Happy New Year All!

And here's to 2021! It's can't be worse than 2020...can it? 

Normal service will resume on Saturday.

Absent Friends...

As we begin the countdown to say a grateful farewell to the disaster that was 2020 and welcome in a new year full of promise, please raise a glass with me to those we have lost:

Raedwald

Captain Ranty (Blog now sadly gone dark)

Unenlightened Commentary

Anna Raccoon

Dracunculus

Bystander, a sad loss to the world of profession-blogging.

Peter Risdon

Gone, but not forgotten.

It's Finally Here!

Happy Brexit everyone! 

Always Our Fault, Never The Criminals'...

 

If, like me, you muttered' No!' on reading that, read on...

While it has made life hard for victims of trafficking and people smuggling, the hostile environment has created a fertile environment for modern slavery and those who prosper from it. Traffickers know that the state effectively colludes in keeping their victims silent. Fearful of deportation and the traffickers’ threats, migrant victims of modern slavery are deterred from approaching the authorities – so many disappear into a hinterland of exploitation and fear.

Yes, because we treat criminals as criminals, anything bad that subsequently happens to them is our fault. It's a child's way of thinking. 

The hostile environment is a failure of policy and humanity – and a stain on this country’s hard-earned good reputation for tackling modern slavery. We need to see a sincere change of heart and direction from the government, including the institution of safe routes for migration across the Channel and guaranteed support for victims of trafficking from the moment they are identified.

These people won't be satisfied until they've opened up our country to every Third World country that exists, will they? 

What's The Gaelic For 'Take A Knee, Coppers'..?

First, the lies: 

Then, the extortion.

The race-baiting parasites begin making the narrative:

Finally, the truth:

Looking at this video of the scene, I'm astounded they even tried less-lethal alternatives (pepper spray and Taser) before dropping him like the rabid animal he was.

Tweet Of The Month

 

Post Title Of The Month

A classic, Bill Sticker on the subject on everyone's lips throughout 2020: 

Quote Of The Month

Head Rambles nails the covid panic:  

"You can see how there was a huge number at the beginning, reaching a peak of 881. However, the second wave only achieved a mere 354 before declining again. This is hardly an overwhelming of hospital services when they had coped with well over twice that number before?

So they can hardly quote the old “flattening the curve” line again. They have twice the number of reported cases, but less than half the number of hospitalisations? Every indication says that hospitals can cope.

So why shut down the country again? The only answer I can think of is that they are concentrating on numbers and only numbers. They see their precious R number rising or the number of cases per 100,000 going up and they panic. They keep droning that “today we have X cases whereas last week we only had Y cases” or similar portents of doom. Any increase in a number is accompanied by furrowed brows and gloomy predictions.

Maybe they should stop worrying about the numbers on the screens and sit back and think about what these numbers actually mean in the real world? They should look at their figures in context."

Post Of The Month

DumbJon skewers the 'Listen to the science!' people. 

As If It's Even Possible To Undermine This Profession Any More...

Daren Timson-Hunt targeted a woman wearing a summery dress on the London Underground as she went for a job interview last year.

Dad-of-one Timson-Hunt, of Broadstone Road, Stanford-le-Hope, was spotted by a police officer hiding his phone between his legs and taking a picture up the lady’s dress “four or five times”.

And what does this pervert do? 

Now a disciplinary tribunal has agreed not to strike off from being a lawyer again (sic). The tribunal accepted his argument that it was a “heat of the moment” decision as a result of work pressure and was instead suspended for six months.

Why is someone under such 'work pressure'..? 

The panel added: “It is clear at the time that the respondent was working very hard. He was working on the goods related aspects of Brexit and he told the Tribunal that it was not uncommon for him to work 80 hours a week.”

Wow! The list of things Brexit gets blamed for is off to a good start, isn't it? 

The tribunal heard he now does manual work and his earnings are limited and that he showed genuine remorse, but also undermined the profession in the eyes of the public.

I'm...not actually sure that's possible? 

Clap For These Clowns..?

They should all be clapped ... in irons:

Devastatingly, Gareth and his wife Emma learned for the first time at an inquest last week that the 11-month-old should not even have been given the drug that killed her.

Former soldier Gareth sobbed as a coroner ruled that 'neglect' and a 'gross failure of basic medical care' by doctors and nurses at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, had led to their daughter being wrongly injected with five times the recommended dose of a powerful anti-seizure medicine.

Dr Karen Henderson, assistant coroner for Surrey, said Sophie had not required phenytoin because the seizures had stopped 90 minutes earlier.

I would say it's beyond belief, but in truth, it's really only yet another case where the 'we know best!' NHS staff have utterly failed at every step of the way.  

The verdict, however painful, is at least vindication for Sophie's parents after a four-and-a-half-year battle for justice.

And as usual, have compounded that by a catalogues of lies, half-truths and the usual cover up... 

After Sophie's death, police opened an investigation into the medics and the hospital but it was soon shelved. Now the couple are calling for a fresh investigation following the outcome of Sophie's inquest.

They are angry that Dr Lojein Hatahet, the trainee doctor who injected the drug, was not questioned during the first probe and frustrated that Dr Fiona MacCarthy, the paediatric consultant who prescribed the phenytoin, was questioned by detectives as a witness but no further action was taken.

Imagine my shocked face. 

In her verdict, Dr Henderson found deputy ward sister Sharron Younes, who still works for the hospital, and nurse Polly Leavold, who has since emigrated to Australia, were 'jointly responsible' for miscalculating the amount of phenytoin in the syringe.

And the police that every year demand more wasted taxpayer money to go golfing in Portugal will no doubt now say 'Sorry, nothing we can do..'. 

The medical councils that supposedly govern the behaviour of these medical 'professionals' will do nothing, as they always do. 

They have, after all, already got away with the cruellest act of all:

'I felt like all of a sudden we were under suspicion. It was very upsetting for us, but I thought they must be covering all bases and assumed they were doing the same at the hospital, the ambulance, the GP surgery and everywhere else Sophie had been that day.

