Thread: Stories of interest in the news.

“PAEDO SUSPECT No5 IS OLD FOLKS CARER”;

BABY ABUSE CHARGE:
A pensioners' care worker appeared in court yesterday accused of child sex offences – the fifth connected to the nursery paedophile ring.”

Tracy Dawber, who helps elderly hospital patients, denied 11 charges – including assaulting a baby.
Dawber, of Southport, Merseyside, was arrested after police found a link to pervert Colin Blanchard – who last month admitted child-sex offences along with nursery worker Vanessa George, 39, and Angela Allen.
A fourth person, Tracy Lyons, 39 – was held after the trio's computers were searched. The mother of eight, of Portsmouth, Hants, faces charges including sexually assaulting a child.
Yesterday Dawber's lawyer admitted to South Sefton Magistrates' Court that she had a “casual relationship” with former IT worker Blanchard, 38, of Rochdale, Lancs.
Nick Archer, defending, said: “Colin Blanchard targeted vulnerable women and persuaded them to be involved in paedophile activity.”
Dawber denied possessing indecent images of children, permitting indecent images to me made, sexual assault on a child under 13 and facilitating sexual assault of a child.”
Yesterday her ex-husband David Fishwick said: “She's not a very nice woman.”
Dawber's charges are not linked to Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth, where Vanessa George worked.
She, Blanchard and Allen, 39, of Nottingham, await sentence at Bristol Crown Court.
(Oh look... yet another female paedophile!
FFS! Didn't you just KNOW they'd go for the “HE made me do it! I'm a victim too!” form of “defence”.
I wonder how Tracy Dawber's defence lawyer will explain how Colin Blanchard managed to persuade her to commit these offences during the “casual relationship” she admits to have had with him... and demonstrate the “vulnerability” of these women and their apparent inability to distinguish right from wrong?
Is “vulnerable” a euphemism for “stupid” or “morally naive”? Should stupidity and naivety be accepted as a defence against ANY criminal charges, least of all child-sex offences?)

“MUM ON KID PORN CHARGES”;

A married mum who worked at a secondary school has been charged with child porn offences, police revealed yesterday.
Melanie Gunn, 36, quit her job as a learning support manager after being accused.
Gunn, who has a toddler, was arrested after cops raided her home and seized computer gear.
Officers allegedly found dozens of hard-core child porn images.
Gunn was charged with 11 offences.
She worked at the John Spendluffe Technology College, near her home in Alford, Lincs, when held.
A police source stressed that the charges did not involve any child there or her own.
She is on bail to appear before Skegness magistrates next month.
(...and ANOTHER!!! Who was it that said: “Women don't abuse”?)

“HUSBAND CLEARED OF WIFE KILLING”;

A HUSBAND who killed his wife as he dreamed she was a burglar walked free from court today as a judge told him: "You are a decent man and a devoted husband.

Tormented Brian Thomas was dramatically cleared of murdering wife Christine, 57, in his sleep after nearly forty years of happy marriage.
The trial was about to enter its third day when the Crown Prosecution Service suddenly said it would no longer be seeking a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
The finding would have meant Mr Thomas would be detained in a psychiatric hospital.
Mr Justice Nigel Davis said it was a "proper decision" and many of the jury of seven women and five men wept in sympathy with Mr Thomas's heartbreaking marital tragedy.
The judge told the 59 year-old retired steel worker: "You are a decent man and a devoted husband.
"I strongly suspect that, not withstanding the circumstances here, you may well be feeling a sense of guilt about what happened that night.
"In the eyes of the law, you bear no responsibility. You are discharged."
Mr Thomas, a dad-of-two grown up daughters and a grandfather, declined to comment as he was led away from Swansea Crown Court by relatives.
His brother Raymond said: "This is absolutely wonderful, it's the right decision. Justice has prevailed.
"I wasn't really surprised that it went to trial given the circumstances of what happened - it had to be sorted.
"He's a gentle man and always has been. He's a good man.
"Christine and Brian loved each other. You could see that they loved each other and they were like that all the time.
"What happened was a tragic episode in their lives. Brian is very emotional right now but thankful to be out.
"His family and friends are absolutely delighted. We have been waiting for this for almost a year and a half.
"He's been on remand for ten months in custody and as a family we think that was the wrong decision."
The court heard that Mr Thomas was now "suicidal" over the tragedy in July last year.
It happened when he and his wife drove 60 miles from their home in Neath, South Wales, to the seaside village of Aberporth for a short break in their white Peugeot camper van.
They parked and settled down for the night but were disturbed at 11.30pm by "boy racers" performing wheel spins and handbrake turns.
They moved to the car park of the nearby Ship Inn and went back to sleep in the double bed of the motorhome.
But at 3.49am Mr Thomas dialled 999 saying he had strangled his wife in his sleep — believing she was an intruder in his nightmare.
He sobbed in the dock as a tape was played of his call and the jury heard him say: "What have I done? I've been trying to wake her.
"I think I've killed my wife. Oh my God. I thought someone had broken in.
"I was fighting with those boys but it was Christine. I must have been dreaming or something.
"What have I done? What have I done? Can you send someone?"
When police arrived he told them: "She's my world."
Cops were sceptical but medical experts agreed that Mr Thomas suffered from a sleep disorder calling "autonomism" which could cause him to lose control.
On the fateful night he was having a nightmare that the 'boy racers' had broken into their camper van and he was fighting them off.
Mr Thomas admitted killing his wife and the Crown wanted him found not guilty due to insanity.
The judge told Mr Thomas: "All of us who have been in court and who listened to the 999 call know exactly what your feelings were when you found that your wife was dead.
"I don't think it takes much imagination to know what your feelings must be today."

“IT'S BRIDE ..IN BLACK”;

BLACK is the top trend colour for next year's wedding dresses, experts revealed yesterday.
Increasing numbers of brides ditch traditional gowns for a party dress they can re-use, said website weddingpath.co.uk
Hair-do's are set to echo Audrey Hepburn's bee-hives – and grooms will wear velvet suits.
A spokeswoman for the site said black was for brides keen to make a “bold statement”.
(I wonder what “bold statement” is being made by women here? Black – the colour of death - seems very appropriate for wedding dresses these days since marriage has come to represent the absolute death of a man's rights and freedom.)






“MISS-FORTUNE”;
A man divorced his wife after a fortune teller said her bad luck would kill him – like her first husband.
Sying Wu, 36, convinced judges to award him a decree nisi after a horoscope expert said wife Lin Wang, 38, had bad vibes.
Her first husband dropped dead after helping her to build up a successful business in Shanghai, China.
Wu told the family court: “Her bad luck killed her husband. I have to make sure I'm not next.”
(Her first husband “dropped dead” after helping her to build up a successful business! Did he really? I'd say the “bad luck” was HIS... not hers!
“Bad vibes”, indeed!
I suspect Mr Wu has had a very “lucky” escape!)








“BREEDING CHEEK”;
A man, 32, is suing his wife, 30, for wasting his most fertile years by not having a child in Xianfeng, China.

“BEDTIME FOR BONZO”;
One in five Brits kick their partners out of bed to make way for a pet – with a third of men being sent to the couch because of an animal, a poll says.

“THE MALE MINEFIELD”;

THERE are certain skills which all men would find indispensable.

Such as, what is the correct etiquette in a urinal? And how do you get rid of a lovebite?
Now a new book, 150 Things Every Man Should Know, by Gareth May (Square Peg, £14.99) will help you through the minefield of being a male.
Here NICK FRANCIS selects some of his favourites... .

GOING COMMANDO

1. Your package becomes more visible through only one layer of protection, so prepare for some smiles or smirks.
2. Take extra care when shaking at the urinal. The damp spot has led to many a man's misery.
3. Avoid trousers with zips.
4. When wearing shorts don't lift your legs up.
5. Check your fly at regular intervals.

HIDING A LOVE BITE

1. Some swear by white toothpaste. Smear over the bite and leave.
2. Apply arnica cream or take arnica pills. Arnica speeds up healing and reduces bruises.
3. Wear a polo neck, scarf or cravat, or all three. Tell friends you're thinking of joining a bowling club if they're suspicious.
4. If desperate, reach for some concealer.

URINAL ETIQUETTE

1. Control the power of your pee. Backsplash is embarrassing enough on your own shirt, let alone your boss's.
2. Don't stand far back and experiment with your aim.
3. Remember: Sinks are for washing your hands and absolutely nothing else.
4. It is totally unacceptable to operate a Blackberry or mobile at a urinal, especially during conference calls.

HOW TO TELL IF SHE'S HAD A BOOB JOB

Size: If she looks like she's smuggling watermelons, they are probably fake... or she's smuggling watermelons.
Shape: Boob jobs look hard and muscular. Real breasts look soft and curve out like a ski-slope.
Texture: Unless you were around in the blitz you might not know what a sandbag feels like. So think bag of sugar.

HOW TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF A FIGHT

1. Sometimes offering to buy them a drink can defuse the situation, but don't give them your credit card and tell them to set up a tab.
2. Don't be intimidated or show any sign or weakness.
3. Stand your ground with confidence if they square up to you. Don't shuffle, slouch or put your hands in your pockets.
4. Don't give into temptation, grab a pool cue and yell: "Let's be having you!".
5. Speak calmly and don't crack jokes.
6. If you've used all reasoning and he still wants a fight, chances are it's fisticuffs even if Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were doing the talking.

HOW TO GET OVER A GIRL

Do: Hit the pub with some mates.
Don't: Drink yourself into a stupor.
Do: Pack her belongings into a box and return them to her as soon as possible.
Don't: Have sex with the ex. OK, just once if you have to.

HOW TO TURN A GIRL OFF YOU IF YOU DON'T LIKE HER

Be elusive: Tell her you're busy all the time and never return calls, texts or emails.
Drop hints: Tell her you're in a relationship with someone else who struggles with your platonic female friends.
Disgust her: Wear really old, dirty clothes and don't clean your teeth for a week.

HOW TO DOWN A PINT IN ONE WITHOUT BEING SICK

1. Choose the beer yourself and never agree to down cider.
2. Don't go for something too strong, too cold or fizzy.
3. Slowly but surely take mouthful after mouthful until it's all down.
4. Don't be tempted to gulp or hurry - you'll only panic, stop breathing and choke.

“DEAR DEIDRE – Agony Aunt”;
ABORTION DILEMMA

My boyfriend says he's too old to be a dad again but I can't live with the guilt of an abortion.
I'm 38 and my boyfriend is 62. We've been together for two years and are very happy most of the time. I have a grown-up daughter. He has grown-up children from his first marriage and a teenage son from another relationship.
He treats his son and ex like gods. At the weekend when his son is at our home I don't get a look in. He gets all the attention.
I was devastated when I found out I was pregnant. The contraception didn't work. I was shaking and scared when I told my boyfriend – but I thought he'd be supportive. He said he was too old to be a dad again and doesn't have the money. He doesn't come to bed with me now and stays away from me.
I feel like leaving and getting on with my life as a single mum – but is it fair on the baby? What am I supposed to do?
DIEDRE SAYS:
It's hard for many men to identify with a very new pregnancy and understand just how impossible abortion can feel.
Point out that avoiding you is ducking the issue. This is his child who will need an involved father.













“THE SUN: LETTERS”;
Harriet Harman saying she'd like to sit with Angela Merkel and Hilary Clinton in a global crusade against sexism, seems sexist to me.
Surely it needs members of BOTH sexes to work together?
Sounds to me that she really just wants to promote women over men.
SIMON WILLIAMS, Stafford.

“HUBBY CLEARED OF WIFE KILLING”;

A HUSBAND who killed his wife as he dreamed she was a burglar walked free from court today as a judge told him: "You are a decent man and a devoted husband."

Tormented Brian Thomas was dramatically cleared of murdering wife Christine, 57, in his sleep after nearly forty years of happy marriage.
The trial was about to enter its third day when the Crown Prosecution Service suddenly said it would no longer be seeking a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
The finding would have meant Mr Thomas would be detained in a psychiatric hospital.
Mr Justice Nigel Davis said it was a "proper decision" and many of the jury of seven women and five men wept in sympathy with Mr Thomas's heartbreaking marital tragedy.
The judge told the 59 year-old retired steel worker: "You are a decent man and a devoted husband.
"I strongly suspect that, not withstanding the circumstances here, you may well be feeling a sense of guilt about what happened that night.
"In the eyes of the law, you bear no responsibility. You are discharged."

Cleared ... tragic hubby Brian with wife Christine

Mr Thomas, a dad-of-two grown up daughters and a grandfather, declined to comment as he was led away from Swansea Crown Court by relatives.
His brother Raymond said: "This is absolutely wonderful, it's the right decision. Justice has prevailed.
"I wasn't really surprised that it went to trial given the circumstances of what happened - it had to be sorted.
"He's a gentle man and always has been. He's a good man.
"Christine and Brian loved each other. You could see that they loved each other and they were like that all the time.
"What happened was a tragic episode in their lives. Brian is very emotional right now but thankful to be out.
"His family and friends are absolutely delighted. We have been waiting for this for almost a year and a half.
"He's been on remand for ten months in custody and as a family we think that was the wrong decision."
The court heard that Mr Thomas was now "suicidal" over the tragedy in July last year.
It happened when he and his wife drove 60 miles from their home in Neath, South Wales, to the seaside village of Aberporth for a short break in their white Peugeot camper van.
They parked and settled down for the night but were disturbed at 11.30pm by "boy racers" performing wheel spins and handbrake turns.
They moved to the car park of the nearby Ship Inn and went back to sleep in the double bed of the motorhome.
But at 3.49am Mr Thomas dialled 999 saying he had strangled his wife in his sleep — believing she was an intruder in his nightmare.
He sobbed in the dock as a tape was played of his call and the jury heard him say: "What have I done? I've been trying to wake her.
"I think I've killed my wife. Oh my God. I thought someone had broken in.
"I was fighting with those boys but it was Christine. I must have been dreaming or something.
"What have I done? What have I done? Can you send someone?"
When police arrived he told them: "She's my world."
Cops were sceptical but medical experts agreed that Mr Thomas suffered from a sleep disorder calling "autonomism" which could cause him to lose control.
On the fateful night he was having a nightmare that the 'boy racers' had broken into their camper van and he was fighting them off.
Mr Thomas admitted killing his wife and the Crown wanted him found not guilty due to insanity.
The judge told Mr Thomas: "All of us who have been in court and who listened to the 999 call know exactly what your feelings were when you found that your wife was dead.
"I don't think it takes much imagination to know what your feelings must be today."

“HARMAN-Y RESTORED”;

Harriet Harman looks worried and grim – despite winning Gordon Brown's backing over her driving prosecution.
The PM rang Labour's deputy leader to pledge his support after it emerged she faces court for allegedly crashing while on a mobile.
Cops have told Ms Harman she will teceive a summons to be tried on charges of driving without due care and attention and driving while using a hand-held mobile phone.
She was in Nottingham yesterday with other ministers for a regional Cabinet meeting.
Mr Brown's official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has full confidence in her, and said he is very supportive of her.” Ms Harman denies the charges.
(Why this man continues to support Harriet Harman is beyond me! She's been a thorn in his side, a liability and an embarrasment. I want to see her prosecuted as a man would be.)

“MA DRUG RAP”;

A British woman faces four years in jail in Thailand after she was arrested on suspician of drug trafficking.
Single mum-of-one Danielle Brooks, 23, claims a gang abducted her from her holiday hotel and made her swallow cocaine-filled condoms to smuggle to Britain. Cops found her with four men and a stash of the drug. Danielle, of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwicks, faces six months in jail before her trial. Mum Julie, 38, said: “She insists she's innocent."
(THEY made me do it! I'm a victim!)

“BRA-RMY UPRISING”;

Female soldiers in Sweden have blasted top brass for issuing them with bras that come undone too easily.
They say the lingerie cannot be used in combat because of weak catches.
Female soldier's group the Swedish Conscript Council also says army-issue women's undies are flammable, so they have to wear men's underwear.
The council's Katja Adolphson said: “How are women in the army supposed to feel fully welcome? It's a form of indirect discrimination. Nothing has been designed with women in mind.”
("It is a form of indirect discrimination. Nothing has been designed with women in mind."
Hmm... indirect discrimination? Isn't that ILLEGAL?
I can think of a few examples of where nothing has been designed with MEN in mind... the so-called "Equality" Bill... Family Law... Domestic Abuse Law...Health Care... Education!)

“GUN-HIDE LAD'S 3YRS”;

A male model ordered at knifepoint by a gang to hide a loaded pistol at his home was yesterday locked up for three years.
Cops saw Clarence Melson, 19, hurl the firearm from a window. Tests showed it was not used in the killing, but was in another local shooting.
Melson, of Peckham, South East London, denied possessing a firearm and ammunition but was convicted at Inner London Crown Court.
(A woman was recently found innocent after smuggling a gun into a night club "for her boyfriend.")







“CYBERMUMS HOLD KEY TO THE ELECTION”;

EVERY general election throws up its special group of voters who become THE electoral Holy Grail.

But next year you can forget about Mondeo Man or Worcester Woman - the CyberMum is the voter all parties will be desperate to win over.
CyberMum is the buzz term given to internet savvy mothers who use social networking sites - rather than coffee mornings - to stay in touch with the big issues.
Earlier this week David Cameron got into hot water when he was hit by technical problems during a live webchat with mums on the popular Mumsnet site.
This meant that he was slow to answer their questions.
And last month Gordon Brown got into a pickle after he couldn't decide which was his favourite biscuit when he appeared on the same site.
A recent survey revealed 80 per cent of mums use the internet for advice about pregnancy and parenting and over half spend more than seven hours a week online.
Cameron is hopeful of seizing the female vote by convincing CyberMums he is ready to lead.
Deborah Mattinson, of polling company Opinion Leader Research, says: "Women using sites like Mumsnet are a small group but they are iconic and it pays for politicians to be seen to be talking to them as the women's vote is up for grabs."
Here, CAROLINE IGGULDEN has assembled a Sun panel of CyberMums and asked them what politicians need to do gain their precious vote.



Amy Sheridan, 24, Lancashire:

PATERNITY RIGHTS ... Politicians should do more for dads to get leave.

PREGNANT shelf stacker Amy, lives in Ashton-under-Lyne, with husband, Charles, 26, and their four children - Jessica, four, Amelia, three, Isabel, two, and baby Evelyn. She says:
"I started using social networking sites, such as MySpace, when I left school in 2004 to keep in contact with friends. But after the birth of Jessica in 2005, I joined the website Practical Parenting and found myself spending up to three hours a day online.
"As a stay-at-home mum, I often felt isolated. I was in the house all day while my husband worked and learning how to look after a baby was a minefield. I started my own 'mummy blog' in March.
"With four kids I've got a wealth of experience behind me and wanted to share it with others.
"Politicians should tackle more family-friendly issues. The recent increase in maternity leave was great, but the Government still needs to address paternity rights.
"Tax credits have been a lifesaver, but there should be more support for working mums.
"It's great that David Cameron is actively getting involved and participating in live webchats to find out how us CyberMums really feel.”

Emma Cartwright, 36, Staffordshire

PATERNITY RIGHTS ... A better deal for dads.

EMMA is full-time mum to Samuel, 19, Elizabeth, 12, Harriet, seven, Hope, five, and Jack, four. She lives in Burton-on-Trent with partner David McDuffus, 44, a bar manager. She says:
"I use thebabygreenhouse forum every day. It's a great way to meet other mums, as some toddler groups can be a bit cliquey.
"My youngest is four while my eldest is a teenager, so there are always mums to chat to on the site about teenage things as well as issues which affect the younger ones.
"I'd like to see politicians tackle the issue of paternity leave.
"Just allowing dads to take it isn't enough - they have to make it affordable for families.
"I want to see consistency from whatever Government we have next.
"One minute they're talking about nursery vouchers, the next it's tax credits then it's back to vouchers.
"They should decide what they're doing and stick with it.
"I've always been a Labour voter but I'm undecided about the next election.
"The parties seem to be waving vast wads of cash under families' noses, but in these difficult times it will be interesting to see who offers the best deal."

Clarissa Davies, 26, London

PATERNITY RIGHTS ... Better paternity leave for dads means better prospects for families.

