Tweet Of The Month

Well played...

Post Title Of The Month

LegIron in uncharacteristically gloomy mood:

Quote Of The Month

Longrider lays into the witterings of vacuous 'celebrities' from the 'Harry Potter' franchise: 

"I suspect that most of those making noises, wibbling about some mythical “community” and issuing death threats to dissidents aren’t trans at all, just as BLM protesters are predominately middle class, white, clueless kids who have been propagandised by the cultural Marxists.

As is Rupert Grint."

Post Of The Month

A tie for March, with both Bill Sticker and DumbJon pointing out the success of Florida in fighting covid.

Oooh, Oooh, I Know The Answer!

Is it 'because the judge is a moron'? Sure seems like it.

Kieran Byrne punched David Harrison to the eye during a late night attack in Crawley. Mr Harrison said the unprovoked attack was unexpected and gave him no time to prepare or raise his defences.

"It felt like I had been hit with a brick," he said.

I expect you'll feel that way about the 'justice' you've received too... 

So, what's the excuse? First offence?

It was revealed that Byrne had committed a similar offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm when he was aged 16, and has a penchant for mixed martial arts.

Oh, Guess not.  

His defence barrister Kyri Argyropolous said Byrne has made efforts to turn his life around, and said sending the thug to prison would be "potentially catastrophic".

How has he made those efforts? What has he actually done? 

The Judge told Byrne: “You seriously affected the lives of three innocent people with this brutal and uncalled for aggression.

“It seems you have an interest in mixed martial arts, that potentially contributed to the serious injury on this occasion.

"The fact is I don’t really care. You chose to use extreme violence on innocent people.

“You were part of an assault on a gentleman who lost his tooth in a group attack that you all bear responsibility for.

“Another man walking along was doing his best to calm things down, and you subjected him to a cowardly and vicious assault. He could have died. He was attacked when he was not expecting it.”

The judge said work would need to be done to stop Byrne, of Shaws Road, Crawley, turning to violence in an “explosive way”.

That work being 'banging him up for a long time'. No?

No... 

Judge Mooney said there is a programme to work with Byrne, but also asked: “Would the public be appalled if I didn’t impose an immediate prison sentence?

“There is an extremely compelling argument that that is the approach I should adopt.

“But without addressing your use of explosive violence, would I instead be storing up a problem for a future judge?

“It seems that whatever the public reaction is, I have to take a longer term view.”

Touching concern for your colleagues. Little - if any - for the innocent members of the public who are likely to be on the receiving end of this thug's unprovoked violence. 

I Suppose A Pair Of Gloves Is Out Of The Question?

Before starting the job in May 2019 the personal trainer had told managers that her anxiety disorder would be 'triggered' by touching items with 'hygiene issues', The Sun reports.

So...maybe sweaty people aren't the best things to choose to work with? 

However bosses ignored the severity of her disorder, instead concluding that Ms Burton was hostile and difficult to work with, the tribunal heard.

Gosh, seems...actually reasonable, doesn't it? 

Ms Burton has a condition which causes her to suffer panic attacks and emotional distress when coming into contact with something she considers to have 'cleanliness issues'.

Problem solved! 

 

Speaking at an employment tribunal in Croydon, South London, Ms Burton told the judge that she was 'embarrassed at having to explain and justify my condition', The Sun reports.

You should be - you shouldn't be 'justifying' your condition, but seeking to overcome it. Or find another job! 

Bosses likened her decision to work at a gym to someone with a milk allergy taking a job as a barista, The Sun reports.

Quite! 

A judge ruled that Ms Burton had suffered unlawful harassment. She is expected to receive compensation of an amount not yet decided.

I'm strugging to suggest something appropriate here, unlike the last barmy decision. Over to you, Reader! 

Law Of Averages...

A new data study examining the hygiene ratings of chicken shops in every London borough has mapped your chances of getting hygienic food (or not) when choosing one of London's most popular take away meals.

'Most popular', or most dangerous..? 

It showed that Richmond, one of the capital's most affluent boroughs, in fact had the lowest average hygiene ratings of any borough in London...

Richmond...!? Seriously?  

...though that was based on the one registered chicken shop there included in the study, which had a hygiene rating of 1.

Oh. 

Just What Was She Being 'Supported' To Do?

Another case where the state gives a good shoeing to the lexicon:

Verphy Kudi's daughter Asiah perished in a flat at a 'supported housing' block in Brighton in December 2019 after being left alone for six days with no food or water.

And what was she doing all this time? Well, what any young black single mother would do, rather than look after the child: 

Now, it has been revealed Kudi tried to sell concert tickets on Twitter on the day the baby's body was found. Another tweet showed her attempting to become a Pretty Little Thing model months after Asiah's death.

So...just who was supporting the baby, if not the feckless mother (or unidentified father, it goes without saying)? 

Kudi's flat was one of eight in a residential complex run by charity YMCA DownsLink to house vulnerable young families on behalf of Brighton City Council.

Not content with leaving the word 'supported' gasping in the gutter with broken ribs, the state is looking menacingly at the word 'vulnerable', spitting on its hands and rolling up its sleeves for another round... 

YMCA DownsLink staff are located at the entrance to the block at all times. Residents with social workers can receive visits but because the flats are independent units YMCA staff do not enter the living areas or carry out regular inspections.

And no-one heard an unattended crying baby and thought 'that sounds suspicious'? Sheesh... 

Baby Asiah did not have a social worker.

No, of course not. Why would she need one, swaddled as she was in the tender arms of the st...oh, wait, that was her mother. Silly me. 

Kudi has repeatedly gone missing since the age of 14 and been the subject of numerous police appeals. MailOnline has asked the council if she had a social worker at the time of her baby’s death.

The answer is almost certainly 'Yes'. Bet they have a few questions to answer... 

Judge Christine Laing QC told Kudi: 'You have heard that before I get to sentence you the defence want to get a report on your behalf and a doctor will no doubt make arrangements to see you and interview you over the next few weeks.'

The case was adjourned to a provisional sentencing date of May 28, but Kudi was warned this may be delayed.

Now she's the victim, you see.  

But No Common Sense..?

"Callum crammed a lot of fun, love and hard work into his 21 years."

