Posts Tagged ‘law’
Political correctness is damaging our society and must be stopped UK
To arms!
You probably haven’t seen this story before, but you’ve seen a dozen like it – overzealous, over-the-top prosecution of law-abiding person by authorities which chase politically correct agendas rather than target criminals.
Jim Railton is an auctioneer. He was given a lot to sell – a little wooden cabinet with some 19th century eggs in it. It was valued at £30. He put it up for sale.
He was arrested and treated like a criminal – he is now charged with two offences relating to the sale of bird eggs under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (an Act some 90 years younger than the eggs…). As Jim says,
“in retrospect, we should have just smashed the eggs. They are antique birds eggs, and all of common species, and had old paper copperplate hand-written labels on them. It was a little oak chest, which we judged to be circa 1900.
We sell butterflies, shells, taxidermy – in fact just the type of things that come from people’s attics. To be arrested for offering to sell this little chest seems absurd, and a complete waste of police time. They have interviewed me twice, taken my fingerprints, swabbed me for DNA, had RSPB specialist inspectors visit Berwick to look at the eggs…”
Name and shame time – ridiculous attitude from the RSPB, who aggressively pursued this and caused the prosecution to come about. Even worse from Northumbria Police, who really ought to know better. Let’s presume for a moment that they were right that this is an issue (which, of course, it’s not, but play along…) – consider all the steps they could have taken before getting to this stage: (a) a friendly telephone call pointing out he’d unintentionally breached this rule; (b) a letter setting out a warning; (c) an in-person visit from a constable (we’re already in OTT territory); (d) forbidding the sale; (e) summoning him for interview. But no; our masters really want to get this guy – because he’s a law-abiding normal person who has strayed over a line – i.e. the favourite target for the authorities in modern Britain.
In the circumstances, Jim is understandably having a think about what to do next – get it all over with, or fight these ridiculous charges. Big Brother Watch has talked with him about assisting him in this unpleasantness which is of course disrupting his business and personal life; we begin by letting you know about it and calling for your help. For starters, you might like to visit their website and, if in the neighbourhood, support the business…
We are proud to support Jim in this ridiculous case. We have had some success with cases in the past and this is a prime example of the kind of overbearing, politically correct absurdity we were created to fight.
By Alex Deane
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Sex offender statistics causing concern
Sex offenders figures down – or are they?
By Olivia Bell
Published: 29 October, 2009
THE Highlands and Islands has dropped down the rankings in the Scottish sex offenders league in the latest set of figures published by the authority which monitors and manages them.
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Instead of being third in Scotland for the number per 100,000 of the population on the sex offenders’ register, the region has dropped to sixth place out of nine areas during 2008/2009.
But the way the figures are collated has changed from last year’s statistics, which gave the region a high ranking.
This year the Northern Community Justice Authority – which covers Grampian and Highlands and Islands – has reduced the number of sex offenders shown by taking out those in prison awaiting pre-release, only showing those who live in the community.
However, there are now five sex offenders classed as level three – who pose the most risk of serious harm to the community and need high level monitoring – one more than last year.
And the authority’s annual report states: “It is envisaged the total number of registered sex offenders will rise year on year.
“This is not a cause for alarm as the increase is due to the fact that offenders often remain on the register for longer than 12 months, with some being registered for life.”
This year, on March 31, there were 167 living in the community, which equates to 58.5 per 100,000.
In August, the Highland News Group highlighted that in 2007/2008 there were 71 registered sex offenders per 100,000 in the region, with only Fife and Glasgow ahead in the statistics.
At the time, Jim Ferguson, Inverness Crime Prevention Panel and Highland Crimestoppers chairman, questioned whether this meant offenders were being moved to the Highlands and Islands from other areas.
The HNG has now asked Scottish Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion to look into Northern Constabulary’s refusal, through a Freedom of Information request, to give the number moving into the region and also the cost of managing such offenders.
In our original story, the HNG highlighted two high profile cases where offenders broke their release conditions and were sent back to jail.
Dangerous sex offender John Angus (55) was caged for two years at Inverness Sheriff Court for breaching a court order to curtail his movements in Inverness.
