The RSPCA - Harming Animals In The Future!

Police bust a dogfighting ring in leafy, upmarket Chigwell, and the RSPCA ensure....that the illegal pitbulls are well cared for? Seriously?!

RSPCA Behaviour and Welfare Specialist Claire said: 'A lot of these dogs were nervous and shut down when they arrived in our care and many had extensive scarring on their muzzles, heads, chests and front legs; something we see in dogs who have been involved in organised fighting.

'The dogs were being kept in poor conditions, with little interaction with the outside world, except for when they were taken to fight another dog in bloody bouts that often ended in serious and fatal injuries.

'They had never experienced what it's like to curl up on a sofa and feel safe, or the fun of running through grassy fields or chasing after a football.

'But now they're getting the love and care that they deserve and have really blossomed and come out of their shells.'

So, the RSPCA is happy to risk the future safety of other pets and children everywhere? Apparently so. And yes, they'll have no trouble finding someone to take on this canine time bomb. 

One of the dogs, eight-year-old bull breed Jane - who was removed from one of the pens in the garage at the Leadleys' home - has been settling into a loving foster home.

Her fosterer Debbie, who now plans to adopt her, said: 'Jane is doing brilliantly and has settled in so well. Her behaviour is fantastic and she loves to go out for walks, and have a good sniff. She just wants to enjoy life and is really chilled.

'She's really chilled out and enjoys snoozing in the sun until she gets too hot, and then she moves into the shade.

'She can be fussy about eating so I've been roasting her chicken and cooking her steak, and she's slowly building up a good appetite. She's certainly very spoiled!'

I hope that thought flashes through your mind when the inevitable happens. 

'Of No Appearance'...?

Just an ordinary Lars, Malthe or Anker? Well, no:

An attack on the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, which left her “shaken” and with a whiplash injury, was probably not “politically motivated”, Danish authorities have said.

A 39-year-old Polish man, who was apprehended after allegedly hitting the prime minister on Friday evening, was remanded in custody until 20 June after appearing before a Copenhagen court, the prosecutor Taruh Sekeroglu told reporters.

“It is not our guiding … hypothesis that there is a political motive here. But that is something that the police of course will investigate,” Sekeroglu said.

What else could be a motive for a Polish man to come to Denmark to assault a politician, then? Expect to see more of this, whatever it is... 

And None Of The Usual Suspects Will Complain...

...in fact, the usual anti-monarchy urbanites with 'hate racism' stickers on their electric vehicle who demand the council act when a fox shits in their garden and rips open their bins will be absolutely silent when a six-ton jumbo devastates an impoverished African's maize crop and tramples his grandma into the bargain. 

These are the same crowd that will enthusiastically back Starmer's plan to end trail hunting - because it's not love of animals that drives them, it's something very ugly. 

Like Killing Your Parents And Demanding Clemency Because You're An Orphan...

The activists who hounded Baillie Gifford out of sponsoring the summer book festivals are now trying to back hastily away from the backlash they are facing, by trying the 'We won but we’ve just realised the consequences of winning. How can we blame our victim for this?' tactic:

Which is quite the bald-faced chutzpah, I think you'll agree, Reader?

“Our first priority is to our audience and our artists,” Hay’s chief executive, Julie Finch, said at the time. “Above all else, we must preserve the freedom of our stages and spaces for open debate and discussion, where audiences can hear a range of perspectives.”

Now you'll have to stump up the cash for that yourselves. Good luck!  

It's Not Just Medical Hurdles To Overcome Here...

Two children who were born deaf can now listen and dance to music after undergoing ground-breaking gene therapy. The treatment, given as an infusion into the ear, works by replacing faulty DNA which causes a type of inherited deafness known as DFNB9. Researchers hope a similar approach could help in other congenital cases of deafness – which account for 60 per cent of the 430 million cases worldwide.

Which should be a genuine 'good news story' but I bet there are those waiting in the wings to throw cold water on it for ideological purposes.  

In the world-first gene-therapy trial, five children in China – two girls and three boys, all around three years old – gained hearing in both ears. All five were able to hear and speak words and locate where a sound was coming from.But two showed more advanced improvements and were even able to respond to music, which has more complex sound signals. The latest results, reported in Nature Medicine, build on work the team carried out two years ago when they treated children in one ear.

I'm usually pretty good at seeing someone else's point of view even if I don't personally agree with it, but I cannot fathom the mindset of someone who not only refuses to acknowledge that their child is disabled, but actively resists attempts to fix the problem.

And why is it just this particular disability? Why is there no corresponding 'blind culture', or 'wheelchair culture'? 

The study's main author, Professor Zheng-Yi Chen, said: 'The results from these studies are astounding.

'We continue to see the hearing ability of treated children dramatically progress and the new study shows added benefits of the gene therapy when administrated to both ears, including improvements in speech recognition in noisy environments.'

Professor Chen, who is also an associate professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery – at Harvard Medical School in the US, added: 'Our ultimate goal is to help people regain hearing no matter how their hearing loss was caused.'

I wish you the best of luck with that, and I hope you're prepared for more than just the medical complications and roadblocks you'll face.  

He Was Determined To Keep That Appointment In Samarra...

A homeless man who was taken to a park by police to prevent him getting in a fight, was later 'stabbed by a teenager' with a broken vodka bottle, a court has heard. Milton Hurlington, 42, was dropped off at a park in Wembley, north London, on the evening of July 17 2023, by police, in the hope that he would stay out of trouble. Officers had been called twice that day to pick him up, following his aggressive behaviour towards a bus driver, and at a Lidl supermarket, the Old Bailey heard.

And he continued with the aggressive behaviour, but met someone equally antisocial.  

But after being left at King Edward VII park, Mr Hurlington allegedly verbally abused a group of young men. One of them allegedly smashed the victim's alcohol bottle then chased and fatally stabbed him in the right armpit, jurors were told. Wael Farroukh, 19, from Wembley, has denied Mr Hurlington's murder and having an offensive weapon.

NHI. 

'Understood' By Whom, Stevie Wonder?

This is the moment a crazed dog sinks its teeth into a pug and refuses to let go as bystanders attempt to halt the attack by fighting it off with a chair. Horrifying footage of the attack in Leith, Edinburgh, yesterday captured the moment the helpless pug wails in agony as it is mauled by a dog more than double its size. During the video, a group of five bystanders are seen trying to remove the dog's tight grip on the pug, but its strength proves too much.

Unsurprisingly, as it's yet another XL Bully type.

One man is heard shouting: 'Get off, I swear to god I'll kill it!' While the man filming the video can be heard saying: 'I knew that dog was f***ing trouble when I saw it... that's outrageous!'

Police in Scotland said they were aware of the attack but the dog has not been seized. They could not confirm the breed of the dog but it's understood that it is not an XL Bully.

