Tuesday 22 February 2005

By Clare Jerrom and Amy Taylor

Care assistant ‘raped patients’

A care assistant raped two patients when he returned to work after
being cleared of sexually assaulting other women on his ward, the
Old Bailey heard yesterday.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested when
his last victim tried to kill herself by jumping from a window at
St Thomas’ hospital in south London. The offences allegedly
happened between January 2003 and July 2004.

The trial continues.

Source:- The Times  Tuesday 22 February page 4

31 stone man taken to mental health clinic

A man who weighs 31 stone has been detained under the Mental Health
Act in a bid to help him lose weight.

Chris Leppard suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome which means he
cannot tell when his stomach is full. East Sussex social services
reportedly intervened after Leppard appeared on a
documentary.

Leppard’s family have claimed that he is being punished for
being fat and deny he has mental health problems.

Source:- The Times  Tuesday 22 February page 11

Child death plea

A childminder admitted killing an 18-month old baby who drowned in
her bath.

Wendy Barlow pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Joshua
Massey-Hodgkinson at Preston Crown Court and will be sentenced next
month.

Source:- The Times  Tuesday 22 February page 23

‘I could have picked the baby up and thrown
him’

As the NSPCC launches a campaign to help parents deal with anger, a
mother tells how frustration with her son’s crying almost led
to violence.

Source:- The Guardian  Tuesday 22 February page 9

Widow and daughter murdered in village home

A partially-sighted woman and her adopted daughter were murdered in
their house on the outskirts of a village where they had lived
alone for a number of years, according to police yesterday.

Either Iris Jones or Mandy Joseph made a 999 emergency call but the
line went dead before the operator could put her through to the
police.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Tuesday 22 February page 1

The untouchables

Six youths described by police as the ‘untouchables’
were given antisocial behaviour orders at Birmingham magistrates
court.

The police and Birmingham Council sought asbos against the gang
rather than prosecutions for assault and criminal damage.

Source:- Daily Mail  Tuesday 22 February page 31

He held a knife and said: Do you want to get shanked?

A teenager told the Old Bailey yesterday how he saw his best friend
stabbed to death for his £30 baseball cap.

Kieran Rodney-Davis was the victim of a street gang attack as the
15-year old and his friend returned home after buying CDs.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, yesterday described
the events leading up to the stabbing which occurred last June in
Fulham, west London.

Source:- Daily Mail  Tuesday 22 February page 35

NHS strips Africa of its doctors

The National Health Service has saved £65 million in training
costs since 1999 by recruiting doctors and nurses from Ghana,
according to a Save the Children report.

However, the NHS has deprived one of Africa’s poorest
countries of the £35 million that it spent on training
them.

Source:- The Times  Tuesday 22 February page 24

Scottish news

Fury over serial sex attacker’s jail term

A notorious sex attacker was sentenced to just six years in prison
for a string of offences in Edinburgh.

Colin Dishart abducted a student nurse and forced her to ensure a
horrific sex ordeal., carried out another sex attack and exposed
himself to eight women and girls over a period of four months last
year.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 21 February

Crimestopper success makes bus yobs pay

A “shop-a-lout” campaign on the Capital’s buses
has resulted in dozens of criminals being caught for offences such
as assault, robbery and drug-use.

Police received numerous tip-offs after passengers were urged to
call the Crimestoppers phone-line.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 21 February

Social work chiefs to spend £632,000 hiring more
managers

The Capital’s social work chiefs are to spend an extra
£632,000 annually to pay for a management shake-up.

City officials claim the department has been
“under-managed” in recent years and plan to hire a
further 20 senior staff members.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 21 February

Care service ‘Oscars’ hunt

Staff in early education, childcare and social work are being urged
to put names forward names for the Care Accolades 2005.

The awards highlight good work and innovation by social services
organisations.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 21 February

Welsh newspapers

Ex-matron accused of abuse

A former nursing home matron was yesterday accused of force-feeding
a 95-year-old resident until he choked and died.

Avola Humphreysis accused of the manslaughter of William Pettener
in April last year.

She also allegedly abused and mistreated four other residents at
Bodawen Nursing Home in Tremadog, Porthmadog.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 22 February

We’re innocent, say salt poison parents

A man jailed for killing a boy he planned to adopt by feeding him
salt has claimed his innocence from prison.

Ian Gay told ITV1’s Central News that he and his wife Angela,
who is originally from Merthyr Tydfil, did not kill Christian
Blewitt and did not know how he had died.

The couple were jailed for five years last month at Worcester Crown
Court.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 22 February