And freed rapist David Penman (34), who lived in Nairn, breached a sex offenders prevention order which banned him from approaching women after an early release from prison and was recalled to serve the rest of his sentence in custody until 2010.
This week, Jim Ferguson praised the HNG for continuing to chase the figures and suggested the goalposts could have been moved this year, making the statistics more difficult to understand.
“I think it is in the general population’s interest to know if there are sex offenders moving into the area, while it is also important that no harm comes to the offender from people who may want to take things into their own hands,” he said.
“Nevertheless, the public has the right to more information about this.”
Linda Dorward, vice-chair of the Northern Community Justice Authority’s strategic oversight group, said its report provided clear evidence that it has the appropriate structures and measures in place to identify, assess and manage the risks posed by serious and violent offenders.
She rejected claims that this year’s figures, overseen by the Scottish Government, gave a false picture and were difficult to compare to last year’s due to the change in how they were reported.
“It does not make a difference because all the regions are measuring these in the same way,” she added.
o.bell@highland-news.co.uk
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Time to get tough on mindless vandals
Its unacceptable to see such distress caused to people who take a pride in their property and who seem to be getting plagued by acts of vandalism. Of course its not the Police who we should be blaming as they are doing a great job overall. Its the courts and the pathetic weak justice system under this present SNP Administration and until stiffer sentances and proper deterents are put in place we will see this kind of problem growing worse.
Jim Ferguson
CALLS for tougher punishments for vandals who cause blight their communities have been made following a spate of attacks on Hallowe’en.
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At least three homes, one car, a garage and garden walls had yellow paint thrown on them in Balnakyle Road, Lochardil, overnight on Saturday.
Jim Ferguson, chairman of Inverness’s crime prevention panel, believes communities must be on their guard.
“We are once again witnessing acts by people who think they can get away with basic lawlessness,” he said. “The vast majority of people are sick to death of this kind of behaviour.
“What we really need is strong measures to thoroughly punish the perpetrators of damage and vandalism and, until we can find the stomach and will to do that, we are going to see more and more incidents happening across the region and it’s unfair on hardworking, decent people who have mindless thugs wrecking their property.”
Hard labour for older culprits and fines for the parents of younger vandals have been suggested by Mr Ferguson, who is also chairman of the Highlands and Islands branch of Crimestoppers – an agency which he believes could be key in catching these criminals.
“Crimestoppers offers anonymity to those with information,” he said. “But people are scared of what is being done and the problem is that there is no deterrent.
“The only way we are really going to stop these people is to make them too frightened to actually commit such crimes and at the moment they are not, which is the whole crux of the matter.
“They are basically giving two-fingers to the entire system and the community because they know they are going to get away with it and until we actually knuckle down and take robust action we are not going to get far.”
One of the victims of Saturday’s night vandalism in Lochardil was retired policeman Colin Sutherland, who was away when the paint was thrown at his window and garden wall.
“This is not an isolated Hallowe’en incident,” he declared.
“There has been other incidents. They covered the bollard in paint two or three weeks ago.”
The street bollard which was smothered in green paint. Bobby Nelson
He explained neighbours on both sides of the street had suffered similar vandalism and complained of underage drinking in the area.
“We are suffering intolerable disturbance here and over the years we have been phoning the police and getting very little or minimal response, so much so I have already written to my councillor and intend to write to my MP because it is not good enough,” continued Mr Sutherland, who praised Highland Council staff for cleaning the paint from his window last Sunday.
“The neighbours are equally incandescent with the police response over the last few years to repeated complaints of disturbance, annoyance and vandalism.”
Other vandalism on Hallowe’en included a car windscreen being broken in Ardconnel Terrace overnight and a wing mirror being ripped off a vehicle in Hill Street.
The attacks add to a series of worrying incidents over the past month including 15 cars being damaged in Hilton, paint stripper being thrown over three vehicles at Highland MOTS in Seafield Road and a £1300 window at the new £10.5 million Highland Archive and Registration Centre near Bught Park being smashed.
Inverness police are appealing for information on any of the incidents, particularly the Balnakyle Road vandalism.
“Those responsible may well have been covered in paint,” said a Northern Constabulary spokeswoman.
Anyone with information about these crimes should contact Inverness police on 01463 715555 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
andrew.dixon@inverness-courier.co.uk
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