Thursday 12 June 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson.

Britain’s youngest joyrider – aged 10
A boy aged 10 became the youngest ever person to be convicted of
joyriding in Britain yesterday.
Hastings magistrates heard how the boy admitted taking his father’s
car without consent. He was already banned from driving following a
previous offence.
Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 12 June page 23

Fears grow for girl on the run with graveyard
rapist
Concerns are growing for a 16-year-old girl who has run away with a
sex offender convicted of raping a 92-year-old woman.
Kayleigh Quinn has been described by police as “young and
vulnerable”, and her family are said to be distraught after
learning she had fled with 23-year-old convicted rapist Steven
Barton.
Quinn and Barton, who was described as “thoroughly evil” by the
judge in his trial in 1996, left a jointly written note that
implied they were going to commit suicide.
The couple were last seen in Pulborough, West  Sussex, at 7pm on
Tuesday.
Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 12 June page 3

Scottish newspapers

Warning nursery nurses’ strike could last until
summer holidays
Further two-days strikes were held by more than 2,500 nursery
nurses yesterday as it emerged that the dispute could continue
through the summer holidays.
In the fourth week of industrial action, nurseries in the Highlands
and the west of Scotland were forced to close over the demand for a
£4,000 a year increase in pay.
Nurses in Inverness will take industrial action today.
Source:- The Herald Thursday 12 June

Yob robs gran as she lies in coma
A diabetic woman was robbed by a thief after she fell unconscious
from her wheelchair.
Christine McLay, who only has one leg, was taken ill when
exercising her dog. She slipped into a coma when her blood sugar
levels dropped dangerously low and she fell from her
wheelchair.
After McLay from Edinburgh was revived by paramedics it emerged
that £80 in cash, her mobile telephone and cigarettes had all
been stolen.
Source:- Daily Record Thursday 12 June page 9

Man on belt rap
A man who hit a teenager with a leather belt twice denied it was a
criminal assault yesterday.
Angus McKie  pleaded not guilty to assaulting the 13-year-old boy
when he refused to attend school. McKie admits delivering the
blows, but is relying on a defence of reasonable chastisement,
saying he was at his wits end.
The boy, now aged 14, said the assault was his own fault and he had
not been struck by McKie before or since.
The trial was adjourned until 8 July.
Source:- Daily Record Thursday 12 June page 10

Welsh newspapers

Scandal of care homes cash gap

Older people looked after in private care homes are worth less
than those being looked after by local authorities.
In Wales, care home owners will receive up to £175 less per
person every week this year for providing similar services to those
in council-run homes.
According to Care Forum Wales, the body that represents care home
owners in the principality, local authorities are also guilty of
paying independent homes less than it actually costs to provide
residential or complex nursing care for older patients.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 12 June page 6

No-one culpable for death of father

A father who for many years was denied access to his three
children, hanged himself from a bridge in Swansea.
An inquest was told that Andrew Roberts, aged 35, suffered from
severe back pain due to a crumbling spine. A statement from a
police officer investigating Robert’s death said that he was
also caused great distress by being denied access to his
children.
 Roberts had spent time as a teenager in care homes in Swansea and
Cardiff, but as an adult found it difficult to find regular
work.

Source:-  Western Mail Thursday 12 June page 6

Isolated fathers protest

Fathers fighting for a fairer deal when marriages go wrong took
their fight to the family courts in Swansea, yesterday.
Protesters from Fathers4Justice staged a demonstration outside the
courts to highlight problems with access to children following
family breakdown, and the called for changes in the way the Child
Support Agency deals with men.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 12 June page 8