Monday 14 April 2003

By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Care home closure verdict will kill pensioners, says
lawyer

A judge in the high court ruled that a group of older residents
had not had their human rights breached by the decision to close a
care home.

The residents argued that they would die if they were forced to
move, but although the judge offered them his “greatest sympathy”
he ruled that the closure could go ahead.

It was then revealed that one older female resident, Margaret
Haggerty, had died the day after the first court hearing took place
last month.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Saturday 12 April page
20

Ministers reject children’s home injustice
claims

A damming report by MPs, which says that police investigations
into allegations of abuse in children’s homes decades ago had
created “a new genre of miscarriages of justice”, was rejected by
ministers last week.

A government response rejected claims that the compensation on
offer, early parole or the chance for improved prison conditions
could have caused some complainants to make fake allegations.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Saturday 12 April page
20

Youth hit hardest by wave of new laws

Over 300 new crimes have been created by Labour home secretaries
since coming to power and many more will be introduced in bills
currently going through parliament.

The latest anti-social behaviour bill will make it an offence to
sell aerosol paint to children, and bring in fines for dropping
litter, graffiti, fly-posting and riding a bike on the pavement. It
also introduces a possible three-month prison sentence for groups
of two or more youths to gather on a street corner in an
intimidating fashion.

Source:- The Observer Monday 14 April page 12

Huntley and Carr in dock together

This week Ian Huntley, the school caretaker accused of murdering
Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, is to appear in court beside his
girlfriend Maxine Carr for the first time.

The couple will stand together at the Old Bailey to be formally
asked if they plead guilty or not.

The couple haven’t seen each other since being arrested in
August having previously appeared in court alone.

Source:- The Mail on Sunday 13 April page 43

Scottish newspapers

Mum killed daughter, 5, in bed with hammer

A mother bludgeoned her five-year-old daughter to death with a
hammer and almost killed another child.

Erin Gilmour lay in agony for three hours with a smashed skull,
at home in Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, before she died. Another child,
not named for legal reasons, aged 10, later made a recovery after
surgery.

At the high court in Glasgow, Judge Leeona Dorrian QC granted a
hospital order which will allow Dunn’s condition to be
monitored before she returns for sentencing on 1 May. During the
hearing, Dunn was accompanied by a nurse from the State Hospital,
Carstairs.

Source:- Daily Express Saturday 12 April page 11

McConnell’s war on disorder
‘unworkable’

Plans by Jack McConnell to target nuisance neighbours as part of
a crackdown on crime have been dismissed as unworkable by
Labour-run local authorities. The first minister pledged to extend
the use of anti-social behaviour orders for under 16s.

A Sunday Times survey revealed that more than a third of
councils have been unable to use the orders because they are so
bureaucratic.

Source:- The Sunday Times 13 April page 16

Social workers to be offered ‘golden
hellos’

The staffing crisis in Scotland’s social work departments
has forced North Lanarkshire Council to offer £5,000
‘golden hellos’ to new recruits.

Staff agreeing to stay for at least three years will also
receive an extra £1,400 on their salary under the £1.5
million scheme.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday 13 April page 7

Landowner condemned for ‘offensive’ black
ghetto speech

Race equality leaders and politicians last night heaped
condemnation on Scottish landowner, Sir Iain Noble after the
businessman told a conference he did not want to see black people
“setting up ghettos” in Scotland.

Liberal Democrat leader and MP for Skye, Charles Kennedy,
described Sir Iain’s remarks as “offensive” while
a Racial Equality Commission spokesperson said the comments were
“very unfortunate”.

Source: The Herald Monday 14 April page 8

Welsh newspapers

Red tape halts hunt for dangerous paedophile who fled to
Ireland

A Welsh paedophile on the run in Ireland is escaping from
justice because of bureaucratic red tape.

Roger Gardner fled to the Irish republic two years ago before he
could stand trial for an alleged arson attack on his own home in
south Wales. He is a registered sex offender following a conviction
for indecent assault against two girls aged 12 and 13 for which he
served 15 months.

Gwent police have now been waiting for three months for an
extradition order to let them hunt for Gardner and a police
spokesperson said that they were frustrated by the delay.

The police believe that he could have found work with a
travelling fair.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 14 April page 3

You think you’re under pressure? Ask your
children

A page feature looking at the pressures on children in modern
Welsh society, including an examination of the effects of bullying
and domestic violence that many young people have to endure as part
of their daily lives.

There are also details of a web forum set up by the
children’s commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke, to give
young people the chance to air their views on a range of
issues.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 14 April page 7