Monday 10 January 2005

By Clare Jerrom, Sally Gillen and Amy
Taylor

Child abuser may have killed

A sex offender who simulated the murders of his foster
daughter’s school friends may have carried out his fantasy in
reality, police fear.

Glyn Martin was jailed for 18 years at Hull Crown Court after
admitting 57 charges including indecent assault, child abduction
and taking indecent photographs between 1987 and 2003. He used his
two daughters to lure children to his flat.

A police spokesperson said there were far more victims out there
and some may involve far more serious offences.

Source:- The Times  Saturday 8 January page 4

Care home comfort at the end of a long stretch

A nursing home for offenders has opened in a bid to cope with the
growing number of older inmates in prisons across England and
Wales.

The unit at Norwich prison, which can house 15 male prisoners, has
a registered nurse, healthcare officer and healthcare assistant to
provide round-the-clock-care.

Source:- The Times  Saturday 8 January page 35

First hearing in court for Damilola suspects

Three teenagers accused of murdering Damilola Taylor in November
2000 were remanded in custody after they appeared in court for the
first time yesterday.

Hassan Jihad and two brothers aged 16 and 17 were arrested on
Wednesday morning and appeared in Camberwell Green magistrates
court.

Source:- The Times  Saturday 8 January page 42

Bid to kill sons

A mother admitted trying to kill her three sons by putting a petrol
lawnmower in her car.

The boys escaped after their mother sliced two fingers off in the
mower, Mold Crown Court heard. The woman was remanded in
custody.

Source:- The Times  Saturday 8 January page 42

Mental illness helpline suffers cut in funding

The government has placed people with mental health problems at
risk by its decision not to renew funding for a national helpline
supporting vulnerable people.

Mental health charity Sane will be forced to close two out of its
three centres where trained volunteers and counsellors offer
support and advice to people with mental health problems.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Saturday 8 January page 13

New prescription for mental health: read a good book

GPs in Devon are to send people with mental health problems to the
library with a prescription for self-help books.

Those with symptoms of anxiety, depression or eating disorders will
be referred to clinics where they will be prescribed books to read
alongside support sessions with mental health workers.

Source:- The Observer  Sunday 9 January page 6

After community support officers comes civilian
investigators. Is this another example of policing on the
cheap?

Civilian staff, who have received as little as three weeks
training, are to investigate serious crimes such as burglary,
assault and car crime, under a Home Office plan to improve
“police effectiveness”.

The scheme is designed to allow more experienced detectives more
time solving actual crimes.

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph  Sunday 9 January page
6

More than a million children a year play truant from
school

More than a million children play truant every year,
according to figures obtained by the Independent on Sunday.

The statistics show a rise in truancy of more than a quarter since
Labour came to power in 1997.

Source:- Independent on Sunday  Sunday 9 January page
16

Tsunmai leads to shift in asylum policy

The tsunami disaster has led to a potential change in the
government asylum policy,  which is to be a major issue in the
general election.

Whitehall officials have confirmed that ministers have agreed to a
request from the United Nations to suspend enforced removals of
rejected asylum seekers to areas affected by the earthquake.

Source:- Financial Times Monday 10 January 2005 page
2

NHS faces mental health ethnic survey

The government is introducing ethnic monitoring of all mental
health patients in England after evidence of persistent racial
discrimination against black and minority ethnic groups.

Health minister Rosie Winterton will publish a long-delayed
response to the inquiry into the death of David “Rocky”
Bennett, who died in a psychiatric ward in 1998.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 10 January 2005 page 9

Fathers winning battle to have custody hearings in
public

The secrecy of the family courts system would be stripped away
under radical overhaul being drawn up by senior judges.

Hundreds of cases involving children would be opened to the public
and the media under proposals to go before the House of
Commons.

Judges including Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss are working on the
reforms. It is expected the proposals will be put forward to the
Constitutional Affairs committee later this month.

