Wednesday 27 July 2005

By Simeon Brody, Maria Ahmed and Derren Hayes

Loan shark who charged 8,000% interest rate jailed for four
years

A loan shark who preyed on the sick and poor, charging interest
rates of up to 8,000 per cent, has been jailed in the first case
brought by the Loan Shark Unit, a government pilot project to crack
down on illegal money lending.

Mark Johnson, from Hall Green, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to
running a consumer credit business without a licence and three
counts of blackmail.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
4

Ticket blunder halts deportation of Malawians

A family from Malawi who expected to be deported have returned home
after immigration officials failed to produce their tickets and
passports in time for their intended flight.

Verah Kachepa and her four children travelled from their home in
Weymouth to Heathrow airport but were unable to board a flight to
Malawi after their documents were not produced.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
17

Binge fears over new alcohol laws

Alcohol could be on sale 24 hours a day in supermarkets from
November, triggering fears of increased binge drinking.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
17

“Lamper” admits killing stepson

A man who shot dead his 13-year-old stepson during a night time
hunting expedition pleaded guilty to the boy’s manslaughter
by “gross negligence”.

Philip Rowe, of Colyford, east Devon, shot Byron Evans after he
became “disorientated” in the darkness and mistook him
for a fox.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
9

Asylum? No, sheer bedlam

Special report by Mail writer who spent two days at an asylum
appeals centre and found a chaotic system abused by lawyers,
implausible asylum seekers and politically-correct judges.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 13

Overcrowding crisis for jails

The number of prisoners is rising far faster than the Home Office
can build new blocks to hold them.

Official estimates said the jail population could rise from 76,500
to 91,500 by the end of the decade.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 27

Crack is choice for drug users

Crack cocaine has overtaken heroin as the hard drug of choice among
users, but treatment services are still heavily focused are still
heavily focused on heroin, research has found.

A report from the charity Turning Point has found that there are up
to 79,000 crack users compared with 64,000 heroin users.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 2

Girl suicide riddle

A girl who hanged herself was “well-balanced, normal, happy
and healthy” and contrary to reports, had not been bullied,
an inquest at Doncaster Coroner’s Court was told.

Carina Stephenson, 17, was found hanging in woods near her home in
Branton on May 21.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 9

Drug led to death

A “terrible human error” led to man with Down’s
syndrome being given another patient’s medication, a coroner
said.

Brian Lacey, 61, died in March after he was given anti-diabetes
tablets at a care centre in Purley on Thames.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 9

School class sizes could rise

School class sizes could hit 60 under new government measures
coming into force in September.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 20

‘Attic baby’ charge

A grandmother in the “babies in the attic”
investigation was charged with disposing of the bodies of two more
children.

Ann Mahoney, a 63-year-old former nurse, had already been accused
of attempting to conceal the birth of her own child by secretly
disposing of the body.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 20

Jail terms cut to hit targets

The government is relying on judges making a 15 per cent cut in
average jail terms to keep numbers under control, Home Office
figures show.

The move will reduce the average term of 17.1 months by more than
10 weeks.

The government has set a ceiling of 80,000 on the jail
population.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27 July 2005 page 24

The great state sell-off

The large-scale transfer of public services to the voluntary sector
is imminent but the move could undermine the public perception of
charities

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
2

Meeting of minds at the DoH

White papers urge better integration of social care and
health

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
4

Life through a lens

Images of people with learning disabilities are showcased at the V
& A.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
4

Balance of power

Al Aynsley-Green, the new children’s commissioner for England
has to walk a tightrope to influence and confront government about
young people’s rights – and responsibilities

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
6-7

Class of their own

For its summer programme, an extended school in east London is
providing health and social care for local residents – both
children and parents

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
7

Welcome edition

The hostility directed towards asylum seekers by residents of her
home city of Hull led novelist Daphne Glazer to produce a booklet
that seeks to promote understanding of the plight of incomers

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
8

Labour exchange

The Ruchazie area of Glasgow has been described as a no-go zone,
but a new training project is giving the city’s youngsters a
glimmer of hope for the future

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 27 July 2005 page
10

Scottish news

NHS under fire over plans to cut beds by 10%

NHS chiefs in Glasgow want to cut hospital beds by 10 per cent in
five years.

NHS Greater Glasgow (NHSGG), one of Scotland’s largest health
authorities with 3,378 beds, announced proposals to reduce them to
between 3,021 and 3,200 by 2010 as a result of more procedures
being day surgery.

But the Scottish National Party warned it could leave the city with
a shortage as many people waited long periods for beds.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 27 July

Welsh news

Grandmother charged over death of children

A grandmother in the “babies in the attic” investigation was
yesterday charged over the death of three children.

Former nurse Ann Mahoney was already charged with trying to conceal
the birth of her own child by secretly disposing of the body.

Police yesterday confirmed she has now also been charged with
disposing of another two children. Mahoney is accused of hiding the
three bodies sometime between 1951 and 2005 under the Offences
Against the Person Act.

Source:- IC Wales Wednesday 27 July