It's Schrödinger's Suspect!

He's either dead or alive, depending on whether you open Gwent Police files or not!

A police force which wrongly assumed the prime suspect in one of Britain’s greatest political scandals was dead has made the same blunder again.

Gwent Police first declared two years ago that Andrew Newton was ‘deceased’ following an investigation into the plot to kill Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe’s ex-lover, Norman Scott.

But they faced embarrassment when The Mail on Sunday discovered Newton, 72, living under an alias in Surrey. Detectives were forced to admit their error and rushed to the house, only to find he had vanished.

Gwent Police hot on the trail... 

OOps! Still, they are keen to 'learn lessons' in these instances, aren't they?

Now, in response to a formal complaint from a former Cabinet Minister about their ‘inept’ handling of the case, police have repeated their astonishing mistake.

After a six-month probe, Gwent’s Professional Standards Department rejected the complaint, saying in a letter: ‘Many key individuals are now deceased, including Andrew Newton.’

But laughing off the claim, Newton’s former girlfriend Patsy Frankham insisted yesterday: ‘He is alive and well.’

And last night, Mr Scott, 79, said: ‘How can I have any confidence that this investigation has been taken seriously? It’s as though justice is some kind of game.’

If it is a game, Gwent Police are playing without any dice or a board...

If They Escape Responsibility For The Things They Do Do...

...is it then OK when they are told they have a responsibility for things they couldn't possibly foresee?

I don't think so.

Yesterday, the blogosphere was aghast at the overturning of the conviction of Mark Andrews - Anna Raccoon, Patently and Counting Cats... all posted very good reasons for seeing this as yet another nail in the coffin of public confidence in the police, and I agree with all their conclusions.

And on the same day, I read this:

Two Gwent police officers who assisted a deaf man who fell ill in the street and later died failed to exercise a proper duty of care to him, the Independent Police Complaints Commission found.

Oh? In what way? Did they ignore him? Did they assault him?

No. Their only offence, it seems, is that they failed to be psychic...

...should not have left him alone at his Newport home without ensuring a friend or relative had been informed or seeking medical aid for him themselves.

And how had he come to the attention of the police in the first place?

An inquest into Mr Lewis’ death heard he was found clinging to a lamp post in Jeffrey Street, Newport, by his friend Mark Williams on October 20, 2009, complaining of leg problems.

The hearing was told Mr Williams flagged down a passing police car driven by PC Simon Richens who asked Mr Lewis if he wanted to go to hospital, to which he replied no.

He then decided to take him home and called for assistance.

Yes. That's right. The police drove him home and attempted to give him every assistance possible.

Assistance which was REFUSED by the man himself:

The court heard PC Richens checked Mr Lewis’ mobile phone for a family contact number but could not find one.

He then asked Mr Lewis if he was OK, explained he was leaving and gave him a thumbs up, a gesture which Mr Lewis repeated.

And any other time, that'd be that. Man assisted, job done.

Two weeks later on November 3, Mr Lewis was found dead in his arm chair by his mum Dorothy Lewis.

A definite cause of death could not be established due to the condition of the body...

They've no idea why he died.

He could have made his own way home, and died, but no-one would be at fault for that.

However, because the police stopped and gave him a lift home (which I'm pretty sure isn't in their remit for normal duties, or they'de be forever driving drunks around the streets...) they are now found culpable for not overruling his wishes and taking him to A&E.

So, what's the end result of this? The police, fearing for their jobs, will now haul every drunk, drugged, ill person they meet into a crowded, overstretched A&E to make sure they are not holding the parcel when the music stops.

This is supposed to be a good thing?

... a statement from pathologist Dr Andrew Davies said that without evidence of injury or foul play, death was most likely through natural causes caused by heart disease.

Any reasonable person would have left it at that. But perhaps the Gwent Coroner has been issued too many speeding tickets, or had burglaries go unattended:

Recording an open verdict, Gwent Coroner David Bowen said he could not be sure that Mr Lewis' death would have been prevented had police taken him to hospital.