Huh? If they know what it isn't, they must surely know what it is. And whatever breed it is, it's clearly a dangerous dog. In the keeping of someone who can't or won't control it. 

Last month, a woman suffered serious ­injuries after two XL bullies mauled her in a vicious attack, also in Leith. It came after two XL bully-type dogs killed a chihuahua in March and bit its owner’s shoulder in an incident in Glasgow. In the same month, two children were injured in a suspected XL bully attack in Ayrshire. Police also shot dead an XL bully-type animal earlier this year after it injured three people and another dog in East Kilbride.

Which was predicted when the SNP prevaricated over adopting the DDA's revision because their loathing of England far outweighed their love of Scottish people.  

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 1.15pm on Monday, 3 June, 2024 officers were made aware a dog had bitten another dog in the Newkirkgate area of Edinburgh.

'There were no reports of anyone being injured during the incident.

'The owners of both dogs were traced and appropriate advice given.'

What 'advice' did you give the victim? Not to have a dog of prey size?  

Well Done....Now Let's See What The Other Part Of The Justice System Does!

Police want to return stolen mobile phones to their owners after recovering 24 that they believe were snatched in the City or West End on March 26.The appeal follows an arrest outside the Bank of England that day when City Police said they found the devices.

He presumably didn't have them on him at the time or he might have done down a bit harder, with a bit of luck.  

Sonny Stringer, a 28-year-old from Islington, has been charged with nine thefts, one robbery, dangerous driving and having no motor insurance. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on April 22.Two suspects were seen on camera riding electric motorcycles who police say were identified as phone snatchers. CCTV operators kept them on camera and alerted officers. One arrest was made.

If he won't name his fellow thief, he should be sentenced to double time. If, knowing our justice system, he sees any jail time at all,  

Thanks For Proving The Case Against, Beth...

She's an A level student in Cornwall, apparently, though the 'Guardian' neglects to tell us what subjects she's studying. 

Like many other young people across the country, I feel helpless when watching the actions of this government, knowing that I have no say over the decisions being made. Instead, we’re forced to watch older members of the public – especially the oldest, who turn out at the highest rate – cast their vote on what will ultimately impact us the most.

This is perhaps most stark in the case of global heating.

Well, I'm guessing it's not history or geography then, if she's swallowed the Great Green Delusion. Maybe she just wasn't paying attention in class? 

...we have to sit back and watch as the UK grants 100 oil and gas production licences for the North Sea, and as Rishi Sunak flies in a jet from Leeds to London, a journey that would only take about two hours by train.

But Beth, if we don't have a secure power generating capacity for the future, there's nothing more important for 'your generation's future' than that. Do you want to have no TikTok every time the wind doesn't blow? 

A voting age of 16 can already be seen in Scotland, where the outcome has been overwhelmingly positive.

Ha ha ha ha! 

Many young people see politics as boring and corrupt, and therefore waste their vote, meaning that their voice isn’t heard. Lowering the voting age to 16 would encourage political engagement, a vital part of democracy.

The Conservative party has consistently failed young people over the course of its 14 years in power, with more than 270,000 children waiting for mental health treatment...

Stop imagining that boys can become girls and vice versa and you might not have so many problems. 

In primary school, we are taught to speak up for ourselves, be curious and make our own decisions. Well, now is the time to practise what you preach, and let us have our say.

We expect you to have grown up and no longer have primary school attitudes, though. 

Can we take this little brat to school in the comments? Reader, we can not.... 

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

*sighs* 

Finally, They Are Learning!

Well, some of them, anyway.

A judge has asked for more information about a women's claims she had three heart attacks and cared for a blind husband - saying he does not believe 'a word' she says.

Unfortunatly, the story is behind a paywall, but we know the name's 'Horvathova' which is a Romani name, so the judge's unexpected scepticism is perhaps well founded. 

It could be this story, which despite being in the same paper, isn't behind a paywall:

Regina Horvathova, 48, was brought before Bolton Crown Court after spending money with a bank card that did not belong to her and handling stolen goods including a Mercedes.

But she could not be sentenced for her crimes because her failure to work with probation meant there was no report on her ready for the court.

Judge Eliot Knopf said: “I see what’s been said and I give her one last chance to comply with the process and if she doesn’t she will face the consequences for that.”

The 'consequences' being what?  

A Hit! A Palpable Hit!

Matt unerringly has his finger on the pulse...

Are You Drunk, 'Mail' Writers?

Because this is impressive even by your low standards! 

Sunday Funnies...

I'm puzzled as to why a people like the Aztecs needed to invent No 4....

It's A Mugshot, Not A Fashion Shoot!

What happened to make this her mugshot? I thought they had to be a fixed standard?

 

A young mother who kicked another woman in the face and stamped on her head has been jailed.

No pussy pass? That's a revelation!  

Charlotte Katie Unwin, 23, was twice given a chance to stay out of jail for the late-night street attack, York Crown Court heard. But now she is behind bars after the probation service twice sent her back to court for not carrying out Judge Simon Hickey’s order.

“I view your excuses with some scepticism,” the judge told her. “In my judgement it is not unjust to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

“People who stamp other people, particularly young women defenceless on the ground, usually go to prison.”

Not 'usually' enough! Bring on the excuses!  

For Unwin, Graham Parkin said she had seen a man who had intimidated her when attending unpaid work and probation appointments and so she had stopped coming. But the judge said she had not told the probation service about this man.

Because he never existed?  

Mr Parkin said Unwin had difficulties including post traumatic stress disorder because of treatment she had suffered. She had had problems in her childhood that had led to her using “extreme behaviour”.

“She has never had a life,” he said.

But she's no doubt made a lot of other lives a lot more miserable. 

Brooke Morrison, for the probation service, said Unwin had been given five extra days’ rehabilitative activities for breaching the suspended sentence conditions at a hearing in September 2023. For a time after the hearing she had worked with the probation service, but had not co-operated with the service or attended any appointments since the beginning of April. In total, she had only attended 35 appointments out of 82. She had provided acceptable explanations for 26 of the missed appointments, but not for 19 of them.

So it's off to jail, and I suspect, consequences for the first time in her life.  

You've Had Years To Do This...

More GP surgeries and diagnostic centres would be built under a future Conservative government funded by slashing the number of NHS managers, the Tories have said.

In their first major health offer of the General Election, the Conservatives have said they will bring more care services into the community.

...so I'd be a fool to believe you now, wouldn't I? 

Go Back To Flogging Kias, Bob!

Film actor Robert De Niro was scheduled to accept a leadership award from the National Association of Broadcasters, but the group has rescinded the award after the celebrity spoke out against Donald Trump outside his criminal trial in New York this week, the Hill and the Huffington Post report.

Whoops! Consequences rarely visit Hollywood's Golden Boys and Girls!  