Source:- The Times Monday 1o January 2005 page 6

Scottish newspapers

‘Little comparison’ between Jodi and Black Dahlia
case

The deaths of Jodi Jones and a Holywood starlet had only
“superficial” similarities, a jury heard
yesterday.

The High Court in Edinburgh had heard that Jodi’s former
boyfriend Luke Mitchell, who is accused of murdering the
schoolgirl, was a fan of Marilyn Manson. The rock singer published
on his website a series of watercolours he had painted depicting
the murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947, known as the Black Dahlia
killing.

Donald Findlay QC said there was “little or no comparison
whatever” between the two murders.

Source:- The Scotsman  Saturday 8 January

Sectarian talks

Jack McConnell met with Celtic and Rangers fans yesterday to
discuss sectarianism before the Old Firm clash tomorrow.

The meeting emerged in the run-up to an anti-sectarianism summit to
be held next month involving the clubs, church leaders and local
authorities.

Source:- The Scotsman  Saturday 8 January

Pleas for condoms

A condom crisis kept Scotland’s health service busy over the
festive season.

Officials revealed a ‘surprising’ number of callers who
asked the emergency service for help when they had run out.

Source:- Daily Record  Saturday 8 January

Court bans angry dads’ bridge demo

The operators of the Forth Bridge have taken out a court order
against fathers’ rights activists to try and stop them
protesting on the landmark.

An interim interdict was granted against Fathers 4 Justice at the
Court of Session yesterday after the campaigners threatened to
scale the bridge.

Source:- Evening News  Saturday 8 January

Kirk planning £2m revamp for homeless drop-in
centre

A drop-in centre for homeless people is set for a major re-vamp
under £2 million plans announced today.

Kirk chiefs plan to refurbish Greyfriars Kirkhouse.

Source:- Evening News  Saturday 8 January

Nurseries cash tour

Two nursery workers are planning to carry out a walking tour of
Edinburgh nurseries in a bid to raise money for the Children First
charity.

Andrew Jardine and Claire McKinley, who work at the Port Hamilton
nursery, will tackle the 18.6 mile round trip of Careshare
nurseries.

Source:- Evening News  Saturday 8 January

Drug addicted US troops sent to Scotland for help

The US military is to use a Scottish hospital as a base to treat
drug and alcohol addicted troops who have fought in Iraq.

Up to 40 addicted servicemen and women will be sent to Castle Craig
rehabilitation clinic to undergo intensive treatment each
year.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 9 January

Young shoplifters to face victims

Children as young as eight years old may be forced to face the shop
keepers they have stolen from as part of a new youth justice
scheme.

Edinburgh’s children’s reporter administration will be
able to recommend that young offenders with increasing patterns of
shoplifting meet retailer to discuss the repercussions of their
crime, from April this year.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 9 January

Youth crime policy flagship in trouble

The number of persistent young offenders has risen sharply,
according to a leaked draft report.

Almost 1,000 children were reported for committing 10 or more
offences in 12 months, which was a rise of five per cent on the
previous year.

The Scottish executive aims to cut the number of persistent young
offenders by 10 per cent.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 10 January

Welsh newspapers

Welsh job row

A row has blown up over the decision not to make speaking Welsh a
requirement of the position of director of education at
Carmarthenshire Council.

Around 200 people went to a meeting on Friday night to protest
about the decision and a small campaign group is planning to mount
a legal challenge.

The council said that the post was first advertised as requiring a
Welsh speaker but that it was forced to change this after only
receiving five applications.

Source:- Wales on Sunday Sunday 9 January

I miss Luke terribly but now I want to keep his spirit
alive

The mother of a baby who died from Edwards’ Syndrome is
planning to set up a support group for other families affected by
the rare chromosome condition.

Ruth Winston-Jones’ terminally ill 10-month-old son Luke died
last year when life saving treatment was withheld from him after a
decision by the High Court.

Source:- Wales on Sunday Sunday 9 January