He said that while he had little doubt the officers acted with good intentions, it was not admirable to leave a person in those circumstances alone and unattended, at least until a friend or family member had been alerted, especially when that person was vulnerable.

Aha! There's the magic word: 'vulnerable'. Was he 'vulnerable' because he was deaf? Or was he 'vulnerable' because he was ill?

Or was he 'vulnerable' because we don't yet have the precognitive facility of the Precrime Department?

"Have You Got A Licence For That Sense Of Humour, Sir?"

Gwent Police released a mugshot of Jermaine Taylor, 21, from Newport, south east Wales on Wednesday as he wanted on recall to prison.

But their appeal for help in finding him was met with facetious comments, with many choosing to use the opportunity for a joke.

Really? Why?

Oh...

Lea Hook wrote: 'He was last seen in town; Police are combing the area.' While Matt Price said: 'Push his release date back further than his hair line, that should teach him.'

Heh! Well, who could fail to...

Wait. What?

... after the barage (sic) of comments, with some 80,000 now having been left, Gwent Police said: 'Please remember that harassing, threatening and abusing people on social media can be against the law.

'Our advice is to be as careful on social media as you would in any other form of communication.

'If you say something about someone which is grossly offensive or is of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, then you could be investigated by the police.'

If Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are serious about ensuring the criminals fear the police again, then the first way they could go about it is demanding that police social media departments are razed to the ground...

"I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing s*d all."

The three childhood friends disappeared 48 hours ago after a night out in Newport, South Wales. Relatives say that something 'must be wrong' as family members hunted for Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, last seen at about 2am on Saturday morning in the Llanederyn area of Cardiff. They had travelled there from Porthcawl in a VW Tiguan, registration number VE64 YLB, with two men from Cardiff - Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32 - who had also been reported as missing.

The response is pretty much the same as that recent case in Scotland. Seems the police this side of the border aren't any better...

Sophie's mother Anna Certowicz, 42, was driving around the Gwent and Cardiff areas last night in a desperate search for her daughter - after police officers told her to 'stop ringing' the station for updates.

She told the Daily Mail: 'I think they assumed that Sophie was hungover somewhere, but she's a sensible girl who works in a bank and hasn't taken a day off for three years. 

'The police asked me to stop ringing but at the end of the day I'm a mum I'm going to worry. Her little sister is worrying too, she's only 13 and she's wondering where Sophie is.'

Given it's Gwent Police, the response isn't that surprising at all... 

A Gwent Police spokesperson said: 'If you have any information please call us on 101, or you can DM us, quoting 2300071791. 'All five are also urged to get in touch with us to confirm that they are safe and well.'

Well, now the crashed car has been found you can go back to your doughnuts, chaps. Or is it Welshcakes? 

It's Called 'Consequences', Vicky...

...and it's about time you and the rest of the eco-loons faced them:

A fuel price protester arrested after taking part in a 'go slow' demonstration which caused gridlock on the Severn Bridge has moaned about the state of her police cell.

Vicky Stamper - who was one of the 12 drivers arrested on Monday after slowing traffic on the M4 between England and Wales - claims she was kept in custody by Gwent Police for 11 hours. The former HGV driver, from Cwmbran, South Wales, claims the police cell was squalid 'with blood up the walls and sick over the toilet'. 

She also claims she was slapped with a £150 charge to get her car back after it was seized by officers during the protests.

Ha ha ha ha ha!  

Ms Stamper, who said she recently lost her job as a HGV driver due to the rising fuel costs, was told she must pay £150 to get her car back, rising by £21 each day she failed to pay, she claimed.

'If I paid that I wouldn't be able to do any shopping for two weeks - I would have to go without food so my 16-year-old son can eat,' Mrs Stamper said.

Looking at the state of you, I don't really think that's the bad idea that you seem to think it is...

But then, clearly, you aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer, eh? 

She later phoned Gwent Police on Tuesday morning to complain. She said: 'I said I'd like to report my car stolen. They said, "Right, do you have any idea who it was?" I told them, "Yeah I know exactly who it was". They said "who" and I said, "You lot."

