Tuesday 7 December 2004

By Maria Ahmed, Shirley Kumar, Amy Taylor and Derren
Hayes

Bullied to death

An inquest was told that student Ashley Hegarty, 17, suffered a
crisis of confidence after being bullied and plunged to his death
from a multi-storey car park in Woking, Surrey in December last
year.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 7 December 2004 page 6

Boy, 11, confined to his own street

An 11-year-old boy, who cannot read or write and has been excluded
from school, has been barred from his local town centre and every
road but his own.

The antisocial behaviour order was imposed in Bingley, West
Yorkshire after a two-month trial period.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 7 December 2004 page 2

Trapped in a cycle of self-harm and despair for want of a
psychiatric bed

Investigation into the treatment of mentally disordered
prisoners

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 7 December 2004 pages
12-13

Beating for disabled man who tackled gang

A disabled man is being treated for a fractured skull and damaged
eye after he confronted four teenagers he believed were trying to
enter his neighbour’s retirement bungalow in Torquay,
Devon.

Jim Moir who is registered disabled following a back injury,
challenged the teenagers and was knocked to the ground and kicked
repeatedly.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 7 December 2004 page
3

Police search for ‘honour killings’

Police are to review the deaths of 122 Asian women across England
and Wales in the past decade to establish whether they were
“honour killings’.

In a separate exercise, police and the CPS will ask coroners around
Britain for details of any cases where they suspect that Asian
women committed suicide after campaigns of violence or
harassment.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 7 December 2004 page
6

GPs hand out drugs for depression ‘too
readily’

Hundreds of thousands of people are being handed powerful
antidepressants by GPs with possible side effects that include
suicidal thoughts and self harm, reveals an investigation.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence gave new guidelines
to doctors following the investigation by the Medicines and
Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 7 December 2004 page
7

Agencies ‘unprepared’ for freedom of
information

The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has been criticised
by MPs for failing to give clearer leadership to help more than
100,000 organisations get ready for the new freedom of information
law due to take effect on January 1.

From then anyone can demand information from a range of public
bodies which should all have produced a plan for dealing with
applications.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 7 December 2004
page8

Cell killer admits racism was a motive

Robert Stewart, the psychopathic prisoner who beat his Asian
cellmate to death, admitted for the first time yesterday that
racism was a motive.

Stewart, who had RIP tattooed on his forehead, was put in a cell at
Feltham young offender institution with Zahid Mubarek.

Stewart attacked the 19-year-old with a table leg on the day
Mubarek was due to be released.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 7 December 2004 page
16

Immigration flood ‘fuelling more
hostility’

The British Social Attitudes report reveals the flood of
immigration in recent years has led to increasing hostility.

Most people thought the mass immigration is linked to higher crime
rather than racism or the fear of losing jobs, the report
said.

Source:- The Daily Mail Tuesday 7 December 2004 page
8

Scottish newspapers

Obese kids warning

Scottish ministers have warned parents they must take urgent
action to prevent the childhood obesity problem getting worse.

Deputy health minister Rhona Brankin said parents should do
practical things like playing with their children, walking them to
school and choosing carefully what they eat.

One in five Scottish children is obese and one in three
overweight.

Source:- The Daily Record Tuesday 7 December

NHS helpline fury

A group of families have been brought together to demand changes
to the NHS 24 Helpline following a spate of high profile problems
with the service.

The group have been brought together by the relatives of
meningitis victim Shomi Miah of Aberdeen, the teenager who died in
October.

Source:- The Daily Record Tuesday 7 December

Executive charged with letting down young pupils

Standards of English among Scottish children have dropped resulting
in government critics saying education policies are failing.

Ministers say the drop is down to tougher exams, but opposition
parties believe it is a sign the executive’s policies on education
aren’t working.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 7 December

Welsh newspapers

Child pornography charge admitted

A man yesterday admitted having child pornography on his computers
at Swansea Crown Court.

Anthony Luckwill had previously committed an identical offence and
was given a three-year community rehabilitation order in July
2003.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 7 December

Rape accused ‘tried to infect me’

A man has been accused of deliberately trying to infect a woman
with HIV by raping her.

Speaking from behind a screen at Swansea Crown Court, the woman
said that she was sure that Peter Ioannou was trying to infect her
with HIV. She later had tests and found she was did not have the
virus.

Ioannou, from Pembrokeshire, denies two charges of rape and one of
indecent assault.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 7 December