Sadly, his leisure time was the problem... 

A series of tyre marks on the road showed that Callum had started to lose control of the car as he approached the turning where he crashed.

"They show the vehicle is starting to rotate as it's going at a speed too high to try and negotiate the bend," a representative for Sussex Police told the inquest.

"It mounted the verge, hit two lamp posts and came to rest 100 metres from the bend. There was no evidence at all of braking."

He added: "If he had been travelling within the speed limit and giving due care and attention, I believe he would have been able to negotiate that bend."

Brighton and Hove coroner Veronica Hamilton Deeley recorded the cause of death as "unsurvivable head and brain injuries due to a road traffic collision". She also noted the "presence of alcohol at 227mg per 100ml of blood" as a contributing factor.

Darwin strikes again! 

I Need A New Blogtag...

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

My Hunting Games Get Wilder...

...now it seems we can hunt Piers Morgan!

Sunday Funnies...

I rather assumed every big city everywhere had one...

Here Comes The Latest Campaign...

...and just like the other one, its real aim is...himself:

The footballer and anti-poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford has vowed to reach hundreds of thousands of children who have never owned a book, before the publication of his own.

He's writing a book now? Well...no. 

Written in collaboration with the journalist Carl Anka and the performance psychologist Katie Warriner...

Just what, exactly, is he contributing then? 

...the book draws on stories from Rashford’s own life to show readers that “success is all about the mindset” and promises to reveal “how positive thinking can change your life, build mental resilience, learn how to navigate adversity and discover the unstoppable power of your own voice”.

He certainly can speak to that. 

The Manchester United and England striker has signed a deal with Macmillan Children’s Books to promote reading and literacy among children from all backgrounds, and has previously talked about his own lack of access to books as a child.

Rashford said: “There were times where the escapism of reading could have really helped me. I want this escapism for all children. Not just those that can afford it.”

Wait, they don't have free libraries in Manchester? 

You'd Think The Police Knew The Difference Between A Confirmed Fact And A Suspected One...

...wouldn't you?

There was widespread outrage when the force made the claims in a press release on Monday that “a total of 20 officers were assaulted or injured and two of them were taken to hospital after suffering broken bones. One of them also suffered a punctured lung.”

But in an updated press release on Wednesday, the force clarified this was not true, saying: “Thankfully, following a full medical assessment of the two officers taken to hospital, neither were found to have suffered confirmed broken bones.”

And the lung..? Not punctured?

Around the same time, a BBC reporter said on Twitter that Andy Marsh, the head of the force, had admitted in a press conference that no officer had a punctured lung.

Whoops! 

Avon and Somerset police have said they are expecting further protests this week.

I hope they are all in training for it...

 

*Yawns* Another Corrupt Labour Councillor?

Wake me up when you find an honest one...

A Greenwich councillor who applied for and lived in council housing while she owned three other properties has been found guilty of fraud.

It took a jury roughly an hour of deliberation to come to the decision on Tonia Ashikodi’s case at Inner London Crown Court today.

An hour..? Were the tea and biscuits that good? 

Cllr Ashikodi remained silent as the verdict was read out.

No squawks of 'racism'? I'm astonished. 

Addressing the councillor following the finding, Judge Benedict Kelleher said “these are serious matters”.

The judge added that he would consider “all sentencing options” when the matter returns to court on March 4.

Except jail, of course... 

The court heard her councillor’s allowance was her only income.

If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell! 

Ouch!

I do love Twitter takedowns!

Such Integrity...

A chief constable apologised yesterday for 'accidentally' endorsing a tweet that blamed rioting in Bristol on police and the Government.

Rachel Swann, who leads Derbyshire Police, 'liked' the message, which said the violence was inevitable after officials 'criminalised peaceful protest'.

*sighs* Yes, it's her. Ms BogBrush Hair. 

Miss Swann 'liked' the tweet late on Sunday night but later deleted the endorsement after being criticised online.

So strong! So brave! 

Miss Swann, who became her force's first female chief constable in August, said that she had 'accidentally liked a tweet which did not reflect my view of the situation'.

She added: 'When I realised this morning I immediately corrected it.'

Are you that dim? If you are, should you be a Chief Constable?  

In 2019, Miss Swann told how she was temporarily driven off Twitter after 'sexist and homophobic' abuse over her spiky hairstyle.

Perhaps you should have stayed off? You clearly can't be trusted with it... 

Modern Journalism Pt 78945287

Headline: 

Actual story:

Pushy parents who pile pressure on teachers to improve their children's GCSE or A-level grades will be reported to exam boards, headteachers have warned.

Exams watchdog Ofqual supports the stance, saying any attempt to interfere with teachers' assessments breaches the rules and if malpractice is found, a pupil's results could be quashed.

In other words, they will only cut grades if it's found that the teacher has given in to persuasion and inflated them. Not simply as revenge for the peasants daring to challenge them.

But that's not what the alarmist headline implies, is it? 

You Gambled, You Lost...

Bonny Turner, whose rape case was dropped by the CPS, said: “I feel shocked, devastated and angry that the court has sided with the CPS and refused to uphold EVAW’s claim that the CPS have failed victims of rape … there have been demands for more convictions and tougher sentences for male violence against females, but none of that is achievable until we look upstream in the criminal justice system and prosecute more cases.”

And if that's what happens, the ratio will drop further. The CPS proceed with cases they think they'll win, or it's in the public interest to prosecute.  

The case was crowdfunded with thousands of small donations, many from women whose rape cases did not make it to court. The claimants will now be expected to pay £75,000 in costs and a CPS spokesperson confirmed it would seek costs in order to fulfil its “responsibility to the taxpayer to recoup costs from legal action which we always argued was without merit”.

Good. I hope they don't manage to screw this one up, because it's about time these single-issue looks started paying the price for their antics. 

I Bet Jolyon Maugham Opened A Bottle Of Champers Early This Morning...

Because it seems the former UK's most reviled QC has now lost his title - to a woman. 

Specifically, Ms Patterned Leggings, whose dog mauled a seal before she took to her heels and fled back to her £5.8 million pound abode to get on the phone to ensure she'd be protected by the Establishment from any consequences:

The Oxford-educated QC who was in charge of the dog that savaged Freddie the seal says she has spoken to the police and the RSPCA who told her no crime has been committed.