A spokesperson for the group told The Hill on Thursday that their event was “proudly bipartisan” and said: “While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize. To maintain the focus on service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event.”

And did he have anything to say for himself? 

In a statement to the Hill, De Niro did not protest the decision, and said he continued to appreciate the group.

Heh! He's expecting the award in the future when the fuss gies down. How brave.  

In his most biting comments, De Niro spoke of Trump through the lens of the largely Democratic city whose voters know Trump well and roundly rejected him at the polls. “We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot, a two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids,” he said. “A clown ... No one took him seriously. They take him seriously now.”

And he's now got a bigger chance of winning, thanks to the overreach of liberal morons like you, Bob. 

Four Years..?

...to bring in a verdict that anyone could have brought in a day after the event? 

A man armed with two knives who was shot dead by a City of London Police during lockdown was lawfully killed, a jury at an inquest has concluded. A Metropolitan Police officer Tasered and then fatally shot Hassan Yahya, 30, on March 8, 2020, in Northumberland Avenue as he moved towards the force HQ Great Scotland Yard. On Friday, a jury at the Inner West London Coroner's Court returned a verdict supporting the conclusion of the Met’s internal investigation that Yahya was lawfully killed.

Did they do nothing wrong? Well...

IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: "During the course of the officers' interactions with Mr Yahya, they made numerous attempts to apprehend him using non-lethal force - including multiple discharges of Taser over a five-minute period, which proved ineffective."

Just as with dangerous dogs, they wasted time trying to take him alive.  

It was later discovered that Yahya had been receiving treatment for mental health issues, but this was unknown to the police at the time.

And if it had been known, it shouldn't have changed a thing. 

Those Who Live By The Sword...

One TikTok video captioned 'my boy' shows the owner dancing in her kitchen with her dog and laughing. The overlaying audio hauntingly plays: 'This is my son, and I don't give a f*** if you think he looks aggressive.' Posted in December, the footage with the audio continues: 'I don't give a f*** if you don't like the look of him, and I certainly don't give a f*** if you think the breed should be banned.'

The videos are of foul-mouthed and dim Nicole Morey, 23, who was savaged to death by her 'boy' in Limerick after a night out celebrating her birthday, with horrified Garda who turned up having to shoot the hulking brute off her shredded corpse.

The harrowing incident was captured on CCTV, and the footage has been leaked online, with Gardaí urging the public not to share it.

I heard this rumour on Twitter, but I've not seen the video, and I'd urge anyone sent the footage not to view it. The Garda are right, I did see the video of Ian Price being mauled to death, and it's something I wish I could unsee. 

Ms Morey had previously posted on a dog behaviour Facebook group seeking advice on how to control the animal.

A quote from one of my favourite movies seems appropriate here: "You never had control, that's the illusion! I was overwhelmed by the power of this place. But I made a mistake, too, I didn't have enough respect for that power and it's out now." 

Reacting to the shocking news, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she now favours banning certain breeds of dog in Ireland, including the XL Bully.

Just like Scotland. It always takes a hi-profile death in their own country to force these idiots in power to act. 

Currently no breeds are banned in Ireland, but there are restrictions on certain breeds - meaning owners must be over 16, the dogs must be muzzled in public, kept on strong leads or a chain and must wear collars at all times, containing the owners contact information. Asked if she wanted to see an outright ban, Ms McEntee told RTÉ News At One: 'Personally, I think there should be, yes.

'Where a dog is known to be potentially vicious… where there is a pattern of particular dogs, then we do need to go further here.

'This was in a person's home, so how do we protect people where they have dogs that are restricted, even within their own homes as well?

We don't, Helen. We let this problem solve itself.  

'This review group is looking at all of the options here.

'We need to ensure that nothing like this happens again, this is really, really devastating.'

It will happen again, as it already has in England, despite the ban. But now it's mostly happening to the people that own these wertched things, and not to innocent people in public areas.   

80 Years Ago? It Might As Well Have Been 800...

A truly spectacular event. But you know what they say about the lessons of history, don't you? 

MailOnline took to the streets to quiz Gen Z on the anniversary of the Normandy landings to see just how much they know about the Allied invasion of France.

Some admitted they 'didn't really listen' as their grandparents tried to tell them about their history and others said they had 'no idea' what the moniker meant. One even believed it stood for Doomsday.

One girl in Birmingham laughed in embarrassment as she guessed that the infamous battle happened in 1970, while one Brighton resident said she thought it had taken place in London.

I suppose at least one showed enough awareness to be embarassed... 

Streaming TV: Good Omens (Prime)

You can't really go wrong with a Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett team up, and when that's turned into a show with a David Tennant/Michael Sheen team up, how could you possibly lose? 

I'd never actually got around to reading the book, it was always on my 'To Be Read' list, so when the TV show was announced I thought I'd see that first. And what a show! I honestly believe it wouldn't have worked with any other pairing.

Reflections - the sequel... pt 3

And, finally, on Tuesday 21st May, the prosecution rested on a trial that began on 14th April, neither of the five defendants elected to take the stand or call any witnesses, and we were dismissed at just gone 15:00 to come back Thursday morning at 10:00 (court wasn't sitting Wednesday due to a prior engagement) to hear closing arguments. So off we all went, eager to get back in to maybe find out why one brief had been so insistent on questioning the lead detective on the shape of his client's garden, a non sequitur of baffling proportions compared to the actual offence he was charged with. 

And we all turned up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dead on 10:00, waited about 20 mins in the jurt room, then our usher called us in and....the dock was empty! I knew this was a sign we wouldn't sit and hoped the judge would tell us why. but all she said was how sorry she was that we had had a wasted journey, but that this was due to 'events beyond the court's control' and we were released until 10:30 Thursday 30th, but told to keep our mobiles on and if we couldn't sit after all, we'd get a call on Wednesday afternoon. 

So on Saturday I got a letter through the post, a breakdown of the four week expense claim I'd submitted the following week. It was for 15 days (as some days the court wasn't sitting, due to prior appointments or bank holidays) @ £3.50 bus fares per day (all backed up with Oyster printouts) and @ £5.71 meal rate per day. I made the fares £85.65 and the meals £52.50.

The court made it £63 and £114.20 respectively! 🤷‍♀️

I went back to work, WFH on the Wednesday, awaiting a call to tell me we wouldn't be sitting on Thursday after all. No call, so off I went! I had forgotten that it was half-term. so set off early to miss the school run and got there early, as did some of the other jurors. The usher came down to call us at 10:05, but obviously some were still in transit. He had understood that we'd been told to come at 10:00.

