Mother first to be found guilty of family homicide

Mother first to be found guilty of family homicide
A young mother who failed to protect her baby from being murdered by her violent lover has become the first person to be convicted of family homicide in a case that has made legal history.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 6 May 2006, page 31

Schizophrenic sent to Rampton for stabbing pregnant woman to death
A paranoid schizophrenic graduate who abandoned his medication was committed to Rampton secure hospital yesterday as an inquiry into why he stabbed to death a randomly chosen woman and her unborn twins began.
A judge told Benjamin Holiday, 25, there were indications in medical reports that his “very disturbed and dangerous” condition might be linked to his use of ecstasy as a student.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 6 May 2006, page 12

Fears of panic as St Ives HIV cluster is discovered
An unusual cluster of HIV cases has been discovered in the small Cornish resort of St Ives. The local primary health care trust held a press conference to warn other residents in the community that they may be infected.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 6 May 2006, page 13

Young men ‘are victims of jail cycle’
Men in their late teens are the most neglected section of the prison population despite being the most prolific reoffenders in the country, a new study by the Howard League will reveal tomorrow.
Source:- Observer, Sunday 7 May 2006, page 14

How parents’ tug-of-war can wreck a child’s future
Estranged parents who stick to a srict timetable to share custody of their children could be sowing the seeds for more family breakdown, research by the Economic and Social Research Council reveals.
Source:- Observer, Sunday 7 May 2006, page 14

Officials must go, says murder family
The family of a woman who was stabbed to death by a highly dangerous criminal out on probation has called for senior officials to resign. A report into the murder of Naomi Bryant will be published on Thursday and is expected to reveal a catalogue of errors involving the police, probation service and the people running a hostel where her killer, Anthony Rice, was living.
Source:- Observer, Sunday 7 May 2006, page 9

Toddlers to help halt teen pregnancies
Schoolgirls at risk of pregnancy could be sent on a programme that uses babies to put them off premature parenthoold, under new government plans to tackle teenage conception.
Source:- Observer, Sunday 7 May 2006, page 21

Church adviser: let paedophiles off jail
The archbishop of Canterbury’s adviser on child protection has caused anger by arguing that courts should consider sparing paedophiles from jail. Janet Hind, the church of England’s first national child protection adviser, said community rehabilitation orders were a more effective way of dealing with many sex offenders.
Source:- Observer, Sunday 7 May 2006, page 23

Nightmare world of suburban sex slaves
A new market in young women from South America is changing the face of Britain’s sex trade, with traffickers being paid as much as £8,000 a victim, according to a report on a government campaign against trafficking published today.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 8 May 2006, page 15

Shortage of foster parents leaves children unsettled
A chronic shortage of foster parents means that some children in care are being forced to move up to three times a year, research by the Fostering Network has shown.
Source:- The Independent, Monday 8 May 2006, page 12

Pill under review over link to depression
A brand of the contraceptive pill which is commonly prescribed to treat acne is under review by the UK’s regulatory body amid concerns about the side-effects it has on young women.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 8 May 2006, page 1

Man held in euthanasia case
A son who helped his mother commit suicide at a Swiss clinic has been interviewed by police after a complaint from a relative.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 8 May 2006, page 6

Local authorities investing over £700 million in arms trade
Almost all local authorities in Britain hold investments in the world’s largest weapons companies, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 8 May 2006, page 17

Law change would let 650 die with dignity
About 650 terminally ill people every year would choose to ask doctors to help them die under a new law to be debated in the House of Lords this week, say its supporters.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Monday 8 May 2006, page 8

Deportation plan ‘in need of work’
Tony Blair’s promise to deport all foreign prisoners was dismissed last night after the Lord Chancellor conceded that the plan might not be fully workable.
Source:- The Times, Monday 8 May 2006, page 2

ME costs Britain £6 billion a year
Three quarters of ME sufferers have lost their jobs because of their illness, according to new research.
Source:-The Times, Monday 8 May 2006, page 28

Scottish news

Protection for at-risk youngsters
A new computer system designed to warn doctors, teachers, social workers and police when a child is at risk is set to go live this week.
The early warning system, called C-me, is the first of its kind in Scotland and is set to be launched in West Lothian on Tuesday.
If successful, the scheme, which has seen records of almost 37,000 children entered into the system, will be extended so that professionals throughout the Lothians can see if a child is already of concern to other agencies.
Source:- The Scotsman, Saturday 6 May 2006
 
McConnell decries low use of Asbos
First minister Jack McConnell has provoked a fresh row over antisocial behaviour, accusing local authorities of doing a “disservice” to their communities by failing to take advantage of new powers to tackle it.
McConnell said a reluctance to use antisocial behaviour orders and other measures to tackle neighbourhood nuisances was “unacceptable” and urged members of the public to demand that police and councils do more to crack down on disorder.
But his comments mystified local authority leaders who insisted councils were doing everything in their power to rid communities of vandalism, intimidation from gangs of youths and other antisocial behaviour problems.
Source:- The Scotsman, Saturday 6 May 2006

Executive youth work project exceeds target
Project Scotland, the Scottish executive scheme to get young people working in the community, has exceeded its target of 450 volunteers in its first year, with 470 in full-time positions.
Source:- The Scotsman, Monday 8 May 2006
 
£14K for cancer sacking
A cancer sufferer who claimed she was “singled out” for redundancy has won £14,000 compensation.
Valerie Taylor-Walker was told she was being laid off after months on sick leave with breast cancer. Bosses at Edinburgh Smoked Salmon Company’s plant in Dingwall, Easter Ross, said her personnel and training manager post was being phased out.
But an industrial tribunal ruled the firm wanted to give her job to the man who had been standing in for her because they feared she’d fall ill again. It awarded her £14,365, including £5000 for injury to feelings, for unfair dismissal and discrimination.
Source:- The Record, Monday 8 May 2006

Welsh news

Elderly fear new home shuffle
Plans to replace a failing care home with a new one has sparked concerns among some of its residents.
Annedd home, near Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire, failed to meet new care standards. A new home will take 18 months to build. But the current home’s 38 residents are worried that they will be moved away from their friends and relatives.
Source: – Western Mail, Saturday 6 May 2006

Pervert sent sex pictures to kids
A paedophile who sent sexual images to thousands of children using a mobile phone has been remanded in custody for psychiatric and pre-sentence reports.
Royce Roberts, 45, pleaded guilty at Gwnedd crown court to 15 offences of causing children to look at sexual images.
Source:- Wales on Sunday, Sunday 7 May 2006

Mum’s plea after schoolgirl sex attack
The mother of a girl was sexually assaulted has pleaded for help in catching her attacker.
The man attacked the 13-year-old at Neath leisure centre when she went to the toilet.
Source:- Wales on Sunday, Sunday 7 May 2006

Claims over ex-Mayor’s computer misuse ‘ludicrous’
A Swansea Labour councillor in has been arrested in relation to allegations that indecent images were found on his council computer.
Lawrence Bailey, 51, a former mayor of Swansea, has denied the allegations.
Bailey was arrested on Friday evening but released without charge.
Source:- Western Mail, Monday 8 May 2006

No fare for disabled man as wheelchair’s too big
A disabled man says he is not allowed on his local bus due to his wheelchair being too big.
Simon Morris, who weighs 17 stone, said that he would be able to use the buses if transport company First Cymru had brought normal buses. The new coaches purchased by the company are the first in Europe that allow disabled passengers to get on via the same entrance as other passengers due to a specially designed lift.
Source:- Western Mail, Monday 8 May 2006