CLARISSA is a full-time mum to Keira, three. She lives in Greenwich. Her partner, Stephen Bridges, 27, lives in nearby Sidcup. She says:
"I'm a Netmums regular. I also use Facebook and MSN to chat to other mums online. The websites have been a lifeline to me as it's so much easier to chat on there.
"I think the next Government really needs to sort out the tax credits system. Like lots of other mums, my child tax credits got messed up which put me into problems with debt.
"Luckily, my partner and family could help me but not everyone has that to fall back on. The recession does make it tough to get a job, but I think politicians need to do more to help people get qualifications.
"I'm doing a computer and admin courses to improve my job prospects. But Stephen will have to take time off work to look after our daughter.
"The political parties need to sort out our entire system to get my vote."



WHAT THEY CHAT ABOUT;
Here are some examples of the stories and opinions that keep web discussion group 'Netmums' buzzing...

Do you think it is OK to keep having kids while you're on benefits...?
LouisaS(44): Unfortunately the benefits system is open to abuse from ppl that won't work.
I feel sorry for the kids that grow up thinking it's normal not to work and have no inclination to work for the things they want.

The mother who left her four under-five children at home alone to go on a 24-hour drink binge...
KatieH(113): I am shocked and appalled. How on earth did she manage to escape without a jail sentence?

On Harriet Harman, the Government's Minister for Women and Equality...
MichelleM(352): I am sick of all this so-called “positive discrimination” and “We want equality but we should be treated as special” that is going on nowadays around “womankind”. Please do not ask me about my views on political correctness!

MyView
By Sam Carlisle
Executive Features Editor, who runs The Sun's online parenting website.
IT'S not surprising politicians are batting their eyelashes furiously at online mothers.

Mums, who are nurturing the next generation of voters, hold a magnifying glass over the education system, childcare issues, and the NHS.
But now we have a voice beyond parents' evenings and antenatal classes.
So many of us are voicing our opinions on the internet that MPs can't afford to ignore the collective chatter that is building to a roar. The web is the perfect product for women. It's sociable, in your home, it's easy and quick.
In those precious minutes when your child is napping you can have a quick check of Facebook or Mumsrock or Twitter or find out how to get into the best primary school in your area.
It's a massive virtual coffee morning catering for all tastes where millions of opinions are exchanged every day.
Politicians HAVE to listen.
(What about the websites for dads? Why not listen to the opinions expressed on them? Nice to see some comments from right-minded women for a change though!)

“CALL BOX ROMP RAP”;

A randy couple caught romping in a phone booth in broad daylight claimed yesterday they were SEX ADDICTS.
Cops swooped after shocked shoppers saw Sarah Meikle, 23, kneeling between the legs of 29-year-old Greig Forbes.
The pair were bailed for reports by a court at Livingston, Scotland.
Forbes, of West Calder, said: “We're sex addicts.”
Fiancee Sarah added: “We can't keep our hands off each other.”
(Let's see how this one goes! I predict he gets a community order while she gets off scot-free!)

“CAKEY BREAKY ART”
Tongue-in-cheek icing treats help sweeten divorce;

Baker Fay Millar, 31, has started creating and selling the fun confections to meet the growing trend for break-up parties. They cost from £60 to £800 and can depict warring couples or have messages.
Mum-of-two Fay, of Brighton, Sussex, said: "Divorce can be horrible but I think comical cakes can lighten the mood."

“YAK ATTACK”;

Husbands marched for an official society to protect them from “nagging” wives in Lucknow, India.

(The Indain Men's Rights Movement ROCKS! PMSL!)

Good Stuff, Male Perspective.

Some good reading and subsequent responses by you MP.

My PC threw a wobbly on Sunday and I've been unable to post any news until today – Friday.
So... here's almost a weeks worth of news relevant to our cause.
I'll start with the Jane Andrews fiasco which has dominated the news for almost a week...



Monday, November 23rd, 2009
“FERGIE'S KILLER AIDE IN PRISON SUICIDE BID”;
The murdering former aide to Sarah Fergusson was rushed to hospital after an apparent suicide bid.
Jane Andrews, 40, is said to have swallowed paracetamol tablets.
It happened hours after Andrews, an ex-pal and dresser for the Duchess of York, was moved to an open prison.
She was jailed for life in 2001 for murdering lover Tom Cressman, 39, in Fulham, West London. She clubbed him unconscious with a cricket bat before stabbing him to death for refusing to marry her.
Andrews was found slumped in her cell by inmates, who alerted staff. A source said: “There was a real panic that she might die. Andrews had taken an overdose of paracetamol but nobody knew just how many.”
The drama happened last Wednesday at HMP East Sutton Part in Maidstone, Kent.
She is eligible for release in 2012. Andrews still owns a £6000,000 flat in Battersea, South London, and has savings of an estimated £30,000 a year after renting it out.
It has been revealed she plans to sell pictures that Fergie's princess daughters Beatrice and Eugenie painted for her. Friends have said she had called the child art her “pension”.


Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
“MURDERER FLEES OPEN PRISON AFTER 4 DAYS”;
Sarah Fergusson's former aide, killer Jane Andrews, escaped from prison just four days after parole chiefs caved in to her demands to switch to an open jail.
Murderer Andrews, 40, is believed to have “bunked over a wall” after a therapy session.
Panic-stricken bosses at HMP East Sutton Park in Maidstone, Kent, locked down the prison and called in support from police and search teams and helicopters.
But they were later forced to admit she could have vanished at any point during an EIGHT-HOUR window. Andrews, who escaped on Sunday, was still at large last night despite a huge search.
Andrews – who was moved to East Sutton Park after convincing a parole board of her “remorse” - had just come off suicide watch.
She swallowed a handful of paracetamol tablets last Wednesday three hours after arriving at her new jail and had to be rushed to hospital.
A prison insider said: “Jane Andrews has only just arrived and she has already managed to escape. Maybe that tells you something about the state of prison security. She is easily the most high-profile prisoner here and so should have been monitored. It's embarrassing that no one noticed she was missing until nearly 9pm, and she couldn't be accounted for after around 1pm.”
Prison insiders said last night the alarm was raised over Andrews being missing at 8:45pm on Sunday, when a roll-call showed she was not in her cell.
After a full search of the grounds, she was deemed a fugitive and the police were called. A helicopter arrived at about 11:45pm.
The former flunky was jailed for life for the murder of her lover Tom Cressman, 39, in 2000.
She clubbed him unconscious with a cricket bat and then stabbed him to death with a kitchen knife because he refused to marry her.
Ex-Det Supt Jim Dickie, who led the murder probe, said last night: “It beggars belief that a murderess is in an open prison. Knowing the mindset of Andrews I think she has planned this.”
Victim Tom's brother Rick, 58, said last night: “She has moved to an open prison and what has she done? It was too early to be doing it. I suspect she will try to leave the country.”
Andrews was eligible for release in 2012, despite being jailed for life in 2001.
She was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years, which was reduced to 12.
Andrews still owns a £600,000 flat in Battersea, South London, and has savings of an estimated £30,000 a year after renting it out.
It has also been revealed that she plans to sell private paintings princesses Beatrice and Eugenie painted for her.
Pals have said she calls the child art “her pension”.
Former friend Allan Starkie – who had a one-night stand with Andrews – said last night: “It's vintage Jane. She does things that show incredibly poor judgement. If she had escaped seven years ago I could understand it with a sentence of so many years. But to escape from a minimum security prison not long before being paroled is just stupid. One wonders if she's doing it to get more attention. She loved to be the centre of attention.”
Mr Starkie was a business advisor to the Duchess of York and is now a wealth management consultant in New York.
He was friends with Andrews from 1991-96 and claimed she always pestered him for sex.
He added: “She's an anomaly. She could be the sweetest person in the world and then capable of a brutal murder.”


“WIDE OPEN JAILS”;
Why was ex royal aide Jane Andrews moved to a cushy open prison just eight years into her life sentence for an horrific murder?
Jail bosses and the Justice Department owe us an explanation.
Andrews slaughtered her lover with an eight-inch blade after beating him unconscious with a cricket bat for refusing to marry her. It was a barbaric crime.
Yet even before her move last week to a Kent open prison, Andrews had been enjoying a cosy life behind bars with her own DVD, laptop, guitar and even a budgie.
Now she has simply walked out, to the anger and distress of her victim's relatives.
In the decade up to 2008, 14,000 convicts absconded from open prisons, including 130 murderers.
The Justice Department has been warned by prison officers and jail governors that moving serious criminals into open prisons is dangerous.
Yet the Government's refusal to provide new prisons means killers and rapists are shunted into open jails as soon as possible to free up space.
Is it any wonder confidence in the justice system is plunging?


Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
“FURY AS FERGIE'S PAL FLEES”;
The family of former Royal aide Jane Andrews' murdered lover spoke of their fury last night as she remained on the run.
They rapped authorities for placing the Duchess of York's ex-aide in an open prison. Rick Cressman, brother of victim Tom, said: “It's incompetence”, and blasted “pathetic” Justice Department bosses for allowing her to escape.
Mr Cressman said the scheming former aide should never have been sent to an open jail.
The mother of Andrews' murdered lover Thomas also voiced her fury as her home was placed under police protection in case the warped killer seeks revenge.
Mr Cressman, 58, said: “It's complete incompetence that she is on the streets. She is devious and manipulative. Moving her to an open prison was wholly inappropriate and offensive to my brother's memory. She's never shown remorse. As a family we felt the sentence was far too lenient in the first place.”
Mr Cressman vowed to write to Justice Secretary Jack Straw “telling him what a pathetic and incompetent department” he runs.
He said: “If I was Jack Straw I'd be thinking of resigning.”
Andrews, 40, - Sarah Fergusson's dresser for nine years until 1997 – was jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 12 years in 2001 for the murder of Thomas, 38.
She clubbed him unconscious then stabbed him at their home in Fulham, West London, after he refused to marry her.
His mum Barbara, 81, yesterday said: “I'd never say I wish Jane dead but I've always said her life sentence should mean life for the murder of my beautiful son.”
Mrs Cressman has been told to keep her Surrey home locked, while police have been put on alert to respond to an emergency.
She said: “I'm secure in my home but I'm not frightened of Jane. I don't think she's going to come – it's a little too obvious.”
Cops say Andrews is more of a danger to herself since escaping on Sunday from East Sutton Park prison near Maidstone, Kent. She is believed to have jumped over a wall days after taking a pills overdose.
Ex-Det Supt Jim Dickie, who led the murder probe, said Andrews had the cash to flee the UK and could have planned her escape. He said: “Why put her in an open prison? She's a murderess. It just makes a mockery of the criminal justice system.”
Andrew's best friend Lucinda Sharp added: “Why has she done this with little more than 70 weeks left of her sentence? I can't help but fear the worst.”

Thursday, November 26th, 2009
“TAXI DRIVER LEADS POLICE TO ESCAPED MURDERER”;
A taxi driver told last night how he helped to capture fugitive killer Jane Andrews after she climbed into the back of his taxi.
Darren Auckland, 40, told police he picked up Fergie's mud-caked former aide in the early hours of yesterday near the Kent prison she fled.
He had been hired by her parents to drive them from the family's Grimsby home, but refused when he recognised Andrews.
He later told a pal: “That was just not going to happen. I wasn't going to get involved. There was no way I was driving a killer back to Grimsby.”
Instead, Darren took Andrews, her parents and her brother to the Premier Inn on the outskirts of Maidstone, Kent.
It is just five miles from East Sutton Park open prison from which Andrews escaped on Sunday.
Police raced to the inn after Darren had spoken to them and arrived there just after 3am to seize the fugitive.
Last night Andrews, who stabbed boyfriend Tom Cressman to death in 2001 when he refused to marry her, was in London's tough Holloway Prison.
Sources said she was on suicide watch in the hospital wing, with officers checking her every half-hour. The Prison Service has launched an inquiry into how she managed to escape.
She will now almost certainly lose any right to parole and be forced to spend the rest of her minimum 12-year jail term in a closed jail.
The drama that led to the capture of Andrews began at 7:30pm on Tuesday.
Her agitated father rang Cable Radio Cars in his home town of Grimsby, Lincs, to hire a taxi for a 213-mile trip to Maidstone. He had asked for Darren as the taxi driver had often ferried the family to see Andrews in prison.
Darren, driving a silver Vauxhall Vectra, began the journey with the relatives aboard at around 8pm.
Pals of Darren said he knew nothing about the purpose of the trip as the parents stayed silent throughout. He thought Andrews may have been recaptured and they were going to see her in prison.
At 12:30am, the driver was asked to pull over and wait by a deserted church graveyard outside Maidstone. While he waited he grew worried after a colleague called him to say the ex-Royal aide was still on the run.
He was stunned when Andrews, who had been sleeping rough and was covered in mud, stepped out from bushes. His pal said: “Darren was shocked when he realised the family wanted to take Andrews with them back to Grimsby. He's a nice lad but wasn't going to drive a killer on the run back home.”
After being dropped at the £65-a-night hotel at 2am, the bedraggled fugitive booked two rooms for herself and her family using the name “Ms K Andrews”.
But she was soon grabbed.
It is understood the family members were not arrested but were “spoken to” by police.
Last night Darren, who has given a statement to cops, said he felt sorry for the elderly parents.
He said: “I'm no hero. I don't take any delight in any of this. They don't deserve any grief. They are lovely people. I hope things turn out OK for them.”
Kent Police said senior officers were “delighted” with the capture.
The Prison Service said recaptured absconders faced either a prosecution or internal adjudication in front of a visiting judge.

• Andrews could become a millionaire when she is eventually released, her cousin Kim Hartley revealed last night. Kim, 52, said: “There's been talk of a major publishing deal in the States to discuss her time with the Royals.”

“STRAW QUIT CALL”;
The furious brother of Andrew's murder victim Tom Cressman last night called on Justice Minister Jack Straw to quit over her escape.
Rick Cressman, 58. said: “We feel as if Tommy's been murdered again.”
“The whole trauma could have been avoided. I don't think she should have been in an open prison. It was way too premature and Kent police were shocked.”
Rick, of Dorridge, West Midlands, added: “No special efforts were made to control her or watch her and before you know it she is over the wall. The prison service cannot deal with a 42-year-old, 5ft 4in woman and has a lot to answer for. It's an absolute disgrace. Mr Straw should resign. He is not fit to be at the top of the Ministry of Justice.
A spokesman for Mr Straw said he had agreed to a meeting demanded by hotel owner Rick.
Tom's mother Barbara Cressman, 81, said: “I'm just glad she's been found. Her being at large was nerve-racking.”


Friday, November 27th, 2009
“ANDREWS FLED JAIL AFTER BEING DUMPED”;
Ex-Royal aide Jane Andrews escaped from jail after being DUMPED by a boyfriend.

The mystery man began to visit the killer in prison several months ago after they struck up a friendship by exchanging letters.
But on Sunday afternoon he cancelled a trip to see Fergie's former dresser, leaving her heartbroken.
The man, in his 30s, told jail staff he wanted to end the relationship because Andrews - who murdered previous boyfriend Tom Cressman when he refused to marry her - had become "possessive".
A source inside East Sutton Park open prison, Kent, said: "Jane was devastated when she learned the visit was off.
She went straight to bed, didn't get out all day and barely spoke to anyone, not even her room-mates.
"The last time I saw her she was lying with the duvet covers pulled up to her face like a pathetic lovesick teenager."
Andrews fled the jail on Sunday evening and was on the run until 3am Wednesday, when she was seized by cops following a tip-off from The Sun.
We learned her elderly parents had hired a taxi in their home town of Grimsby, Lincs.
They got unsuspecting cabbie Darren Auckland to drive them to a graveyard near Maidstone, where Andrews - caked in mud after sleeping rough - was waiting.
The parents wanted Darren to drive them all back to Grimsby.
But he refused and instead dropped them at a nearby hotel, where cops collared Andrews an hour later.
Last night the killer - given a 12-year sentence for the 2001 murder - was still on suicide watch in London's Holloway jail.
She is thought to have begun the relationship with the man while held at Send prison, Surrey.
It is claimed officers ticked the couple off during one visit when lovelorn Andrews leaned across a table to kiss him.
She was not so popular with fellow lags at East Sutton Park, however.
They dubbed her "Miss Snottypants" because of her aloof attitude.
One con said: "No one liked her because of her airs and graces.
"She used to sleep wearing an aeroplane eye-mask as if she was travelling club class."
Darren, 40, refused to talk about the family's taxi trip yesterday.
A pal said: "He's upset about being caught up in this. I heard he wanted them out of his cab so fast he didn't even get his fare."
(Quite why Andrews was moved to an open prison is a mystery. She is clearly a scheming, manipulative and dangerous individual. It is worrying that she may be eligible for parole in just a couple of years time.
The guy that dumped her last Sunday after she became “possessive” must have been worried sick that she was out to get him... she obviously cannot handle rejection very well. I think she has demonstrated that she should be locked up for many more years to come.)







Now... the OTHER news...

BINGE MUM'S EX: “I TRIED TO HELP MY KIDS”;
The ex-lover of the mum who left her four children home alone to go on a booze and cocaine binge says he WARNED Social Services the youngsters were at risk.
Rebecca Stevenson, 22, walked free on Monday with a 20-month suspended sentence after leaving the tots – aged between three months and four years – at home without food while she went on a 24-hour bender.
Judge Norman Wright at Preston Crown Court, had refused to criticise Blackburn with Darwen Children's Services over the incident, saying Stevenson had “failed to communicate” that she was struggling to cope.
But last night the father of her two youngest children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he had called the department to tell them his fears and they INSISTED his children were safe.
Sue Thomas, the Duty Manager of the Referral and Assessment team, said in a letter that checks had been completed and there were “no concerns” raised.
It arrived just five days before the night Stevenson left her children alone to binge with her friends.

Her ex stormed: “Social Services let my kids down. I tried to warn them things were wrong and they ignored me.”
(Social Services in the UK are a joke. It is not uncommon for concerns raised by fathers regarding the welfare of their children to be completely disregarded. It is always considered to be “in the best interests of the children” to keep them with their mother, regardless of her conduct or parental ability. A mother would only have to hint at having concerns before Social Services would be banging at a fathers' door demanding he hand over his children.)




“14-CHILD MUM: I WANT TWINS”;

A mum expecting her 14th child has vowed to keep on giving birth until she has twins or triplets.
Sara Foss, 39, partner Stephen Smith, 40, and their huge brood cost taxpayers £50,000 a year.
She said: “All I've ever wanted is twins or triplets. I was disappointed when I still was not expecting them this time. But there's always next time and I'm going to keep on trying until I do. I love having babies – it's the most wonderful thing in the world.”

Her kids range from Patrick, 23, to nine-month-old Voorhees, who is named after serial killer Jason Vortexes from the horror movie 'Friday The 13th'. All except the eldest live together in a three-bedroom council house in Derby.
(Sounds like a great role model for her 14 children, doesn't she! I despise “serial mums” like this. Child Benefit should be restricted to the first two children only.)




“PREGNANT SOLDIERS AVOID DUTY”;

Ten women soldiers have been sent home from Afghanistan over the past six months because they were pregnant, it was revealed yesterday.
Army rules ban expectant mums from battle duty, but it is not an offence to fall pregnant on duty.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: “If women become pregnant on operations they are returned to the UK at the first opportunity. This is for their well-being and to preserve operational effectiveness.”
(Perhaps it SHOULD be considered an offence to fall pregnant on duty and be dealt with in the same way as desertion or absence without leave.)