...

On Tuesday, her lawyers said she made contact with police after the attack and was referred to the RSPCA, and was told no offence had occurred.

How long after the attack? Because, as reported that morning, the police were either unaware or this, or lying: 

Earlier, the Met Police told MailOnline that officers were investigating the death and 'looking to identify witnesses and to speak to the owner of the dog involved'.

And...why is she so sure there's no case to answer? Are there no penalties for this sort of thing? 

The person in control of a dog that chases or attacks farm animals can be fined up to £1,000, or £2,500 if the offence was deliberate. Similar fines apply to attacks on wild animals.

Perhaps it's something that never gets applied, because it's hard to prove? 

...earlier this year a dog owner was fined £500 after their Irish setter puppy mauled a deer in Richmond Park.

So her confidence would seem misplaced. Wouldn't it? In a fair world, anyway. 

They're A Bit Busy Playing Beach Volleyball, Maybe?

I assume she meant 'Myanmar', but who really knows..?

Time To Do Your Stuff Again, Social Media...

Photographer Duncan Phillips, 55, who was shooting images of the seal when it was attacked on the slipway, told MyLondon: 'It was quite a vicious attack. The dog just wouldn't let go.

'It wouldn't let go despite repeated attempts by members of the public to separate the animals.'

None of them, sadly, has a weapon, except their bare hands. They all deserve medals. 

The owner? Scarpered. In case the police could be bothered to turn up... 

'The out of control dog was recalled by the owner who then left the scene...'

It's a woman. Chances are, a local. Good chance someone knows who she is. Social media is good at this. 

“One of the men actually started kicking the dog quite aggressively and the owner got rather upset...”

Hopefully, she'll soon have something else to get upset about. 

Oh, Look! It's The Usual Suspects...

No, not just the rent-a-mob who went on the rampage in Bristol last night, taking advantage of the previous reaction to their antics:

Too stupid to realise the revulsion over the images of burning police vans brings this law closer? Or not really caring one way or the other, so long as they get 'likes'? 

You decide, Reader.

Making It Official?

In court, Banfield's lawyer said he should not have to do community service because of his difficulty working with criminals.

Yeah, we've all noticed the West Midlands Police 'work ethic' in action, so for once, I can believe it!

West Midlands Police said Banfield has been suspended from his job and is facing a disciplinary probe into gross misconduct.

I'd love to be able to say it's an open and shut case and they couldn't screw it up. Wouldn't you? 

Musical Interlude...

New from K-Tel!

Clossssssse Enough....

...for the 'Argus'. anyway: 

Sunday Funnies...

It's never the medium, it's always the message...

Whoops!

Why should anyone be surprised, though? The woke feel that their opinions outweigh everything else, even the law.

Set The Level Of Compo At A Case Of Diet Coke...

An overweight police officer whose boss said she might feel better if she stopped drinking 'gallons of Coke' has won a claim for harassment.

Detective Constable Kerry Moth was 'humiliated' when she was told she needed to 'take more responsibility' over her diet, a tribunal in Exeter heard.

Yeah, they aren't keen on personal respomsibility in the police farces, are they? 

Superior officer Detective Sergeant Daryl Marvelly said if colleagues saw she was making an effort to slim down they would have more respect for her, the hearing was told.

Imp;lying they didn't have a lot already..? Gosh. I wonder why. 

The officer, who joined the Devon and Cornwall Police in 2003, suffered from the painful condition fibromylagia, and had 179 days off work over a four-year period, the tribunal heard.

Ah. We keep hearing this condition used as an excuse.  

The tribunal heard that in February 2019 Professor John Harrison from the force's Occupational Health department delivered a report on how the illness affected DC Moth's ability to do her job.

He explained that Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that requires people to learn to live with the condition and modify their lifestyle.

Like...their diet? 

In the unlikely event of a situation becoming violent, in Professor Harrison's view, DC Moth would be able to protect herself and come to the aid of a fellow officer.

By sitting or falling on the criminal? 

However, he added that she was not fit to undergo a fitness test and therefore could not undergo officer safety training.

/facepalm

But don't worry, there's always some cretin ready to ride to the rescue! Step forward employment judge Smail!

Employment Judge Alastair Smail, said: 'We had little doubt that this [meeting] was a humiliating experience for [DC Moth]...

'[DS Marvelly] was not acting in bad faith but he did not have a basis upon which to continue to challenge the [DC Moth] along these lines.

'It foreseeably had and did have the effect of humiliating her.

'It was unfortunate. Referring to [her] drinking gallons of Coca Cola indicates an unprofessional tone in the discussion.'

Seems perfectly professional to me!  

He said the force had 'failed to make reasonable adjustments to attendance management targets to take into account [Ms Moth's] disability'. He added that it had also breached the equality act by subjecting Ms Moth to unfavourable treatment related to fitness training.

He concluded that Ms Moth was 'harassed' by DS Marvelly's comments about her weight and diet and ordered a remedy hearing to decide compensation be held at a later date.

I can't think of a more appropriate sum than a case of Coke, and a dismissal notice... 

The Mistake Would Be To Think That It's Just Amazon...

Ross Douthat, a columnist with the New York Times suggested Amazon was 'conducting an experiment in what they can get away with.'

Well, they are, yes. Because they - and all other large corporations - can get away with a hell of a lot, after all, so long as they are with the cancel culture mob, and not against them... 

The author responded with fury to Amazon's explanation of the ban, saying the company had relied upon mischaracterizations from his critics.

'Amazon appears to have never read my book, but relied on hit pieces. As I pointed out before: “Please quote the passage where I ‘call them mentally ill.’ You can’t quote that passage because it doesn’t exist,"' tweeted Anderson.

'Gender dysphoria is listed in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which Amazon sells. So the real deciding factor seems to be whether you endorse hormones and surgery as the proper treatment or counseling,' wrote the author.

We long ago left logic behind, sadly. 

Are You Kidding Me..?

A woman has been sentenced after a court heard she failed to stop her ex-partner trying to drown a dog, but charges against him were dropped.

