Well, There's Always A First Time....

Thanet Councillor Suzanne Brimm faces three charges related to Freedom of Information requests for details about a dog DNA scheme including getting rid of records so that they could not be disclosed.

It is believed to be the first time that anyone has been charged under section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act.

 One to watch!

Cllr Brimm, who previously who held a Cabinet post in the council as a UKIP member before quitting the group to become Independent, has denied the charges and will go on trial at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on September 3.

 And what about that scheme? Well....

Thanet's dog DNA scheme used high-tech testing to try and work out which owners had failed to pick up after their dogs as part of a zero tolerance approach.

The scheme was launched last July but later abandoned.

 Yeah, there's a lot of that going around....

The charges allege that she blocked, concealed or destroyed records held by Thanet council “with the intention of preventing the disclosure by TDC of information” in response to FOI requests between July 31, 2017, and September 2 and 5, 2017.

A further charge says that between her election on May 7, 2015 -and February 9, 2018, Cllr Brimm “being a data controller, processed personal data without having entry in the register maintained by the Information Commissioner.”

The Campaign for Freedom of Information said that this there (sic) has "never been a s77 FOI prosecution before."

It's going to be interesting to see what the real issue is here, isn't it?

What Is The Penalty For Giving False Information To The Public...?

“The owner was standing right next to us and he didn’t do anything and when I asked him to put the dog on a lead or a mussel (sic) he just started laughing,” he said.

 A fairly typical reaction.

The police were called to the park and Mr Turner was given first aid and taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.

 And they arrested the owner, yes?

Oh, silly me.

A police spokesman said: “On Sunday at around 8.15am it was reported a man was bitten after trying to separate two dogs fighting in Greatness Park, Sevenoaks.

“It is alleged an alteration (sic) then took place involving one of the dog owners and another man. Police attended the scene and carried out enquiries.

“No injuries were reported as a result of the altercation and no arrests have been made.”

Now, it doesn't take a genius to spot the obvious flaw in this statement, does it?

Lazy policing is sadly to be expected. This is a different sort of policing. What should we call it?

Ah, yes.

The 'Wrong Situation' Being The Dock. Or The Mortuary.

A beautician who hanged out with gang members (sic) as a teenager wants to open a youth club to rebuild a community reeling from the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Lyndon Davis.

There's that word again, 'community'. I know the area. It's no longer a community. It used to be, once...

Leigh Harris was at home in Reynolds Court, Marks Gate, when she heard police on nearby Padnall Road not far from where Mr Davis was found with a stab injury on March 14.

Days later Miss Harris joined shocked neighbours at a meeting to discuss a spate of violence where she surprised herself by standing up and speaking out about her fears for the community she grew up in.

“There was talk of more police and CCTV, but not much said about how to change the way people live,” Miss Harris said.

Because that's not within the purview of the state. Unlike police and CCTV.

She said she wanted to bring young people’s respect for older people and older people’s respect for young people back.

“I can understand why young people are driven to crime. They come from broken homes. They have all this built up anger. I don’t want them to go down a bad path. Not all kids mixed up in crime are bad, they are just in the wrong situation,” she said.

Ah. Another dim bulb. Just what this 'community' needs.

Ah, Wonderful, Enriching Diversity!

The Old Bailey heard that the 16-year-old victim and friends were in Plashet Road the afternoon of October 12 when a Mercedes containing Miah and his stepson, Yasin Patel, pulled up near them.

As the group scrambled in different directions, Patel chased down and stabbed the 16-year-old multiple times in his left leg and chest, Miah joining in the attack while he was on the ground.

Meanwhile Islam, of Fowler Road, Forest Gate, was having his hair cut in a nearby barber shop. Grabbing a baseball bat from the boot of his car, he approached Miah from behind and struck on the back of his head, fracturing his skull. He then hit him again after he fell to the floor. Islam drove away from the scene but returned to the barbers a short time later — while police and paramedics tended to the injured boy.

Just a normal day in Forest Gate, nothing to see here....

Investigating the attack, Detectives from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command uncovered CCTV footage of Islam arriving in his BMW and visiting the barbers before the brawl.

After detectives tracked down the BMW, Islam’s solicitor contacted police the following day to say Islam would hand himself in. The next day, October 23, Islam was arrested and charged.

The story behind this should be interesting, shouldn't it?

“It appears that Islam was not involved in the initial fight which Titu was a part of, but he took it upon himself to casually arm himself with a baseball bat and carry out an alarming, sudden attack on Titu which resulted in a critical head injury from which he could not recover,” said Det Sgt Perry Benton, who led the investigation.

