Thursday 3 November 2005

By Simeon Brody, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

Mother who killed son with Down’s syndrome gets suspended sentence
Wendolyn Markcrow, 67, was given a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of her 36-year-old son, who had Down’s syndrome.
For years she had begged the authorities for help with the 16-stone adult, who regularly beat himself around the head, screamed like a toddler and sometimes lashed out at her.
Source:- The Guardian Thursday 3 November 2005 page 5

Ally of PM steps into breach
The appointment of John Hutton as new work and pensions secretary confirms that Tony Blair is determined to push through his version of radical reform of incapacity benefits and pensions.
Source:- The Guardian Thursday 3 November 2005 page 8

Couple served with Asbo over constant row
An Essex couple have been given an Asbo to stop them arguing so loudly and so often. People were woken in the early hours as foul-mouthed rows erupted and police were called dozens of times.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 3 November 2005 page 13

Boy, 13, given nationwide Asbo
A 13-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire has been forbidden by a court from behaving antisocially anywhere in England and Wales for two years after being convicted of arson. The order forbids him from causing harassment, alarm or distress to anyone or damaging property.
Source:- The Times Thursday 3 November 2005 page 17

NHS kills 34,000 patients a year
As many as 34,000 patients a year may be dying from NHS blunders, including patient falls, medication errors and equipment failures, according to a report by the Audit Commission.
Source:- The Sun Thursday 3 November 2005 page 17

Scottish news

Film maker Mullan joins asylum protest
Film-maker Peter Mullan and two MSPs joined 30 other campaigners in blocking immigration offices in Glasgow in protest at the Home Office’s deportation of asylum seekers.
The protesters said they were forced to take direct action because of the forced removal from the country of asylum seekers such as the Vucaj family, who were taken from their home by immigration officers in dawn raids.
The Home Office agreed to meet the campaigners on Monday to discuss the issues following the protest.
Source:- The Herald Thursday 3 November

Tories claim ‘bribe’ has failed as 33% of pupils skip school
Nearly a third of pupils being paid to stay on at school are either failing to turn up or are not hitting academic targets.
The statistics, published by the Scottish executive, also revealed that nearly 2,000 pupils in receipt of the £30 a week education maintenance allowance (EMA) quit midway through the school year.
More than £19 million in EMAs were paid out to over 23,000 pupils last year on the scheme, according to yesterday’s report.
Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 3 November

Asbos: don’t blame us
Opinion article on why it is unfair that young people seem to be particularly targeted by ASBOs. Despite media coverage to the contrary, young people are still most likely to be the victims of crime, it says.
Source:- Daily Record Thursday 3 November


Welsh news

GP murder trial: ‘Doctor shocked family’
A GP accused of murdering patients told a man’s family he would not be getting out of bed again after he gave him a morphine injection a court heard yesterday.
The family of cancer sufferer 74-year-old Harry Gittins said that they were shocked by Dr Howard Martin’s comment as the older man had been well days before.
Martin, of Gwynedd, North Wales, claimed that Gittins was dying and would have a poor quality of life.
Source:- icWales  Thursday 3 November