'I told them they'd taken it off my partner who was more than capable and insured to drive it home. He ended up paying £16 for a taxi from Magor services.

Eventually the police hung up on me.'

The 'Daily Mail' will clearly lap up your sob story, though.  

The Main Surprise Here...

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

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

And he produced all his own material too!  

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

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

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

So, he was sacked? Well, no.  

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

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

Tomorrow's Fatal Dog Attack Today...

...likely now thanks to the incompetence and laziness, not to say criminal negligence, of South Yorkshire Police

A 10-year old boy has been left needing a zimmer frame and a wheelchair after suffering a horrific injury at the hands of a dog. John Henry Dundas, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was left screaming in agony and unable to walk after a Staffordshire Bull Terrier locked its jaws around his leg on October 6.

The rugby-playing youngster was in his friend’s house when the dog first took a bite at his leg before it paused and took a second bite where it “locked” onto his leg and refused to let go, according to his mum Natasha Dundas.

It's goodnight Vienna for Fido, then?

South Yorkshire Police were called regarding the dog and initially took the canine away but have since returned it.

*blinks* What..?!

Natasha learned after the incident that the same dog has been involved in attacks on others in the area.

The mother-of-two added: "I just can’t believe the dog has been handed back. I don’t understand why they would want a dog like that after seeing what it has done to my son."

Because some people shouldn't have a goldfish, let along a dangerous dog. And for some, what a dog like that can do when it wants to (the images of the injuries are horrific), is the attraction of it... 

"We know it has attacked others before but still nothing has been done. They are still able to walk the dog around our streets off a lead. My son is terrified of it and he will have to watch out for it, even on the way to school."

What have the uniformed incompetents got to say for themselves this time? 

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: "Police were called at around 8:30pm on 6 October to reports that a child had been bitten by a dog in Essex Avenue, Doncaster.

"The victim, a 10-year-old boy, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital via his parents.

"Officers attended the scene and the dog was seized."

Open and shut case, so clear-cut even SYP couldn't screw it up, surely? 

"A man was interviewed under caution in connection to the incident. Officers have now exhausted all possible lines of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding this incident but any new information can be passed to police by calling 101 quoting incident number 866 of 6 October."

One hopes, in the light of Monday's totally avoidable tragedy in Wales, that this decision is now being hastily revisited? And the animal will be seized and application made for its destruction?

Although the early reports that Gwent Police seem to be hanging their hat on whether the dog in that case was one of the four banned breeds in the original DDA, rather than using the full breadth of their enhanced powers under the revision to that act, isn't encouraging... 

When The Red Mist Descends...

Mr Whatley, who lives in Usk, Monmouthshire, said: ‘I couldn’t believe what was happening.

‘The police went completely over the top – you would have thought I had robbed a bank. I was terrified when they started smashing in the window and trying to kick in the windscreen.

‘It’s something you might expect in America but not in the quiet of the British countryside.’

Au contraire, Mr Whately. That's a foul slur on the US police.

Simply compare this video of an endlessly patient and utmostly professional US cop, who manages not to so much as raise his voice when confronted by an obstreperous pensioner, with the antics of the Gwent mob:



Still, we should be thankful, I suppose, that men like the Gwent Police stand ready against the most heinous of criminals, shouldn't we? What was he charged with again?

Mr Whatley was found guilty of not wearing a seatbelt, failing to stop for a police officer and having tinted car windows which did not conform to legal requirements but cleared of failing to stop after an accident.

He also admitted having a registration plate which did not adhere to regulations.

Whew! Well, we can all think our lucky stars, can't we?

Ya'all drive safely, now, y'hear?

Angry Exile and The Filthy Engineer have more.

More Police Thuggery...

A police inspector for Avon and Somerset Police who formerly chaired the National Black Police Association has been dismissed without notice after he assaulted two women while off-duty during a conversation about Meghan Markle. Bristol-based Tola Munro 'completely lost control' when he dragged a woman to the ground before punching her in the face and then hitting a second female, a misconduct panel was told.