'It was only later that I found out the police had not done this anywhere else – just at our home.' Emma, who works in marketing, suspects that someone at the hospital pointed the finger of blame at them.

At what point do the people of the UK come to their senses about this 'service'? 

I fear it'll be 'never'... 

The Topsy-Turvey World Of Criminal Vs Civil Law...

'His wife told him the postman was coming to the dog enclosure and the postman opened it despite there being a very clear no entry sign.

'Dogs are, like people, very territorial. If someone came and sat in the magistrates' lounge you would raise an eyebrow.'

Undoubtedly. Probably wouldn't savage them, though. Since most magistrates are toothless, unlike the Parkinson pack...

'That enclosure is the dogs' area and that is why there is a no entry sign there.

'The bulldog who bit the victim was put down that day and the dog who bit another postman last year was also put down on the day of that incident.'

So this isn't the only incident of him owning vicious, out of control animals? 

He said Mr Humphries was now pursuing a civil claim and urged magistrates not to 'double' punish his client.

Interestingly, the very claim you're relying on for leniency under criminal law - the fact of the 'Beware of the Dog' sign - is likely to prove the opposite under that civil claim. It's a clear sign acknowledging the dogs were vicious. 

'This whole affair has been a very traumatic episode for him. The fact of his appearances at court have given him and his wife sleepless nights and have caused him to be nauseous and unable to eat.'

Yes, despite showing absolutely no care for the man injured by his pack of beasts, he's the real victim here...

Big Brother Is Watching You...

...and providing the evidence to hang himself.

What happened when they turned up would have been hard to believe had the farce not been filmed and recorded on the body-worn cameras of the officers from MLB.The two Metropolitan Police officers who attended the scene decided the offence was a 'civil' matter (it isn't) and, after refusing to arrest Richards, simply released him even though they were fully aware of his notorious track record.

...the men behind My Local Bobby, former senior Scotland Yard officers who were providing security in the store, were so frustrated by the response of the police they took out a private prosecution against him. Last week, more than 16 months and nine court appearances later, Richards was finally punished for his shoplifting spree. After pleading guilty to the Boots offence, he was ordered by Chatham magistrates to do six months community service, undergo 20 days of rehabilitation and pay £100 towards costs.

Yes, it's not enough. But it's something, something the stores are having to pay for, when it should be a job for the people paid to do it. 

Who mostly spend their time doing the things no sensible member of the public has at the top of their priority list: 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in London:James Cooper, who owns Body Transformation in Hampstead, north London, was stunned when seven officers turned up at his gym and tried to gain access.

He logged into his security system and watched as police and staff from Camden Council spent an hour banging on his doors.When they failed to gain access the officers went round the back and one tried to tamper with a key box secured to the gym wall in what Mr Cooper believes to be an attempt to get inside his property without a warrant.

Mr Cooper, who trains a string of high profile clients from celebrities to city CEOs and barristers, vowed to launch proceedings against the police.

'I can hear them saying they don't have a warrant because my system records sound as well. I'm just not going to put up with this any more.

'What has the world come to that seven officers spend an hour of their time standing around my gym?'

Well, what else do you expect them to do, Mr Cooper? Arrest thieves? Pshaw! That's soooo 1970s. 

I Don't Think It's The Lesson You Intended, Though...

...and let's hope any future employers thinking about offering you a job take it to heart: 

“If I never posted that video, nothing would have ever happened,” he said. And because the internet never forgets, the clip will always be available to watch.

“I’m going to remind myself, you started something,” he said with satisfaction. “You taught someone a lesson.”

Let's hope that Jimmy Galligan soon learns that internet mobs are a two-edged sword. 

And that in casting a light on the supposed 'crimes' of his white classmate, he's also cast a light on the smug, self-satisfied and frankly psychopathic way he handles what he considers a 'wrong' done to him.

The internet does indeed never forget. Jimmy. You might have cause to curse that, rather than praise it...

H/T: CathyYoung via Twitter

Cartoon Time Redux

And this one was very appropriate!

Cartoon Time

Well, since the local and national newspapers are remarkably free of gaffes and mispellings lately, here's a cartoon someone sent me:

Sunday Funnies...

Well, I guess it's fitting there's nothing new under the sun, even about being a 'criminal' at Christmas!

We Need Lionesses, Not Lambs...

...certainly not the likes of Judge Maria Lamb:

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb called the attack 'a quite awful incident.'

King was handed a community order for two years. As part of that order he must abide by a residency condition requirement for 12 months and complete 30 days rehabilitation activity requirement. He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.

After discussions on a proposed sexual harm prevention order the court decided not to impose any such protective order.

Well, I'm sure parents in Great Tew will feel the state has done what it can to protect their seven year old daughters, won't they?

In mitigation Daniel Martin, defending, said that his client was young at the time of the offence and that there was also a 'lack of maturity.'

He said that King had an autism spectrum disorder along with other underlying difficulties, and that he had developed a major depressive illness since the offence.

All indications he'll struggle to restrain himself in future, but in the topsy-turvy world of British 'justice', it's amazingly considered to me mitigation... 

Reaching New Heights Of Absurdity...

...before 2020 bows out for good (riddance):

An exotic plant that fell out of favour when it was linked to suburban wife-swapping is now so popular that it has become the latest target for garden thieves.

Police are investigating a string of pampas grass thefts across Sussex amid reports that stolen bunches of the white feathery plumes can fetch up to £150 online.

How on earth does one 'investigate' this? 

Oh, silly me, it's not like that phrase means the modern police are actually doing anything except recording a crime number, I suppose...

One homeowner in Horsham, West Sussex, described how thieves armed with secateurs broke down her garden fence one night last month to strip every stem of her massive plant.

So they aren't digging them up (confession time: I love pampas grass, all grasses in fact, and a well mature one has roots you'd need a mini-digger to shift) but cutting the heads off?

The exotic plant features in the designs of several upmarket home decorators. Celebrities such as Dani Dyer and Stacey Solomon have also displayed tasteful arrangements of dyed stems in vases on their social media sites.