“Patel was identified as the person who stabbed the 16-year-old victim who fortunately did not suffer serious, lasting injury. The motive for this attack is unclear, although we believe it may have been due to a disagreement between Patel and a relative of the victim.

“This was a despicable show of violence in broad daylight on a residential street which resulted in a man dead and a young victim stabbed, and two people now facing long jail terms for their part in this incident.”

Import the tribal Third World, import Third World tribal attitudes and social mores.

Well, Aren't They Always?

Ms Hesse said Traynor was initially interviewed and accepted it was her dog but said she had given it away and did not have details for the new owner.

On a second interview in February, she said the dog had escaped after her daughter opened her door while she was out. She also admitted she had given the dog to a friend and admitted trying to hide it from the police but was not against having it destroyed.

If you can find it.

Paul Donoghue, defending, said the single mother, of Castledene Road, Delves Lane, Consett, had never had any problems with the dog but had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

I though single mothers were all on the poverty line. Was she fattening the dog to provide future meals?

He said his client was on benefits.

Imagine my shocked face. Go on. You can if you try.

Magistrate Aileen Little, said the bench had decided to adjourn the case so a probation report could be prepared and the new owner could be contacted as they had to decide on whether to destroy the dog.

Why? I mean, even if there is a real 'new owner' why should it be up to them?

Well, Three Out Of Seven Ain't Bad..

I'll leave it to you, reader, to guess which three... :)

And Please Help The 'Echo' Web Monkey....

....find the space key.

Sunday Funnies...

I can't say that No.5 sounds all that unusual....

There's A Time Limit On Pathetic Excuses? Who Knew?

Mark Heffernan, 41, was parked in Pitchcroft car park near Worcester Police Station after a night out and told officers he was sleeping to avoid driving home drunk.

The former army serviceman, who now delivers palliative care equipment and medication to relieve the suffering of terminal patients, was allowed to keep his licence when appearing before magistrates on Thursday.

He must have had an amazing story!

Mrs Sue Roberts, chair of the bench, said: “Exceptional hardship would be caused to the patients under your care if you were to lose your employment.”

Right. Because it's not like they could employ anyone else to do it?

Lesley Ashton, prosecuting, said the defendant was found in his car at 5.40am on March 30 by officers.

She said Heffernan initially refused to give his name and date of birth and claimed he was asleep, before providing a positive breath sample.

Hmmmm....

“He did not understand what the issue was. He was just ignorant of the law,” said Mr McQuian.

And that's no excuse, surely?

Mr McQuian said Heffernan visits his three daughters from a previous relationship in Teesside each weekend, with a driving ban meaning he would be unable to see them.

He can't take a train?

He said he also has a two-year-old child with his current partner, who he drives to his grandmother’s house each day, before work.

He can't take a cab?

Mr McQuian argued that his client, who has learning difficulties, had made good progress in getting a handle on his PTSD...

He's looking more and more like a liability, rather than a model employee!

Heffernan’s licence was endorsed with 10 points, already carrying three, and he was ordered to pay a total of £426 in fines and costs. Mrs Roberts added: “You cannot use the same excuse for another three years.”

Bet he's back in three years time using it!

Good lord, who knew all you needed to become a magistrate was to be a living brain donor?

Maybe The Doctor Who Gave Him The Advice Should Be Investigated?

Chef Joshua Jake Duxbury, 21, died as he was travelling from his home in Blackburn on the A59 to Harrogate to work at his mother’s Route 59 cafe at about 8.25am on October 8, 2016.

A witness statement from a lorry driver who was overtaken by former Witton Park Academy pupil Mr Duxbury a few minutes before the collision put his speed then at “up to 100mph.”

Which made the crash obviously survivable. As did something else:

A toxicology report had indicated there was cannabis in the rider’s bloodstream, said senior coroner Rob Turnbull at the inquest in Skipton.

You'd think that would be a source of shame for the family, but they have a rather unique excuse:

Mr Duxbury’s mother Audrey Duxbury told the inquest that her son had ridden motorcycles since the age of seven and was very experienced.

He was first taught by Andy Bradley, who runs Rocket Centre Motorcycle Training at the Trident Centre in Blackburn.

He had been using cannabis on medical advice to deal with sleeplessness and severe night terrors, she said.

Can someone please track down the 'doctor' that suggested an illegal drug as a remedy? No?

I guess they don't exist, then.

Coroner Mr Turnbull said that it seemed death had been instantaneous, and added: “He did not slow down. Why we don’t know. It is a very sad loss.”

And also a miracle the selfish little druggie didn't take any innocent person with him...