“BULLY BEEFEATERS FIRED OVER GIRL YEOMAN”;

Two Beefeaters have been sacked for bullying the Tower of London's first female Yeoman Warder, it was revealed yesterday.
Mark Sanders-Crook and Bob Brown got the bullet for a vicious hate campaign against Moira Cameron.
The pair lose £20,000-a-year jobs and their reduced-rent homes in the Tower. A third Beefeater alleged to have taunted Moira has kept his job.
It is believed to be the first time any Beefeater has been sacked rather than resigning.
It was revealed earlier this month how Moira, 44, went bald amid bullying by male colleagues.
She is thought to have developed stress-related alopecia after nasty notes were left in her locker and her uniform was defaced.
The men fired had both been senior Army NCOs, racking up 22-years' service each.
Brown, 56, also received a police caution for tampering with Moira's Wikipedia entry.
Sanders-Crook, 46, is believed to have served with Moira in the Army.
A Tower insider said: “There was a bit of history between them. The allegation was that his bullying was more verbal. To some it might have seemed childish behaviour, but it upset Moira so much her hair fell out.”
Moira made history in 2007 by becoming the first female Beefeater in the Tower's 1,000 years. But she began wearing a wig as her ordeal continued. She burst into a meeting of male Yeoman Warders, pulled off her hairpiece and shouted: “Look what you bastards have done to me.”
Tower sources said Moira was “delighted” at the outcome. One said: “She has many friends among the Beefeaters and is determined to carry on.”
Sanders-Crook's father Raymond was also a Beefeater for 18-years. Last night his mother said: “He's a scapegoat and is devastated. The only thing he's done wrong is that he and his wife and his son didn't talk to her. They were wrong to employ a single woman in the Tower, an environment full of married men.”
Tower authorities said last night: “An investigation concluded that the allegations had foundation and disciplinary action was appropriate. We believe everyone is entitled to work in an environment free from harassment. The dismissed staff have the right to lodge an appeal.”
THE SUN says;
At long last the tables are being turned on bullying men at the Tower of London.
Two Beefeaters are sacked for a hate campaign against the first female Yeoman Warder.
Moira Cameron found herself persecuted by men who thought a woman had no right to the job.
Yet brave Moira had spent 22-years in the Army and many women serve with our Forces today in Afghanistan.

Serves the bullies right.
(Not once has there been any evidence to suggest this bullying was gender based. The way in which the above article depicts male Beefeaters (i.e. – all other Beefeaters) as an oppressive and sexist majority would be laughable if it wasn't so damaging. Comments such as “Moira, 44, went bald amid bullying by male colleagues”, and “ She burst into a meeting of male Yeoman Warders” suggest that gender was - and is - an issue, when in fact ALL of Cameron's colleagues are male, meaning that any bullying would naturally have to come from a male colleague, and that her absence from any staff meeting would unavoidably create a situation where all the remaining staff were male. They make it sound like a sinister plot by men to oust her from her position. They do not take into account the possibility that Moira has character traits that might have contributed to her unpopularity and that her gender may not even be relevant at all.)



“SUICIDE TEEN RESCUED DAD”;

A teenager hanged himself seven months after rescuing his suicidal dad from a noose, an inquest heard.

Jamie Crossman, 19, never got over the trauma of finding his dad hanging. He killed himself at his home in Lydney, Glos, in January. Verdict: suicide.

“SUICIDE PLAN TO SHOCK WIFE”;
Distraught Christopher Wilks hanged himself from a bridge his estranged wife has to pass on the way to a wedding the next day.

In fact the emergency services got to the spot in Tewskesbury, Gloucs, before she drove by, an inquest heard. Verdict: suicide.
(Does anyone bother to ask men why they attempt to commit suicide or raise any concern about the emotional and mental pressure these men are under? Men are three times more likely to suffer from depression... but three times less likely to receive adequate treatment for it. There seems to be little thought or consideration for men suffering from depression.
The second suicide story here seems to be more about the fact that the dead man's estranged wife was spared the spectacle of him hanging dead from a bridge rather than WHY he committed suicide or whether the treatment he received before his death – if indeed he received any treatment at all – was adequate.)

“SHERYL IN THUG PLEA”;
The battered ex-wife of former England star Paul Gascoigne yesterday backed Government plans to educate kids of FIVE about domestic violence.
Sheryl also called on ministers to increase funding to help victims. Two women a week die from beatings.
She spoke at the launch of a national domestic violence campaign in London.

It was backed by support group Refuge and the beauty firm Avon on the international day for the elimination of violence against women.
(The jury is still out as to whether or not Sheryl Gascoigne's story of domestic abuse is true. She didn't report it at the time, but has spoken about it after writing a book about her life with the troubled football player. Paul Gascoigne vehemently denied the allegations – along with the ridiculous claim that he forced her to have sex with him up to ten times a day. He has cut her out of his will since she made the allegations in the media to promote sales of her book.
There has been much press coverage regarding the current campaign for the elimination of violence against women. I've heard it all before. It bores me. Which is why I'll not write about it.
Still no mention of any similar campaigns to eliminate violence against men, even though men are statistically FAR more likely to become victims of violence than women. Surprise, surprise!)

“WHISKY BUSINESS”;

Henpecked Piotr Adamczak, 26, faked his own kidnap rather than tell his overbearing wife he'd been boozing in Warsaw, Poland.
(Yes... let's all laugh at the fact that a man was too scared to go home after having a drink, shall we! Let's not question what it is that he was frightened of... unbearable nagging and sulking, or domestic violence perhaps. No... let's just make light of it!)

“MISTER PUNCH”;

Boxing coach Xiao Lin, 33, hires himself out as a punchbag to stressed out women in Shenyang, China.
(Can you imagine the outrage if a female boxing coach hired herself out as a punchbag to stressed out men? Yes... you probably can.)






“VICTIMS OF RAPE SUFFERING COP BIAS”;

Police are less likely to believe rape victims from poor areas, a study revealed yesterday.
The report – by victims' champion Sara Payne – also found that women who have been drinking or don't appear to be upset often face police doubts.
Sara was asked by the Home Office to review the justice system's treatment of rape victims.
She found women were made to feel “ashamed” and “responsible”. Victims with criminal pasts and those who did not act in a way cops expected also faced prejudice.
The study was based on interviews with victims, cops and prosecutors. Sara called on top officers and prosecutors to offer better training.

She said: “Victims need to feel they are taken seriously and that they are supported.”
(When the above article says Sara Payne was asked by the Home office to make this report, what they mean is that she was asked by Harriet Harman who says the conviction rate for rape is too low. She is determined to get more men jailed for rape – apparently unconcerned by the probability that innocent men would be imprisoned, and without a second thought for the ordeal that falsely accused men are put through.)

“MISTRESS RAPE RAP”;
Seven boys under 16 claim they were raped by the dormitory mistress at a top private school.
The “house mother”, 40, faces 34 sex charges after they went to cops.
She is alleged to have had sex with an 11-year-old eight times and with the other six boys 14 times. Police also claim she incited a 12-year-old to commit indecency.
She was bailed in Forster, New South Wales, Australia.
Neither she nor the school can be named for legal reasons.





“MISS JAILED FOR BOY SEX”;
A female religious studies teacher who had an affair with a 15-year-old boy pupil was jailed for 32 months yesterday.
Madelaine Martin, 39, had sex with him in a retail park, a country park and at her home while her two teenage daughters were out.
She fell for him after becoming his mentor at a school in Greater Manchester when he was just 14.
Prosecutor Jennifer Birch said they got “increasingly close on a personal level.”
They sent up to ten messages a day on Facebook and had tattoos for each other.
The boy's was a heart with “Mad” in it.
Martin, of Knutsford, Cheshire, and the boy agreed to end the relationship. But he told his brothers and they informed their mum, who alerted police.
Martin had been going through a marriage break-up and her sister was dying of cancer, Manchester Crown Court heard. But Judge Jonathan Geake said: “Those in a position of trust must expect significant punishment when they abuse it, especially sexually.”
Martin, who admitted sexual activity with a child, was put on the Sex Offenders' Register.
(Women don't abuse... don't you know!
Of course, the rape of male children by female paedophiles is not considered as serious as the rape of female children by male paedophiles – otherwise she would have been given longer than 32 months in prison. I wonder when equality in sentencing will be addressed?)





“CATHOLIC PERVERT VOW”;
Pervert priests protected by the Catholic Church will be hunted down, Irish Minister Dermot Ahern pledged yesterday.
His vow came on the day his government apologised after a report slammed church leaders for covering up the “evil” scandal.
It examined how church and state authorities handled allegations of sexual abuse against 46 priests in the Dublin area from 1975 to 2004.
The state was also blamed for aiding the cover-up.

Mr Ahern said: “Justice will not be denied.”
(A government cover-up details of male abuse? Surely not!)

“I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE GEORGES SEX AT 12”;
Jungle romeo George Hamilton has confessed he learned about sex at just 12 – after being “seduced” by his STEPMOTHER.
The legendary Hollywood actor, now 70, recalled: “She was about 28 or 30. My father never knew about it. It seemed very normal. She didn't make me feel bad about it.”
“Was I molested? Damn, I'm down for it again! But it didn't feel abnormal.”

“It happened one rainy day when Dad was at work. I was lying on the daybed in the living room where I'd been sleeping. She came over to join me then mentioned something about “cuddling”. What followed was as natural as the birds and bees neither of my parents had gotten around to telling me about.”

“MAN JAILED OVER ATTEMPT TO INDECENTLY ASSAULT FRIEND”;
A man who admitted attempted indecent assault after squeezing a woman's breast has been sent to prison and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.
Kevin Coleman, 47, of Douglas, Isle of Man, also faces being ostracised by his former friends since the incident, which happened when he was drinking at the victim's home.
Defending Coleman, advocate Stephen Wood said his client had not meant to cause offence but had simply misjudged the situation. He said: “Drink has played a part in this and while in his head it was just banter with a physical element, this view was not shared by the aggrieved.
She and her boyfriend have been friends with the accused for some years.
He knows his actions were hurtful and he does not want to cast aspersions on the character of the aggrieved, but she had been speaking to my client for a number of months about her breast implants and was clearly not embarrassed to discuss them with her friends.
She said she was considering going larger. They were laughing and joking and my client said he had a camera and could take a picture of them. She refused but it was not a shocked refusal.
He asked to feel them because he had not felt an implant before. She said “no” but it was banter. He went over and felt them and when she told him to get off, the message sank in that it was not a laugh.”
Mr Wood said his client left and tried to apologise the next day but was not able to speak to the victim.
“It was not pre-planned. He had not asked her to come to his lair. He has not set up a situation to allow the offence to take place,” Mr Wood said.
“The real punishment here is not custody, it is that the victim will not now speak to him and they have told their immediate friends.
He wishes he had not drunk so much that night. He is ostracised and rejected and will receive constant reminders beyond any custodial sentence he might receive,” Mr Wood added.
Passing sentence, High Bailiff Michael Moyle told him: “This is serious and can have profound consequences for the victim. You pleaded guilty belatedly but it does not excuse that your victim, though spared from giving evidence, would have been worried that a hearing was likely.
It was only at the last minute you admitted your guilt.
Custody is inevitable for an offence of this nature.
I realise you wish to apologise and make it clear the lady was not in any way to blame.”
Coleman was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for a period of five years, meaning he must notify police of various details like changes of address and employment.
“In passing sentence, I take account of the fact that you will be ostracised and treated with the contempt you deserve,” Mr Moyle told him.



“CAR KILLER IS CAGED”;
A mum who killed a pregnant cop in a car crash was jailed for just six months yesterday.
Dawn Lawes, 44, didn't break the speed limit but was going fast in wet conditions, the court heard.
She lost control on a bend and hit oncoming driver Detective Constable Dee Watherley, 31.
The impact's combined speed was 100mph – killing the Aylesbury-based cop and her unborn child.
The horror near Winslow, Bucks, looked “like a Formula One crash”, Oxford Crown Court heard.
Mum-of-two Lawes admitted careless driving but was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.
(Compare the two stories above. In one, a man who squeezed a friend's breast implant after she had been chatting openly about them was sentenced to FIVE months in prison and five years on the Sex Offenders' Register. In the other, a woman driving dangerously in wet conditions who crashed killing a woman and her unborn child was sentenced to SIX months in prison. The death of a person and an unborn child is apparently worth just one month more than a drunken squeeze on an attention seekers breast implant.)





“THUMB MISTAKE”;
A drunk prankster who wandered around with his thumb and hand in front of his trousers to make it look like he was waving his penis was jailed for 100 days.
Shop staff at Clinton Cards phoned cops thinking Martin Harris was indecently exposing himself, Blackpool JPs heard.
Harris, 47, said it was a “joke”.
(And then THIS fella gets THREE months and TEN days in prison for offending someone with a prank... that's more than half of the time the woman who killed the pregnant cop got!)






“SILVIO WIFE £39m BID”;
Sleaze-hit Silvio Berlusconi's wife has hit him with a maintenance demand of £39million a YEAR.
And former topless actress Veronica Lario, 53, is threatening to “make things messy” unless the Italian Prime Minister pays up.
Media billionaire Berlusconi, 73, has offered her a “more reasonable” £2million. He is also prepared to let her keep a fully furnished villa at Macherio near Milan.
But Veronica has filed papers saying Berlusconi, one of the worlds richest men, is “entirely” to blame for their break-up.
(“Gold-digger” doesn't quite hit the mark, does it? “Greedy bitch” would be more appropriate I think.)

“ANGRY EX BOMBER”;

A woman hurled a petrol bomb at her ex after he made unfavourable comments about her on Facebook.
Furious Abigail Munks, 20, threw a flaming bottle of fuel into a car park as Rob Gillett was chatting to his mates.
One of his pals trousers were set alight by the fire in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Ipswich Crown Court was told Munks believed Mr Gillett had posted offensive website remarks after a month-long fling.

Munks, of Exning, near Newmarket, admitted affray and was given two years' detention. She was also in breach of a previous suspended sentence.
(Affray? How about attempted murder or assault? I'm happy she's off the streets for two years... sound like another Jane Andrews in the making!)



“FOOL MONTY'S LOST US LICENCE”;

A seaside hotel had had its drinks licence taken away after it staged a raunchy Full Monty act.

Members of the all-female audience at the Fairhaven Hotel, Blackpool, molested a male stripper and two under-aged girls were served spirits.
(Double-standard alert! Men are fined, imprisoned and/or put on the Sex Offenders' Register if they so much as touch a female stripper, and Harriet Harman has called for strip clubs to be banned.)





“MINORITY REPORT”;

Political parties will have to say how many female, ethnic minority and disabled applicants they reject as candidates in new plans.
(I sincerely hope that they record the number of male applicants they reject as a result of so-called “positive discrimination” - but I rather doubt they will.)





“STRIKE BINNED”;
An 11-week strike by 600 binmen in Leeds ended yesterday after a new pay deal was agreed.
(There was an almost complete news blackout on this story! The binmen started their strike action after the council they work for decided that they would be paid the same as female cleaners in an attempt to close the alleged gender pay gap. The idea that their work as binmen was comparable to that of a cleaning lady and as such was worth the same wage outraged binmen who stood to lose more than £5,000 per year from their wages. Little was mentioned in the news about the strike, and even less about the reason behind it. I would be interested to know what pay deal has been agreed.
In any case – well done to those binmen for making a stand!)



“NO WAY TO MOTORWAY”;
Less than half of women are confident about driving on motorways, a survey has found.
Only 44% are happy using them, compared to 70% of men.
New drivers are also fearful – with 40% of women and nearly 19% of men steering clear of M-ways in their first year behind the wheel.
Even three years after their test, 28% of women and 11% of men avoid motorways.
Simon Douglas, of AA Driving School which conducted the poll, said: “Motorways are our most avoided roads – yet statistically they are safer than the alternatives.”
(Perhaps this explains why you don't see many female long distance truck drivers or women in motorway maintenance crews?)





“KITCHEN'S NEW ROLE”;
Men spend MORE time in the kitchen than women, a study found.
They clock up over seven hours a day, with wives and girlfriends trailing on 6hrs 52mins.
But socialising, watching telly and relaxing now take up most time, ahead of cooking.
Jim Barnard of Wickes DIY, which polled 3,000 Brits, said: “The kitchen is the heart of the home.”
(LOL! Isn't it about time women started to pull their weight around the kitchen!
Hey... they might even consider doing their fair share elsewhere... like contributing equally to the public purse via their full time earnings rather than claiming benefits and working part time.
Or would that be asking too much?)






“MEN ARE TOP AT THE SHOPS”;
Men are BETTER than women at shopping, a poll revealed yesterday.
Women shop more frequently and enjoy trawling stores – but often come home empty handed having failed to find what they are looking for.
Men spend less time shopping but adopt a military-style “in and out, no messing about” approach – and nearly always get what they are after.
It also emerged eight out of ten women go home with items they had no intention of buying.
A spokesman for Kodak, which surveyed 3,000 Brits, said: “Women may like shopping but men are more successful.”
(Well, this is hardly breaking news – but it's nice to have it made official. Women are famously bad at shopping... shops and supermarkets are savvy to this and market their products accordingly to appeal to easily tempted female shoppers. Multi-buy products are often a false economy but women tend to fall for it much more than men. Men are less likely to browse, are more focused on getting what they specifically want, and are less frivolous with money – possibly because they more often than not have a better appreciation of the graft involved in earning it!)



"WORKING MOTHERS PERPETUATING THE MYTH OF "THE USELESS MAN" TO FEEL MORE FEMININE";
A scientific paper called The Female Breadwinner, to be published in the journal Sex Roles this week, details the feelings of 15 female career women.
The findings suggest the idea of men as slackers has been developed by women who feel “an overwhelming sense of guilt” at having a career rather than fulfilling their traditional gender role of wife and mother.
Researcher Dr Rebecca Meisenbach said her theory was reinforced by the fact that the only women who did not feel strongly responsible for looking after the home were those who did not have children under 18.
“Housework represents an interesting juxtaposition of control,” she said.
“On one level, women described retaining control over housework. They talked about their partners contributing to domestic chores, but almost always in response to being asked or told to do the task by the wife.
“They all gendered their partners’ behaviour with comments like ‘He’s a man, they don’t see that there is a mess’ and ‘My husband’s a guy. He picks and chooses what chores he does’.
“But by gendering his behaviour, they were also gendering their own as women and mothers, instead of breadwinners.
“Working women who provide the majority of the household’s income to the family continue to articulate themselves as the ones who ‘see’ household messes and needs as a way to retain claims to an element of a traditional feminine identity.”
Dr Meisenbach, of Missouri University, found most career women enjoyed the power that their status as earners gave them.
“I didn’t find female breadwinners deferred their power to their husbands at all,” she said.
“Over 60 per cent said they enjoyed the control they experienced, explicitly noting how they were happily different from the ‘1950s housewife’ or even from female friends within the traditional gender norms.
“By highlighting stories of how men have to be told or asked to do specific chores in the home, these female breadwinners are making sure they still fit gender boundaries of a wife as someone who manages the home and children.
“By directing the housework done by their husbands, they maintain a sense of control over the traditionally feminine sphere of the home.”
A report in 2007 found that only 14 per cent of British homes had a female breadwinner, but predicted this would double by 2030.
(Oh, WOMEN are to blame for the "useless man" myth? And there was I thinking men were to blame for that! D'oh!
Again... hardly breaking news, but nice to have it made official.)



“JANE MOORE” - misandrist and weekly columnist for The Sun.
New research – by three blokes – has concluded that females are fickle by nature.
Puh.
Mind you, when a friend bought her husband a couple of ties for his birthday and he appeared the next morning wearing one of them, she demanded: “What's wrong with the other one?”
So perhaps they have a point...
(Again... hardly breaking news. The thing that strikes me most about this comment is the deliberate mention of the fact that the researchers are male, as if that fact alone invalidates any findings made.)

but





“COVERT COPERS HEART RISK”;
Men who bottle up feelings about being unfairly treated at work DOUBLE their heart attack risk.
The “covert copers” store their anger which leads to a damaging rise in blood pressure.
This leaves them more likely to die from heart problems than those who talk with bosses or co-workers, a Stockholm University study found.
Women were also studied, but did not suffer enough heart attacks to draw conclusions.
(So, by disallowing men the right to complain about discrimination and unfair treatment at work, Harriet Harman is doubling their heart attack risk! I'll bet she's pleased about that.
Guys... complain your asses off!)