Ah. Who could have suspected this was being driven by vacuous 'celebrities'? 

Sahar Kasiri, co-founder and creative director of Elari Events, uses pampas grass in many of her designs, including a 9ft Christmas tree that gained 30,000 likes on Instagram.

She said a single stem of pampas grass can cost £25...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Normal service will resume on Boxing Day! Not that it could be bettered this year, mind you...

A Final Musical Interlude Before The Big Day...

/applause

Thanks, Santa!

Richardson said it worked for them because the snake was quite small and her daughter was “stoked” because she had always wanted a pet snake.

“She named it Ryan and suggested that Santa finally came through with the goods, and delivered her a snake under the tree.”

But wait, did you say....Australia? 

The venom is powerfully neurotoxic, haemolytic and cytotoxic, and a bite from an adult of any of the species may be potentially fatal without medical assistance.

*gulp* 

On The Twelfth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...the overturning of our historical stoicism in the face of peril. 

And another failing and incompetent government department, a plethora of excuses for the justice system, yet more incompetent cronyism, an 'Accident and Emergency' service you can't use unless you've pre-booked, disunity in the Commons, the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for. 

Merry Covidmas, one and all!

The Only Time They Show Any Work Ethic...

...when the low hanging fruit is ripe for picking: 

North Yorkshire police said Covid marshals and officers visiting hospitality venues in York encountered “large numbers” of visitors from tier 3 areas and had processed 55 tickets to people in breach of their own tier regulations.

They said more than 100 further tickets were still awaiting paperwork completion and processing.

Do these people think it's a free country, or something? 

Well, the North Yorkshire Police Farce is here to disabuse them of that notion! After all, going door to door in struggling restaurants and pubs is much easier than catching burglars of child abusers, isn't it? 

It's even easier than trawling Facebook for thoughtcrime!

Supt Mike Walker of North Yorkshire police said: “People very clearly know and understand the risks, they know that this virus is deadly (Ed: Really?), they will know about the identification of a new strain (Ed: The one that's been around for months?) and know the serious steps the government has taken in the south-east, so there really is no excuse for acting so irresponsibly (Ed: Wrong idenity group, eh? ).

“If you choose to visit the city of York from tier 3 areas without a justifiable reason to have made your journey – with our extra patrols, chances are you will encounter one of our officers and you’ll be asked about the reason for your visit.”

He should read some history books, and look at what happened to the last bunch who delighted in snapping 'Papiere, bitte!'... 

Never Let It Be Said The Justice System Doesn't Protect People....

A paranoid schizophrenic killer has escaped deportation to Albania on human rights grounds after a judge ruled he might ‘harm others’...

Wait, what? 

Well, you didn't think I could possibly mean British people, did you?

...in his homeland.

*speechless* 

Astrit Mija killed his flatmate in 2003 and has spent the past 17 years in prison. He was jailed for life after being found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility for the attack on Arben Basha at their home in Ipswich – four years after he arrived in Britain and falsely claimed to be a Kosovan refugee.

He would normally be deported after completing his sentence, but an immigration judge ruled that despite free psychiatric care in Albanian hospitals and the killer having a ‘strong motivation’ to take his medication and not appearing ‘obviously mentally unwell’, it would breach his human rights to send him home.

'What about our human rights?' you cry..? Well, clearly we don't have any. 

Perhaps the judge and his solicitors would reconsider their devotion to human rights if they were made personally responsible for any future harm he might do in the UK?

On The Eleventh Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...another failing and incompetent government department. 

And a plethora of excuses for the justice system, yet more incompetent cronyism, an 'Accident and Emergency' service you can't use unless you've pre-booked, disunity in the Commons, the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

I Know 'Tis The Season, And All That...

...and board games are popular again, but I'm none too keen on this new modern version of 'Cluedo'. 

Does This Mean She's Not Been Sacked?

The officer is accused of failing to include vital CCTV footage and mobile phone data and then writing to one of the investigators to ask her not to mention footage even existed.

As a result of her actions a trial into a chemsex drug dealing gang collapsed and another linked case did not go ahead.

And who is she? 

However, a disciplinary panel has ruled she can only be referred to as "Officer A" throughout.

Even though you only need to Google to find it... 

It was ruled that she will not be identified after an order was made to protect her mental health.

This is despite the officer having previously been named in court.

And the name being freely available. And a glance at the image of her showing - perhaps - another reason for the leniency... 

At the time of the collapsed cases Judge Shani Barnes condemned the officer as “cavalier, disinterested and dismissive.”

She said: “I am confronted by an officer in the case admitting in writing that there were discs in a box with surveillance unseen, unscheduled, undisclosed.

“The attitude she expressed in writing reveals a cavalier, dismissive attitude to her duties as a responsible disclosure officer.

“She was disinterested in fulfilling her obligation to ensure that all material was viewed, scheduled and, where appropriate, provided to the defence.”

Another triumph for increasing diversity in the police farce, I'm sure you'll agree! 

On The Tenth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...a plethora of excuses for the justice system. 

nd yet more incompetent cronyism, an 'Accident and Emergency' service you can't use unless you've pre-booked, disunity in the Commons, the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

You Could Try Not Making Them Too Soft..?

The country's most senior judge yesterday demanded an end to criticism of the judiciary for handing serious criminals 'soft' sentences.

Well, I demand that this bewigged fool take the sex and travel option fortwith! Who is he to demand that his actions, and those of his fellow bleeding hearts, never face critiscism? 

Lord Burnett said 'ignorant' attacks on the penalties set by judges are 'corrosive and harmful'.

But setting free criminals far too early isn't 'corrosive and harmful'..? 

Lord Burnett, the head of the judiciary in England and Wales, said: 'Occasionally judges go wrong. We operate in public and state our reasons for making our decisions. Anyone is at liberty to disagree and can do so explaining why.

'But unreasoned or, worse, ignorant or ill-informed criticism from apparently authoritative quarters tends wrongly to erode confidence in the administration of justice. That is corrosive and harmful.'