Errr, why? 

The court was told Charlene Latham pleaded with her ex-partner Leigh Johnson not to drown Bella, but he refused and she did not get help. The RSPCA said it did not have enough evidence to prosecute Mr Johnson.

But it did have enough to prosecute her? Well, no, she admitted it, and they clearly didn't fancy spending any of the donations that little old ladies send them in to prosecute monsters like these when they could spend them on a swanky headquarters instead.

Like the CPS and the police farces, they simply go for low-hanging fruit...  

Luc Chignell, defending Latham, said: "The person who committed this is not here and that is not her fault."

Latham has since suffered "relentless abuse" on social media, which led to police advising her to leave her home, the court heard.

Those are consequences, and they are a little harsh, it's true, but why aren't we told that the same is true of the perpetrator? 

Latham was given a 12-month community order and told to pay an £80 fine, £32 victim surcharge, and £200 in costs. She was also banned from keeping dogs for three years.

Because after three years she'll be fine and dandy? 

Well, They Have The Right Name...

The Slow Factory Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to social and environmental justice, this week issues a warning about digital blackface, describing it as an online phenomenon where white and non-black people share GIFs and photos of black people to express emotion, and stating that it often perpetuates negative stereotypes that they are 'aggressive, loud, and sassy.'

Slow in the pejorative sense, that is... 

Some praised the organization for raising awareness for digital blackface, while others felt the inclusion of memes was going too far and actually a form of black erasure.

As Longrider points out, there's really only one appropriate response to this nonsense.  

 

More In Sorrow Than In Anger, Your Honour..?

A judge who ‘stuck his neck out’ in a bid to help a criminal who was transitioning gender has been forced to jail him after he was arrested for drug dealing.

'Forced to'..? Isn't it his duty to do so? 

Simran Khan was caught dealing drugs on the streets of Blackburn just months after Judge Simon Newell imposed a 22-month suspended prison sentence on him for reckless arson.

/facepalm 

“One has to say, to get 22 months suspended for quite a serious arson, I was really sticking my neck out. I’ll be blunt about it. To have it thrown back in your face within a few weeks doesn’t bode well for the future.”

His, that is. Not yours. Of course not. No consequences for you, eh?

The defence decided to push his luck:

“He has become isolated from his family because of this and he has suffered considerable abuse at Styal prison as a man being remanded into a woman’s prison.

“I would ask you to take that into account when considering the term.”

Why is a man ever remanded into a woman's prison? Shouldn't that be the real news story here?

Where's The 'Guardian' Writer Outrage At This?

A dad-of-one who forced himself on a young woman as she walked home alone late at night walked free after complaining he would lose his job if he went to jail.

Wait, what...? But I've not seen any anguished complaints from the usual suspects about this undue leniency?

Takeaway worker Javed Miah, 23...

Ah. I guess that explains it.  

Miah gave no comment in police interview.

His lawyer Saul Comish said in mitigation: ''This offence was quite opportunistic.

''He is in employment at a takeaway where he works from 4-11 PM. He is married and is a father to a four-year-old child. If you feel a custodial sentence is required, he would lose his job and he the sole earner for his family, so this would have a significant impact.

"This incident was entirely out of character. He has a low risk of re-offending.''

Miah was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years and will have to complete 250 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £213 in costs and sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Sentencing JP David Quarnby said: "This was a cowardly and sustained attack on a young woman late at night.''

Yeah, there's a lot of that going around lately. Strangely, some stories generate furious progressive press headlines, and some...don't.

H/T: Old Holborn via Twitter

Personal Responsibility? What's That?

The family of a 17-year-old who died at a music festival in 2019 after taking illegal drugs have urged...

Other teenagers to beware of illegal substances? 

Pshaw! Of course not! 

...organisers to be “realistic and practical” about substance use at their events in order to save lives.

Are they lives worth saving? Or are they the equivalent of Ug and his failure to be sufficiently wary of the big kitty with the huge teeth in prehistoric times? 

“We are tormented by the fact that Anya’s death was avoidable,” her aunt, Anna Short, told the Guardian.

“Drug deaths should not just be a fact of life. If people are made clearly aware that drugs which are toxic are in circulation, then it can help them make more informed choices.”

Hey, if she didn't know that MDMA, cocaine and ketamine - all of which were found in her system - at the age of 17, whose fault is that?

Short urged more festivals to introduce drug-checking services, which allow substances to be submitted for testing to check for potential contamination, with results delivered as part of healthcare consultations.

Shouldn't any 'healthcare consultation' simply be 'Don't take this shit, love'..? 

“We’ve all been told not to do things, especially when you’re young. Your basic psychology often leads you to do the opposite. We need to be realistic and practical and have a grown-up conversation about drugs.”

Just tell them if they don't steer clear of the stuff circulating at the festival, they won't grow up. 

Sounds Like They've Got Your Number...

A (former) government LGBT adviser on flouncing off because Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch won't capitulate to every demand:

“The language that I hear from them is of us being woke, or of being loud lobby groups, and what they don’t seem to understand is the reason we have to shout is because we are hurting, because there are people who are vulnerable who are going unheard and unnoticed.”

Frankly, I wish it were possible not to hear any more from these people.  

Ozanne also said Truss and Badenoch are “known among the community as the ‘ministers for inequality’” because they do not “understand LGBT people, particularly transgender people”.

Sounds like they understand you all too well. And you're not 'a community', you're just the loudest voices. 

I Guess Rape Isn't A Problem Either, Then?

A 'Guardian' editorial on plans for ID to be required to vote advances an extraordinary argument:

The requirement to show photo ID in polling stations, which is expected to be introduced from 2023, looks very much like an attack on voting rights. Evidence of fraud, which the government claims is behind it, is minimal. Between 2010 and 2016, when there were two general elections and a referendum, there were just seven convictions.

Imagine if the paltry number of convictions were used to decry any other sort of social problem... 

Oh, Really?

Colour me sceptical, given the zeal with which your members have pursued people up to now:

Police no longer want to break up groups outdoors as Covid restrictions are "unmanageable," a union chief has said.

Ken Marsh, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said his members had no desire to carry out the law to the letter after Brits flocked to parks and beaches over the weekend.