“STRESS? - DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT” - Dr Keith Hopcroft, Sun Health Columnist and mangina;
Getting a rollicking from your boss? Clutching a stress ball in one hand and your aching chest with the other?
I'm not surprised. Because the latest research from Sweden suggests blokes who bottle up work stress are at increased risk of heart trouble.
Which you might think is no big surprise. After all, you'd expect coronary care units to be full of football managers rather than librarians – because being seriously under pressure risks you being seriously under the weather, right?
Yes. And no. As is often the case in the world of medicine, things aren't as simple as they seem.
For a start, if you're trying to gauge the effects of stress on health, you have to measure it. And you immediately hit a problem. What are we docs going to check? How red your face goes? How tightly you grind your teeth?
Besides, one man's hellish hassle is another's welcome challenge. So simply trying to measure stress is enough to have us tearing our hair out.
Once the boffins crack that problem, they then have to figure out whether any link between stress and disease is just that, a “link”, or is it cause and effect?
Confused?
Relax. Or rather, don't.
Imagine you're in a pressure-cooker environment. That steam you see is coming out of your ears.
You're frazzled, fed up and fit to drop. What do you do? You neglect your lifestyle. You live on a diet of fast food and fags. You skip the gym for some quality sofa time. And you avoid the doc because you're getting enough lectures at work.
Result? You're a coronary waiting to happen.
There's the problem. It might not be stress itself causing the trouble but the fact that stress leads you to unhealthy habits.
Then there's the fact that the higher your stress levels, the more symptoms you'll report.
But symptoms don't always translate into disease. It may just be that feeling tense makes you more “aware” of your body – or more likely to hinge about, say, your headache or bad back.
All of which makes figuring out the link between stress and health a bit of a nightmare – and why boffins risk being off sick with Research Rage.
So can we draw any real conclusions? Yes – a few.
Stress is linked with disease and may even cause it – and the key “stressors” seem to be depression and isolation.
Health effects aren't just restricted to your heart, either. Chest problems and suicide risk may also be stress-related, but they are probably restricted to men rather than women.
And us blokes may not even be able to do that much about it, as some of us just seem destined to be on a short fuse – the so-called “Type A Personality”.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't bother de-stressing, though. Sorting out your lifestyle, being positive, keeping up with friends and family and learning how to chill out might or might not save your heart, lungs or sanity... but it'll definitely make you feel better.
And next time your boss bawls you out, console yourself with this thought: his stress levels are probably even worse than yours.
(It's all YOUR fault... as per usual.)

“BUILDERS' BUNDLE”;

Builders spend more time talking about money than about women and sex, according to a poll.
(According to feminist mythology, men think about sex every seven seconds and have a one track mind. Think again, femmies... and this time try not to flatter yourself by imagining men can't stop thinking about you!)

“HARRIET HARMAN TO CHALLENGE CPS”;
Harriet Harman may be in a spot of bother over her driving, but it seems Tessa Jowell has taken some of the rap after Channel 4 News used Jowell's image to illustrate the story.
(This made me laugh! I've always found it difficult to distinguish one rabidly feminist politician from another... they all seem to adopt the same demeanours, language and facial expressions. It appears that I am not the only one! An easy mistake to make!)



“Gordon Brown has pledged his support to Harriet Harman over her prosecution for driving while on her mobile phone.
Which means she's definitely going down...”
(Carole Malone)


“I am surprised the CPS is pursuing Harriet Harman after she allegedly crashed her car while using a mobile phone.
The recent expenses scandal suggested that MPs are above the law.”
(Tiffy Pearce-Smith, Southampton)


“If Harriet Harman is to be prosecuted by Scotland Yard for an alleged driving offence, will she get Legal Aid?
Or will it just go on expenses?”
(John, Powys)


“Surely the police would not be proceeding with this prosecution against Harriet Harman for allegedly crashing her car while on a mobile if they did not have the evidence to bring it.
It would have been better if the Prime Minister had kept his own counsel instead of backing her. After all, it is not as if Tony Blair benefited from Brown's backing in his EU presidency bid.
(John Luck, Nottingham)


“How does this Government expect people to abide by their laws if its own ministers are allegedly seen breaking them?
(David Thorn by email)





“DEAR DEIDRE”; - Scared son's not safe with his dad
Dear Deidre,
When my six-year-old stays with his dad he allows him to play outside unsupervised. I worry about his safety.
I'm a single mum and my ex remarried a year ago, rejoined the Army and moved to where he is based.
He won't listen to my pleas not to let our son play unsupervised and won't give me his address so I've no idea where my boy is when he visits his dad.
I have full care for our son so can I force my ex to do as I wish?
DEIDRE SAYS:
Of course your son is too young to be playing outside unsupervised. And you need to know where he is when he's not with you. Contact the local authority's children's services department for help available, including Children's Centres. If you're still worried for your son's safety, contact NSPCC.





JOKE:
What's the difference between woman and a magnet?
Magnets have a positive side!

Thanks once again 'Male-Murdoch' for keeping us informed, I like the murder in my sleep one ....just wished I had thought of that LOL

Sunday, November 29th, 2009


"WOODS' 911 TAPES RELEASED";

Cops have released the 911 call made after golf superstar Tiger Woods mysteriously crashed his car leaving him bloodies and unconscious.

Woods was knocked out for six minutes and suffered face injuries in a 2am car crash.
The 911 call made by an unnamed neighbour to the emergency services is poor but he can be heard saying: "I need an ambulance immediately, I have someone down in front of my house. He hit a pole."
He adds: "A neighbour has hit a tree we come out here to see what was going on."
The emergency operators attempt to find out whether the injured man is inside or outside the vehicle.
At one point the caller says: "It is a car accident, yes...They are lying on the ground."
But the operators later ask if anyone can open the car doors.
A woman can be heard in the background asking urgently, "What happened?" and the caller sounds shocked and disorientated by the incident.
It has been reported that Woods crashed after a bust-up his wife Elin Nordegren.
She then a swung a golf club at him as he tried to drive away, causing him to crash, website TMZ claim.
Reports say the crash happened after the Woods had a "domestic issue".
The 33-year-old was pulled from the vehicle by Swedish model missus Elin.
The crash mystery also deepened after it was revealed both passenger windows on his luxury car had been smashed in.
It had been thought the golf superstar's wife had used a club to smash out the rear window of the luxury SUV in an attempt to free her husband.
But police confirmed the right and left rear passenger windows had been broken - leading to even more unanswered questions about the late night crash.
Cops were set to interview Woods to hear his version of events, said Highway Patrol police spokeswoman Sgt Kim Montes.
Hours later, however, Sgt Montes issued a statement saying the planned interview had not taken place.
Elin, 29, heard the accident and is reported to have rushed out of the house with a golf club to smash out the back window and pull Tiger clear.
The world's highest-paid sportsman was drifting in and out of consciousness with his wife hovering over him when cops arrived.
Tiger had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth.
Police gave him first aid until he was taken to hospital about ten minutes later.

Crash scene... Tiger hit hydrant, left, and tree, right, after leaving home.

Sources said Tiger and beauty Elin had been arguing before the accident.
Reports in the US claimed he has been cheating on her with party hostess Rachel Uchitel, 34. Rachel is said to have followed Tiger around the world but Rachel today denied any claims of a romance.
She was photographed at the same hotel where Tiger was staying while playing in the Australian Open.
Lawyers for the golfer have denied the allegations.
Wood's representatives have described the crash as a "minor" accident.
However Hollywood website TMZ claimed Woods's Swedish-born wife said the crash followed a row over "a domestic issue".
The website added: "Tiger gave the same story to authorities at the hospital where he was treated".
Police are planning to talk to Tiger today about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Cops wanted to quiz Woods on Friday when he returned from hospital.
But they were told he was asleep and to come back yesterday.
However he was again unavailable and will try to speak to the star today.
Tiger had not been wearing a seat belt when he crashed, shortly after pulling out of the driveway of his £15million home.
He is believed to have smashed his face into the windscreen.
The air bags on his car, a Cadillac Escalade SUV, did not deploy, indicating he was travelling at a low speed.

Daniel Saylor, police chief in the town of Windermere where Woods lives, said: "His wife had broken out the back window with a golf club to get into the vehicle and pull him out. She used two golf clubs. She bent one and used another one.
"She was frantic. She supposedly got him out and laid him on the ground."
Tiger, golf's world No 1, was released after 12 hours of treatment at Health Central Hospital in Ocoee.
Police said alcohol was not involved but charges were pending. Tiger could face a reckless driving rap or prosecution for not wearing a belt.
Gary Bruhn, mayor of Windemere where Tiger lives, said: "There were facial lacerations and he was treated. This was an accident - nothing special."

Tiger and Elin have two children Sam Alexis, two, and nine-month-old Charlie Axel.

'Forbes', the business magazine, estimates that Woods is worth $500m (£300m) and is on track to become the first billionaire sportsman — but only if he can maintain the spotless “Tiger brand”.
Woods, who has won 14 major golf championships, has been rewarded by sponsors as much for his open and cheery personality as his prowess on the golf course. But fans say that he has been slipping recently, snubbing them at the Open Championship in July, swearing and throwing a club.

Insiders said he was still suffering from a recent knee injury, and missing his father, who died in 2006.
He is deeply protective about his private life, even calling his 155ft yacht Privacy.
For the next few weeks, that may be the casualty of his early-morning misadventure.



"TIGER WOODS REMAINS TIGHT-LIPPED OVER EARLY-HOURS CRASH";
Tiger Woods has claimed responsibility for a car crash outside his home and described "false, unfounded and malicious rumours" circulating as "irresponsible".

In a statement on his website, the top golfer also praised his wife Elin Nordegren for trying to help him at the scene outside their home in Isleworth, Orlando, when she saw he was hurt.
"This situation is my fault," wrote the 33-year-old, "and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me."
He went on: "The many false, unfounded and malicious rumours that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
"The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false."

Meanwhile, police have released a tape of an emergency call made by a one of Woods' neighbours after the golfer smashed his Cadillac into a fire hydrant outside his home.
"I have someone down in front of my house," says the shaken caller, who is not identified and does not mention Woods by name. "I see him, he's laying down."
During the call, a woman is heard shouting in the background: "What happened?"
The neighbour responds that he is on the phone with the police to report the accident.
A short time later, the poor telephone connection is lost.

Florida Hayway Patrol(FHP) officers have tried three times to question the star after he was found semi-conscious with facial injuries following what is thought to have been a low-speed crash.
Spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes said Woods' lawyer Mark Nejame informed the FHP the star would not be meeting with investigators this afternoon.
"It has not been rescheduled," said Sgt Montes, adding that the crash remains under investigation.
After striking the fire hydrant, Woods' car then hit a tree in a neighbour's garden, with police reporting that officers found the golfer lying in the road being tended to by his wife, but drifting in and out of consciousness.
Authorities have said alcohol was not involved.

Woods was taken to Health Central Hospital where he was "admitted, treated and released in good condition", a joint statement by his office and the hospital said.
Windermere Police chief Daniel Saylor said Woods' wife used a golf club to smash out the back window and helped to get the golfer out of the car following the crash.
Ms Nordegren told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and came outside, he said.
The couple have been married for five years and have two children.
The accident happened amid reports that Woods had been seeing a New York night club hostess and that the pair were recently together in Melbourne, Australia.
The woman, Rachel Uchitel, has denied having an affair with the golfer.


“WOODS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR MYSTERIOUS CAR CRASH”;
Tiger Woods claimed full responsibility last night for Friday’s mysterious car crash but for the third consecutive day refused to give his side of the story to the police.

Unanswered questions lingered, adding to speculation about his private life. What exactly, the media asked, was his wife doing brandishing a golf club over his semi-conscious body when police arrived on the scene? And rumours, vehemently denied, that he had been conducting an affair threatened to dent the once-flawless veneer of the world’s richest sporting star.
Woods, 33, had agreed to meet officers from the Florida Highway Patrol at his $2.4 million home in Orlando to discuss the incident and bare what remained of his facial wounds for inspection. But an hour before the meeting he abruptly cancelled it and issued a statement blaming himself for the crash and praising his wife’s “courage”.
“This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” Woods said. “I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Despite his mea culpa, investigators are anxious to establish the circumstances leading up to the accident, in which he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant outside his home then hit a neighbour’s tree. It happened shortly after 2am on Friday.
Compounding the intrigue were suggestions that bloody scratches on his face may have been inflicted before the crash during a showdown with his wife, the Swedish model Elin Nordegren, 29. She told police that she used a golf club to smash the back window of his car and rescue him from the wreckage.
Reports of inconsistencies in her story added to the drama, with the celebrity news website tmz.com yesterday asserting that she gave conflicting accounts to officers at the scene, relating to how, when and why she fetched the golf club.
It quoted an unnamed friend of Woods saying that she had “gone ghetto” over allegations in the National Enquirer that he had been cheating on her with Rachel Uchitel, a New York party planner. Ms Nordegren scratched his face, then attacked his car with a golf club as he fled the house, causing him to crash, tmz.com claimed.
Woods dismissed such reports as “absolutely false” in a statement published on his website. He complained of “malicious” rumours that were being spread irresponsibly about his private life.
A transcript of the emergency call made by a neighbour on Friday sheds little light on the incident. The caller can be heard telling dispatchers: “I need an ambulance immediately, I have someone down outside my house ... It’s a car accident ... My neighbour, he hit the tree. I see him and he’s laying down.”
When the dispatcher asked whether the person was unconscious, the neighbour replied: “Yes.”
Woods’ agent took more than a day to deny that the golfer had having an affair. Ms Uchitel — who first came to public attention in 2001, when her boyfriend was killed in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre — has also insisted that reports of the affair are untrue and has hired the celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred to represent her.
Police first went to Woods’ mansion, in a gated community, on Friday, only for his wife to ask if they could return the next day because he was sleeping. While they were on their way back there on Saturday, the Florida Highway Patrol got a call from Woods’ agent to say that the couple were “unavailable” to talk until Sunday. Yesterday he was unavailable again.
Sergeant Kim Montes, a spokeswoman for the highway patrol, said: “It is unusual that we haven’t gotten a statement. This just delays us to getting closer to the completion of the investigation.”
Meanwhile, it came to light that although a highway patrol officer who attended the scene had noted on a report that the accident was not alcohol-related, neither a breath sample nor a blood sample was taken from Woods, who had spent Thursday celebrating Thanksgiving with his family.
Dan Rosenbaum, a lawyer who is not involved with the case, said: “He has a lot of endorsement money at stake, so he has to be very careful how this is handled and what the story is that comes out.”
He added that Woods and his advisers were likely to be working on a damage-control plan. “Lawyers will tell him to balance those sponsorship issues with what could be a career- ender. You might be able to live with talk of a domestic dispute, but you don’t want to be in a criminal situation.
“He’ll be asking himself what’s the kind of story he can live with.”

Unanswered questions;
What was Tiger Woods doing driving away from his house at 2.25am when he crashed into a fire hydrant?

How did his wife Elin, a slim woman, manage to lift her 13.5st (86kg) husband out of his car if he was unconscious and a dead weight? The local police chief said: “She got him out and laid him on the ground. He was in and out of consciousness when my guys got there.”

Why did she break the back window of the Cadillac sports utility vehicle with a golf club if Woods was in the driver’s seat and she needed to get him out of the car? Why not a side window?

Why did it take nearly 13 hours for the International Management Group, Woods’s management company, to issue a statement about the accident?

The Florida police needed a statement from Woods. Access to him was denied to the police on Friday when his wife said that he was sleeping. But why the same on Saturday? And why not more information today?

(Well, it looks like a case of DV to me - with the added element of the victim blaming himself for his wife's attack... a well-documented response to such domestic assaults. How ironic that this hits the headlines in the very week the "white ribbon" campaign was launched to end violence towards women and girls ONLY. Tsk.)




“I HAVE BEEN PUNISHED FOR BEING A MAN”;
Tomorrow Mark Sanders-Crook will be forced to surrender his scarlet dress uniform and ceremonial sword and spear to a Yeoman at the Tower of London.

For the former Grenadier Guardsman and his family, it will be a deeply emotional moment, and an ignominious end to a hitherto unblemished 29-year career serving Queen and country.
Mr Sanders-Crook, 44, is one of the two ‘bullying Beefeaters’ sacked last week for harassing Moira Cameron – the Tower’s first female Beefeater – and, in her words, ‘causing unprecedented stress to the extent that my hair fell out’.
The case made headlines around the world, and, for some, undermined long-held notions about the jovial men in red, who nurture ravens, guard the Crown Jewels and beguile tourists with centuries-old stories.

Worried: Mark Sanders-Crook as a proud Beefeater.

Tomorrow he will be forced to surrender his uniform
To many, it seemed unthinkable that two of their number, possibly motivated by anger at the arrival of a woman, had conducted a hate campaign.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, the account of Mr Sanders-Crook – part of a seven-man group of Beefeaters known as the ‘Ripper Crew’ who took the public on Jack the Ripper tours of London in their spare time – differs considerably from his accuser.
‘To me, this is not just a job, it is a calling – but now I am unemployed and soon to be homeless, and I have done absolutely nothing wrong. I refute, totally, all her claims,’ he says.
Ms Cameron, 44, appointed two years ago, insists she ‘suffered immensely’ at his hands.
And in what must have been uncomfortable for the Tower authorities, who trumpeted her arrival with much fanfare, she has told them that ‘because of Mark and others like him’ she would not recommend they employ another female Beefeater.
So where did this bold attempt at modernisation go so terribly wrong? What is the truth about the case of the bullying Beefeaters? And just what goes on behind the Tower’s 1,000-year-old walls when its broad gates close to the public, with attendant ceremony, at 10pm every night?
Until now details of the case have been closely guarded. But The Mail on Sunday can today reveal exactly what Ms Cameron told police and her bosses about the series of dark episodes that ‘turned my life upside down’.

Mark Sanders-Crook on patrol in Bosnia in 1997 as part of the Medical Corp.

And in an exclusive interview, Mr Sanders-Crook – as well as publicly defending himself for the first time – offers an insight into the lives of the 35 modern-day Beefeaters – officially known as Yeomen Warders – who all live at the Tower in a ‘very tight-knit community’.
A rugby-loving former sergeant major, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, his manner is open and straightforward. Like him, his father was a soldier then a Beefeater, and it was always his ambition ‘to make it to the Tower’.
For ex-Servicemen, Beefeater posts are highly coveted as well as prestigious – coming with a £25,000-a-year salary and a reduced-rent home at the Tower, both which Mr Sanders-Crook will lose.

'I had nothing in common with her'
All are former senior non-commissioned officers from the Army, RAF and Royal Marines. They must have served for a minimum of 22 years, and hold long-service and good conduct medals.
‘It was the cherry on the cake of my Army career,’ says Mr Sanders-Crook.
‘At the Tower you are not in the Army, but you have many of the same traditions, the ethos and camaraderie. It is a halfway house. I loved the job and there was a great social life that went with it.’
One of the key planks of Ms Cameron’s evidence is her account of a visit she made with seven other Yeomen Warders, including Mr Sanders-Crook, to a restaurant in October last year. Mr Sanders-Crook’s then nine-year-old son was also among the party.

Moira Cameron, just after being made the first female Beefeater at the Tower of London.

It would later be considered so pertinent to her case that a diagram of the seating plan was submitted to the Beefeater’s disciplinary hearing.
Because supper at, say, a steak house would have been a bit of a busman’s holiday, the Beefeaters went to Bodean’s, which specialises in pork dishes.
In a statement, Ms Cameron set the scene. ‘We met outside the Tower and I felt Mark bristling because I was there.’ She said he had a sharp intake of breath when he saw her arrive.
‘When we went into Bodean’s I sat at the other end of the table to Mark but Crawford [another Beefeater] came up beside me and said move over which meant that I sat beside Mark.’
Mr Sanders-Crook, meanwhile, denies her claim that the ‘atmosphere went from bad to worse’ and, while acknowledging that they didn’t talk directly, maintains that this was because ‘there was communal food, which meant the whole table was talking’.

'I have been punished for being a man'
Later that night Ms Cameron was asked by a friend ‘what was wrong’. She said: ‘I apologised and explained that Mark Sanders-Crook had a problem with me being a Yeoman Warder.’
But Mr Sanders-Crook retorted: ‘There was no problem. Because I was sitting opposite my son, I talked a lot to him because I didn’t want him to hear everything people were saying at the table. I didn’t deliberately ignore Moira.
‘The whole evening was very enjoyable and the company was great. The conversation between the adults was not for my son’s ears but it didn’t matter because he was enjoying watching and talking about the American football on the big screens.’
Elsewhere in her statement, and in a record of a meeting she had with a human resources manager and Tower official, Ms Cameron outlines the rest of her complaints.