Why do I think that in Burnett's pompous little mind, the definition of 'unreasoned, ignorant or ill-informed' is simply 'doesn't agree with me'..? 

Earlier this month Lord Burnett said attacks on lawyers and judges undermine the rule of law and questioned if politicians knew the boundaries of their role.

I question if he knows the boundaries of his own role... 

Look Who's Back...

The top scientific adviser who quit after breaking lockdown to see his married lover played a major role in the dramatic U-turn on Christmas.

Professor Neil Ferguson was among those attending a meeting of Nervtag – the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group – to discuss the new mutant strain of coronavirus on Friday.

The key findings showing the variant was 70 per cent more transmissible were then presented by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to Boris Johnson.

If this doesn't finally hammer the nail of understanding into the heads of those who - unaccountably - are still backing Boris, what will?

The man who was caught ignoring his own advice in order to to dip his wick has now returned and demanded that everyone's Christmas be ruined, and instead of laughing and saying 'Which moron let this clown back in the door?' before firing them, the useless buffoon in No 10 decided to take his advice once again.

Who could still argue that this man is fit to be Prime Minister?

On The Ninth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...yet more incompetent cronyism. 

And an 'Accident and Emergency' service you can't use unless you've pre-booked, disunity in the Commons, the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Let's Have Some More Christmas Music!

 

And what could be more Christmassy for 2020 than a squamous horror rising from the deep to devour us all? We could always make it Prime Minister.

It's 'Fill In The Blank' Time Again At The 'Mail'...

...answers on a postcard*, Reader!

*I'm kidding, drop them in 'Comments'.

Sunday Funnies...

Oh, those wacky Victorians! 

On The Eighth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...an 'Accident and Emergency' service you can't use unless you've pre-booked. 

And disunity in the Commons, the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Here's A Thought, Ladies: Maybe They Weren't Rapists At All..?

 

The inaccurately-named Centre For Women's Justice seems to need a lesson in what 'justice' actually is...

We have done this in the light of the recent plummeting volume of cases prosecuted and our own case work, which tells us that rape myths and stereotypes continue to infect the system.

Other research tells us something different, though. Who to believe, the people who understand the law, or the single issue whackjobs who believe arrest = guilt (but only if you're a man)..?

Our report makes a series of recommendations designed to ensure accountable leadership, radical thinking in our court system including a commission on juries and the adversarial approach, funded independent legal advocates, a ban on previous sex history, and adequately funded holistic specialist support services for survivors.

If you start from a standpoint that all acccusations are true, why don't you go the whole hog and demand the abolition of the trial system entirely?  

Well, The Justice System Isn't Going To Let That Happen, Surely?

Ms Huyton and her partner, 41-year-old Luke Hobbart, had owned Bailey - their first dog - since he was a puppy.

Speaking at the time, Ms Huyton told the ECHO: "Bailey was a big softy and would never hurt anyone, he was as soft as anything. He enjoyed human company more than other dogs.

"I just don't want anyone else to go through what we went through."

I mean, surely not? With all the aggravating features? 

Carmel Wilde, defending, said: "The defendant very much wishes to convey his genuine remorse. It appears to be out of character for the dog."

Wait, dogs have character in court? 

The court heard Leguen had "relatively minor previous convictions", which were some time ago.

Not the point. He had convictions.  

When Leguen was interviewed five days later, he denied being involved and gave an alibi. But he was picked out by Ms Huyton in an identity parade on November 11.

So, he lied to evade punishment? 

Judge Murray told him: "This was a serious incident and, as I've told your barrister, had you been sentenced nearer the time, an immediate sentence of imprisonment would likely have been the result.

However, there are unusual aspects of this case."

Can't see that myself, it seems a pretty regular case of underclass scum with uncontrollable killing machines. These cases are two a penny. 

He said there were "two important points", firstly that the attack was more than two years ago, and secondly that the prosecution was brought on the basis the dog was Jess, and when the indictment was amended to state it was Rocky, Leguen pleaded guilty.

*speechless* 

On The Seventh Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...disunity in the Commons at last. 

And the idiotic 'Rule Of Six', yet more mask insanity, four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

It Shows Something Else Too...

It is understood the Chief Whip was so concerned by the possibility his own letter would leak that he had it formatted in a way that made each copy individually identifiable.

One senior Tory said the summary dismissal showed Mr Spencer was ‘serious about cracking down on discipline’.

...it shows that once again, the Home Office proves itself the most disfunctional and disloyal department in Whitehall.

The Prime Minister was left infuriated in October when plans for a second lockdown were leaked to the Mail and other news organisations before they had even been finalised. A Cabinet Office leak inquiry to uncover the so-called ‘chatty rat’ has seen ministers and senior officials grilled by Whitehall security experts. But it has so far failed to identify the culprit.

The Prime Minister told MPs this week that the inquiry was still ongoing.

I guess it's pretty clear where they should be looking.

Rejoice!

Because they won't!

In February this year radical feminist Miss Scottow, 40, was handed a two-year conditional discharge, and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, with district judge Margaret Dodds telling her: ‘Your comments contributed nothing to a debate. We teach children to be kind to each other and not to call each other names in the playground.’

But, overturning the decision, Mr Justice Warby explained that the relevant parts of the Communications Act ‘were not intended by Parliament to criminalise forms of expression, the content of which is no worse than annoying or inconvenient in nature’.

Wow, such an important ruling must be very prominent in the left wing press, surely? Let's look at the 'Guardian': 

Hmmm, OK. How about the 'Indy', once I've fought through all the ads? 

Nothing to see here either. How strange! Could it be they didn't prepare anything because they thought they'n never lose?

On The Sixth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...the idiotic 'Rule Of Six'. 

And yet more mask insanity. four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Objection!

The activist lawyers are at it again: 

In an individual case that is still pending, submissions were made to the court on Friday on behalf of a 20-year-old Iraqi national who was moved to Penally barracks in September after previously having been housed in various hotels since he arrived to the UK in March 2020.