So, what's changed? What's driving this? Is it the realisation that they are becoming loathed even more by the law-abiding public for their heavy handed tactics against soft targets?

No. Of course not.

Officers say they regularly have to break up flouters, having to breach coronavirus restrictions themselves in order to fulfil their duties.

And Mr Marsh said the Metropolitan Police Federation is now seeking legal action as to whether officers could refuse to break rules in the line of duty unless they receive their vaccines.

Self-interest, of course...and isn't it astonishing that this didn't seem to be an issue at Clapham Common? 

Maybe You Won't Have Dick To Kick Around Anymore!

Figures from across the political divide united in criticism, with Tory MPs among those who condemned the Met’s approach as “appalling”. Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called on Dick to resign. “This was a complete, abject, tactical and moral failure on the part of the police,” he said in a letter to the commissioner. “We therefore call on you to consider your leadership of the service.”

It would be the greatest of ironies if, despite her ability to cling to her job over the killing of Jean Charles De Menezes and the appalling investigation into so-called 'paedophiles in high places' on the say-so of a proven fantasist, the police actually doing their job was what brought her down...

Caroline Nokes, the Tory chair of the women and equalities committee, said she was “truly shocked at the scenes from Clapham Common – in this country we police by consent, not by trampling the tributes and dragging women to the ground”.

Look love, the concerpt of 'consent' has long since departed - where were you when the cops were hassling women for taking walks in the park during lockdown? 

Yet now you're squawking because a bunch of activists and troublemakers (who happen to be women) were told 'No' and decided that. actually, no doesn't mean no after all?

"Consequences? No-one Told Me There'd Be Any Of Those!"

Gosh, it'd take a heart of stone, wouldn't it?

The awards system has maintained its usual artist categories, with prizes for British solo male and British solo female. That means there is no room for Smith, who uses they and them as their pronouns since coming out as non-binary in September 2019.

Best reply:

/applause 

H/T: Shatterface via Twitter

Hey, Is It A Special Day Today..?

Oh...

Sunday Funnies...

It might not pay, but it sure makes amus... Wait, I already said that, didn't I?

She Left The Reservation! Stone Her! STONE HER!

Poor Davina McCall is the latest celebrity to advance a perfectly reasonable opinion and immediately face the wrath of the social media mob:

Who was it called us 'the fairer sex'..? Must have been referring to complexion, or something... 

And notice - because I certainly did - how the Twitterbio images of those spewing bile at the temerity of someone daring to hold a different opinion are all somehow rather similar in nature?

Caroline Hirons replied: 'When a woman is murdered at the hands of a man every 2.5 days it is not the time to pacify a fragile male ego. This is not a good message Davina. We all know it’s not ALL men. But it IS men.'

Doesn't sound like it's the male egos that are fragile, does it? They aren't the ones demanding that anyone who doesn't sing from the same hymn sheet be regarded as a traitor to their sex, and that collective punishment of an entire group is suddenly fine and dandy...

Transgressions:The Sequel...

Yes, I've been put on the naughty step again! 

What was this all about? Well, there are some people who delight in using Twitter to pour scorn on those who claim that the police farces are overreacting and abusing the law with respect to covid:. 

And after a bit of back and forth and realising that they aren't going to get anywhere with someone who will argue black is white until the cows come home, some just decide not to waste their time:

But I decided not to let the cock continue crowing on the top of his dunghill unopposed, whereupon suddenly blocking and running away became the best idea EVAH!

And so I'm off Twitter until next Friday. I can still be found here, at 'Orphans' and of course, at Gab. 

Still Planning On Bringing That Civil Action, Terence..?

Now your client has - deservedly - been found guilty?

Mombeyarara was handed an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £420 court costs.

His licence was endorsed and he was banned from driving for 56 days, but that was deemed served due to the intermediate ban imposed at the first court hearing.

Pathetic sentence, for a pathetic excuse for a man... 

Mombeyarara ... told the District Judge ... “I wanted to shield my son from the exposure to the police - I wasn’t stalling or delaying, I was just being silly. I just don’t trust the police.

“I just had a distaste for the police officer, he was rude, disrespectful and aggressive.”

But he wasn't driving at 72mph in a 30mph zone with an unrestrained child in the car and resisting arrest, so I know who I have a greater distaste for... 

But Judge, She Was On Trial For Being 'Brazenly Dishonest'!

Heather McCarthy was spared from being sent to custody last year when she told the court she had a 10-month-old baby at home.

And the 33-year-old was instead given an eight month suspended sentence for defrauding the company she worked for of thousands of pounds.

But, wait! There's more! 

The judge who gave her a suspended sentence said he had taken McCarthy at her word, not believing anyone "would be so brazenly dishonest".

Ummm, I think you're in the wrong job, aren't you? 

But after her claims were found to be untrue, the same judge has now jailed her for eight months after McCarthy admitted being in contempt of court.

Hang on! She had an eight month sentence - suspended - for the first crime. Shouldn't that too be activated?  

Judge Paul Lawton told her: "It was an outrageous untruth in the face of the court, and it evidences a willingness by you to lie whatever the circumstances, and whatever the potential consequences.

"How you thought you would not be found out is beyond me."

Lots of things seem to be beyond you. I know that's not unusual in our unfit-for-purpose system, but come on!

What, Another One?

A Leigh mum has praised her son after he lodged a petition with Southend Council to build a skatepark.

Joshua Lewsey, who turned 13 on Wednesday, is seeking for a skatepark to be built in Oakwood Park.

Is there a plan to cover Southend entirely in skate parks then? 

The nearest skatepark to Joshua’s Leigh home is an hour’s walk away.

So..? Doesn't skating require good physical condition? The walk will do him good! 

With other teenagers spending the coronavirus pandemic constantly staring at screens while home-schooling and playing video games, Joshua’s mum, Lauren Chalk, is proud of the youngster for looking to benefit the community in these tough times.

*baffled face* 

When Is It OK To Condemn All Members Of A Group For The Actions Of One?

The answer appears to be 'when that group is 'men'..':

The responses to this were...predictable. No-one seemed to want to point out the obvious. 

Except me, of course.