Eventually, the others turned up, off we went, waited 10 mins in the retiring room, then into court. Relaxed when I saw the defendantts were all ptresent, then the bombshell; because of the delays, we couldn't continue today, as this trial's estimated date for finishing of 6th June was not now achievable and we were told to go back to the retiring room and write a note with all our dates we couldn't attend up to the 7th July! Not the reason, the judge assured us, she didn't need that, just the dates.

So we did, many of us wondering why this couldn't have been done by email or the expected phone call! The usher collected our notes, and we waited again. After a long pause, he returns - asking us to give the reason for these dates. The judge obviously decided she did need the reason after all! We all amended our notes. Another wait, then the usher comes back in to ask us to confirm if the days we'd put were all full days, or were some of them just morning or afternoon? Another wait. Then the door opens and this time, the amendment was to run the unavailability dates up to the end of July.  

Then we were called back into court after another wait and the judge said she needed more time and she was dismissing us for lunch, to come back at 14:30 (it was about 12:15).

14:30 came and went, as did 15:00 and we were finally called in at 15:45. Went into court to be told she was very sorry, but the trial could not continue, so we would be discharged, and the defendants would face a new trial, so we couldn't talk about it. So I can't tell you who these miscreants are, but you can bet I'll be monitoring local news and as soon as they are convicted - if they ever are - I will! And so we all headed home, strangers who'd become friends over the course of eight weeks, even if we did only attend court for 28 days, and maybe did actual jury work for less than 2/3 of that.

We weren't given a reason for this declaration of mistrial, but I can only conclude it's because the judge couldn't find a long enough period of time we were all available to hear the evidence and deliberate, without cutting into other cases waiting to start...

The very next day, a survey request dropped into my mailbox.

So I duly filled it in. I seem to remember getting one of these last time as well, but I certainly didn't get this back then! 

Another sign of the times. 

I wouldn't let this put me off any further requests, should they come. It's an experience everyone should encounter at least once in their lives. 

A Dangerous Combination...

XL Bullies and illegal drugs:

The mother of a five-year-old boy savaged by an XL Bully has revealed the youngster had 'half his scalp ripped off' during the horrific attack. The terrifying incident happened in a run down house which locals claim is a well known drugs den in Hull, East Yorkshire, on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. CCTV from the neighbouring house shows the mother and her child entering the property with another man, who is claimed to be a local drug dealer.

I've often said the police should regard ownership of these things as less a desire for a dangerous 'pet' than for a cover and guard against other criminality.  

The mother is then heard pleading for an ambulance as she emerges wailing in the street with her child in her arms before a stranger offers to ferry the boy to hospital. He is now receiving treatment after the savage attack which left him with 'half his scalp ripped off', while friends of his family say he is lucky to be alive thanks to three men who wrestled the dog off him.

Very lucky indeed, to find three men not too addled by illegal substances to act! And once again, the owner of this hellbeast is a young female: 

Footage from after the attack in Hull shows the moment police arrived at the property to collect the out of control dog as the owner, dressed in a black top and grey trousers pleads with the officers to let her put a muzzle on the animal instead. The owner can be seen on the footage pleading with the officers: 'You are hurting him. Let me put the muzzle on him.' She tells them: 'It is a good dog. I am telling you. I can save him.'

Skip the drugs test, officers, she's clearly on something! 

Neighbours deny the mother is incompetent: 

'I don't know what she was doing at the house. There are a lot of problems with drugs down here but ahe will not have anything to do with drugs.

'The dog had come from a good family home only two days previously.'

No 'good family home' would ever want one of these things! 

Following the horrific attack, Humberside Police's DCI Allison Sweeting said: 'We are working closely with the boy's family and the owner of the dog to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

'At this stage, the breed of dog is believed to be an XL bully type and it has been seized as part of our enquiries.'

Perhaps if this place was such a notorious drugs den, you should already know the circumstances?  

Reflections - the sequel...pt 2

As for cases, I was empanelled on the first day (April 8th) for a trial described by the judge as 'a punch up' (affray) and potentially going into the third week, as there were five defendants. As soon as being sworn in we were told to report the next day at 11:00, but when we did, we were told there was a delay. When we finally got into court at about 12:00, the judge explained there wouldn't be a trial after all. Aha, thought I, they've copped to it or to a lesser charge. And indeed, that was what transpired; each one stood up and had the charge read (the first one pleading guilty to it, prompting panicked gesticulation from his startled defence and the judge kindly suggesting he 'have another go at that, eh?', whereupon he pleaded 'not guilty, but guilty to section 4' as did the other four in turn). The judge then turned to us and said we deserved an explanation - it transpired the offence dated back to 2018, and one of the assaulted bouncers at the nightclub in question had turned out to be on false ID papers and had since disappeared so the CPS weren't going to proceed with the more serious charge. We were thanked for our service and then sent back to the pool. 

Then a potentially eight week trial came up straight away, and we were all given a form to indicate if we had any booked holiday or medical appointments, or any other reason we couldn't serve. Followed by another huge list of names of the defendants (another group of five, conspiracy to rob) and all the witnesses, addresses, etc to note if we recognised any names. We were then taken in to be selected, those who said they could and those who said they couldn't, as exusing someone is left up to the judge's discretion. The two teachers I'd been speaking to had both indicated their school couldn't lose them for that long. Those forms were passed to the judge, who then called up each person in turn to discuss the reason given. It would have helped if the usher had had the wit to seperate us out into two groups and placed the ones needing to explain in front, but no, that was clearly beyond them, so much shuffling about was needed in the cramped rows... 

After immediately excusing some, asking others to bring evidence (of medical appointment letters or holiday bookings) the next day, or - in the case of the two teachers, an email from their headteacher - we were sent home. The next day, back in court, again not arranged so that those needing to be excused were in front, they were questioned again, some excused, some not (one of the teachers wasn't because she taught very young classes unlike the other who was excused, but in the end she wasn't picked for this trial anyway) and then jury selection could finally begin. I was picked for this one. 

We were then told the trial wouldn't start until Monday (this was Thursday!) so we were sent home, and I could go into work the next day. 

Then came Monday and the trial start, and here at last some signs of modernisation - each set of twin desks in the jury box boasted a flat screen monitor as CCTV evidence was to be produced. 

Unfortunately, on Wednesday, half the similar units on the counsel benches failed, and we were sent home at 11:00 for the day, as they couldn't be fixed by the in-house staff and an offsite firm would have to be called. I began to see why it had been suggested this case would take eight weeks! Later, on the Thursday morning I think it was, our screens wouldn't come on, but we were only sent out for about 40 minutes and when back inside, the judge advised the court clerk had resolved the situation by turning the whole shebang off and on again! 