Moira Cameron, who 'enjoyed a drink', out with friends.

She insists Mr Sanders-Crook swore more frequently in her company, and recalls how his wife once appeared to deliberately leave her out of a round of drinks during a Beefeaters get-together at their private watering hole at the Tower, known as The Club.
Then there was a morning soon after she started when she alleges that Mr Sanders-Crook shunned her on the way to work.
‘I was walking to the office and noticed Yeomen Warders Mark Sanders-Crook and Terry Humphries in front of me,’ she said in her statement.
‘When Mark saw me coming towards them, he motioned to Terry to go up the Flint Tower stairs so they wouldn’t have to talk to me. This was a regular occurrence; certain people would walk over to the other side of the street or go off in a different direction to avoid speaking to me.’
Beyond a complaint about a parking space, which she claims Mark and another Beefeater connived to stop her getting – he denies this – she provides no other tangible examples of victimisation.
Mr Sanders-Crook says none of the incidents she describes ever happened.
The record of her meeting with human resources shows, however, that she believed Mr Sanders-Crook, prior to her arrival, ‘may have started rumours’ that a lesbian was coming to the Tower.
She admits, however, that she didn’t have any proof, and he vehemently denied the claim when he was asked about it during his disciplinary hearing.
In her statement Ms Cameron also talks about how she was unfairly treated by some of the Beefeaters, and describes Mark as ‘a ringleader’.
She says: ‘He constantly ignored me and the times that he did speak to me, apart from twice when we did have sensible conversations, he would bark his answers at me. He would cause an atmosphere when I was around and others would conform to his mood.’
But when he wasn’t around, she added, his friends spoke to her in a civil manner.
Mr Sanders-Crook’s closest friends among the Beefeaters were fellow members of the ‘Ripper Crew’ and according to the record of her HR meeting, Ms Cameron said many of the Rippers were opposed to her.
It says: ‘Even before arriving at the Tower she got a feeling as to who was anti her appointment and who was pro it. She assumed they had been given a “gipsy’s warning” and this was confirmed by the Chief Yeomen Warder one night in the Tower Club.
‘Quite a lot of the Yeomen Warders were friendly and positive towards her, especially YW Bill Callaghan and the Yeoman Gaoler.’
It adds that one of the Beefeaters ‘was really good on a one-to-one basis, but changed when he was in the Byward Tower (the Beefeaters’ office) with the other Rippers’.
Mr Sanders-Crook, who is married with two children, a boy of ten and 15-year-old daughter, who is at private school, became a Beefeater in 2004.
It was the one of the proudest moments of his life. Familiar with the Tower because of his father, his children were both christened there and he had wanted to become a Beefeater since being a teenager. It is nonsense, he says, that he would risk his prestigious job by harassing anyone.
He says of Ms Cameron’s claims: ‘I never bullied her, excluded her or victimised her. It is simple. I spoke to her civilly at work but didn’t socialise with her afterwards. But then I don’t socialise with 70 per cent of the Beefeaters.’
However, he is the first to admit that Ms Cameron’s arrival at the Tower was not met with universal approval among the yeoman body, of which all but three are married.
‘The biggest thing that stuck in a lot of people’s throats was the break in tradition,’ he says. ‘There was no outright hostility. But we wondered if it was a PR stunt, or political correctness. And we were hoping, too, that they had got the right person.
‘People say it is a male bastion. Well, yes, it was. The Yeomen Body was formed by Henry VII who stated that he wanted to leave his old soldiers behind with their wives.
‘What concerned me most, and what caused apprehension and shock among the wives of the Beefeaters, was that she was single. I don’t have a problem with her being female.
'But I have seen a lot of very good friends’ marriages go down the pan in the Army, not because they have done anything, but because other people perceive they have done something.
‘We’re a close community. And in the Tower you cannot go to the toilet without someone knowing. It is not difficult to see the potential for trouble in employing a single woman.’
Mr Sanders-Crook added the Tower authorities ‘should have brought in two or three woment to take the pressure off Moira’.
He recalls the day the Beefeaters were officially told a woman was joining them.
‘All the warders were called to the Byward Tower where The Governor of the Tower, Major General Keith Cima, was leading the meeting, along with the Chief Yeomen warder.
‘The Governor came in as proud as punch and said: “Gentleman, I have something to announce. We are going to have the first female warder and her name is Moira Cameron.”
'There was silence. We were told from day one that no matter what, she would not be treated differently from the rest of us. After that it hit the papers. It was the topic of conversation.’
Naturally there was some ribald speculation as to what she might look like and ‘whether she would wear high heels with her scarlet tunic’.
‘We jokingly wondered what we were going to call her. Was she going to be a yeoman warder, or yeowoman or a yeoperson? That was the sort of banter that was going around.
‘She formed friendships with some of the warders and their wives. They made her feel welcome and took her out for meals. Outside work I had no contact with her. My social circle was men, couples and families. I wouldn’t go out with a single woman. I had nothing in common with her.’
It was in these early months that Ms Cameron felt the most hostility. And she later told the Tower authorities that she had been quite vocal about leaving at this point.
In fact, she even considered quitting shortly before starting the job after hearing a former Beefeater talking on the radio of how life would be made difficult for her.
Mr Sanders-Crook says: ‘I had no idea that she felt this way. As far as I was concerned everything was fine. I admit I did swear in front of her. I am a former soldier after all.
But no more than I would do normally. In any case, she also swore. The only person who ever corrected us for swearing was one of the other warders, the union rep. His biggest worry was the public hearing as the last thing he wanted was a complaint.’
He adds: ‘The big thing that happened to her when she was here was that she went out one night and her drink was spiked. She said she had been to a bar with some friends, took a few sips of her drink and then felt funny.
She couldn’t remember much about what happened next, but said she tripped over the step getting into the Tower and ended up with a black eye and a fat lip. We all tried to give as much support as we could and told her to report it. I’m not sure if she did.
‘She appeared to have lots of friends, men and women, and went out a lot, at least three times a week. She was fond of a drink – I remember she liked Bacardi. I don’t know if she had a particular boyfriend. But on her website she stated, “I do not wear comfortable shoes”.
‘That is a military saying and it means she is not a lesbian. The thing about me supposedly spreading rumours about her being a lesbian – which I didn’t – was brought up at my disciplinary.
'As for her alopecia, she said to everybody at the Tower that she lost her hair because of the stress caused by her drink being spiked.’
Mr Sanders-Crook was suspended on October 23, three weeks after his Beefeater colleague Bob Brown, 57, was also suspended – for changing Ms Cameron’s Wikipedia entry to say that she was leaving the Tower for medical reasons, even though she isn’t.
For this he received a police caution and was later dismissed.
‘The police were involved only because of the Wikipedia entry. But they gave Moira’s statement to the Tower authorities and that’s what started the investigation into me.’
It is worth noting that in the statement she does not appear to demonstate much of an appetite for punishing Mr Sanders-Crook.
She says: ‘I think Mark is a very good yeoman and his tours are excellent...if he was willing to compromise just a little on his feelings about me then life at the Tower would be better.’
Mr Sanders-Crook was sacked last week, punished, he says, ‘because I am a man, because of political correctness’. He plans to appeal and launch a claim for unfair dismissal.
‘I was summarily dismissed by the Governor. He was sitting at his big wooden desk and behind him, on the wall, was the 5ft-long Gaoler’s Axe, which represents the old executioner’s axe. He said I was guilty of harassment and gross misconduct.
As it was Christmas, he said that he would give me until January 6 to leave the Tower.
‘My life is in ruins now, and my family are worried about the future. And I did absolutely nothing wrong.’
A Tower spokeswoman said: ‘We cannot go into the details of the allegations. They were investigated extremely thoroughly.’

READERS COMMENTS;
"If you are going to change hundreds of years of rules and regulation by allowing women into the "tower". Wht didn't they do as the Chelsea pensioners did and allow more than one women in together, as company and support. Without all the facts being known it s hard to know what really went on. But if all the lady is complaining about was swear words and excluding her from various conversations, then i think it is wrong to sack the two officers. After all she was put into a male dominated place alone, what were the authorities thinking about. Sacking should have been the last resort, more women should have been allowed in, and then see if it is a clash of personalities or the more serious claims. Hope the two soliders find peace and settlement asap."
- Roger, Oxford, 29/11/2009 0:37
Rating +671

"Another sacrifice at the altar of political correctness."
- Gary 'nearly given up', Maldon, Essex, 29/11/2009 0:41
Rating +661

"For hundreds of years they have been part of the Tower of London as ex members of the military. All men.
A woman joins & things change, discipline goes. Two male warders dismissed & 3 others suspended. One has since been re-instated on appeal.
Facilities were all designed for men, therefore a woman demands and gets all the privacy arrangements altered.
Seems that this ex-army female SNCO (WO 2) just did not fit in with the men. Did not get all the deference that she thought was her due. Maybe her army rank of WO 2 was higher than Mark's & she was pulling rank.
However, all was well until a woman complained and a man with 29 yrs service gets the boot.
I hope he gets to appeal the summary decision."
- John Vivatrex, Ontario Canada, 29/11/2009 7:12
Rating +592

"Of course eyebrows were raised by the other men it was just another PR stunt with a large amount of political correctness thrown in to show diversity as an employer.
Did she really believe she would be welcomed with open arms after spending many years in the army she knew what would be the reaction and I do not think it as bad as she says, if her hair fell out because she was ignored how did she ever cope in the army.
As a result of her wanting to do a mans job a sledge hammer has been used to crack an egg."
- Steve, Bangkok Thailand, 29/11/2009 0:39
Rating +574

"Well here we go again! A female gets a job and as soon as she can start making waves she makes them. When will women accecpt that men are men and women are women? The quicker they understand that fact, the quicker we all might get along."
- les, shropshire, 29/11/2009 0:42
Rating +554

"So he literally breathed wrong at her? I really hope there is more to this or Britain is closer to its end than I thought. If this is all there is, she's an example of why women shouldn't serve in the (British) military.
In the US Army I've known many female officers and nco's who swear with the best of them and compete well with the men. Baffling case of PC run amok. At least no one was killed, unlike our US case of PC run amok."
- timmay, flyover country, USA, 29/11/2009 0:46
Rating +507

"He's not very convincing is he? Looks like this bully got what he deserved in the end."
- Martin, Manchester, 29/11/2009 0:42
Rating -518

"I believe the woman 100%."
- C Harrower, Edinburgh, 29/11/2009 0:05
Rating -325

"He should have thought about being made redundant when he became a campaign against this woman for being a woman."
- patricia, Torrox, 29/11/2009 6:58
Rating +270

"'The biggest thing that stuck in a lot of people's throats was the break in tradition,' he says. 'There was no outright hostility. But we wondered if it was a PR stunt, or political correctness. And we were hoping, too, that they had got the right person...

'What concerned me most, and what caused apprehension and shock among the wives of the Beefeaters, was that she was single. I don't have a problem with her being female."

Sounds to me like they had it in for her from the start. She didn't fit in with the clique. Also it would seem to some that the wives didn't trust their husband being around a single woman, and mob mentality took over.

The paper, and readers will side with the man against the female, because it's trendy to do so nowadays. It seems perfectly plausable that this would happen, especially since most don't like change of any kind.

Women...desperate to take from men...*insert rolling eye motion here*"
- sa, uk, 29/11/2009 0:29
Rating -251

"Naturally there was some ribald speculation as to what she might look like", "whether she would wear high heels with her scarlet tunic", the snidy insinuations regarding boyfriends, her socialising and drinking, topped with the fact that her wikipedia entry was amended with lies.
I think this article has just confirmed that the lady did indeed have a strong case."
- Maz, Yorkhire, England, 29/11/2009 0:03
Rating -240

"44??.....He looks 68!!"
- Tony, Essex, 29/11/2009 0:32
Rating -204

(My personal view on this story has not changed since yesterday. It is nice to read so many comments from readers supporting Mr Sanders-Crook and condemning the blatantly agenda-influenced treatment he has recieved. Notice how the all the top rated comments are supportive but the bottom rated comments take the "poor woman - evil man" stance.
People are sick to death of all this PC nonsence and the vilification of men as a group.
Final thought: Can Mr Sanders-Crook now claim to be the victim of a gender-based bullying campaign himself?)

"LORD CAREY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST SOCIAL ENGINEERING IN SCHOOLS";

The claim from Marks & Spencer's boss Sir Sturat Rose that many of our youngsters are leaving school "unfit for work" is a devastating indictment of the education system.

But, shamefully, it is true.

What happened to the Government's seductive three-word mantra: Education, Education, Education?
My heart bleeds at the way we are betraying a generation of youngsters. Apart from personal failings and thwarted ambitions they are, after all, our future.
The blunt fact is many schools are in an abysmal mess. Unfortunately, too many weak heads are unwilling or unable to resist political pressures.
With the result that pupils are subjected to social engineering rather than old-fashioned discipline and rigorous attention to the very basics of learning - the now much maligned three R's, Reading, Writing & Arithmetic.
Before anyone says I'm talking from a posh Eton and Oxbridge background, I'd like to remind people that I grew up in a working-class home in Dagenham, Essex, and went to a secondary modern school, leaving at 16 to start work with the Electricity Board.
My school was far from the best. But at least I was motivated by a head who saw potential in me.
And I was blessed with parents who wanted me and my four siblings to seize the chances that they'd never had.
That's why I'm passionate about education and sit on the board of a group of academies where we are getting wonderful, reassuring results from our children. Pupils, encouraged by their parents, clamouring to better themselves.
Still, for far too many schools, one oppressive problem remains: An ever-expanding mountain of unwarranted government interference. The new initiative on domestic violence from the government, under which pupils are to be taught that "mistreating and abusing girls is unacceptable", is a case in point.

It's no surprise that boys are faring so badly when they are bombarded with the negative notion that THEY are the problem.

By making lessons in gender equality compulsory, as part of the personal, social, health and education (PSHE) curriculum, schools are being diverted from their core purpose ever more.
No wonder they have become a one-stop shop in recent years for social work, and baby-sitting for working parents.
The onus on preventing teenage pregnancies and fighting against childhood obesity, which rightly belongs at home, has been dumped on the schools.
As a result they've trespassed on matters which should be dealt with in the family, and failed to meet their primary purpose which is to teach the three R's.
Scandalously, instead of emphasising "education, education, education", the government have subjected schools to a barrage of initiatives designed to further government policy rather than benefit children themselves.
Future government must cut the red tape and invest in the teaching profession, especially heads, so they can do their job free from Whitehall interference.
A top head may get £160,000 a year. But their value is priceless.
My personal experience tells me that sink schools can be turned around. I have close links with Manchester Academy, one of the earliest academies built. Six years ago it replaced one of the poorest performing schools in Britain.
This year Manchester Academy received Ofsted's coveted "outstanding" Grade 1, making it now one of the highest rated academies in the land. More than 65 per cent of the pupils there are from other nations, many children of asylum seekers.
How that contrasts with another school in a nearby city which has just been put into special measures for failing its children. And what is the difference between the two schools?
I'm ashamed to say that the second school comprises mostly white, indigenous kids who no longer seem motivated to work. The real difference, though, lies with the drive, motivation and dedication of the Manchester head teacher Kathy August.
She worships her pupils and cares deeply for their futures. She shows it with love - and zero tolerance of bad behaviour and poor attendance.
Though so many start with English as a second language, Kathy expects kids to succeed and makes sure they know it.
Meanwhile elsewhere, at another school, a head has recently been sacked for complacency and lack of demand from lazy children and indifferent parents. And rightly so.
Instead of adding to the crushing demands on schools, our government needs to wake up parents of white children to their responsibilities. They must match the admirable hunger and pride of ethnic families who drive their children to succeed, giving them the best possible start in life.
School days are far too precious to allow complacent heads, touchy-feely teachers and meddling politicians to sabotage them.
Our kids get one chance for themselves, their futures and their country.
We MUST halt this betrayal.

(All good and well - but I've read countless articles on the failure of the education system - especially regarding the suppression of boys and the disadvantages they face in a system which has been deliberately designed to suit the educational needs and to ensure the best possible outcome for girls - and yet NOTHING ever gets done to address the issue.
The Government knew 10-years ago that boys were disadvantaged by the "new" GCSE exams and the way in which course work - marked on presentation as much as content - now accounts for 80% of an exam result.
This particular issue makes me so angry I shake! I must move on before my blood starts to boil!)






"MOOSE IN FRAME FOR WIFE 'MURDER'":
A man arrested for allegedly murdering his wife has been cleared - after cops pinned the blame on a MOOSE.

Distraught husband Ingemar Westlund, 68, found his wife Agneta's body by a lake in Loftahammer, Sweden after she had gone for an evening stroll.
He was immediately arrested and held by police for 10 days.
But reports say cops released the man after hairs and saliva from a moose were found 63-year-old Agneta's clothes.
Police spokesman Ulf Karlsson says "the improbable has become probable".
Karlsson declined to give details of the case Saturday, saying a news conference would be held Tuesday.

(And the lesson is: Fellas... make sure you ALWAYS have an alibi, because if ANYTHING happens to your wife or girlfriend and you DON'T, YOU will be the prime suspect and will be immediately arrested and held in police custody.)

"DRUGS PARTY BOY, 3";

A mum who took her three-year-old son to an all-night drink and drugs party was spared jail for cruelty - because the lad has been taken away from her.
Cops called to the rowdy bash found Mary Brown lying covered in vomit.
Her toddler was roaming around as revellers binged on booze and cannabis and Brown, 22, had been assaulted during a fracas.
Alexia Zimber, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "The property was in a state of disrepair. There was little furnishing. All the adults, save for Brown, got drunk.
"Some were smoking cannabis. This was all in the presence of her son.
"Police arrived at 3.20am and found him wandering. Brown was lying in a doorway in distress, with vomit in her hair and on her clothing."
Brown, of Blyth, Northumberland, said she was not drunk and did not take drugs and this was accepted. Her son, who was in a dirty state, is no longer in her care.
She admitted child cruelty by neglect.
But the judge, Mr Recorder Nolan, gave her a two-year community order. He said: "You have lost your son. It is something you have to bear the rest of your life.
"That is a greater punishment than any criminal court can impose."

(FFS... What exactly does a woman have to do to a child to get prison time these days?)

"LIFE SENTENCE - COPS WANT NURSERY PAEDO GEORGE BANNED FROM EVER SEEING HER GIRLS";
Cops believe nursery paedophile Vanessa George is so dangerous they want the courts to issue a LIFE BAN on her contacting children... including her own two daughters.
They are to ask her trial judge to impose a far-reaching Sex Offences Supervision Order at her sentencing next month.
George, 39 - who filmed herself abusing nursery tots in her care - is expected to be given a hefty jail term.
But her own family have asked police to apply for the order blocking her access to kids, including vulnerable adolescents like daughters Pearl, 15, and Grace, 13 - even while she is BEHIND BARS.
A police spokesman told us: "It would have immediate effect if granted. Whether it is a life ban will be down to the judge but we have asked for the order to be made."
SOPOs - first issued in a paedophile case in 2004 - usually come into force when a sex offender is released and ban contact with children for a maximum of five years. The offender can also be banned from using computers and mobile phones with internet access. Breaches of the order can carry prison terms up to five years. This one-if granted - would be the toughest yet handed down to a pervert. It means Pearl and Grace could have no contact with George at all until they were 18 - even if they wanted to see her.
Last night their dad Andrew revealed why he had asked cops to go for the ban after receiving a letters from George - awaiting sentence with fellow fiends Colin Blanchard, 38, and Angela Allen, 39 - begging for her daughter's forgiveness.
"Vanessa is a very manipulative, scheming woman and I'm worried about the mind games she will try to play with the girls in a few years time," he said, adding that they had already disowned their mum.
"A ban would be very good even though the sad reality is it's impossible to constantly keep tabs on people.
"But I hope that by the time Vanessa comes out of jail, the order will have teeth and that she is properly shackled." Det Supt Michelle Slevin has also written to parents of George's victims at Little Ted's Nursery, Plymouth, revealing their intention to apply for the ban.
She also explained they need to talk to George again to discover the identities of the children involved.
She gave cops six names, but Det Supt Slevin wrote: "Not all are full names, some are just first names. We will need to interview Vanessa George again."