The man’s lawyers argue that his continued stay at the camp has posed a “real risk” to his health and that there had been “no lawful or reasonable justification for removing him from suitable accommodation to the facility”.

I suppose 'relieving the burden on the poor bloody taxpayer that's paying for your services too' doesn't count, then? No, of course not.  

They told the court that conditions at the camp did not allow for social distancing nor for compliance with the six-person rule, and that there was “no indication” that residents had proper access to medical care or masks, unless provided by a charity.

Is there any indication that they don't..? 

A Home Office spokesperson said residents were staying in safe, Covid-compliant conditions, in line with the law and social-distancing requirements, and were provided with guidance in relation to self-isolation, social distancing and hygiene.

Paul Turner, barrister at Imperium Chambers, who acted in the case, said the Home Office’s position was “at odds with the reality on the ground”.

Not half as at odds as your position, and that of the other advocates for these illegal immigrants.  

Well, Anyone Can Make 'A Mistake', Right?

Awarah Shikha, 28, who runs Sabina Mini Market, said sorry for his “mistake” at a hearing to decide whether his licence should be revoked yesterday (Monday 9 November).

The hearing was told that trading standards officers found the counterfeit Verbano and Mirella fizz on sale at the shop, also known as Tivoli Food and Wine.

They also found a fake bottle of Blossom Hill white zinfandel wine on the shelves at the shop, in Tivoli Crescent, Brighton, in March.

The clue was perhaps that the fake stuff tasted better? 

...dozens of neighbours wrote to Brighton and Hove City Council before the “virtual” licensing panel hearing – to speak up for Mr Shikha.

The panel said that the “letters of support” were more akin to character references than evidence about whether licensing laws were being broken.

Ah, so, he's a person of impeccable character? 

Mr Shikha told the panel that he had been honest with trading standards officers when they found the illicit alcohol...

Errr, yes, well, that's not really evidence, is it? They caught you red-handed! 

...and apologised for this and for breaching other licence conditions.

Oh..? 

The panel was told that the breaches included the store having no “designated premises supervisor” (DPS), no record of staff training and a sub-standard security camera system.

*sighs* 

Trading standards officer Catriona Macbeth told the five-hour panel hearing that the business had been caught selling illicit alcoholic drinks in the past.

Well, it seems to be fairly easy to catch them in Brighton! 

Mr Shikha, an Iraqi, told the panel that he came to Britain to improve his life and was working hard. He said that, while his spoken English was good, his understanding of written legal and technical terms meant that he made mistakes.

So they didn't explain to him the last time he was caught in plain English? 

The panel of three councillors retired to make a decision which will be made public within five working days.

What are they planning on doing for the other four days and 6 hours? 

On The Fifth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...yeah, you guessed it, yet more mask insanity! 

And four more contradictory rules on masks, a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Justice Removes The Blindfold...

...because it's no longer enough to be blind. Justice needs to be woke instead:  

Judges have been told they must take the ethnicity of gun criminals into account when they hand down punishments.

I'm all in favour of that, if it means harsher penalties for those who shouldn't be here in the first place! But of course, it doesn't. 

After research revealed that white criminals convicted of holding or carrying guns have been given lesser penalties than those from ethnic minorities, the Sentencing Council said judges must consider whether their decisions are influenced by their unconscious bias.

Or maybe they are influenced by other factors, such as criminal history, level of violence used, etc? Who knows?  

The new Sentencing Council guidance says that while there may be many reasons why sentences for white and black gun criminals have shown disparity, they should consider several paragraphs in the Bench Book when they hand down punishments.

The paragraphs contain material from a review of the treatment of black and ethnic minority people in the criminal justice system carried out by Labour frontbencher David Lammy in 2016.

*hollow laughter* 

Well, Then, Maybe You Should Have Asked For Some Before You Started...

The insider said: 'The civil service has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination in all forms, but we will always be led by the evidence and by what works.

'Expert analysis is clear – there is no evidence that unconscious bias training works and it can even be detrimental. It is untenable to spend taxpayers' money on this.'

...and not after you'd rolled it out to the tune of £156 of taxpayer cash for everyone forced to undergo it.

The move will be welcomed by Tory MPs who have questioned why ministers have adopted an unproven agenda championed by the Left.

Pot, meet kettle.  

Mansfield Conservative MP Ben Bradley, who refused to undergo unconscious bias training in Parliament, last night said the move was overdue.

'People are fed up with being preached at by a metropolitan elite pushing a divisive agenda that doesn't even work.'

But we should trust them to handle the coronavirus 'crisis' because, errr, ummm, someone help me out here? 

On The Fourth Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...four more contradictory rules on masks. 

And a third mask policy U-turn, two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Sounds About Right For West Midlands Police...

A machete-wielding thug attacked a mother's car while she was dropping her four-year-old daughter at school.

The woman, 23, said her family's car was attacked outside the gates of a school in Dudley, West Midlands, on Wednesday morning.

Shocking footage shows a man thrashing his weapon through the windscreen and onto the car bonnet at around 9.10am.

Well, at least the police will finally be able to do the job they are paid f..

Oh. 

The woman, whose partner was driving, claimed police failed to attend the scene despite four 999 calls from other parents and the school.

Perhaps they should have lied and said he wasn't wearing a mask? 

The culprits fled the scene, but the woman did manage to note down the number plate of the grey-coloured Mercedes van. However, she claims she didn't hear anything from the police after reporting the incident and was merely given a police log number.

She claims she called officers via the non-emergency number 101 to find out what was happening only to be told an officer would be in touch on Thursday.

Is anyone really surprised? Their lame excuse is that they were told the offender 'had fled' and there was 'no longer any danger'. 

And that's not the worst of it...

The woman said her partner was later pulled over by police officers due to the smashed window. He explained what had happened to officers, who she said were 'gobsmacked' and told him to get it fixed.

/facepalm 

The mum later said that an inspector had been in touch, following media inquiries, and an officer was due to take a statement on Wednesday night.

Ooh, a complaint got her a whole day knocked off the sluggish response!  