Gosh! Any indication he was a thug with no respect for women?

Oh! 

Munro denied the allegations against him and claimed he was acting in self-defence.

As ludicrous an excuse as 'I was just practicing for the Olympics, your honour!'

Gwent Police carried out a criminal investigation into the incident, which happened in May 2023, culminating in the case being referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which deemed there was insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of a successful prosecution.

That was handy, eh? 

Superintendent Mark Edgington: 'The burden of proof required for a criminal prosecution and misconduct to be proven is different.

'The panel reached its decision that Inspector Munro assaulted the two women on the balance of probabilities having heard the evidence presented to them. A criminal conviction requires allegations to be proved beyond all reasonable doubt, and the difference between those levels is significant.

'Ultimately, there is no place in policing for an officer who is found to have assaulted any member of the public. Whether on or off-duty, officers and staff must adhere to the standards expected of anyone serving in policing and Inspector Munro failed to do this.

'As an organisation we have carried out a huge amount of work in recent years around the topic of violence against women and girls. Inspector Munro's actions have undermined those efforts and will likely damage public confidence in policing.'

Oh, Mark, you sweet summer child, you actually think there's some left to lose.... 

 

 

The Solution Is Surely In The Hands Of Your ARVs

Enforcing a ban on XL bully dogs is placing a huge burden on policing with millions of pounds spent on veterinary bills and kennelling, police chiefs have said. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said kennel spaces were reaching capacity, with costs “increasing by the day”. It said veterinary bills and the cost of kennelling banned dog breeds had risen from £4m in 2018 to more than £11m between February and September 2024. It can cost about £1,000 a month to keep an XL bully in kennels.

What evidential value do they have alive that they don't have dead? None. So when called out to an attack, stop seizing them alive! 

And insist the courts impose financial penalties on the moron owners.  

Mark Hobrough, the NPCC’s lead for dangerous dogs, said the ban was placing a huge burden on policing. Hobrough, the chief constable of Gwent police, said: “We are facing a number of challenges in kennel capacity, resourcing and ever-mounting costs, and as of today we have not received any additional funding to account for this. We urgently need the government to support us in coping with the huge demand the ban has placed on our ever-stretched resources.” Hobrough said conversations were ongoing with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs but there was no formal agreement “whereby any funding has come into any police force to account for these additional demand factors”.

Perhaps they, too, believe the answer's staring you in the face, Mark? Getting rid of the dog enthusiasts in the ranks would be a good idea too...

The NPCC tactical lead, Supt Patrick O’Hara, said he did not think all XL bullies were automatically dangerous but they had the “propensity” to be by their “sheer size and power”. O’Hara said: “In the right hands, with the right socialisation, with a really responsible owner, a lot of those dogs will never come to notice.”

Which is what, some sort of comfort to the bereaved pet owners and families of savaged children and adults? 

Let's Play 'Pass The Judicial Parcel'...

Brandon Hayden, 19, from Penyrheol, Caerphilly, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting owning or being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.

Amy Salter, 29, of Trethomas, Caerphilly, was jailed for three years for the same offence.

Yes, it's the final pathetic sentence meted out to the brain-dead morons whose animal was responsible for the death of a child.

Later, speaking outside court after the hearing, Jack's mother accused Hayden of showing "no remorse or respect" for her son.

"This has been the consequence of someone wanting a status symbol," she said.

"This animal was not a family pet... it was made to be this way and there was absolutely no intent on anyone calming it from the moment it was born."

She added: "More needs to be done regarding the law to prevent these types of owners and to prevent this situation from happening again."

In which case, why did you let your son visit the house where this thing was staying? It's clear from the other offences that this mutt was well known in the area as a potential danger and...hey, aren't the police supposed to be aware of these things?

What have they got to say?  

Ch Insp Michelle Chaplin, from Gwent Police, the senior investigating officer on the case, said: "Those who had known this dog would have known about its unsuitable temperament and the danger that the animal could pose to a child."

So you - the police - knew nothing? Really? There were no complaints? 