It was noticeable that through the long recounting of CCTV and cell site evidence, the security guards in the dock often closed their eyes and looked asleep. I'm sure that they'd have sprung into action if any of them had decided to kick off, though. 😏 

The trial dragged on and on, we went over the same video and glossy expensively-produced books of stills evidence (containing many spelling mistakes and inaccuracies!) at least three times, first introduced by the prosecution, then again with the police replying 'Yes that's right' to questions asked, and then with the cell site expert doing the same. Rarely did any of the defence butt in except to further drop one of the other defendants right in it! 

We were also sent home early several times, missing court days because of defence counsel and defendant illness. We were almost always told by the judge to return the next day for 10 (apart from one day when other court business meant we were asked to come in for 10:30) yet we usually weren't collected by the usher until 10:30, and then quite often waited in the jury retiring room for well over 20 minutes before finally going into court. 

Not Something I Need To Worry About...

...this incident has also made me think about what kind of anger is permissible for Black women, especially in spaces where the idea of “decorum” can be so easily weaponized against them.

...so maybe it's time they looked up the term 'decorum' and perhaps showed some?

Rowland is a dark-skinned Black woman in a world that is as obsessed with maintaining proximity to whiteness as it is invested in demonizing Black women who speak up for themselves, so there’s no doubt she’s endured anti-Blackness and faced countless situations where she had to stay her anger and hold her tongue so she didn’t appear aggressive.

I have to say, if social media has shown us anything, it's that there's a lot of black women out there who have never heard that they shouldn't appear aggressive.  

And while we may never know exactly what was said that caused her to ultimately lose her cool, it really doesn’t matter.

Of course it doesn't, when one has an agenda to push regardless of facts. 

The expectation that Black women be gracious and deferential in the face of flagrant hostility is one of the most dehumanizing aspects of Black public life...

When 'flagrent hostility' is just being told to do what everyone else does? Just a day ort so after this, another woman had the same treatment, but you won't hear that from Rowland, because she was white. 

To be a Black woman, especially one who doesn’t fit stereotypical western ideals of womanhood, is to endure a never-ending series of indignities simply for trying to exist.

Then why not try a country that isn't a stereotypical Western country?  

Reflections - the sequel...Pt 1

Well, that's finally over. And how did my 2024 stint compare with my 2014 stint? Well, not so good...it was obvious from my first day there that, despite the ten year gap, the functioning of the court services had got worse, and not better. 

The building was much the same (in fact, I rather doubt it had seen so much as a lick of paint in the intervening years!) and the security had been beefed up considerably - I recall bag searches the last time (to be expected) but now the entrance boasted two detector arches and the hand-held 'wand' detector to be passed every day, occasionally causing long queues to get in. On the second Tuesday, despite being in my bag for the rest of the time and being passed unremarked, a set of metal eyebrow tweezers was noted in my handbag, removed and I was given a receipt to pick them up at the end of the day. What they thought I could do with them, heaven only knows! But I complied, rules are rules and left it out of my bag for the next day.

I had expected the passage of time to have provided a lot more IT and automation, but no - the admin staff were still shuffling cards and paper around, despite the presence of a large screen behind their desk units in the corner that remained tuned to BBC News when it could have relayed important information to the waiting jury pool. The staff seemed far less efficient than I recalled from last time when they kept things moving rapidly and were always super helpful when approached. On one day we were treated to the surreal sight of  them calling up 5 groups of ten people (for a long trial) by one lady laboriously reading out the wanted names from a sheet of paper to another lady with the microphone who then called them out, giving a 'Chinese whispers' air to any hard-to-pronounce name - either give the lady with the list the mic, or give the list to the lady with the mic, it doesn't take TWO of you! 

Frequently, as a result of getting there earlier than necessary (an earlier bus meant I avoided the school run) I'd be waiting in the jury pool room and witnessed jurors approaching the corner to request a form for expenses, or to sign in - which only first week jurors were required to do - and be told by the person manning the desk to 'come back in half an hour'. Despite being there and clearly on duty, they were reluctant to actually start work until some pre-determined time has passed. I never did figure out what time that was. 

The less said about the food in the jury canteen the better, I don't recall it being good the last time, but it was dire now - I ordered a sausage sandwich one morning on the first week, and it tasted of...nothing. I tried a so-called 'steak burger' at lunch and it was inedible. Steak? From what animal? Luckily, in the years since the last stint, Wanstead High Street had sprouted a M&S Simply Food and a Greggs!  

As this is a long post, I'm going to take a leaf out of Zach Snyder's book and publish it in installments. 

The Main Surprise Here...

...is that at least the seminar was run by someone who really was an expert in the subject! 

The 51-year-old sent scores of 'sexually suggestive' texts commenting on the woman's 'sexy' body and requesting sex, even though she told him she was in a relationship and asked him to stop. She complained in August 2022 after discovering that Mr Broadway was leading a seminar with a discussion about inappropriate workplace messaging.

And he produced all his own material too!  

The talk was one of a series held by the Gwent Police as part of efforts to rebuild trust in the police after Ms Everard's murder in 2021 by Scotland Yard officer Wayne Couzens.

Safe to say, 'Epic FAIL!' there, Gwent cops. 

In May 2023, a second woman came forward with complaints about Mr Broadway, who was then suspended on full pay. A third complainant emerged later.

So, he was sacked? Well, no.  

A Gwent Police spokesman said: 'The hearing chair found the former staff member would have been dismissed had he not resigned from his position ahead of the hearing.'

To ensure he kept his pension. I thought they were trying to stop this happening? 

I Beg Your Pardon?

Errr, that's pretty comprehensively stopped, officer....

A drink driver was arrested after crashing into another carcrashing into another car at a junction in Oakridge.

A police spokesperson told the Gazette: "We were called shortly after 7pm yesterday (Saturday 25 May) to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Oakridge Road.

"A 20-year-old man from Basingstoke was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level above limit and driver of a vehicle fail to stop after a road accident.

"He remains in police custody at this time.”

I can only assume they mean the Beemer driver fled on foot, because that car's going nowhere unless it's on the back of a wrecking vehicle.... 

H/T: Ian J via email

Still No Spellchecker, 'Echo'..?

It's been a long time since I visited the pages of the Southend 'Echo'...nice to see some things don't change!  

Sunday Funnies...

Frankly, astonished No 5 doesn't happen more often....

One For Rebus..?

Armed police were called to a 'disturbance' at a house at Fernieside Crescent in the south east of Edinburgh at about 8.25am on Tuesday. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local residents have reported hearing 'multiple gunshots' ringing out in the street. It is understood the incident involved a weapon but no one was shot with a gun.

Eh..? 

The incident was caught in Ring doorbell camera footage, where an officer is seen walking through a garden before five gunshot-like sounds are heard, soon followed by six more, the Sun reports.

There's a puzzler that could come from the pen of Ian Rankin, all right!  

In a statement, the Police Scotland said their inquiries are continuing.

I wonder what they are looking for, if not a gun? 