Incompetence, Or Sabotage?

With the police and CPS, it could easily go either way:

On Monday, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC ruled that proceedings should be halted, criticising the conduct of the prosecution and police. A restriction preventing this from being reported remained in place until a further hearing on Tuesday.

The late disclosure of material by the prosecution resulted in the subject matter of cross-examining a witness being “exponentially expanded”, the judge said. “There is now much more to cover than ever appeared to be the case when this trial started,” he said.

The judge also said that he was “extremely concerned” by the alleged failure of the police to follow up “reasonable lines of inquiry” and that he was “unpersuaded” that they had done so.

Something stinks once again in the courts of 'justice'... 

He Might Be 'Very Bright', But The Jury's Still Out...

Gregory Bull, defending his actions, told the magistrate at the time that Tanudjojo had been temporarily banned from the site where he was studying for a doctorate degree because of the incident.

Pleading with the magistrates, he described the gun enthusiast as ‘highly, highly talented’ and said: “It would be a tragedy for our community at large if the sentence would deter the university from continuing his studies.”

Mr Bull even argued against a more lenient community order sentence, saying: “The effect of a community sentence would damage his prospects and would send the wrong message to the college and to the hospital.”

And it worked, he was immediately granted leniency, with the magistrate confidently making a prediction that I hope keeps her up at night: 

Sentencing him to a fine of £400, which the magistrate explained would be ‘equivalent’ to a community order, she said: “It was a really stupid moment of madness. I am confident it is unlikely to happen again.”

Half-right, I guess. He learned his lesson in one respect - no more 'Rambo', a bit more 'Scarface' this time: 

A 'very bright’ PhD student that was let off with a fine for carrying an air gun at the John Radcliffe Hospital in a ‘stupid moment of madness’ has now appeared in the dock again.

This time, Benedict Tanudjojo, of London Road, Headington, admitted importing hundreds of grammes of cannabis oil into the UK. The 25-year-old was charged with one count of importing a controlled class B drug with intent to evade a prohibition or restriction.

Whoops! Have the magistrates learned their lesson, at least?

Reader, they have not... 

At Oxford Magistrates’ Court on January 11, Tanudjojo was fined £880 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80 plus court costs of £85.

Magistrates’ have the power to jail somebody for a maximum of six months, but they can also impose a fine for the offence of up to £20,000 or three times the value of the goods, if it is higher.

*sigh* 

Yeah, That's Bound To Help...

A police force has revealed an action plan involving [redacted] to crackdown on criminals behind surging numbers of dog thefts since the start of the pandemic.

Bet you can't guess..! 

A police force has revealed an action plan involving monitoring social media to crackdown on criminals behind surging numbers of dog thefts since the start of the pandemic.

Yes, of course. Staying indoors in the warm and dry, clicking a mouse, rather than kicking down doors on the local traveller site. It's a no-brainer, isn't it? 

Insp Knox said he believed the 19 dogs reported as stolen across Darlington and County Durham over the past year did not represent the volume of thefts because some owners were not reporting their pets’ disappearance to police.

Insp Knox said: “It’s a massive confidence issue. Dogs are part of the family and it hurts owners more than say their car being broken into or some damage to their premises.”

Perhaps they don't bother reporting them because for years, police have played down the crimes and claimed they were urban legends spread by hysterical pet owners on social media? And some forces are still doing this!

Brighton's Answer To Judge Samantha Leigh...

Step forward, Judge Shani Barnes! Her latest case?

Rowan Hudson attempted to rob the Costa Coffee in London Road, Brighton, and robbed Burger King on the seafront.

Both incidents happened in front of “terrified” families and young children. Staff at both venues were left shaken and in tears.

The “unstable” 32-year-old was arrested by police and said: “I don’t care, f*** Costa Coffee, f*** Burger King”.

But the former soldier who served in Afghanistan was given a suspended prison sentence because of his struggles with post traumatic stress and the time he has spent in prison waiting for his case to be heard.

At Brighton Crown Court Her Honour Judge Shani Barnes told Hudson: “There will not be another chance.”

Unless he's up before you...

Video Evidence..? Nah, Still Not Interested...

A charity volunteer whose car was filmed being hit by an Amazon delivery van has called on the retail giant to pay for the repairs.

Steven Taylor said his Toyota Estima has not been able to start since the crash in Basingstoke on 7 February.

He said the driver did not report hitting his car, which he usually uses to make deliveries and drop-offs for family support charity The Safe.

Good think he had film! It'll be especially delicious if he bought the security camera on Amazon! 

The company has given him the phone number for its claims team but Mr Taylor said his calls were repeatedly diverted to voicemail.

"We can't just keep everyone waiting whilst they go through some weird hoop-jumping... at the moment I can't do deliveries for the charity," said Mr Taylor.

"It's infuriating that somebody could smash into a car and then just drive off without doing anything - and then leave someone else with hundreds of pounds worth of damage."

But wait! Isn't it a crime to cause an accident and then drive away? 

A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said: "The car sustained minor damage in the incident.

"Our collision assessment team has reviewed the report and did not deem it proportionate for further investigation."

Oh, Apparently not one they care to bother with. What a shame for Mr Taylor that he wasn't sent a nasty letter instead... 

H/T: PeeWee via email

What's The Welsh For 'We've Had Enough, Boyo'..?

All parts of Wales have seen a rise in road traffic in recent weeks, compared to during the first national lockdown. Some areas recorded almost double the amount of vehicles, Traffic Wales and Welsh Government figures reveal.

It's not just Wales. I popped out to a local supermarket to pick up medication for someone stuck at home, shielding, on Friday lunchtime. 

And I was struck by just how much lunchtime traffic was around, compared to just after Christmas.

John Parkinson, head of psychology at Bangor University, said while he acknowledged the impact of "lockdown fatigue," he thought people's intentions to follow the rules remained "incredibly high."

"If you have an end-point it should help people, it helps planning, commitment, and it helps motivation. But he said as vaccination rates rose, there could be a belief that "it must be safe now".

Why else have a vaccination at all, if not to improve the situation?

English Isn't Even A Second Language, Then..?

Not for caption writers at the 'Mail', clearly...

