thought to have been destroyed earlier was actually available.
Dominic Dudkowski, prosecuting, said a DVD of the footage was available but said the case would have to be adjourned as it could not be brought to the court immediately.
But the footage had neither been disclosed to the prosecution or the defence and as a result the case was stayed.
 The chair was clearly unimpressed with yet another example of the haplessness of the CPS:
Chair of the bench, Chris Bell, said: 'There are serious failing in bringing the evidence in this case.
'We're not prepared to adjourn this trial . We find, in the round, given these failings, the defendants would not receive a fair trial. We take the exceptional steps therefore in staying these proceedings.'
Now consider this: the CPS would be expected to bring their A game to one of their beloved hate crime show trials. Why, then, do they make such basic errors?

And what sort of errors do they routinely make in lesser offences, like assault and murder?

Let The Punishment Fit The Crime...

Susan Chiswell was in her mid-50s when her father’s death sent her into a downward spiral and led to a nervous breakdown.
Her heartless daughter, Joanne, put her in a residential home and took control of her mother’s finances.
Joanne sold her home in Glenfield and disposed of all the contents including her mother’s jewellery and photographs - spending the proceeds on shopping and meals out, as well as paying off her debts.
And so to the justice system, to deliver....well, 'justice', I suppose:
After pleading guilty, judges decided to spare bankrupt Joanne jail, and ordered her to pay back just £1 - with the judge saying that "shame" would be the greatest punishment she would face.
Do they really think that someone capable of this, is capable of shame..?

This statement from the victim broke my heart:
Speaking from her small, one-bedroom flat in Gretton Court, a sheltered housing block in Melton, Susan, now 68, said she could barely believe everything that had happened to her in the past decade.
She said: “Because she’s spent all the money I don’t know if I’ll ever leave here – I’m only 68 and I’d love to be able to live in a house or a bungalow where I could have a cat but I can’t do much with £1 so I suppose I will have to stay here forever.
“I’m going to put the £1 towards my donation to the Poppy Appeal this year.”
And this one made me rage at the world:
She said she hoped Joanne would lose her job with the NHS after the way she had defrauded her own mother.
You mean, she hasn't already?

What sort of a world are we living in?

H/T: Commenter SteveA over at 'Orphans'