Police Scotland said a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

That'll make great reading! Unless it's a typo and they meant 'The Fortean Times'... 

'People around here now do not feel safe with the police.'

Well, if 'people round here' refrain from getting drunk and fighting with the cops that turn up, they'll be fine,

Justin Fenn, manager of the Londis shop, said his CCTV cameras had filmed the incident from several angles. He said: 'The policeman pulled up and the man's brandishing a bottle. He's just tipped out contents and he's brandishing it, instantly confrontational to the policeman.

'I can only imagine the policeman's asked him to move, and he just wants to have an argument. He's shouting and screaming.

'[The police officer] got the pepper spray. He's asking for assistance [via his radio set] because he [man in wheelchair] is not doing anything rational.'

Sensible chap, Justin. Sadly, enrichment has ensured he's a lone voice of rationality... 

Diari 'Jay' Salih, 40, who runs a barbershop opposite where the altercation happened, said witnesses were shocked by the incident. He said he had approached the police officer and told him to stop after allegedly seeing the man being pepper-sprayed. Mr Salih added: 'Nobody's happy about this. I can't get the image out of my head. People around here now do not feel safe with the police.'

*sigh* So 'unsafe' you're happy to march up to them on the street and tell them how to do their job? 

Carla Carvalho, 43, who works at a nearby business, described how the man in the wheelchair had been 'in the middle of the road, dancing and singing and all happy when the policeman comes and stops him'. She told the BBC: 'He was trying to get up with a bottle of beer in hand and I think the police guy thinks he was going to throw the bottle at him. Then you see in the video the police guy punches him. 'Whatever they say to each other I don't know, but he doesn't need to do this. He should be waiting for other ones [police officers].'

Everyone's an expert on policing, but you'll note that those commenting would, no doubt, find much more robust policing in their countries of origin. 

Tweet Of The Month

Two things characterised May - Eurovision and the solar flare that brought us the aurora!

 

But the absolute piece de resistance was this:

Post Title Of The Month

 Natalie Solent at Samizdata on Scottish histrionics: 

Quote Of The Month

Longrider on the news we all expected, hoped for, dreaded...

"So we will now be inundated with weeks of campaigning and impossible promises as these shitbags try to bribe us with our own money. At the end of which we will troop into the polling booths as if it makes a damned bit of difference, because on July the 5th, things will carry on exactly as they are right now – we will still be royally shafted by these bastards – plus ca change…"

Post Of The Month

Fahrenheit211Fahrenheit211 on the scandals on the century...

So, Just Stop Trying....

Comedian Stephen Merchant has said he feels 'the Left' is 'policing' comedy with 'sensitivities that seem out of proportion to the joke'. Merchant, 49, who co-wrote The Office, said comedians had become more cautious because they didn't want to spend weeks on social media trying to justify a gag.

...since you never can justify it to these fanatics, and why would you even try?

In an interview, he said: 'There's always been policing of comedy, of there being... guardrails.The difference is that it used to feel like it was the Right that was policing it. 'It feels like it's the Left that's doing it now, and it's allowed the Right to become the arbiters of free speech. Which does feel like quite a significant shift.'

If so, you really haven't understood those two political terms at all.... 

"Can't Attend Your Burglary Madam, Little Johnnie's Not Turned Up For Maths Again..."

Some schools in England are sending police to the homes of children who are persistently absent, or warning them their parents may go to prison if their attendance doesn’t improve, the Observer has learned.

Like the police have time for this.... 

But child psychologists and parent groups are warning that the push for full attendance is driving “heavy-handed” crackdowns at some schools, and ignores the issues that often lie behind school refusal, including mental health problems, unmet special educational needs, bereavement or the child being a carer.

Some might say it's not heavy-handed enough. 

Ellie Costello, co-founder of Square Peg, a lobbying and support group for children who don’t fit into the conventional schools model, said: “Parents have told us about very strict schools actually forcing entry to their homes. Schools are turning up with community police. They are shouting up the stairs to highly anxious children, demanding they come into school now.”

And the youth are likely to treat 'community police' with the same disdain they treat real actual police on the street. he same disdain they treat real actual police on the street.  

Oliver Conway, a child protection solicitor at London law firm Oliver Fisher, which is co-hosting a conference with Square Peg this week on the impact of prosecuting parents on attendance, said many poorer parents were unable to pay fines. He asked: “Why aren’t they giving these families proper mental health support and support from social services instead of trying to punish them?”

Shouldn't criticise, if they did that, how would people like you earn a living? 

One “deeply vulnerable” woman came to him in great distress because the local authority was taking her to court for not sending her 14-year-old daughter into school. “Her daughter wasn’t going in because she was pregnant. She was involved in county lines [drug trafficking] and she was being sexually abused by a drug dealer,” he said.

This isn't an issue for a school to solve, it's an issue for the police!  

Rishi May Be Wet, But Kier's Fired Up And Wants To Win

Diane Abbott said she wants to remain as an MP for as long as possible, as she accused Labour of wanting to "exclude" her from Parliament. She told supporters at a rally on Wednesday she had been "banned from running" for Labour. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said no decision had been taken to bar her.

Clearly, no decision has been taken to support her, either! Kier is not falling into that trap!  

Writing on X earlier, Ms Abbott suggested there was a wider "cull of left wingers" happening within Labour, referring to the case of another prospective candidate, Faiza Shaheen.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Ms Shaheen had not been endorsed by Labour to be their for Chingford and Woodford Green in north east London, after she allegedly liked a post on X that downplayed antisemitism accusations. Ms Shaheen told BBC Newsnight she had received an email that claimed she would "frustrate Labour's purpose".

"I'm just in a state of shock to be honest," she said.

Kier's cleaning house, love. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll crawl back to a post with them after he's safe in No 10 and no longer has to try to convince everyone his party isn't full of antisemites and race-baiters.

And With One Bound, She Was Free!

Police dropped an investigation to Angela Rayner's living arrangements yesterday – but her former neighbours were left furious.

The deputy Labour leader will face no further action by officers over questions about where she was living when she sold her Right-to-Buy home.

Announcing their decision, Greater Manchester Police said it had also passed information on to Stockport Council and HMRC, but they too will be taking no further action against the Ashton-under-Lyne MP.

We've imported the equivalent population of a dodgy Third World corrupt kleptocracy, so why not go the whole hog and adopt their methods too? 

Sylvia Hampson, 83, had claimed that Ms Rayner was living next door to her in a terraced home – owned by her then husband, Mark Rayner – in Lowndes Lane in Stockport for a good 'six or seven years', rather than in the ex-council house she later sold.

The mother-of-two, who gave evidence to the police investigation, said: 'It's bloody ridiculous. 'I know the truth and so does my son. She was definitely living next door to me and she knows she was.'

I guess you won't be voting Labour then?