"On the first part of the journey, I was looking at all the life..."

A spokesperson said: “We reiterate the apology that was issued after the horse ran. Racist language is not tolerated in our sport, whether intentional or accidental. We are opposed to racism and prejudice in all its forms and are committed to making British racing an open, diverse and inclusive industry that is welcoming to all.

“We are deeply concerned as to how this happened and are reviewing the processes for approving the names of racehorses,” the spokesperson concluded.

There was no word as to whether disciplinary action would be taken against whoever submitted the name.

The name of the horse? Jungle Bunny. A racial epithet from the Sixties and Seventies that's probably been forgotten by everyone in the Twenties.

So...how did this happen?

Emma Evans, the wife of the horse’s owner-trainer David Evans, said the naming had been an innocent mistake deriving from the name of the filly’s sire, Bungle Inthejungle.

“David’s daughter gave us the horse and there’s a computer game called Jungle Bunny Run, which her son loves playing,” Evans said. “I just thought, that’ll do. I had no idea. It was completely innocent and that is the gospel truth.

“None of the staff said anything, nobody else said anything and I’m totally flabbergasted,” she added. “I’m upset because we’ve had our Sunday ruined by everybody ringing about it. It makes you look like a racist, which I am certainly not.”

You probably aren't. But that doesn't matter any more. Does it? 

It's no longer about the perceived 'evildoing' of the perpetrator, but more about the egregious virtuesignalling and chestbeating 'anti racism' of those condeming them. These people are eagerly throwing meat to the crocodile in the hope they won't be eaten.

On The Third Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...a third mask policy U-turn. 

And two-tier policing, and someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Time To Stuff Their Mouths With More Gold?

More than 100,000 patients will not be able to get the Covid vaccine from their family doctor after their GP surgeries decided not to take part in its deployment, the Guardian can reveal.

Who is surprised? Anyone? Bueller? 

Dozens of GP practices in England have chosen not to join the NHS’s coronavirus vaccination programme amid concerns their workloads are already too heavy, they have too few staff and that patients could suffer if practices have to cut back other services so doctors can administer the injections.

Let me tell you about my experience with GP services during Covid; an 'appointment' has been 'the doctor will call you sometime today', a visit to the surgery (when graciously permitted) entails standing outside in the freezing cold until one of the four receptionists deigns to stop gossiping with one of the others and come over to see you, and as for 'cutting other services', who knew they had any left to cut?

There is concern that, once a surgery has signed up, the length of the contract – nine months – could mean that patients may struggle to access care during that time.

That will hardly be a novel experience for patients, now, will it? 

The 'Community' Has Strange Priorities...

Detective Chief Superintendent Treena Fleming, said: 'I am aware of videos circulating on social media showing part of the incident and we are working to establish the full circumstances of what occurred.

'A public complaint has been received and we recognise the community concern around this incident so we have made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.'

Meanwhile, elsewhere in London...

A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in east London at around the same time as another teenager in the capital suffered life-threatening injuries after also being knifed, police have said.

I don't see any 'community concern' about this... 

On The Second Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...two-tier policing. 

And someone running the country I didn't get to vote for.

Are The Police Now Expected To Give Up...?

 

...or is this just a clumsy headline in the 'Argus'?

Let's Have Some Christmas Music, Shall We?

Oh, I would totally buy this if it were real!  

Sunday Funnies...

Human inventiveness knows no bounds. 

Sunday Funnies...

Wells, I never..!  

On The First Day Of Covidmas, Boris Gave To Me...

...someone running the country I didn't get to vote for. 

What Do The Woke All Have In Common?

Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gixzmondo on the temerity of a young black actress daring to express herself in a manner that doesn't conform to his own opinions:

What these celebrities have in common—beyond being household names in part because of their association with Disney—is that they’re all entitled to have their beliefs no matter how factually inaccurate, offensive, and rooted in bad faith they may be from the perspective of the general public.

Mahlon Romeo on Millwall fans booing the players who decided they were there to raise support for a Marxist political group rather than play football:

Romeo told the South London Press: “It’s something I can’t wrap my head around. People will have their beliefs and views, which everyone is entitled too (sic). I’m not trying to stop or contain – but if your beliefs and views oppose a positive change in society then don’t come to a football ground and spread them around. ”

It's that they really, genuinely believe that theirs is now 'the voice of the people'. Not of fringe lunatics.  

"That's not a knife..."

"...oh, wait, it's 30 of them, actually."

At 17:35hrs on Thursday, 10 December, officers were on proactive patrol in the N5 area when they noticed a suspicious male stood on a wall handing several boxes up to another male through a window.

The 16-year-old was searched under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and inside the box they found 15 hunting knives. He was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and taken into police custody where he remains.

Officers then went inside the property he was passing the boxes into and found a further 15 hunting knives in boxes. The 15-year-old male inside the property also had a lock knife in his trousers. He was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and remains in police custody.

But it's vital that stop and search must be discontinued, right, progressives? 

If Only There Really Was A Net, Judge...

A man who threw his infant son into a river “slipped through the net” of mental health services, a judge has said.

...it's more like, well, nothing. 

The psychiatrist Dr John Crosby, his treating clinician at Ashworth secure hospital (and the same guy giving evidence on behalf of another murderous psychotic in the news), said Bennett-Eko, who had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, should “never have been discharged” from community mental health care services in the years before his son’s death.

Thanks for that, Dr Hindsight. Why was he then?

Bennett-Eko, who was too unwell to appear at the trial or the sentencing, was previously diagnosed with psychosis related to cannabis and sectioned at the age of 15 but discharged into the care of his GP in 2017, the court was told.

Hard enough to get in to see the GP if you're sane... 

Peter Wright QC, defending, added that Bennett-Eko had tried to seek support for his mental health problems six times in the weeks leading up to his son’s death.

The judge said: “You expressly asked to be sectioned. The notes of one of those visits positively states ‘no emergency, no urgency’ and you were again simply referred back to your GP.”

There's no 'net' at all, is there? 