CCTV was played to the court of Hayden and Beast from outside the Top Stores shop in Penyrheol in the days before the attack on Jack, where the dog jumped up at a number of people, including children.

The footage showed Hayden, at times, being dragged along by the dog, struggling to keep it under control. Salter was also in some of the footage. At one point Beast bit her hand, before being hit several times on the head by Hayden after letting go.

A pity it didn't rip her throat out then and there...

Hayden had also admitted three counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and two counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. These offences happened between 4 and 7 November, before the attack on Jack, and two of those incidents resulted in injuries to two members of the public, Michael Ball and Sian Sullivan.

So the police were well aware. The seller was well aware. The parents of the child should have been well aware. 

But all these escape criticism or punishment for their part in this, while those left holding the parcel when it finally mauled a child to death get paltry sentences. 

Is it just me? Or is this state of affairs almost guaranteed to ensure it happens again. 

H/T: i.r.jackson via email

Is It The Only Time You See 'Ongoing Police Activity' Then?

After the fact, never before?

Gwent Police Chief Inspector Laura Bartley said: 'Officers will be making further enquiries at this time and will remain at the scene as the investigation progresses.

'It is possible that you may see ongoing police activity in Caerphilly as part of this work but please do not be alarmed.

'If you have concerns or information then please do stop and talk with us.'

'If you can find us, look in the nearest Greggs...' 

H/T: Ian J via email

No Surprises...

Remember this...? Turned out not to be a Labrador again. Imagine my shock!

Officers attended, including specially trained firearms officers, alongside paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service, an 83-year-old woman was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries, where she remains.

Gwent Police said that the dog, a large black XL bully cross cane corso breed, was seized by officers and has been destroyed. No other animals were involved in the attack.

Why send armed officers and not let them do what they are paid to do, and resolve the issue then and there? 

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. The people arrested are a 20-year-old man, 25-year-old man, 31-year-old man, and a 28-year-old woman, all from the Caerphilly area.

They have all been released under conditional bail.

Wonder if they will ever face charges? 

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Sedgebeer said: 'Officers will be making further enquiries as the investigation progresses.

'It is possible that you may see ongoing police activity in Caerphilly as part of this work, but please do not be alarmed.

He added: 'If you have concerns or any information regarding this dog and its previous behaviour then please do stop and talk with us. '

Wonder if this animal has a local history of concerning incidents like all the others? And if previous reports have gone unactioned... 

Tell Me Again How ‘Life On The Dole Isn’t To Be Envied’..?

Jobless Kirk John Fleming, 31, of Alexandra Road, Newport, was sentenced under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, using new guidelines for courts in England and Wales which came into force on August 20.

He got nine months. Yes, it’s not enough. But it’s something, at least.

The victim underwent three operations and spent a week in hospital after what Judge William Gaskell described as a sustained and repeated attack.

She was lucky – her dogs didn’t survive.

The court heard how the complainant, Kay Piatek was walking her three Yorkshire Terriers in Pill on September 24, 2011.

Mrs Piatek turned onto Mendalgief Road when a white Pitbull cross and a brown Staffordshire Terrier ran towards her. The Pitbull, known as Cain, jumped onto her back and knocked her over.

One of Mrs Piatek's dogs, Alfie, ran home and she was trying to protect another, Maxi, when Cain bit into her left arm.

The defendant then appeared, punching his own dog and lying on top of it, but Cain and the Staffordshire Terrier managed to get at Maxi and dragged him away before mauling him to death. The third dog, Mitch, died shortly after the incident.

And this wasn’t the first time they’d attacked. It never is, is it?

Fleming was taken to Newport Central Police Station and his dogs were seized.

The court heard about one of two previous incidents involving Cain, where the Pitbull jumped a garden fence and attacked a Labrador while a five-year-old boy was nearby.

Mr Smyth, mitigating, said Fleming had taken steps to secure the animals, and that the dogs had been taken out of the house by a trusted friend of the defendant's, not the defendant himself.

I guess in underclass parlance a ‘trusted friend’ is…what?