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

What A Load Of Billiards!

Even I can recognise snooker when I see it!

H/T: Stephen Guy via email

Sunday Funnies...

It might not pay, but it sure makes amusing reading...

And So It Should...

The findings may suggest widespread support for the “levelling up” agenda espoused by the government as the country attempts to rebound after Covid, the authors said.

But it will also raise questions about the popularity of anti-inequality policies focusing on ethnic minorities and women.

Good! It's about time the people pushing this agenda learned what real people thought of it. 

Nearly half of people believe those who lost their job during the pandemic were likely to have been underperforming, a survey has found.

In findings that will raise fears over inequalities in Britain, a study of attitudes by researchers at Kings College London showed a significant minority thought a widening post-Covid income gap between white people and BAME groups would not be a problem.

I don't believe it's a problem. I believe it's a teachable moment for those black or ethnic parents to point to them and say to their children 'This is how you don't approach life'..  

In one of the starkest findings, one in eight Britons (13%) said they think black people are more likely to be unemployed and have lower incomes because they “lack motivation or willpower”.

Looking at the parade of black and ethnic criminals before the courts each day, who could doubt it? 

They aren't there because they worked too hard, but because they sought quick returns, often by dealing illegal substances, or ignoring safety laws. 

The authors said the overall findings showed “meritocratic and individualistic tendencies” are likely to temper calls for action on inequality.

“There is a strong belief in meritocracy in Britain – that hard work and ambition remain key drivers of success, and this colours views, even during a pandemic,” the report said.

That this reports says this as if it were something to be scorned tells you all you need to know... 

No, Actually, I Think Not...

In fact, never in my life.

Blimey, They Must Be Using Punt Guns!

Hundreds of people have signed a petition to stop a clay pigeon shoot saying it would mean neighbours being forced to put up with the 'sound of a jet engine taking off around 20 times a day'.

Good lord! That must be an error, surely? 

Ruth Galloway has launched a petition calling for the Forest of Dean District Council to reject the plans put forward by Tom Shayle, who says Covid-19 restrictions mean people are looking for outdoor hobbies.

She says as well as making life miserable for local residents, the gunshots will disturb wildlife and spook horses, walkers and cyclists using the Newent Loop and other popular country routes,

"The noise of one shotgun being fired is 120-150 decibels, the same as a jet engine taking off at 100ft, this application seeks to have up to 20 of these for 10 hours a day," she says.

Ah, I suspect this is true only for the people standing right next to it (which is why they wear ear defenders) and not for Tamara Chumley-Warner out hacking on her pony 800 yards away... 

Within days of being launched 774 people had signed the petition objecting to plans to create an outdoor shooting and archery centre at Mount Oliver’s Meadow, Blackwells End, Hartpury.

I bet you'd get more signing a petition to repair the clock tower... 

...objectors also claim increasing use it could have international repercussions, because the field is across the road from the National Perry Pear Centre. The centre is responsible for making sure rare varieties of the fruit once found in abundance across the county do not become extinct.

What are they worried about, stray shot hitting the pears? 

Something Here Is 'A Ridiculous Enterprise', Judge...

Two men who robbed a vape shop brandishing a knife and screwdriver were spared jail because of their learning difficulties.

...but I'm not so sure it's the robbery. That seems to have been carried out like a lot of robberies committed by non-retarded people: 

A woman who was a customer in the shop at the time was terrified and in tears. Shopkeeper Lee Silver at first asked the men if it was a “wind up” then asked if it was worth it.

The men responded by demanding cash and goods from the shop be put into a bag.

“Don’t come near me or I will shank you,” one of the men said.

But maybe they didn't manage to get away with anything? 

They took about £1,750 worth of equipment from the vape shop, including £250 from the till.

Oh. 

Ross Talbott, defending, said both men “apologised to the victims of their offences”. They both have issues with cognitive functions and require care. Tucker has developmental issues, autism, tourettes and attention, deficit and hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Sutherland suffered a brain injury and suffers issues with memory loss and epilepsy.

Doesn't seem to be holding them back much, does it? 

Judge Jeremy Gold QC said: “You have both committed a serious offence that caused a great deal of fear, not only to the proprietor but also to a customer.

“In normal circumstances, people who commit offences of this kind go straight to prison. But your case is exceptional. You both have significant medical difficulties. It would be disproportionate to send you both to prison.”

Why?  

“But I am concerned that both of you clearly understand that there comes a time when even people with disabilities have to be sentenced to prison for the safety of the public.

“In this case I’m prepared to accept that this was a ridiculous enterprise. But if it were to happen again, no judge would have any choice but to send you both to prison.”

Wanna bet? 

Time To Start Killing Them In The Streets...

Many people rushed to the scene on Finch Lane, last Friday at 6.30pm, and one man used a pole to try and fend off the animals.

Kathy's partner, had returned Tesco to make another purchase but once he came out he struggled to break the bulldogs' grip on Kimba.

Witnesses said they had no collars, were not on leads and the owner was not close by.

...not just uselessly fending them off.  

The owner has since come forward after the incident was circulated on social media.

Oh, I'd hoped he'd have been tracked down by police. Silly me.  

Police are now investigating the attack and have taken a statement from 48-year-old Kathy.

But nothing from the owner of the dangerous mutts..? 

Why..?

In mitigation defence barrister Peter Du Feu called his client a ‘sad individual’ who had ‘let himself down.’

He said: “His response to this is shame, embarrassment, huge remorse.”

At getting caught.  

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb jailed Mezzone for a total of five years and said he will sign the sex offenders register for life.

It's not long enough by far. But...wait. 

But on Wednesday last week, at the Court of Appeal, Lady Justice Macur, Mr Justice Lavender and Sir Alan Wilkie granted his request and reduced his jail time to four years.

Why? What possible mitigation could have been offered? We don't know. The fearless journalists tasked with covering this story don't appear to have bothered to find out... 

Musical Interlude - March:"Well, this is new, respect for Caesar! 'Till now, this has been noticeably lacking! "

 A little bit of Israeli sunshine to brighten March, and this month it's Norman Jewison's bizarre adaptation of the Rice/Lloyd-Webber musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. 