(Jesus H Christ... this woman's crimes must be far worse than we know about!
The question is raised: If Vanessa George is to effectively lose her children, and if that - in the words of judge Mr Recorder Nolan quoted from the previous story "is a greater punishment than any court can impose"... should George ALSO be released with a two-year community order?)



“PLENTY TO LEARN ABOUT JUSTICE”: - Carole Malone, misandrist and Sun columnist
Am I in the minority in believing that a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for religious education teacher Madeleine Martin, who had sex with a 15-year-old pupil, is a bit steep?
I'm not saying what she did is to be encouraged and yes, she should certainly have lost her job as it was a breach of trust and it is totally at odds with her responsibilities as a teacher. Bit the boy she had sex with was just months away from the legal age of consent (and therefore a man in the eyes of the law) and was an entirely willing partner.

(I have just one word to say... and it is in fact a combination of TWO words... TWUNT!)



"NUDE PIC REVENGE";
A jealous man who threatened to post naked pictures of his ex on Facebook now faces jail.
Kurt Doherty, 20, vowed to stick the nude photos of Victoria Cox, 19, on the internet site “every hour” after they split in March.
Doherty, of Spetchley, Worcs, admitted harassment and will be sentenced on December 14th.



"GEEZER SCROOGE";
Four out of ten men claim they will not buy Christmas gifts this year because it's too much hassle.

(When all you have to look forward to on Christmas Day is socks and ill-filling underpants - the incentive to fight your way through an army of pre-Christmas psycho-shoppers and blow a fortune on people who have invariably disrespected and belittled you throughout the rest of the year just doesn't seem to be there! Besides which... if you're married, YOU pay for the gifts your wife buys ANYWAY... including, more than likely, her gift to you!)



"COURTING COSTS";
Three-quarters of British men expect to foot the bill on a date with their girl, according to an HP sauce poll.

(This "chivalry" nonsense needs to end - SHARPISH!
Women earn as much and often more than men these days. Go "Dutch", or have HER pay!
Jeez... men should have more respect for themselves than to imagine they have to "pay" for female company.
And women should have more respect for themselves than to accept "payment"... it makes them little more than prostitutes.)

Monday, 30th November, 2009.

"TIGER WOODS - COPS WANT MEDICAL RECORDS FOR INVESTIGATION"
COPS want to seize Tiger Wood's medical records as they probe his mysterious 2am car crash.

Florida police may apply for a search warrant to examine the superstar's injuries — to see if they were caused by the accident outside his mansion, a US website has reported.
It was claimed his Swedish wife Elin Nodegren, 29, chased him down the drive after a row over nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel.
His SUV is then said to have ploughed into a fire hydrant and a tree.
But golf ace Tiger broke his silence last night over the crash — to say he was to blame and his wife Elin had saved him.
Today it was claimed cops are working on showing a crime may have been committed — in order to get the warrant.
The US website said: "Florida Highway Patrol is now focusing on obtaining a search warrant - allowing them to seize medical records from the hospital that treated Tiger Woods - in an attempt to determine if the wounds Woods sustained are consistent with a car accident or domestic violence.
"We're told authorities believe they can show probable cause a crime was committed, a necessary step in obtaining a warrant."
Last night Tiger refused to speak to cops for a THIRD time amid claims the golfer's wife attacked the car with one of his clubs.
But in a statement on his website, world No1 Tiger stressed his wife was not at fault in any way.
He told fans: "I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me.
"I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again. The many false, unfounded and malicious rumours that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me.
"My wife Elin acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false."
According to some reports, Elin ran after the black Cadillac Escalade, swinging a nine iron against the vehicle as Tiger tried to flee in Orlando, Florida, on Friday.
Police revealed last night that three windows, the back two passenger windows and the rear tailgate window, had glass missing when they found the £35,000 car.
Elin was said to have flown into a blind rage following a row over claims in a magazine that Tiger had an affair with stunning New York party girl Rachel, 34.
It was even claimed that damage to his face had been caused by Elin and there was no blood on the car's steering wheel.
Police turned up to Woods' home yesterday afternoon to request driving documents after he said he could not speak to them.
They were met by one of Woods' lawyers at the front door, who handed over the papers.
Tiger, the world's highest paid sportsman after winning 14 Majors, is said to have told pals his wife had "gone ghetto".
Rachel forcefully denies being involved with the golfer, while admitting false rumours "must have caused some trouble". But yesterday as she left her New York home she merely said: "I wish I could say something but I can't."
Tiger was on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness, when police arrived at the crash and was taken to hospital.
A neighbour who dashed to his aid told an emergency 911 phone operator he was not sure if he was alive. In a transcript of his frantic call released by cops, right, the man says: "I need an ambulance immediately. I have someone down in front of my house."
Petite blonde Elin told cops she used two of 6ft 1in Tiger's golf clubs to smash the SUV's back window and drag him out.
Police said she was hovering over her bloodied husband. His lips were cut and his mouth was full of blood. The Highway Patrol said: "We are investigating this as a traffic accident but if we receive other information we can proceed in another direction."
Tiger and Elin could face charges if cops decide he drove carelessly or she assaulted him.
Rachel was branded the other woman in a mag in October, which claimed she romped with Bones actor David Boreanaz.
Cops first tried to interview Tiger on Friday after he left hospital but Elin told them he was asleep. An appointment for Saturday was also cancelled.
Tiger and Elin married in 2004 and have two children.

“TIGER WOODS' INJURIES SIDELINE HIM FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT”;
Tiger Woods said the injuries he sustained in a car accident will prevent him from participating in his own golf tournament, according to a statement released on his website TigerWoods.com.
"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."
The 2009 Chevron World Challenge begins on December 2 in California.
"We support Tiger's decision and are confident the strong field and excellent course will provide an exciting week of competition at the Chevron World Challenge," said Greg McLaughlin, Tiger Woods Foundation President & CEO.
Woods will not participate in any tournaments until 2010.
Meanwhile, the Florida Highway Patrol says it is not seeking a search warrant to access medical records concerning Woods' car crash Friday near his home in Windermere, Fla.
This statement contradicts what celebrity Web site TMZ earlier reported. The Web site claims authorities in Florida are trying to obtain a search warrant to enable them to seize medical records from the hospital that treated Woods, TMZ reported.
"We don't need a warrant to get records, that is incorrect," said Florida Highway Patrol Chief of Public Affairs Capt. Mark Welch.
TMZ reported that authorities were seeking Woods' medical records to determine whether his injuries are consistent with a car accident or domestic violence.
"We are seeking all information relevant to the ongoing investigation into the car crash," said Welch. "We would seek medical information as it might relate to the cause of the crash."
TMZ is also reporting that authorities are trying to get access to video from the surveillance cameras outside the family home.
TMZ learned that Woods' home is fully loaded with security cameras. The Web site reported that at least one of the cameras shows Woods' exit from the house.
Sources told TMZ that Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, told Florida troopers that she drove around in a golf cart looking for Woods. She allegedly told troopers that's how she discovered the accident and then used a golf club to break open the car's window.
That's a very different story from what she first told police shortly after the accident — she never mentioned a golf cart. Nordegren previously told police she walked out of her house, saw the crash and then went back inside to get a golf club and returned to the vehicle, according to TMZ.
TMZ recently obtained a photograph from the scene that shows a golf cart in the foreground.
Although alcohol does not appear to be involved, Woods was in and out of consciousness and TMZ reported that he told a friend he was taking prescription medicine for pain, which could be evidence of DUI. This, too, could constitute probable cause to obtain a warrant, TMZ reported.
TMZ had previously reported that Woods had told a friend that his wife had attacked him after confronting him with reported allegations he had cheated on her, TMZ reported.
Despite presenting his side of the car-crash story and asking that it remain "a private matter," Tiger Woods may still not be in the clear.
Troopers arriving at his Isleworth home requesting an interview were turned down for a third straight day, but the Florida Highway Patrol said it will continue to investigate. Yet the tabloid-fueled rumors now swirling around one of the world's richest and most-recognizable athletes could turn out to be more troublesome still.
About an hour before the troopers arrived Sunday afternoon, Woods released a statement on his Web site taking responsibility for — but providing few details about — the middle-of-the-night accident that left him dazed, bruised and bloodied.
"This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way," Woods said. "Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. ...
"I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received," the statement concluded. "But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."
Yet several public-relations experts believed there was little chance of that request being honored.
"The goal of putting out a statement, or having a press conference, is to make sure questions are answered so you're not continuing to have questions that are crisis-related," said Mike Paul, whose firm, MGP & Associates, frequently works with athletes. "There are still over a dozen questions we have regarding his reputation because the statement is not enough."
The world's No. 1 golfer remained hunkered down at home in an exclusive gated community outside Orlando. He was scheduled to compete at the Chevron World Challenge, which starts Thursday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The tournament director, however, did not know whether Woods would play or even attend.
When troopers arrived at Woods' home Sunday, his attorney, Mark NeJame, gave them Woods' driver's license, registration and insurance, as required by law for such accidents. This time, the meeting was not rescheduled.
But patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said investigators spoke with the neighbor who made the 911 call on Saturday and might seek out others who were at the scene as well.
"If we have somebody who we feel is pertinent to the investigation, then we will interview them," she said.
In the 911 call released by the FHP on Sunday, the unidentified neighbor told the dispatcher, "I have a neighbor, he hit the tree. And we came out here just to see what was going on. I see him and he's laying down."
The caller did not identify the neighbor as Woods. When asked if the victim was unconscious, the neighbor replied, "Yes,"
Parts of the call were inaudible because of a bad connection. At one point, the voice of a woman is heard yelling, "What happened?"
Yet even the release of the 911 tape and Woods' statement failed to answer that question and several other.
— Where he was going at that time of the night?
— How did he lose control of his SUV at such a speed that the air bags didn't deploy?
— Why were both rear windows of the Cadillac Escalade smashed?
— If it was a careless mistake, why not speak to state troopers trying to wrap the investigation?
Montes said authorities towed the Cadillac SUV that Woods was driving and have already documented the damage to the vehicle and the point of impact. According to the FHP accident report, Woods had just pulled out of his driveway when he struck a fire hydrant and then a tree. His wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out.
"The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false," Woods said.
The reference in his statement to "false, unfounded and malicious rumors" may have involved a story published last week in the National Enquirer alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters.
The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press. On Sunday, she flew to Los Angeles and was met by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred at the airport.
Uchitel didn't speak to reporters except to ask that she be left alone. Allred, however, confirmed to the AP that she would be representing Uchitel.
"We plan to meet and then we'll decide on the next step, which we do not plan to announce to the press," the attorney said in an e-mail.
Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph reported that Tiger Woods told the paper he spent his downtime watching the NFL while in Melbourne for the Australian Masters in mid-November, denying claims that he partied with Uchitel.
"It was good to be able to follow the NFL while I was in Melbourne," Woods told the newspaper. He won the tournament by two strokes.
"I enjoyed being there. I was made to feel very welcome and it was nice to win for the first time in Australia. It would be great if it helps get more people into golf."
Woods told the paper that he also spent some time at Melbourne's Crown Casino, and hoped to to bring his wife and children to the city next year.
(HURRAH!!! The words "domestic" and "violence" have be used AT LAST!
It certainly looks like the police suspect DV... the veil of secrecy surrounding the story and the multitude of inconsistencies strongly suggest that too. We'll see what happens. Expect a cover-up though.)



"DIVORCE PARTY MURDER";

A shocked neighbour of a mum murdered as she festooned her house with slogans advertising her Divorce Party said last night: "Knowing her husband, she shouldn't have put those banners up."
Horrified medics raced to the balloon-decked home of Katrina Jones, 34, after a frantic 999 call.
They found her dying in a pool of blood after being repeatedly stabbed.
Sobbing ex-husband Brian, 63 - a bouncer and bodybuilder who had moved in next door when she dumped him - was led from her semi in handcuffs.
Police later charged him with murder.

Divorce party ... invitation card. "More like 'extreme provocation'"!

Jones appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court in Middlesbrough today.
The bodybuilder, who spoke to only confirm his name, age and address, cried throughout the brief hearing as he sat in the dock beside two security guards.
Family members, who were watching from the public gallery, were also in tears.
No application for bail was made. He was remanded in custody until December 8 when he will appear at Teesside Crown Court.
The neighbour, in his 40s, said: "My wife saw Brian going into the house. The next thing we knew, Katrina was dead.
"We are all absolutely shocked. She was a really bubbly woman and had moved on from the split with Brian. She had a new partner."
He added grimly: "Since they split up the police had been called round a few times. Brian was the sort of person you would avoid if you saw him in the street.
"He is big - 5ft 11in - and intimidating. Katrina was 5ft, if that."
The mum of two died hours before guests were due to arrive for the knees-up on Friday in Marske-By-The-Sea, Cleveland.
She had laid on drinks and food - and banners in the windows of her lounge and bedroom proclaimed: "Divorce Party."
Katrina, who lived with Brian before they wed ten years ago, gave him the boot last year.
Pals said she filed for divorce in February. Her husband moved in with a chum - also called Brian - next door so he could stay close to the couple's 11-year-old son who lived with his mum.
Katrina also had an older boy aged l8 who had moved out.
Her grief-stricken mother Jean said yesterday: "Katrina was always happy and enjoyed her life. She would do anything for anybody."
The neighbour said: "Her sons are going to be devastated. The night before Katrina died, my wife saw Brian having a go at her. She went over to see what the problem was and Brian was pointing at their son, shouting, 'Get him out of here now'.
"Katrina got in the car with her son and I don't think they spent the night at home."
A shattered pal of the dead mum, whose ex is believed to have been wed twice before, said: "Katrina had been in a really good mood all week. She told me she had finished buying Christmas presents and was wrapping them.
"She was also buying birthday presents for her son Jordan because his birthday is on Boxing Day."
Katrina Pearson, 47, said as the party decorations were removed and flowers laid at the house: "She was the nicest neighbour you could ever hope to have. She always had a smile on her face and time to say hello."
Friend Jane Curran posted an internet tribute on Facebook, saying: "We will always remember your smiling face and infectious laugh."
Police confirmed: "A 63-year-old man has been charged with murder."
(You know, a woman would stand a good chance of getting away with this under laws that make provocation a perfectly reasonable excuse for a woman to murder a man. Men are expected to rise above even extreme provocation such as this.)

"MEREDITH SUSPECT IS 'NOT AMANDA THE RIPPER";

The American woman accused of killing British student Merefith Kercher "is not Amanda the Ripper", a defence lawyer has insisted.
The 21-year-old victim was found with her throat cut in Perugia, Italy, after she allegedly refused to take part in a drug-fuelled sex game.
Amanda Knox, 22, and her former boyfriend, 25-year-old Italian Raffaele Sollecito, deny murdering and sexually assaulting the Briton in 2007.
Key to the case against them is a 30cm-kitchen knife found in Sollecito's flat.
It is alleged that Knox's DNA was found on the handle and traces of Meredith on the blade.
But defence lawyer Giulia Bongiorno, 43, said Knox was a "little girl with child-like eyes, full of energy, who is given to imprudence and spontaneity".
"Throughout this trial I have heard Amanda described as someone who coveted hatred, someone who was a maneater and someone who was a diabolical witch…" the lawyer said.
"She is not Amanda the Ripper. She is a fragile and weak girl...
"If anything, she is similar to the character Amelie - the French girl in the film of the same name she was watching with Raffaele the night of the murder."
During a break in proceedings, Knox's father Curt said: "At last we are hearing the reality of what Amanda is like and not the character assassination we have heard so far."
Sollecito is accused of murder
It also emerged that Knox and Meredith had swapped texts in the weeks leading up to her murder.
Defence sources said the messages about plans for a Halloween party show that, far from hating each other, the women were friends.
Knox's mother Edda Mellas said: "Amanda and Meredith exchanged text messages. They liked each other. Amanda didn't hate Meredith as the prosecution say."
Meredith, from Coulsdon, Surrey, died two months after arriving in Perugia as part of her European Studies degree with Leeds University.
("She is a fragile and weak girl." Pfft! Yeah... they all are when it suits them to be! Oh yeah... and she is NOT a girl... she is a 22-year old woman. Any lawyer that cannot tell the difference between a girl and a woman is surely unfit for purpose?)

"SHREDDING TACKLE";

A jealous mum has been quizzed by cops - for allegedly ripping out her lover's testicles.
Helen Hodge, 34, was accused of mangling Billy Duncan's privates with her bare hands after accusing him of cheating on her.
Traumatised Billy, 49, was rushed to hospital where doctors carried out emergency surgery to save his maimed wedding tackle.


Love hurts ... Billy Duncan.

Last night a source said the alleged attack happened at Dundee fan Billy's flat in the city in the early hours of Monday after he had been out celebrating his side's Challenge Cup final win.
The insider said: "Helen started accusing him of carrying on with other women.
He just wanted to sleep though so she started hitting him around the head and face.
He told her to quit it and demanded she get out the flat.
Billy was only wearing his underpants at this stage.
Helen grabbed his testicles and pulled them as hard as she could.
Eventually he managed to get her off him and chucked her out the flat."

But horrified Billy later looked down and realised he was bleeding heavily.
The source added: "His scrotum had been ripped open and his testicles were dangling by his legs. There was blood all over the flat.

"Billy tried to stop the bleeding with a towel. He didn't know what to do so he called his brother Darren.
When he arrived and saw what had happened he called the police and ambulance straight away."

Last night Helen - who was released without charge - denied she was to blame for the horror injury.
Helen - who has a three-year-old son with Billy - said: "He'd accused me of doing stuff before to him but has never been able to prove it. He probably did it to himself or the woman he's been with has.
I'll admit there was some pushing and shoving going on but I didn't touch his testicles.
I've forgotten what his balls even look like. He's not been near me for months."

Surgeons managed to save both of his testicles during the operation at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, on Monday.
Billy - who has been in a relationship with Helen for seven years - was allowed home yesterday lunchtime.

The source added: "Billy is really embarrassed about the whole thing and wants to try to forget about it. He's now telling the police he can't remember what happened as he doesn't want Helen charged for the sake of her boy."

Last night Tayside cops confirmed they were aware of the alleged incident and Helen had been questioned.
A spokesman said: "Investigations are ongoing."
A police source said: "The officers who dealt with it have never seen anything like it. A few of the guys were crossing their legs when word spread."
Last night Billy refused to comment.
(Wow. Where to start on THIS one?
First of all... I am disgusted by the way stories of male genital mutilation are reported... with a sense of blood-lust and more than just a pinch of humour. It is disturbing to think that vast numbers of people actually enjoy reading about these kind of attacks and that they get some kind of perverted kick out of it.
Secondly... I am appalled at how the women who mutilate their husbands or partners in this way usually recieve little or no punishment, and worse still, are often portrayed as heroines, applauded for their assault, and profit from newspaper deals and television chat show appearances.
Thirdly... I have read countless stories of male genital mutilation in the news this year alone... but I don't recall reading a single story in which a man had genitally mutilated his wife or partner. I would also point out that NONE of these mutilations ever seem to be reported as domestic violence.
Or violence at ALL, for that matter!)

“BULLY-AXE BEEFEATER 'IS RUINED'”;
One of two Beefeaters sacked for harassing the first female Yeoman Warder sid yesterday his life was in ruins.
Mark Sanders-Crook lost his Tower of London hob last week.
He dismissed claims he was a “ringleader” in alleged bullying by male colleagues against ex-soldier Moira Cameron, 44.
Dad-of-two Mr Sanders-Crook, 46, said a female becoming a Beefeater for the first time “stuck in a lot of people's throats”.
But he insisted there was “no outright hostility”.
He added: “My life is in ruins now, and my family are worried about the future. And I did nothing wrong. I have been punished for being a man.”
Bob Brown, 56, also lost his job. A third Beefeater allegedly involved kept his job.
(I sincerely hope Mark appeals against this. He ought to sue his employers for sexual discrimination. D'oh... I forgot... Harriet Harman's "Equality" Bill denies men the right to sexual discrimination tribunals. Men CAN'T be sexually discriminated against... silly me!)