One Of Those 'Children' That Need Kid Gloves..?

The young officer, who has not been named but is in her 20s, needing facial surgery after she was assaulted while handcuffing the boy.

The thug, who was considerably bigger than the officer, punched her in the nose after she tried to restrain him during the stop-and-search in Ashby, Leicestershire, on September 12.

He was sixteen. One of the fragile little souls that must never be tasered or have a spit hood placed on them...

Has the police force learned anything from the incident? Like, say, getting a slim, slight female involved in a tussle with someone who outweighs her so you can boast about 'community representation' and feel smug about your diversity credentials isn't a good idea?

Inspector Rich Jackson said: 'This was a horrific assault carried out on an officer who was simply doing her job.

'The attack was carried out by a person who was bigger, taller and stronger meaning that one punch caused horrendous long-term injuries.'

That'll be 'no' then. 

You're Disappointed..?

Imagine how we, the taxpayers, feel...

The Home Office said it was 'disappointed' with the decision. Five of the men had already pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and jailed for two weeks. Their convictions are expected to be quashed.

Yet another utter failure from a government department that can't even get the basics right... 

A Border Force source said: 'It's a basic principle that a foreign national must have set foot in this country to be charged with illegal entry. This offence should be bread and butter stuff for immigration officers.'

Here's a newsflash - it wasn't.  

The Home Office did not seek specific legal advice about the evidence required for a prosecution before the vessel was intercepted.

Surely in an operation with over 250 civil servants and frontline officers someone must have thought 'Hang on, if they are intercepted before they land, are they actually breaking the law?'..? 

But incredibly, no one did. 

A spokesman for the department said: 'The decision to arrest and charge was an operational one made by officials who are fully aware of the relevant legislation.

'Because these are summary offences dealt with at the magistrates' court, it was not a case where one would go to the CPS and get legal advice.'

Clearly, they either aren't 'fully aware' or they are and thought they could blag it.  

After the arrests, Priti Patel hailed the operation as a 'big win' against a 'serious illegal enterprise'.

What do you think of it now, Priti? Ready to do a bit of bullying and firing, I hope! 

Ana Maria Ajazi, 34, whose husband Taulant was hiding in the ship and has been held at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire since his arrest, said: 'I'm very happy to hear this news. I hope they will release him soon.

'I am angry they made this mistake because they have been in prison for nearly a month.'

*grinds teeth* 

Mrs Ajazi, who is currently in Romania, added: 'I hope they will all be released with documentation so they can live freely.'

I hope they are put on the next plane out of here. But no doubt the activist lawyers are already circling... 

Mr Ajazi, 31, from Tirana, said he and other migrants were poised to launch appeals to stay in Britain.

'It is our human right to be able to come here with our families,' he added. 'Our life is at risk in our country because of our debts. We spoke to lawyers. It is our right to be able to live our life in freedom.'

Not here it isn't. But we are once again on the hook for massive payouts and more people we don't want in our country because of the utter uselessness and blinding incompetence of the people who are paid to do a job. 

And yet seemingly prove unsackable when it turns out they aren't up to it. 

How's That Diversity Recruitment Coming, Police Chiefs..?

A Metropolitan Police officer from Essex has been dismissed from the force after an investigation into the wholesale movement of drugs and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Between November last year and March this year the officer, in uniform and using a marked police car, worked with an associate who dressed as an officer to “seize significant amounts of cash” from couriers, the force said. The cash was either due to be laundered or had been provided to the couriers as payment for drugs, the Met added.

Disgraceful! No wonder the police feel the need to change the recruitment process to get more ethnic minorities into the ranks, and... 

PC Kashif Mahmood was dismissed without notice after being convicted of misconduct in public office and conspiracy to acquire criminal property, the Met said.

Oh.

Another Likely Story!

A death row dog ordered to be put down by the courts after attacking two people and a pet has gone missing on the day his owner was told to give him up.

Well, I never! What an astonishing thing to happen! 

Jasper the pharaoh hound savaged a small Scottie dog, its owner and a good samaritan who tried to help on a walk in Aberdeenshire. Owner Susan Allan was given a week on November 13 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to hand him over so he could be destroyed.

Now, I've often bemoaned the expense of keeping these things at taxpayer expense until the inevitable visit to the vet, but if the alternative is 'Oh, dear, he ran away, so sorry m'lud...' then hang the bloody expense! 

But seven days later on November 20, Allan reported Jasper missing, posting on a lost and found Facebook group he vanished in woods near Mintlaw. The Press & Journal reported how she described him as “friendly but quite nervous”.

Bit economical with the truth there, eh? 

In the comments section of the post, some dog walkers voiced concern about Jasper being in the woods by himself – particularly since he was dangerous.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Jasper's as likely to be 'missing in the woods' as McGrath's dog was 'buried at a dump'. 

Wow, It's April 1st Already..?

Doesn't time fly in 2020?

Who 'assigned' him a male identity? Other than nature?

H/T: LeCreusetFiend via Twitter

A Question From 2015 Answered!

It was such a puzzle 5 years ago. But I think it's not such a puzzle now... 

Erorh faced trial at Kingston Crown Court and was found not guilty of attempted murder.

He was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on Monday, 30 November and will be sentenced on 8 February 2021 at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

How exactly you can stab someone twice in the chest with a knife you brought to the scene and then go on to make a drill rap music video about it and not get convicted of attempted murder, I just don't know. 

Perhaps the jury had a nice order of fried chicken for their lunch? It does seem to do some very strange things to people...

Well, That's OK, Love, It's Not Your Job To Be Popular With Them...

Police officers have voiced concerns a new pilot scheme for shops to report crimes will​...

Make the idle bastards do their job for a change, perchance? 

...make it 'too easy' to record offences, a police commissioner has revealed.

Yup. Thought so.  

A survey of more than 100 businesses revealed the shocking number of unreported crimes including thefts, violence and public order incidents.

But she has told how the scheme has been greeted with scepticism by some officers because it could lead to a huge spike in crime reports. She added that it probably wouldn't make her popular with 'senior officers'.