Chris Hinett, 64, who lives a few doors down from the house where Ms Rayner claimed she lived in Vicarage Road, Stockport, also reacted with anger.The car salesman said of her being cleared: 'It's disgusting. I co-operated with the police but when they knock on my door next time, I won't bother.

'It's the police's job to investigate election law. She is potentially going to the next deputy prime minister – it's not right.'

They've declined to do their job. Which shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone.  

Maybe Dr Richie Howard Hasn't Seen The Movie Or Read The Book?

According to Dr Richie Howard, curator of fossil arthropods at the Natural History Museum, Radnorscolex is reminiscent of giant worms in the Hollywood blockbuster Dune.

Apart, that is, from being only 8cm long. And living in the sea.  

Fatal Attraction...

Marie Stevens had been attempting to stroke Rachel and Brian Walshe's Rottweilers when she was mauled in the street, with the latter allegedly telling her: "Get up will you? There's nothing wrong with you."

The victim was an animal lover who had recently lost her own dog. Sje had the misfortune to cross the path of utter monsters. And I'm not simply talking about the dogs here... 

Ms Stevens, who had been walking to have her tea at her sister's house at the time, was rushed to Aintree Hospital by ambulance after suffering "extensive injuries to her limbs", including a "degloving" to her lower left leg and lacerations to her right ankle, both arms and lower right abdomen. She later told Merseyside Police that she had "asked if she could stroke the dogs" and that Rachel Walshe had "indicated that was ok".

Which, as soon as the victim died, they realised had been a mistake, and sought to deny responsibility despite witnesses and CCTV. 

A post-mortem investigation subsequently found that a blood clot had formed in her left calf as a result of the dog bite then broken off and travelled to her lungs, blocking her blood supply. A pathologist concluded that there was "direct causation of the death of Marie Stevens and the dog attack which occurred approximately two weeks prior to her death".

Brian Walshe was first interviewed by detectives the day after the incident. He claimed that he had "told Mrs Stevens to stay away", although CCTV footage was said to have shown him "motioning her to approach".

Whoops! A liar. In Liverpool! Who'dathunkit?   

During a second interview following her death, the 42-year-old said that he and his mother had bought Frankie and Rocky two years previously from a breeder in Blackpool and that he "never had any reason to be concerned about the temperament of either dog". Walshe again maintained that he had told Ms Stevens not to stroke the dogs and stated that she had approached them in an "animated way", although this was not captured on the video. Rachel Walshe said in her initial interview on August 19 that Frankie "often barked at other dogs but was not aggressive towards them", although he "did not like to be stroked for too long and could be temperamental at times".

So the male in the case had 'no concerns' about the dogs, but the female wasn't so blase? 

Both defendants, who have no previous convictions, admitted owning a dangerously out of control dog causing death. They were handed 10-month imprisonments suspended for 18 months with rehabilitation activity requirements of up to 20 days.Rachel Walshe was seen to reach out for her son's hands as he stood in the dock with his head bowed. One member of Ms Stevens' family said "taking the p***" before he stormed out of the courtroom as they were spared prison, while a woman left in tears once the hearing had ended. Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "There is no sentence that I can pass that will begin to equate in any real sense with the loss that has been suffered. The reality is that there is nothing that this court can do or say that will alleviate or reduce the immeasurable suffering.

"Some will think any sentence is inadequate. But my task is to ensure that the sentence I pass is just and proportionate, consistent with the sentencing guidelines and reflecting all of the relevant circumstances of this very sad and tragic case."

Which I suspect, loosely translated, amounts to 'the jails are fullthe jails are full'. And so justice is once again withheld from the victim's relatives. But not from the State. 

Both defendants were also told to pay £3,500 each towards the costs of keeping the dogs in police kennels to this date.

Does anyone think they'll see a penny of this?  

Brian Walshe was ordered to give £500 towards prosecution costs, with Rachel Walshe made to contribute £150. She was banned from keeping dogs for life, while he was disqualified for five years. Judge Menary ordered that both Frankie and Rocky be destroyed.

A pity the same couldn't be imposed on the owners.  

And If You're An Innocent Bystander With A Pacemaker?

British police could soon be equipped with a ground-breaking device to disable e-bikes being used by criminals to speed away from crimes. The ‘Ghostbusters-style’ weapon would fire electro-magnetic rays to stop the engines of e-scooters and e-bikes being used in crimes.

...or just someone with a moblibe phone when they (inevitably) miss? 

Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the device was in development and could be used within months, reported The Guardian newspaper. They would be housed inside a backpack, reminiscent of the Ghostbuster devices used in the popular sci-fi films. Mr Stephens told a media briefing: “Basically, it interferes with the electric motor, to trick the electric motor into thinking it is overheating.

“It sends a signal to confuse the electric motor. All these electric motors apparently have an inbuilt safety system that if it thinks it’s overheating, it shuts down.

“At the minute, it’s like a ginormous backpack.”

Just wait for the compensation claims to roll in... 

As Inevitable As Summer Itself...

The instant the temperature spikes up, the drownings start....

The father of a boy who drowned in the River Tyne has told of his anguish after another teen died on the same stretch of water. Carl Hattersley says yesterday's tragedy has brought back memories of his ordeal in July 2022 when his son, Robert, 13, died. Robert, from Crawcrook, was swept under by the current when he got into difficulty while swimming with his pals in the river in Ovingham, Northumberland. Yesterday, a 14-year-old boy died and a 13-year-old boy is in a critical condition after getting into difficulty in the same waters. The teen who passed away had jumped in to save his friend who began to struggle while playing on a rope swing, locals revealed.

Mr Hattersley, who has set up a foundation in his son's name to raise awareness of the dangers of open water swimming, said he wanted to send his condolences to the boy's family.

Just how much 'awareness' can you raise, if the constant stream of deaths isn't doing the trick?  

He said he was 'quite disappointed' with Northumberland Council, which he says has not been in touch with him since his son's death. 'We thought something would have been done by the Northumberland Council by now,' he said.

Ah, yes, the 'someone should do something!' attitude that's so often prevalent in these cases.  Quite what they should do, heaven only knows - fence off every stretch of open water in the area? At a cost to the local taxpayer? 

Mr Hattersley said he wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of open water swimming in schools. 'Let's get people aware, of all ages, like these young teenagers,' he said.

'If they're not from around here they might not know the dangers of Northumberland's rivers because it's quite dangerous and strong because of the current.''Kids are kids. They go down to the river and they don't see the dangers, they think it's fine. As the summer gets closer there's going to be more going down there.'

And there will be more drownings. In fact, here they are alreadyhere they are already.  

We The Voters Will Decide Who Is A Fit Person To Be A Councillor...