"YULE BLITZ ON RAPE";
Women revellers were warned yesterday of the increased risk of rape over the festive season.
And male partygoers were reminded to seek consent before sexual encounters.
A new campaign calls on women to “Let you hair down, not your guard” and tells men: “Rape: short word, long sentence.”
The Association of Chief Police Officers spoke out as they launched the poster, TV and radio advert campaign.
Cheshire Chief Constable Dave Whatton said: “We want to prevent rape by arming potential victims with advice on keeping safe.”
(This is BULLSHIT! Basically, women are told to party-on but to be suspicous of men. Men are given a veiled threat.
Men will not recognise that these ads are targetted at them and they will not identify with a campaign that suggests they are potential rapists... because they are not!
I'm sure a more effective way to reach men would be to warn them of the risk of false rape accuse and the ordeal which falsely accused men are put through.
"And male partygoers were reminded to seek consent before sexual encounters." Yeah... but were they told how this consent should manifest itself? Should it be written? Should it be verbal infront of witnesses? Should the police be informed prior to sexual engagement?
And were they told how to prove consent was given if the woman cries rape AFTER the event? I'll bet they weren't.)

"LITTLE HORRORS";
More than a quarter of primary school teachers have suffered mental health problems because of pupils' bad behaviour, a shock report shows.
One in six has suffered physical harm after being attacked by kids who bite, kick, hit and even hurl furniture at them.
Three quarters believe the problem is getting rapidly WORSE, with more children than ever using aggression - and at a younger age.
The horrifying picture is highlighted tonight in a TV documentary by Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host and ex-teacher Chris Tarrant.
It comes just days after four-year-old McKenzie Dunkley was expelled from a school in Preston, Lancs, for alleged anti-social behaviour.
Tonight's programme comes as a study reveals that teachers are suffering loss of confidence, stress and injuries.
One in Norfolk told researchers: "I've had a cricket bat thrown at me, and a chair thrown by a five-year-old."
Another, in Devon, said: "I assisted a female member of staff to restrain a boy who kicked, punched, pulled her hair and swore at her."
A teacher in Northern Ireland was "mentally and physically exhausted" by last year's class, and one in London "dreaded every day".
More than half of those quizzed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said colleagues had experienced physical aggression. The union wants schools to draw up behaviour policies - and parents to support them.
Last night, a Schools Department spokesman insisted: "We have given head teachers clear powers to enforce discipline."
(More male primary teachers... it's simple!)

"SCHOOL CHIEFS: HAVE P.E. IN THE CORRIDORS";
Council bosses considered getting kids to do P.E. in CORRIDORS - in a bid to solve school overcrowding.
Edinburgh Council education chiefs also suggested pupils ate lunch in their classrooms to help a primary take on more children if a nearby one shut.
The tactics were put forward at a meeting to discuss axing the city's Fort Primary - and relocating 100 pupils to Trinity school.
The move is one of a series of planned school closures.
But Leith councillor Gordon Munro said: "It doesn't bear resemblance to anybody's idea of what PE is."
And Trinity's parent-council chairman Andrew Macmillan added: "We can only draw the conclusion that the place would be very overcrowded."
But a council spokesman said the talks had been taken out of context.
He said: "Trinity has a good-sized gym as well as a dedicated dining hall."



"FINAL MO-MENTS";
More than 10,000 big-hearted Scots blokes have grown face fuzz over the past month as part of a Scottish Sun-backed campaign to raise money and increase awareness of men's health issues.
Now they get to whisk off their whiskers after raising £312,000 to add to a staggering £17million worldwide.
Thrilled Movember co-founder Justin Coghlan beamed: "This has been the biggest Movember ever and we can't thank the people of Scotland enough."
A number of hairdressers are offering to shave Mo Bros for free.
Scott Williams, boss of Edinburgh chain Boom Barbers, said: "It's the least that we can do after so many guys have sacrificed their faces for a superb campaign."

"LIP, LIP HOORAY!";
It's official - The Scottish Sun's Movember campaign is a real record breaker.
We attempted to set a new world mark for a gathering of moustachioed men on Saturday - and we made it by whisker.
We needed more than 150 to turn up at Partick Thistle's Firhill Stadium in Glasgow and 151 arrived.
Guinness World Records boss Craig Glenday was there to hand out a special certificate of confirmation - dressed as mo-wearing character Super Mario.
Craig, 36, of Dundee, said: "We made it - albeit with a little bit of help from myself.
"But it was worth it to help The Scottish Sun's Movember campaign and set a new record."
Sexy Scottish Sun girls gave out special goodie bags - plus £50 for the best fancy-dress outfit.
That went to Pete Murray, 66, of Kirkintilloch, who dressed as a convict.
He said: "I really wasn't expecting to win - I just enjoyed taking part in the campaign."
Simply mo-vellous ... record-breakers with the official certificate
And also there was Real Radio's Robin Galloway, who hailed the party atmosphere.
The Scottish Sun columnist said: "The banter was fantastic - it was like having our own football crowd."
Engineer David Wilson, 26, of East Kilbride, even brought his family along to join in the fun.
He arrived with wife Natalie, 25, and daughter Zoe, one, who was sporting a comedy 'tache - although only real mousers were included in the record bid.
He said: "Zoe's always playing with my 'tache - so we got her one of her own."
The campaign was launched after ex-Celtic star and SunSport columnist John Hartson was struck down with cancer.
And he said: "A special thank-you to all those who turned up. You're all record breakers now."
(This year's Movember campaign has been a HUGE success! I hope it gets bigger and bigger each year. I haven't declared the £244 I've raised yet, and I'll bet I'm not the only one! I'm sure the money will keep pouring in over the next few days!
Thank you, and well done to those of you who participated.
For those of you that didn't... there's always next year! Do it!!!)



"JOB'S MA-RRED";
A third of women returning to work after having a baby said their boss was less nice, a poll of 1,500 new mums found.
(Whine, whine, whine! FFS. Women sound more and more like slowly-deflating balloons each and every day.)



“WHY DAD WON'T STIR”;
Mums complaining that dads are genetically programmed to sleep through crying babies are right, a survey suggests.
Research found mums stir at a child's first whimper, while dads are more likely to wake up for a car alarm or storm.
It may be because evolution has tuned women in to any threats to their children, with men more likely to pick up danger to the whole family.
Women put crying babies at the top of their list of top ten sleep disturbances while men did not even include it.



"PANTI-BAC"
Boffins have invented anti-bacterial pants for sale in ASDA stores after a survey revealed a third of men don't change their underwear daily.



“DEAR BETTY” - Betty Brisk (Edited by Sally Brook);
Dear Betty,
I find your column relatively funny and often read it. Some advice that you give is hilarious and, believe it or not, helpful.
One thing runs through it though, and that's some of the degrading and sexist comments towards males.
If you showed this attitude towards women you'd get complaints from all over the country, so why are comments like these allowed? (Ian Joseph Stephens, by email)
BETTY SAYS:
I get hundreds – well, tens – of fan letters from men.
And when I asked Mr Brisk if he ever felt degraded, he said (rather nervously, I thought, and from the safety of the shed) that chance would be a fine thing.
So I think you are, quite possibly, being a big girls blouse.
(For those of you who don't know, "Betty Brisk" is a supposedly "funny" Agony Aunt created for The Sun newspaper's "Live IT" women's pages which, as you can probably imagine, are relentlessly misandrous. "Betty Brisk" makes light of, endorses and even encourages such things as violence towards men and the destruction of men's personal belongings as revenge. It is edited by Sally Brooke whom I complained about earlier this year after she dismissed the issue of male victims of DV as unimportant. I never did get a reply.
I think I might join Mr Stephens and email
betty.brisk@the-sun.co.uk
with my own comments about the sexist attitudes expressed in this column and throughout the "Live IT!" pages. Please feel free to join me!)

Tuesday, 1st December, 2009.

“WAITRESS CLAIMS WOODS AFFAIR”;
A cocktail waitress has sensationally claimed she's enjoyed a 31-month affair with American golfing legend Tiger Woods.
Jaimee Grubbs has told American magazine Us Weekly she met Tiger in Las Vegas in April 2007 and has voicemails and text messages proving her affair with the star, who married Elin Nordegren in 2004.
The magazine claims Grubbs, who says she was 21 when the romance started, has over 300 texts from Woods who was involved in a bizarre early hours car crash last weekend outside his £1.7million mansion.
The beauty, who recently appeared on VH1 show Tool Academy has gone on to claim she's had 20 sexual encounters with the star.

Married ... Tiger and Elin

Cops are waiting to interview Woods to see if facial injuries he sustained this weekend are consistent with a car crash - or a possible attack by his wife Elin following a row.
(I just heard on TV that Woods is to be charged with dangerous driving.
Hell... considering he was travelling at low speed, it must have been REALLY dangerous driving to have resulted in three smashed windows and cuts and scratches to his face.
What was he doing? Stunts? Pfft!
Anyway, the question posed now is; WHY was Tiger Woods driving dangerously?
Was he concussed?
Was he in a hurry to get somewhere or away from something or someone?
Was he trying to avoid something or someone?
What evidence do the police have to support the charge?)

“1 IN 3 TEENS TEXT SEX SNAPS OF THEMSELVES”;
MORE than a third of teenagers have used mobiles to send sexually-explicit snaps of themselves. And more than a quarter "sext" regularly, alarming new research shows.
They send a boyfriend or girlfriend lewd pictures - despite more than half of those polled knowing of instances where the photos ended up being shared with others.
Experts warned humiliated victims are often taunted or bullied - and the snaps can end up in the hands of paedophiles.
Dr Andy Phippen said: "This is a significantly larger problem than we had first imagined.
"It shows a population who are unconcerned about intimacy or privacy yet are ill-equipped to understand the implications of their actions."
The survey by the University of Plymouth, in Devon, and the South West Grid for Learning found 40 per cent of teenagers saw nothing wrong with sending topless pics.
And 15 per cent thought naked shots harmless.
In all, 39 per cent had shared intimate pictures or videos. Dr Phippen added: "Such practices lead to a desensitisation of young people to issues of intimacy. What is particularly worrying is the somewhat blasé attitude to the subject."
Poll organiser David Wright called for schools to warn pupils.
He added: "We suggest sexting awareness be adopted into wider education schemes."

READERS COMMENTS;
“Idiots”
grace1 (5:17AM, Dec 01, 2009)

“Girls that do this are NOT idiots. Lads make them think they love them. I've done it before so I know how it feels."

Funnyb (9:37AM, Dec 01, 2009)

“Indeed funnyb! A young girl's enemy is herself – seconded by a young male – follwed by an image she believes she has to be! But like all, she will learn from her mistakes! Unfortunately it will all too often be the hard and painful way!”

strewth (12:03PM, Dec 01, 2009)

“Hang on! No-one FORCES them to do it!”

Crid5779 (12:16PM, Dec 01, 2009)

“Lads take photos too – and girls show them off as well. As for the “blasé attitude” of young people, we are one of the most repressed and prudish nations on the planet. If we treat teenagers as fragile idiots then they will feel less responsible. We ALL make mistakes, it's called growing up.”

Conkerlegs (1:38PM, Dec 01, 2009)

“This whole hoola boo about photos and mini-vids is baseless. We are all born nude. The world didn't cover up for centuries. Yes – some areas treat the human body as though is is evil or something, and will make people go crazy! Sheesh – get a life and live a little, people! I am 50 years old and still play 5 to 10 members of the opposite sex. The human body is art, appealing to both sexes – and there is no other skin...”

1bluerose (2:47PM, Dec 01, 2009)

“BROADMOOR NURSE'S 'SEX WITH PATIENT'”;
A nurse at top-security Broadmoor hospital appeared in court yesterday accused of having sex with a patient.
Carer Rhoda Sibanda, 30, allegedly abused the victim between June and August this year.
She faces two counts of engaging in sex acts with a mentally-disordered person and two of full sex.
Last night a spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "Rhoda Sibanda has been charged with two counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a mentally-disordered person while being a care worker, contrary to Section 38 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003."
He said she also faced "two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a mentally-disordered person".
Broadmoor, in Crowthorne, Berkshire, houses some of the most notorious killers and rapists in the UK.
Sibanda, from Bracknell, was bailed to appear again at Maidenhead magistrates' court on December 23.

“LABOUR FAIL WHITE WORKING CLASSES”;
A cabinet minister yesterday admitted the Government has failed white working classes.
Communities Secretary John Denham said the state was “blind” to the needs of areas hit by mass immigration.
And he warned poor whites were the new victims of inequality.
In a stark change of stance, he urged anti-discrimination agencies to stop helping only ethnic minorities.
Mr Denham said areas with high immigration felt a sense of “insecurity and unfairness” as new arrivals hunt jobs and public services.
Unless they act this could lead to resentment and rising tension, the minister added.
His admission is the latest bid to win back fed-up Labour voters and confront the BNP.
In a speech to the TUC he said: “Agencies which have been blind to these issues, or thought their only remit was to address minority issues, must re-asses the way they work.”
(Well... this is interesting! Particularly the quote: “Agencies which have been blind to these issues, or thought their only remit was to address minority issues, must re-asses the way they work.”
I wonder what Harriet Harman's view on this is?
Her so-called “Equality” Bill defines minority groups as those with “protected characteristics”... which, as it turns out, is everyone except males... especially white ones!.
More recently, as her illness worsens and her madness deepens, Harman defines minority groups as those who are not physically and proportionally represented in parliament. Men – especially white ones – are considered over-represented... despite the fact that not a single one of them is there to specifically represent men, push men's issues and protect the interests of men!
Basically... when Denham refers to a white working class majority being the new victims of inequality... I feel he is unintentionally referring to men.
However... I don't trust Labour an inch. They've betrayed the British people time and time again and in many unforgivable ways.
This is a blatant and desperate attempt to steal back those traditionally Labour voting people who have dropped Labour in favour of the BNP.)

“EXERCISE IS BOOST FOR BRAIN”;
Exercise is good for the brain as well as the body, researchers found.
A study revealed that the fittest young men showed increased intelligence, better performance on thought process tests and higher educational achievement.
But the link was only found with cardio-muscular fitness – not muscular strength.
Neuroscientist Dr Maria Aberg, of Gothenburg University, studied data of 1.2 million Swedish men born between 1950 and 1976 who joined the army at 18.
She said: “These results support the notion that exercise could serve as a public health strategy to optimise educational achievement.
(The idea that exercise is good for the mind as well as the body has been around for decades, and the increasingly restricted opportunity for schoolboys to exercise and 'burn-off' their naturally high energy levels – which can leave them restless and easily distracted in the classroom – has been cited as one of the reasons why boys are under-performing in school.)

“TOP BOSS IS 'IS A BULLY'”;
The head of a Government task force for women in business has been accused of bullying a female employees.
Dr Glenda Stone, chief executive of ad firm Aurora, allegedly targeted her PA so much she became depressed. The Australian is also said to have fired a female accounts manager after a row.
Ex-project officer David Collier, who made the claims, is suing Aurora for £60,000 for unfair dismissal, saying he too was bullied by Mrs Stone at their London offices.
She denied the claims at a London tribunal.
The hearing continues.
(PMSL! I'll watch this story with great interest.)

“BABY BOTTLE RISK”;
Baby bottles containing a chemical linked to breast cancer should be removed from shop shelves, say campaigners.
Bisphenol A is often found in plastic food and drinks containers. But scientists say lab studies on mice show “compelling” evidence it is harmful and its use is banned in the US. Breast Cancer UK has sent Health Secretary Andy Burnham a letter from scientists backing its 'No More BPA' campaign.
A spokeswoman said: “Keeping BPA baby bottles on shelves is not an option. It is time the Government stepped in.
(No mention of the fact that Bisphenol A and Bispenol B have been strongly linked to the growing problem of male infertility, the increase in the number of boys born with genital deformities, and the feminisation of the behaviour of boys. No foot-stamping demands for plastic bottles and food packaging were made about THAT, as far as I recall!
But now that it's been linked to BREAST CANCER, it suddenly demands action! Pfft!
How typical is that!)

LETTERS;
“Sarah Brown told midwives that leaders everywhere are realising women are transformative and unlock the key to everything else. I can understand Gordon's gobbledegook, now he's brought his missus into the act.” JG, Luton.
(WTF is this woman talking about?!!)

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009.



“TIGER WOODS: 'I'VE LET MY FAMILY DOWN'”;
Tiger Woods has admitted he has let his family down and regrets “transgressions” he has made with all of his heart.

Woods and his wife Elin who helped him out of the car after the crash
In a statement on his website, the world's top golfer apologised for not being "true to my values and the behaviour my family deserves".
The sports star went on to say how shocked he was at the amount of public interest and interference after he crashed his car into a tree and fire hydrant on November 27.
The 33-year-old said: "Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions."
Woods also apparently referred to rumours that have circulated in the press since the accident.
"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," he said.
"I have been dismayed to realise the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means."
Woods' refusal to talk to police about the crash did nothing to dampen media speculation that he was escaping from his wife Elin after she became angry at reports he was seeing a New York nightclub hostess.
The hostess, Rachel Uchitel, said she barely knew Woods, and had never had any sexual affair with him. They have both denied claims they were involved with each other.
The celebrity gossip magazine Us Weekly reported that Woods had another mistress, Los Angeles cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs.
The magazine posted an online recording of what it said was Woods begging Grubbs to change her telephone voicemail in order to hide their affair from his wife.
A man, reportedly Woods, said: "Hey, it's Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favour. Can you please take your name off your phone?
"My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. So if you can, please take your name off that. Just have it as a number on the voicemail. You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye."
Woods suffered facial injuries and was taken to hospital after the late-night crash outside his house in Isleworth, Orlando.
Police in Florida have sid he will be charged with careless driving but will not face any criminal charges.
The damage to the fire hydrant and tree that he hit was estimated to be $3,200 (£1,900).
In a statement on Monday, the billionaire said he took full responsibility for the accident and praised his "courageous" wife, who smashed the back window to help her husband out.
The sports star has also pulled out of his own charity tournament which is due to start in Los Angeles on Thursday.
He said he would return to action next year.
(The photo used in this report featured Woods wearing a white ribbon pinned to, or possibly even photoshopped onto tha cap he's wearing!)

“LABOUR IS UP TO 'OLD' TRICKS;
Labour was accused last night of covering up the true jobless total by shunting 230,000 men on to pensioner benefits.
Official figures reveal tens of thousands aged 60-64 claim Pension Credit instead of Jobseeker's Allowance, meaning they DON'T show up in unemployment figures.
If they were included, the number on the dole would soar 15% from 1.52million to 1.75million.
In some parts of the country, the jobless total would rocket by almost 50 per cent.
Men aged 60-64 are allowed to claim Pension Credit instead of Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) if they lose their job.
There are more than 229,000 working-age men claiming Pension Credit, but only 17,775 on JSA.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May said last night: "The closer you look at the unemployment figures the worse the situation appears.
"Again Labour are moving people around the benefits system to cover up the true scale of worklessness in Britain.
"What makes this even worse is that hundreds of thousands of older people are being written off from ever finding work again."
But employment minister Jim Knight dismissed the Tory attacks last night.
He said: "No one is hidden from the figures, as everyone who claims pension credit but of working age is recorded in the monthly statistics."
The row follows claims that Labour dumped hundreds of thousands of unemployed who were fit enough to work on Incapacity Benefit to keep the jobless figures artificially low.
(Could this be a ploy to make it look like the recession (which has been referred to as the “HE-cession” and “MAN-cession” by the media) HASN'T affected men significanly more than women?
About 3-months into the recession, Harriet Harman claimed that women were being hit hardest, and called for some kind of financial support or saftey net to be provided.
48-hours later it was OFFICIALLY announced that MEN were suffering worse. There were, of course, no calls from Harriet Harman to provide men with any financial support.
Government figures released later this month are expected to confirm that men have suffered significantly more than women as a result of the recession. I'm sure it would greatly benefit the Governement and its pro-female / anti-male agenda if it could play down this particular gender gap by making 15% of jobless working-age men “disappear” from the male unemployment figures.
If they massage the figures enough they can create the illusion that there is no such gender gap, and an excuse not to address the problem.)