Well, so what? They aren't doing the job they are paid for. If the crime figures are currently low, it's because everyone know they are less use than a chocolate teapot. So why bother ever calling them, unless the insurance company won't pay out without a crime number...

Shopkeeper Pratibha Paleja, 63, from Hastings, told how she had been repeatedly assaulted by customers and those she caught stealing from her corner shop.

'I've had my wrist broken, I've been abused. Shoplifters, druggies, drunks, it's been a problem for some time and it isn't getting any better,'

Mrs Paleja added. 'I've phoned the police after catching people stealing and they just refuse to come and say let the thieves go. It needs to change.'

It does. May this be the first step on the path to ensuring it. 

...But Mostly, It Doesn't.

Of course, the state dropped the ball again and again, Of course, it exonerated itself, as it always does, of any blame, despite the evidence before them. It's to be expected. 

But this?

...in what appears to be a shockingly insensitive comment, the report stressed that two of Skana's care staff 'wanted it to be known that when well, they regarded E S as a kind and lovely person'.

Clearly, the murdering illegal immigrant isn't the only one to have lost her reason. The writer of the report needs their bumps felt too.  

Mr Jones demanded that the trust apologise for its failings and said health bosses who oversaw Skana's care should be sacked.

'I want some senior heads to roll. I don't like the fact that they are hiding in their ivory towers. I hope they can't sleep, like I can't.'

Sadly, they probably sleep very well. They are, of course, safe in their beds. While they do everything to ensure no-one else is... 

Sometimes, Just Sometimes, The System Works...

A cocaine dealer who owned three stun guns has been warned by a judge that he is on the cusp of “destroying” the lives of those closest to him.

And all his customers, and the people they steal from to maintain their habit. Did you forget them, judge? 

Judge Robert Pawson said the defendant could face years in prison for his crimes but decided to “take a chance” on him and defer sentencing for six months.

He's not taking the chance, of course. Everyone else is.  

Mitigating John Dyer said the defendant had “everything in his life going for him” and he had “glowing references”.

The court heard his employers were willing to keep him on if he remained drug free.

The odds of that being astronomical.  

A drug dealer who was found in possession of a stun gun and class A drugs has been jailed. There might be nothing unusual in that as a headline. However when he appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court on 25 September 2020, he was handed a deferred sentence. This would mean he would not have to serve any jail time.

At this point the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP, intervened. The case was referred to the Appeal Court. On 2 December the sentence was found to be unduly lenient and has been increased to 3 years’ imprisonment, minus 37 days Davis spent on qualifying curfew.

/applause 

H/T: Peter Wells via email 

I Doubt She Feels Very Graced...

 

*sighs*

Errrr....

Funniest looking owl I ever saw...

H/T: Simon Cooke via Twitter

Sunday Funnies...

Don't blame the actors, blame the scriptwriters! 

And When You Do Want To Pay...

BBC bosses have been warned millions of people are refusing to pay the annual TV licence fee after backtracking on a deal to offer free access to the elderly.

The universal free TV licence for over-75s has ended - with the BBC confirming they will now means-test those in that age bracket to determine their entitlement.

The changes, which started on August 1, were previously delayed because of the pandemic.

And are being further delayed by the utter incompetence of the TV Licensing staff, because when my elderly mother finally got her letter - in October! - I offered to pay it for her, and went online to complete the registration. 

Then over three weeks later got a letter, with a bank direct debit form to complete and send back, since they 'couldn't process it online'. 

Duly sent back the same day, I'm still waiting for them to take the money...

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden last week claimed it is now time to "ask really profound questions" about public service broadcasting in the digital age. The BBC has long maintained it "continued to innovate, adapt and lead change,' but Mr Dowden suggested platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix had "lobbed a grenade into the system".

Pity it was only a metaphorical one. 

In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: "The past few months have served as a powerful reminder of just how much the BBC matters locally, nationally and globally.

"Our programmes and services have never been more relevant, important or necessary."

If they were that, you'd have no problems competing on a level playing field, would you?   

I'd Better Buy All The Popcorn For This One!

People* are furious after the creator of a Instagram page promoting black-owned businesses turned out to be...

A scammer?  

...white.

*blinks* 

Where is this? Oh, I should have known!

The Brighton and Hove social media page which "celebrates indie black business" was started in June this year and has been asking for money through PayPal and Patreon.

The page has been accused of being "misleading" due to its use of the black emoticons - which gave the impression, people claim, that it was being run by a black person.

Instagram users have left dozens of messages underneath an apology from the page, which was put up on Tuesday, along with a picture of its owner, Helen, drinking coffee in Hove.

Jamaican coffee, I hope? Just for the LOLs... 

*Reader, it means 'activists', not real people, who mostly couldn't care less...

Appropriate Juxtapositioning...

 

District Judge John McGarva described it as a very unpleasant incident which had lasted most of the day. “Extensive violence was used and she must have been terrified,” he said. “You humiliated her by trying to urinate on her, you tried to control her by taking her phone and she thought you were going to strangle her.”

You know there's a 'but' coming, don't you?

Gareth Price, defending, said his client recognised that the aggravating factors pushed the matter over the custody threshold. “To his credit he has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, he has no previous convictions and he is in full-time employment,” said Mr Price. “The author of the pre-sentence report says this man can be managed in the community.”

Just because he can, doesn't mean he should... 

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison suspended for 24 months and made subject to a community order for two years with 35 days rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation £85 costs and £128 victim surcharge and made subject to a restraining order for two years.

Doesn't sound like Dean Alex Evans has much to worry about, then....

Oh, wait!

Jailing Evans, who pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing, for 14 months, Judge Graham Knowles QC said: “The striking thing is that you have come here and through council, you say you are about to get what you deserve. Not so many people say that.

“Mr Heyworth tells me that’s what you say and you have spoken of your shame in having hit a woman. You accept you should pay the price. Your real mitigation is your guilty plea.”

What a pity for him he didn't have the benefit of an Eastern European name...