It's safe to say this version, filmed 'on location', of sorts, and not really in costume, has mixed reviews. Ted Neeley, the original Broadway Jesus, received a Golden Turkey for his rather wooden portrayal of the title character.

The show has many great memorable numbers, but this is my personal favorite, though not the most well-known number by the incomparable Yvonne Elliman:

Over Christmas, Sky Arts showed a special 'Live in concert' version with John Legend and Alice Cooper that's well worth catching.

Doomed To Failure...

The proposals were released following a climbdown by the commission this month over its call for new laws criminalising hate speech.

It has withdrawn a proposal that it should become a crime for anyone to stir up hatred in their own homes.

They'd have got away with it if not for you meddling kids freedom campaigners! 

But they don't give up, they just switch tactics...

Laws on upskirting introduced two years ago make it illegal to take a mobile image from under a woman's clothing. However, they do not extend to pictures taken from above, down a female's top to capture an image of her bra, cleavage or breasts.

The commission called for sweeping new rules which would outlaw a range of attempts to take intrusive pictures. It would also outlaw efforts to humiliate someone by posting faked pornographic pictures of them.

Who knew this was even an issue worthy of the time? How many cases can there possibly be, anyway? 

Professor Penney Lewis, of the Law Commission, said: 'For victims, having their intimate images taken or shared without consent can be an incredibly damaging and humiliating experience. However, the law does not adequately protect victims from this behaviour.

'Our proposals would reform the existing law and ensure that victims are given the protection they need.'

Assuming victimhood seems to be everyone's goal these days. Now it can be gained because someone took an image of you? 

Its new law would not only give victims of 'intimate image abuse' lifelong anonymity but would remove the need for prosecutors to prove that whoever took the picture intended to cause distress.

The commission said: 'We have heard from many victims that requiring proof of a specific motive has led to no prosecution taking place.'

It's utter madness. We have people being stabbed to death in the street because they were in the 'wrong' postcode, and here's a bunch of well-fed civil servants fretting over who cropped a picture out of the paper and superimposed it over a still from 'Debbie Does Dallas'.. 

Why Wasn't He Handed A Plane Ticket Back To Albania?

Following the police raid, it was estimated the street value of the drugs was anywhere between £88,000 and £266,000.

Hoxhaj made full admissions to the police and said he had been at the property for around two months prior to the raid. He admitted one count of producing cannabis.

Bang to rights! 

Mitigating, Shazia Malik highlighted that there had been a delay in the raid and court appearance but he had not offended again and had found himself stable accommodation. Ms Malik said there was an “element of exploitation” and he previously worked 14 hours a day in the car wash, earning just £13.

She added: “He is unable to return to Albania due to fears of the reprisals of the debts.”

Any actual proof of this? Did the court request any? 

Hoxhaj was handed a suspended 16 month sentence, 200 hours unpaid work and 30 days rehabilitation.

*sighs* What sort of idiot judge wou...

Oh. Of course: 

Judge Samantha Leigh told Hoxhaj: “You were working in a car wash in dismal conditions, you were offered an opportunity to earn more and have somewhere to stay.

“You were also receiving threats back in Albania made to your family to pay off a debt.”

Was he, Samantha? Was he really? 

Our Infallible Prime Minister, Folks!

The Prime Minister said he expects commuters to head back to the office “in a few short months”.

He told an audience at a rail industry conference that he did not expect to see a permanent shift towards working from home.

Meanwhile... 

Barclays is poised to jettison the Docklands home of its investment bank with the company “open to offers” for the space, The Sunday Telegraph understands....

HSBC will nearly halve its office space in the coming years in one of the most radical calls on working trends in the wake of the global pandemic.

He is, of course, only telling his audience what they want to hear - that their captive audience will have to come crawling back - because at heart, he's a coward, and can't face telling them that their business plans need to change, because life has changed. 

And who changed it? He did. Lockdown forced companies - often previously resistant to working from home - to change. And there's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube now.

 

It's A Reminder Of Something Else, Too...

Solicitor Lauren Dale of Hudgell Solicitors, who represented Mr Barnes' family at the hearing, said: 'This case is a reminder of the tragic consequences of security and other personnel seeking confrontation and using excessive force.

It's also a reminder not to get out of your trolly on drugs on a night out, start a fight when challenged and then resist arrest when caught.

Ms Dale added that Mr Barnes' family cannot watch the footage as it is too 'heart-breaking' and that the family were hurt by what they viewed as a 'lack of compassion' from the four men during the inquest.'

Any compassion I might have goes to four men who could soon be on trial for trying to make the late night station a better area, unsullied by violent druggies.  

 

Then What Was The Point Of Appearing At All?

During the hearing Thursday, Levine did not address the substance of Paul's questions at any points regarding transgender healthcare decisions in cases with minors.

'Let it go into the record that the witness refused to answer the question,' Paul said of Levine.

'The question is a very specific one: should minors be making these momentous decisions?'

'For most of the history of medicine, we wouldn't let you have a cut sewn up in the ER [without parental consent],' he lamented. 'But you're willing to let a minor take things that prevent their puberty, and you think they get that back?'

'You give a woman testosterone enough that she grows a beard, you think she's going to go back looking like a woman when you stop the testosterone? You have permanently changed them. Infertility is another problem,' Paul said.

Anyone..? Bueller? 

Essex Police Priorities

Dog walking? We're out in force! Stay in your area!

A man who broke lockdown rules has been slapped with a fine by police officers after he drove out of his area to walk his dog.

A 21-year-old drove from Wickford to Great Dunmow to exercise his pet pooch, despite current lockdown restrictions telling people to stay in their area.

The man was given a fixed penalty notice by police last week for breaking restrictions. 

Drunken fights outside a notorious pub leading to fatal stabbings? Meh. We're staying in the station.

Essex Police were called just after 6pm tonight (Friday) after an 18-year-old man was admitted to hospital with stab wounds. He died a short time later.

Police say following initial enquiries, officers believe he was attacked near the Peterboat pub in High Street, Old Leigh.

Residents living in Leigh have also reported a large gathering of young people in Leigh Library Gardens. One person reported hearing one of the youngsters discussing who is going to be "shanked".

'Nuff said.