The content below comes from pages 13 and 14 the pdf of this issue.
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17 unanimous not guilty verdict, advanced publication 27th November, 2018.
A County Clare-born, 57-year-old Bradford man was today found not guilty of 17 very serious sexual misconduct charges. There were six complainants, and the jury heard how this was the second time the same defendant had faced similar charges. None of the complainants appeared in both cases.
His Honour Judge David Hatton QC made clear in his legal directions the age below which the Crown does not need to explore the issue of consent, because the act alleged is an offence whether or not there is consent. His honour clarified that the Prosecution was saying that the defendant, today found not guilty, was being accused in respect of another complainant of normalising the act which was an offence. His honour was referring to multiple incident counts.
The defendant took the stand in his own defence. Of one complainant the defendant spoke of his devastation on hearing that that complainant was making the allegations tried. Of another he said he had never met that person. In relationship to another count a police interview video went missing, then was found, though the associated file was not found. On the last day of the trial a witness, named by another of the complainants as having been present during an alleged offence, gave
evidence that that alleged incident had not taken place.
After the case I asked the defendant, of good character, if he wished to comment. He shook his head to indicate no. His long term partner wiped tears from her eyes. Allegations extend back to 1975. HG.
HERE WAS EVIL advanced publication on 12th October,2018.
Having regard to the principle of totality His Honour Judge Durham-Hall QC today sentenced Mr X (62) to 27 years in prison for sexual offences against three victims who, at the time of the crimes, were children. His honour stopped short of handing out a life sentence for one set of the charges, telling the jury who had chosen to remain in Court for the sentencing that the tariffs handed down were a matter for his conscience.
The crimes took place in Bradford at two different addresses from 1990 to the mid 1990s, and there-after until 2002 in Skegness. Prior to the trial the defendant tried to take his own life. Defence counsel told the Court that as a child her client had also experienced many difficulties, and she asked the Court not to impose a life sentence. She further told the Court that she was unsure where her client's medical records were, but that they were supposed to go to HM Prison Leeds at Armley.
The judge spoke of the offences as being relentlessly cruel, and he asked where the authorities had been, naming a number of institutions generically as he made his remarks. His honour thanked the officer in the case, who was in Court, but she had little time to speak afterwards because, she said, she needed to be with the
victims.
16th October, 2018. It might be I should have written "an" officer rather than "the" officer in the case was in Court in the news report above. Editor's note 11.12.2018. Though the defendant's name was relevant to the news report, it is not relevant to the broader and global issue of adult attitudes to children, and consequences. HG.
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Advanced publication on 5th October,2018.
Suspended sentence for ill-treatment by two care workers in Phoenix Court Care Home, Todmorden
XX (female 49) and XX (female 37) were today both given nine month sentences suspended for 12 months, each having pleaded guilty to ill treatment of a person who lacks capacity. His Honour Judge Jonathan Durham-Hall QC called the case troubling. The Court was played covertly recorded footage of events which led to the two women being arrest-ed and charged. The victim's family were given an opportunity to leave Court before the footage was played, but chose to remain. The victim is a 60 year-old woman with significant, profound and highly complex medical and physical disabilities, who needs 24-hour, one-to-one care. The women sentenced today were recorded feeding the victim or moving around the kitchen under-taking domestic tasks. One could be heard using gentle language at one stage, yet she was feed-ing and interacting with the victim in a manner which would have made enjoyment of the meal impossible. At one stage in another incident the victim's fingers were pried from the door. His honour said, "I have seen much worse, but I shouldn't have to see this at all should I?" Judge Durham-Hall spoke of observing a chilling lack of compassion toward the victim. HG
Advanced publication on 5th October, 2018 at circa 18.40 BST, 05.10.2018.
Arsonist with paranoid schizophrenia still awaiting assessment for housing post release from Prison.
Counsel for XX ( male 66) wondered whether a way to ensure his client was assessed for housing post release from prison would be to compel those responsible for finding such accommodation to attend Court and explain to the judge why such an assessment had not taken place. His Honour Jonathan Durham-Hall QC said he was not going to do that. His Honour spoke of the authorities as being trapped within their own protocols. Mr X was arrested by police in Keighley in June of this year having thrown a brick through a window (where he, Mr X, lived), assaulted a member of staff in the place where he (Mr X) lived, and having set a fire in his flat (Mr X's). Other residents were evacuated safely, and three fire engines attended. Mr X pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including arson with reckless endangerment to life. Mr X was interviewed by police after it was confirmed he had capacity. Mr X had wanted to move to Skipton and get a cat. He is thought at the time to have stopped taking his medication for paranoid schizophrenia. HG.
Clarifications in brackets in the penultimate paragraph added by the editor on 07-10-2018. Editor's comment 11.12.2018. I removed names above for Science, People & Politics because though, for news, the names mattered, as insight into British Society they do not. Senior care workers need training to degree level, to be paid well and hands on, People with schizophrenia, paranoid or not, ought to be able to have a cat and choose where they live. Clearly damaging property and assaulting people is wrong. And, respectfully, I think HHJ Durham-Hall QC or one of his colleagues in criminal law are exactly the people who should have reviewed the covert footage in the report about care workers. HG.
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