“TAKEN AT BIRTH”;
A woman held over her alleged part in the Facebook paedophile ring has had her NINTH child.
Tracy Lyons, 39, had a baby boy after going from jail to a maternity ward in secret.
But the infant was whisked away from her within an hour. Last night Lyons was back in Bronzefield jail in Ashford, Surrey, after being discharged from St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey.
A source said: "She was deeply upset but understood the charges meant it was impossible for her to be with her baby."
Social services can let women who give birth in custody keep their babies.
If they decide it is in the child's interest, the tot is made a ward of court and fostered or put up for adoption.
A Prison Service spokesman said last night: "We do not comment on individual prisoners."
Nursery worker Lyons, of Portsmouth, was charged in November with sexually assaulting a child and making and distributing indecent images of a child.
She is alleged to have been in a ring of paedophiles who swapped photos via Facebook.
She and Tracy Dawber, of Southport, Merseyside, who denies 11 charges including assaulting a baby, await trial.
Colin Blanchard, 38, nursery worker Vanessa George, 39, and Angela Allen, 39, are awaiting sentence.
(Are we supposed to feel sorry for her?)

“RAPE SLIP COPS PAY”;
A rape victim has received £3,500 compensation from a police force that did not investigate her allegation properly.

Bipolar sufferer Catherine, 38, said she was raped by a man she invited home during a psychotic episode.
But cops did not start a probe for two months, after crucial CCTV film was wiped, then recorded it as a “non-crime”.
In a legal first, Catherine sued under the Human Rights Act, arguing the Cambridgeshire force did not class the incident as a crime.
They did not admit liability but apologised and settled out of court.
(FFS! Now they get payouts for “non-crimes”! Great news for career rape accusers! Not so great for the many men who are falsely accused and who will increasingly find themselves the subjects of aggressive and over-zealous interrogation, investigation and examination as police forces begin to diligently cover their backs against these compensation claims.
But wait! If she can sue under the Human Rights Act because the police did not class the incident as a crime... can male victims of domestic violence also sue under the Human Rights Act when their complaints are not properly investigated or classed as a crime?)

“PORN LOVING MEN RUIN SEX STUDY”;
A pornography study had to be axed because scientists had a hard time finding men who had not been exposed to X-rated material.
Boffins had planned to recruit two groups of men in their twenties — comparing regular porn users with blokes who had never viewed explicit films.
But researchers were stunned when they could not find ANY fellas who had not watched the hardcore movies.
Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse, from the University of Montreal, Canada, said: "The objective of my work is to observe the impact of pornography on the sexuality of men, and how it shapes their perception of men and women.
"We started our research seeking men in their twenties who had never consumed pornography but we couldn't find any."
The scientist was eventually forced to change to studying the habits of young men who did use porn.
It was found single young men viewed porn for 40 minutes three times a week, compared with those in committed relationships who watch it 1.7 times a week for 20 minutes.
Researchers also found that 90 per cent of pornography was taken from the internet, while only ten per cent came from video stores.
Young boys first watched pornography when they were just ten years old but they quickly discarded what they found offensive.
And as adults, men continued to watch the saucy material but rarely with their partner.

Saturday, December 5th, 2009;

“TWISTED SECRETS OF 'MISS PERFECT'”;
To her parents, Amanda Knox is an all-American “Miss Perfect” - a devoted daughter and diligent scholar who just yearns to learn.
But in reality Knox is a cold-hearted killer who is fascinated by dangerous sex and harbours dark fantasies of rape.
As she was caged for 26 years last night for the murder of Meredith Kercher, her parents vowed to stay in Italy to fight the guilty verdict.
Mum Edda Mellas and dad Curt, a department store executive in the family's home town of Seattle, left court in tears.
When asked if they would fight on, Curt he said: "Hell yes. This is wrong. We know she is innocent."
Edda said: "We will never get justice in this city as the appeal will be held here."
Meredith's family lawyer Francesco Maresca said they were satisfied with the verdict.
He said: "They got the justice they were expecting. We got what we were hoping for."
The court had heard how Knox grew to loathe her housemate Meredith and wanted to get back at her for saying she was "not clean" and promiscuous.
And the 22-year-old's twisted hatred for the "smug" British exchange student led to a horrific drug-fuelled slaughter.
The contrast between the "two" Knoxes could not be more stark.
KNOX ONE: Edda painted a picture of a serene student when she talked to The Sun this week.
Teacher Edda, 47, told us: "Amanda was a college kid living overseas. It's not like she was doing anything out of the ordinary.
"I got an email at least every other day. She had sent me a book recommendation the day before the incident.
"We talked all the time. If she had gone off the deep end she would have stopped calling.

"She would talk about Meredith on the phone all the time. She would say, 'We are hanging out on the back porch, playing my guitar and chatting.'
"They'd been to a chocolate festival together, the opening of a bookstore, dress shopping.
"She never mentioned anything about a falling out."
They still believe their daughter acquired the nickname Foxy Knoxy for her skills on the soccer field.
They even bought her a plane ticket to Seattle hoping she would walk free last night.
Edda said of her: "She was an incredible easy-going kid even from a baby. She was so mellow.
"She loved being read to, she loved books. As she got a little older she always wanted to be outside - building camps, playing soccer. She never watched a lot of TV - she still doesn't. She was an excellent student."
The mum told how a special award was created at Knox's school when she was 13, to honour her as the year's outstanding pupil. She went on to study linguistics at Washington University - and in early 2007 was named on the Dean's List of top students.
She went to Japan to further her knowledge of Japanese, then turned to Italy.
Knox began dating Raffaele Sollecito the month before he held 21-year-old Meredith down while the American slit her throat.
Edda said: "She said she'd met this sweet, nerdy boy at a classical music concert. She was infatuated, smitten."
The mum ended her talk with The Sun by sending a message to Meredith's parents John and Arline. She said: "I want them to know Amanda is innocent."
KNOX TWO: The weird, detached killer was seen performing cartwheels and handstands in the street hours after Meredith's body was discovered.
And while devastated friends of the British girl wept, Knox sat on Sollecito's knee, kissing him and sticking her tongue out at him.
Pictures of the lovers on their personal websites emerged showing Knox sitting behind a machinegun at a museum, pretending to fire it with a wild smile on her face.
Sollecito was seen holding a meat cleaver while "dressed" in kitchen roll. Cannabis-smoking Knox, writing under the name Foxy Knoxy, posted several stories on her MySpace page - including one about the drugging and rape of a young woman.
At one point the rapist, who she named Kyle, tells his brother Edgar: "A thing you have to know about chicks is that they don't know what they want."
The story continued: "Kyle winked his eye. 'You have to show it to them. Trust me'."
While in prison, Knox wrote a diary detailing seven lovers and her fears of contracting AIDS.
She told of the protection they used, either "condoms or pulling out". And she wrote: "I was really worried. Mamma mia I was crying. I thought I was going to die and not be able to have any children.
"They took the test three times over two weeks and I was under so much pressure because I thought I had AIDS."
Knox also told how she had been bombarded with letters from male admirers proposing marriage.
And ironically, she revealed her ruthlessness in three phone calls she made to her mother as Meredith's blood-covered body was found.
She claimed an intruder had killed her housemate and her Edda said she was hysterical, which proved she had nothing to do with the murder.
But the jury decided calculating Knox made the calls to cover her tracks, even deceiving her adoring mum.

“MUM KILLS TOT”;

A mum was yesterday found guilty of killing her three-month-old son – who died from a head injury.
Nosheen Arshed, 25, was acquitted of a murder charge over the death of tot Mohammed Zaid in November 2007. But a jury found her guilty of manslaughter.

She will return to Luton Crown Court for sentencing later.
(I'll be keeping an eye on this story. I'm intrigued as to why she was found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.)

JACK STRAW: “DON'T JAIL WOMEN”;

Most female criminals should be kept out of jail and punished in the community instead, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said on Thursday as he visited Eastwood Park women's jail in Gloucestershire.
Mr Straw said many female offenders have mental health or drink and drug problems. He added that often they are mothers “so being sent to prison disrupts their lives and their children's lives.”
(What about FATHERS and THEIR children? What about MEN with mental health or drink and drug problems? Should they not ALSO be punished in the community rather than sent to prison? Reason would say they should... but you can pretty much guarantee that Jack Straw, Harriet Harman (who has herself expressed this opinion, even suggesting that women's prisons should be abolished altogether), and the rest of the oppressively anti-male New Labour government will make some kind of argument AGAINST releasing any male criminals to serve their punishments in the community.)



“PRINCESS ANDREWS! - JAIL TREATS KILLER AIDE 'LIKE ROYALTY';
Murderer Jane Andrews has been dubbed “HRH” by outraged prison guards – because they claim she is treated like royalty and is being given preferential treatment.
Andrews, 42, is back inside prison after escaping from an open prison two weeks ago.
She gets £11.50 a week just to paint portraits “of prison life” at Holloway jail, North London.
Officers claim Andrews – jailed for life for the cold and brutal murder of her boyfriend Tom Cressman in 2000, but serving only 12-years before she is eligible for parole – is allowed several visitors each week, while others get one a fortnight. She has already booked hairdressing and pampering appointments at the jail after being told she does not have to work.
A Holloway insider yesterday said: “Jane Andrews has caused a real stink with the way she is pandered to. When a prisoner escapes they are made to wear a blue-and-yellow E-list uniform, but Jane has been allowed to wear her own clothes, which has wound up inmates and guards who have dubbed her “HRH”.

“She's in the health care unit and spends her day painting and gossiping. Basic jail pay is £2.50 a week but she gets the maximum £11.50 for sitting painting pictures of prison life. It's a joke. It's incredible how well she is being treated.”
(Re “DON'T JAIL WOMEN”; Why even bother if this is how murderers are treated! FFS! What an insult to the memory of Tom Cressman.)

“SWEDISH MAN CLEARED OF MURDER AFTER EVIDENCE POINTS TO DRUNKEN ELK”;

When Ingemar Westlund’s wife died in a mysterious woodland incident last year, he was arrested as a murder suspect. The Swedish pensioner was shunned by neighbours and treated like an outcast.
Sweden is the land of the cult detective novel, and its police officers have a reputation to live up to. Mr Westlund, it seemed, had the motive — persistent rows with his wife Agneta — and the opportunity. The 69-year-old was the first to find her body on the banks of a lake near Loftahammar, in southern Sweden, and, as far as the police were concerned, all the indications were that he had knocked her to the ground in a fury.
Now, to the embarrassment of the Swedish murder squad, the real culprit has been found: a drunken elk.
“What was first characterised as a murder, has now been shown to be a tragic accident,” said Cecilia Brick, a police spokeswoman.
Mr Westlund, who is now seeking compensation, is relieved but also furious: he was jailed for ten days after the incident, and although allowed to return home he remained a murder suspect for six months. When charges against him were dropped — the police neglected to tell him. As a result, he has spent the past 15 months living in his small southern Swedish community carrying the stigma of being a wife-killer, suffering frowns and odd glances in church.
Mrs Westlund, 63, took her dog for a walk in September 2008. It appears the dog disturbed an elk eating fermented apples — elks gobble up the fruit, which turns into alcohol in their stomachs, and makes for erratic behaviour.
Drunken elks attacked an old people’s home four years ago, and had to be driven back by police and hunters. With even a minimal amount of alcohol in their bloodstream, the normally placid creatures — often viewed by children as cuddly and benign — can turn into louts, charging into cars and causing more than 3,500 serious road accidents a year.
Typically weighing up to half a tonne, elk are best avoided when they are tipsy. They have entered department stores, got stuck in lifts, attacked skiers and barged into kitchens. If they see a parked motorist munching a sandwich, they have been known to knock on the window and demand a bite.
In the initial investigation, police did not take into account the possibility of a killer elk, assuming that the animal hairs on Mrs Westlund’s coat were from her dog. All the injuries to her head and body pointed to a human attack, they thought.
Detectives interviewed hundreds of people. One theory was that Mrs Westlund had been murdered elsewhere, and secretly carried to the lakeside.
The National Forensics Laboratory was called in to help. It was only when the police realised that Mr Westlund was probably not strong enough to cause such massive injuries to his wife that the National Criminal Investigation Department, the Swedish equivalent of Scotland Yard, set about profiling the killer.
Then laboratories at Umeå University decided to analyse the hairs on her coat, and the truth dawned. Saliva samples were also found to belong to an elk.
Göran Ericsson, an animal behaviour expert at the university, said that the failure of police to suspect an elk was understandable. They may be prone to drunkenness but they were not, on the whole, natural born killers. “We’re not aware of any similar case in the world,” he said.

“This has been a nightmare,” said Mr Westlund. “When I and my children bade farewell to Agneta at her funeral in front of 300 mourners, I was suspected of murdering her — can you imagine what that means?”
(He absolutely SHOULD sue for compensation. Good luck to him, poor fella!)

“CUSTODY MIX-UP BY BBC MAN IN SUICIDE”;

A set designer on BBC drama Casualty killed his son and hanged himself – because he wrongly believed he had lost a custody battle, an inquest heard yesterday.
Chris Townsend, 51, also set fire to his house after he thought he had been told to hand over the family home to estranged wife Paula, 40.
He smothers his son Charlie-Bob, 6, in Long Ashton, near Bristol, after telling a pal he had lost custody at a court hearing.
But social workers told the inquest he had misunderstood the case and a final decision had not been reached.
Avon Coroner Terence Moore heard that Townsend was “obsessed” with the custody fight and spiralled into depression. Mr Moore recorded a verdict of suicide on Townsend and an open verdict on Charlie-Bob.

After the inquest, Paula, who works in the BBC's costume department, said: “Charlie was an energetic, lively and sweet child who did not deserve to lose his life.”
(What a sad story. I can't help but wonder whether social workers HAD told him, or at least strongly implied that he had lost custody of his son. It is usually such a forgone conclusion that the home and children will go to the mother that it is not inconceivable to imagine social workers automatically assuming Mr Townsend would lose custody, and impress that idea upon him.
We will never know for sure, but I am deeply suspicious.)

X-FACTOR: “GIRLS SONG CONCERN”;

X-Factor semi finalists Danyl Johnson and Olly Murs have reportedly given up on winning this year’s X-Factor.
The pair are said to be struggling to learn the winner’s song, Hannah Montana's 'The Climb', and are convinced that the “girls song” was chosen for a female winner as it only suits them.
An X-Factor source said: “Olly and Danyl have just given up on winning now. They have thrown in the towel. They hate the song so both of them just look defeated.



“CONDOM SABOTAGE”;
Students are on alert after condoms handed out by the union were pierced by a saboteur.
A third-year girl raised the alarm after using one with her boyfriend.
The Cambridge college's welfare officer checked a box of remaining condoms to find half of them had needle holes in.
The student said: “It was a big shock. I'm still angry.”

Similar attacks two years ago were attributed to the Pro-Life Society, claims they deny.

HARTSON: “THIS IS MY BRIGHTEST DAY FOR A LONG TIME”;

Celtic legend John Hartson last night told of his joy after finding out he's winning his cancer fight, saying: “This is my brightest day for a long time.”
The football idol still faces surgery on tumours in his brain and lung but revealed doctors had told him he is beating the deadly disease.
Fighter Hartson, 34, has already undergone gruelling courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a brain op since being told he had cancer.
Last night the dad-of-three said: "I'm not out of the woods yet and I'll never tempt fate - I've learned not to do that.

"I am almost out of the woods, though. This is my brightest day for a long time."

The Welshman's ordeal started as he was diagnosed in June with testicular, lung and brain cancer after discovering a lump in his groin and complaining of headaches.
Worried Hartson had met with medics on Wednesday to find out how effective his treatment had been - and was given the news he has been praying for.
He is now more determined than ever to fight on for the sake of his pregnant fiancée Sarah McManus, 37, and his kids Joni, six, Rebecca, ten, and 17-month-old Lina.
Hartson said: "We've all been through so much and to get the news from the doctors that the cancer is going from me is just fantastic. This is not over, though. I still have a lump at the back of my brain and one on my lung and I know they will require surgery.
“The scan has been hugely encouraging, however. I'm determined to grit my teeth to get over the final hurdle and win this battle."
He added: "I have so much to live for with my kids and with my partner Sarah pregnant again there's so much to look forward to.
"I've had so much support from fans and those inside football and that has been a constant source of comfort to me."
In the wake of being told he had cancer the inspirational ex-Hoops and Arsenal hero set up charity The John Hartson Foundation - a testicular cancer awareness and support group. The striker has also been advising men who fear they have the common cancer to visit website checkemlads.com for help and advice.
Big-hearted Hartson even found time to take a break in his treatment to promote this year's record-breaking Movember campaign last month.
Despite his ordeal he put on a smile and clowned around with a fake moustache - saying that it made him look like Britain's hardest con Charles Bronson.


Mo Bro ... John Hartson promoting the Movember campaign.

He also joked: "With all the chemo I've had I need a stick-on 'tache - I've no chance of growing my own." But he admitted he was "stupid" for not taking his own health seriously. And he revealed he had ignored the lump in his testicles, which turned out to be cancer, for FOUR years. He said at the time: "It was ignorance, and I nearly lost my life over it."
SunSport columnist Hartson's legendary career at Celtic started in 2001 when Martin O'Neill signed him for £6million from Coventry City. He helped the Hoops on their run to the UEFA Cup final in 2003, but agonisingly missed out on the showpiece in Seville due to a back injury.
But he went on to land the Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year award in 2005. He also jointly won the Scottish PFA version of the honour with Rangers rival Fernando Ricksen the same year. Hartson also helped Celtic win the league in his final year with them in 2006 - by scoring on his birthday, April 5.
He also played for Luton, Arsenal, West Ham and Wimbledon and briefly joined new Celtic boss Tony Mowbray at West Bromwich Albion after leaving the Hoops in 2006.

Hartson scored 89 league goals for Celtic over his five-season stay. He was also capped 51 times by his country and scored 14 goals - making him Wales' ninth-top scorer of all time.

“ON THE BALL WITH CANCER CHECK”;
Hats off to John Hartson, the former Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker.
He's the latest unlucky and much publicised victim of testicular cancer.
But instead of jumping on the "Blokes should regularly check their balls" bandwagon, his message has been subtly different.
He's made the point that, if you discover a lump make an appointment asap.
And he deserves a big pat on his back for that - because he's spot on. Let me explain.
The testicle tub-thumping you're always hearing from charities and men's health enthusiasts is all about checking your prized assets routinely and regularly for any suspicious lumps.
Amazingly, though, there's no scientific logic in this - as any doctor who knows his way round the subject will tell you.
In fact, routine self examination shouldn't be encouraged.
First, testicle cancer is quite rare. The impression you get is that we GP see a new case every week.
In fact, it's more like two or three - in my entire career.
Second, when it does happen, your testicle normally draws your attention to it - via an obvious swelling or an ache.
What blokes do find, though, are harmless lumps like cysts or normal bits of gristle. Cue anxiety and unnecessary tests or even surgery.
In short, regular self examination is a rubbish way at finding cancer.
The same applies to routine female breast self examination.
That's not to say blokes shouldn't have a feel around if they think there's a problem.
What I'm arguing against is the ritual feel around that we hear so much about - it distracts from the main point.
The real message we medics should be getting across is that men needn't go looking for trouble - that just turns them into ball-watching neurotics.
But if you do notice that some thing's up, you should make an appointment straight away.
Delays in diagnosis are caused by the average bloke waiting between six and nine weeks after finding a lump.
Which is where John Hartson comes in. He waited ages and the cancer spread to his brain.
So his message is: Don't delay, act at the first sign of trouble. Hallelujah. I'm just glad he had the balls to say it.
(Earlier this year, there were recommendations made by members of the medical profession that we should stop talking about prostate cancer, claiming that the anxiety caused and the tests and surgery involved are often more harmful to men than prostate cancer itself.
And now we are told we're neurotic if we regularly check ourselves for signs of testicular cancer!
We have long been accused of ignoring our health, but now we're told we SHOULD!
I find this trend disturbing.)

“HAPPY CHAPS”;

Men nearing retirement are the happiest they have ever been at work, research shows.
And for the first time they are happier than women. Though females also experience a “happiness bounce” towards the end of their working lives it is much smaller than that of male colleagues.

The quality of life is best for the young and the over-60s – and worst for men in the 25-59 group, according to the study at Portsmouth University.
(Help me out with this one! It's not clear to me what the point of this study is, or what it is trying to say.)

Thanks for the update my mate