The brown Staffordshire Terrier is currently involved in other proceedings but the white Pitbull, Cain, is to be destroyed and Fleming was disqualified from owning dogs for three years.

Is that it? Is that all?

No order for compensation or costs was made because Fleming has not been employed for five years.

Really? How’d he manage to feed two large, powerful dogs, then? Come to think of it, how did this guy?

The court heard it had cost Gwent Police more than £10,000 to keep Fleming's dogs in designated kennels since the incident in September last year.

So, the taxpayer is out £10000, the elderly lady has lost her two pets with no compensation, and we will continue to go on spending money to keep this lowlife housed and fed while he's behind bars?

This country truly has gone to the dogs!

Yes, It's Always A 'Quiet Area' (Apart From The Barking And Screams Of The Victims)...

One resident who wished to remain anonymous said there were about 10 police vehicles at the scene, as well as two fire engines.

The resident said: "They are very normal people. It's shocking. I've heard they are okay at the moment."

Another anonymous resident said: "It's a quiet area. There is one or two nasty dogs but I've always seen them under control. I'd never have thought anything like this would have happened."

If there's 'one or two nasty dogs' in the area, it's always a case of 'when', and not 'if'. Sooner or later, they won't be under control. 

Superintendent Vikki Townsend from Gwent Police said: "We were called to a property in Liswerry, Newport at around 4.50pm on Wednesday, February 2, following reports of a dog attack inside the property.

"Armed officers attended to ensure the safety of members of the public.

"The dog has been taken to a local kennels while officers remain in the area as they carry out their investigations."

If you sent armed officers, why not use them? 

Oh, Wales...

A 102-year-old great-grandfather with dementia died days after he was allegedly pushed off stage in his local pub after making a noise complaint.

A 56-year-old man from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, was arrested on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and remains under investigation.

Another act of midless savagery from the Land of the Dragon Bully Dog... 

Philip is understood to have been visiting the pub for a drink when he went onto a stage in the venue to complain about the volume of the music.

Robert said: "He just asked them to turn the music down." He said his father turned around to come back down off the stage when he was pushed, and that resulted in a broken hip."[That's] the most upsetting part. He wasn't going to live forever but it's not a nice way, obviously in pain," he said. "We want to see justice, of course. "They must have known he was an old man. It makes you wonder what the world is coming to."

Frequently, yes... 

Det Ch Insp Shelley Comley, senior investigating officer for Gwent Police, said: "We understand the public interest in this incident but want to remind people that, not only is this an active criminal investigation, but there is a family at the heart of it processing the loss of a loved one." She urged people to "consider the impact that inaccurate or speculative comments" including "online commentary" could have.

This boilerplate has to be stuck onto every police statement now, doesn't it? 

So Many Long Names..

Police have charged four people with the murder of a 17-year-old boy in a village in south Wales. Officers were called to Lower Francis Street in Abertridwr, Caerphilly, at about 17:45 GMT on Thursday after reports a teenage boy from the village had sustained a serious injury. He was declared dead at the scene and later named as Tristan Shae Kerr.

What a good old fashioned small Welsh village name, eh, Reader? As for the 'serious injury' it was caused by a zombie knife.

Three men, aged 18, 24 and 26, and one woman, 24, are being held in custody and will appear at Newport Magistrates' Court on Monday, Gwent Police said.

Are any of those called Jones or Evans, I wonder?  (Ed: no,Ricardo Elliot, 26, Connor Palfrey, 24, Elexi Manny, 24, and 18-year-old Georgie Mears). And neither are the authorities:

"We understand that there has been a great deal of interest in this investigation," senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Jitka Tomkova-Griffiths said. "However we would ask people not to speculate about the identities of those involved," she continued.

It seems Wales is in danger of a severe hyphen shortage.  

It seems feelings are running high, judging by this rather cryptic comment. 

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke (Ed: !!) told the court that it was "vital" for court proceedings not to be interrupted. "I am well aware that feelings ran high when this case went before magistrates' court [on Monday]," she said.

Another one to watch.  