...the MoS can now reveal that days before Mr Stevens was arrested, a Northamptonshire Police detective phoned Jonathan Ekins, a former local Tory mayor for Wellingborough, and allegedly told him Mr Stevens should be 'removed' as a councillor because of his views. In a statement to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Mr Ekins said Detective Constable Amelia Thompson told him Mr Stevens was about to be arrested 'for a serious offence'. 'She said in their opinion the police felt that he was not a fit person to be a councillor,' he said. 'DC Thompson said Anthony Stevens should be removed from being a councillor.'

It's the sort of massive overreach that you'd expect from the police force of some benighted Third World basket case of a country.  Which I suppose we now are...

It is claimed that in a later call, DC Thompson told him police had learnt Mr Stevens had attended a meeting at the same time as a Labour councillor thought to have complained about his tweets. This, she said, was a breach of his bail conditions and she warned him officers would arrest Mr Stevens 'on the spot' if he turned up at another meeting attended by the Labour councillor.

And Elkins - surprisingly, for a modern Tory - decided he wasn't going to take this lying down: 

Mr Ekins said: 'My response was, rightly, to remind DC Thompson that she would be welcome to try but that, as chair of the committee, I have the right to … instruct security officials to remove the police for public disruption of a democratically constituted meeting.'

I expect the useless Home Sec is letting the IOPC run with this one, but he should be worried that anyone would think that this was within the police's purview. 

Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, who is representing Mr Stevens, said: 'What happened undermined and trampled on our law, democracy and freedoms on every level.'

Indeed it did. This DC should be directing traffic on Gruinard for the rest of her career.  

Running Out Of Ideas...

It's been a bad week for some iconic firms who have shown they have finally run out of ideas - much like a certain political party. 

First up, it's the poular crystal-ornament firm Swarovski (and full disclosure here, Ive been known to buy their animal sulptures, particularly the big cats). they've gone from simple clear crystal to colour versions in the last few years, and now appear to gave run out of road with this latest offering:

And then, my favourite supermarket has a rather odd movie tie-in for all pet owners:

Finger On The Pulse As Ever!

Matt truly is the master! 

Sunday Funnies...

And even American cops didn't believe these! 

Will We See The Return Of The Vesta Meal?

Or will modern ramen noodles take over? 

Families will today be urged to stockpile three days' worth of food and water to help build national 'resilience'.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will advise people to make contingency plans for dealing with potential emergencies such as prolonged power cuts, cyber attacks and floods.

Blimey, that's a bit of a mixed bag! Luckily, I don't live in a flood area... 

Last year, Mr Dowden said people should stock up on 'analogue capabilities', such as candles, torches and wind-up radios, to boost their 'personal resilience'.

Thanks, 'Green' energy!  

Today he will go further by encouraging people to stock up with enough food and water to survive for three days without leaving their homes.

The next pandemic panic is going to be pretty short, then?  

Whitehall sources insisted that the plan was not designed to create a nation of US-style survivalists. One said Mr Dowden's intervention was not meant to be 'alarmist' and was simply 'common sense' advice.

Common sense...it really ain't so common anymore.  

There Was Once A Time...

...when hearing a man with a double-narrelled name had been shot, one would assume a tragic safari accident, or perhaps storming an enemy encampment at the head of an army brigade.

No longer:

Detectives have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after Jazmel Patterson-Low was gunned down in Lambeth. A 25-year-old man has been detained in south London after Jazmel Patterson-Low, 26, was shot on the Westbury Estate around 2am on Saturday and died in hospital. The suspect has been remanded in custody, Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday. Mr Patterson-Low suffered a single gunshot wound in Rule Street and was dropped at Thomas’s Hospital in a private car, but later died.

By fellow thugs, no doubt. Nice of them to spare the paramedics a trip. 

Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, Specialist Crime, leads the investigation and said:“We know there was a group of around 40 people gathered in and around St Rule Street on Friday evening and the early hours of Saturday morning.

A group of people with no discernable appearance?  

“Several people have come forward to provide information and I am extremely grateful to them. “However, I am certain there are other people who will know what happened in St Rule Street and who was responsible for the shooting.

 Well, undoubtedly! 

“I urge them to come forward and share that information.”

Dream on, Marty old boy.  

Impose All The 'Special Conduct Requirements' You Want...

...it won't stop its behaviour:

A transgender sex offender was caught with three vulnerable children locked in a house, a court heard yesterday. Police had to break down Ryan Scott's door after neighbours reported seeing three youngsters enter his home. By the time they got in, he had engaged in sexual activity with a girl aged 14.

Reader, that should perhaps read 'another girl', for it could be that she is a girl, though it's always hard to know with these stories... 

Scott, 21, was convicted of a similar offence as a female called Coral Scott last year. At those proceedings, the accused was understood to be identifying as female in prison.

Ah. Clarification. Identifying as one since that's exactly what she was born as, and always will be.  

Yesterday, at Dundee Sheriff Court, Scott admitted engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl on April 9 last year. Sheriff Paul Brown imposed two special 'conduct requirements' prohibiting contact with under-16s without permission and 'reporting any intimate relationship to the supervising officer'.

An exercise in total futility since it's already shown no intention to co-operate. 

One month before the latest offence took place, Coral Scott was banned at the same court from starting any new relationship without special permission.She was banned from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16, but was allowed to walk free from court after a sheriff said the time spent on remand would count as the punishment.

The authorities cannot deal with 'ordinary' male peadophiles, so why they think they can ever handle this bag of crazy, god only knows.  

Scott, who was most recently being held in Polmont, was placed on the sex offenders' register and under social work supervision for three years.During that case, the court heard Scott lured a schoolgirl to a flat to engage in sexual activity on Valentine's Day, despite knowing she was 14. Scott, who was born female, then tried to pervert the course of justice by issuing death threats to the schoolgirl.

Of course, why not? Break one law and get away with it, and you might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. But because of the trans cult aspects of this, even the victims can't avoid playing into the warped fantasy of the perpetrator:

The victim's mother, 33, said: 'It broke our hearts to see what this monster had done to our little girl. It destroyed our beautiful daughter. She was a child and whether he was a man or a woman, this was an adult preying on a child.'

She was a woman. That's clear.  

The Jesuits Were Right...

A nursery in Petts Wood has received its second 'Outstanding' rating from Ofsted, with the watchdog praising it as a place where children can "celebrate their uniqueness".

Inspectors found that the Petts Wood nursery staff teach children about diversity in "inspirational ways", with cultural, physical, and social differences being a daily part of learning.

How else to ensure your ideology flourishes, but to target the kiddies?  And when you've got them, make sure you keep them: 

Varndean College in Surrenden Road, Brighton, was praised by inspectors for its "vibrant and highly inclusive culture" which helps "students flourish".Inspectors also found that the students are respectful towards each other and "embrace diversity".

Until real life intervenes to teach them otherwise.