Oh Look, Another One...

Oh..?

Raheem Bailey, a pupil at Abertillery learning community in south Wales, was attacked and beaten by a group of children on 17 May 2022, according to his mother, Shantal, who said he was pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked. In an Instagram post days after the incident, accompanied by photographs of her son’s injured hand, Shantal said Raheem made a “desperate attempt” to leave the school grounds to escape the situation. Raheem’s finger was then caught in a fence as he tried to climb to escape. Despite surgery to save his finger, it was later amputated.

That was then, this is now... 

Nearly a year since the alleged assault, Gwent police said their investigation, described as “complex”, found Raheem had left the school “of his own accord” and concluded no other individual was involved in his injury. Police said reports of this nature were taken “extremely seriously”, adding that CCTV footage from the school had been viewed and several people interviewed under caution.

But never mind, mum got a payday anyway: 

Following the incident, Shantal launched a GoFundMe campaign to purchase a prosthetic finger for Raheem and help with his recovery, eventually raising £107,575.

They should all ask for their money back. 

Wales. AGAIN!

And the fanatical bloodsport dog lovers have a ready excuse - this time 'it was the fireworks that did it!'

Officers and paramedics attended a property on Crossway in Rogiet, near Caldicot, Monmouthshire, at about 18:00 GMT on Sunday. The dog was seized and removed from the address, according to Gwent Police, with officers working to establish the breed of the animal. Ch Supt John Davies said: "Officers are on scene and will be making further inquiries as the investigation progresses." No arrests have been made.

WHY NOT! Even if not a banned breed (and it did indeed turn out to be another killer bully), as is quite likely given Wales seems to have a predilection for the things, leaving a child unattended with a dog is clearly child endangerment, isn’t it?

But the Miss Marples and Hercules Poirots of the canine fancy are on the case, ready to exonerate poor Fido:

A “panicked” dog killed a baby after being spooked by fireworks in a Welsh town, it has been claimed.The dog reportedly became agitated by fireworks in a nearby field and went for the baby, Rogiet residents explained to The Sun.Caroline Knight told the newspaper: “Someone was letting fireworks off near the house and the dog was agitated by them and must have panicked and gone for the baby.Another neighbour recalled how there had been “horrendous” fireworks on Sunday evening. They added: “You could hear dogs bark as well as the bangs - they could have set a dog off.”

Fireworks are going off all over the country, thanks to bloody Diwali, yet dogs aren’t savaging people willy nilly, are they? 

A family affected by tragedy has thanked the public for donating to a fundraising appeal - and urged people to show ‘respect’ during their heartbreak.“People need to be respectful," they said. "Comments online aren’t helping the situation there is a big loss in the family and everybody is trying to process what’s happening."

A fundraising appeal? 🙄 

Caldicot Town Team CIC’s Aaron Reeks said: “People should show more respect and dignity when they absolutely don’t know the full facts," he said. "I’ve been in touch with the family, and I don’t want to intrude on them at this time.

“Speculation online concerning the breed of the dog is inappropriate and unnecessary."

Ah, those modern terms that mean ‘Stop pointing out inconvenient facts’, like the sudden prevalence of bloodsport breed dogs in society, or the fact that the authorities go all softly-softly with death by dog teeth because they are as terrified of the animal lobby as a bull breed is of a Catherine Wheel… 

Update: the owners have now been arrested.

Time Once More To Play 'Guess The Breed'...

An 83-year-old woman has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and a 55-year-old man has been taken to hospital with minor injuries, Gwent Police said in a statement. The dog was seized by officers and has been destroyed.

Its breed has not yet been confirmed, the force added. No other animals were involved in the attack.

Bet it's not a labrador... 

Say, that location seems....familiar, somehow.

It comes a year after ten-year-old Jack Lis died after being attacked by a seven-stone bulldog named Beast at an address just half a mile away. The victim, named locally as Shirley Patrick, was at home - the location from which her grandson ran his dog walking business.

Two men aged 20 and 31, alongside a 28-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

What the hell is wrong with Wales?