Half Of Child Sex Offenders Avoiding Jail

More than half of convicted child sex offenders are avoiding prison sentences, exposing a justice system which is an "insult to victims".

New figures show 65,000 serious criminals walked free from court, with half of convicted sex attackers, violent criminals and burglars allowed back on the streets.

The Government figures for 2012, revealed by a parliamentary question, show that 53% (107) of paedophiles who abused children younger than 13 were not jailed for their crimes.

In addition, 49% (2,324) of those convicted of sexual assault in 2012 did not receive a prison sentence, while 11,000 burglars and 5,000 robbers avoided jail.

Sadiq Khan says the justice system is failing victims

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan told Sky News: "Victims and witnesses will be shocked that when they do the right thing, when victims report crimes, when witnesses come forward and give evidence, for the most serious offences - we are talking about rape, serious sexual assaults, serious violent offences, burglary of residential properties - people who should be being sent to prison to be punished, removed so others can be deterred and our communities kept safe, aren't being. So this Government needs to urgently explain why that is."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling responded telling Sky News: "Since 2010 you are 10% more likely to go to jail if you commit an offence that falls under these umbrellas. You are more likely to go to jail for longer.

"What I have done in the 15 months since I have been justice secretary is I have also introduced mandatory punishment in every community service when, extraordinarily, under Labour there was not a mandatory punishment in every community sentence."

The latest figures will do little to improve public faith in the criminal justice system. It follows revelations in November that police officers are routinely massaging crime figures to make their performance look better.

There have been significant concerns over the convictions of sex offenders. Last year, official figures showed that of the 95,000 rapes reported annually, only 1,070 victims saw their attacker brought to justice.

Former DPP Keir Starmer says the justice system is 'not fit for purpose'

David Cameron's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister's view is that this is a Government that has taken and is taking steps to toughen sentences.

"My understanding is that these figures relate to a sentencing framework agreed for 2010. This Government introduced automatic life sentences for a second serious sexual or violent offence and has announced plans to end automatic early release for dangerous offenders."

Keir Starmer, who stepped down as Director of Public Prosecutions in November, says the justice system failed victims of crime.

He told BBC Hardtalk: "The conclusion I reached after five years as DPP is that the more vulnerable you are as a victim the less able the criminal justice system is to protect you.

"Nobody thought about the rights of victims until very recently and I'm talking about the last 20 years. Since then we've had a number of bolt-ons for victims, but from a victim perspective I concluded the system is not fit for purpose for victims."

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Sheffield: Family Jailed Over 'Slave' Beatings

Three members of a family have been jailed for keeping a vulnerable man as a "slave" and subjecting him to daily beatings.

Ice cream man David Rooke, 44, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail after admitting falsely imprisoning and assaulting 34-year-old Craig Kinsella.

The family had used him like a "punchbag", said the judge at Sheffield Crown Court.

Disturbing CCTV of the family beating Mr Kinsella was shown in court.

The abuse took place over a six-week period between May and July 2013 and the court heard how Mr Kinsella was kept in "grotesque" conditions in a garage, had to use a bucket for a toilet, and scavenged for food in bins.

David Rooke admitted false imprisonment and five counts of ABH

Rooke's wife Donna, 40, was jailed for four months for battery, while their son Jamie, 19, received four-and-a-half years for five counts of actual bodily harm and affray.

"He was just your punchbag, all three of you. If you were in a bad mood you would just go and kick and punch Craig Kinsella," said Judge Kelson.

"It is staggering that this is happening in our society, absolutely staggering. It is almost unbelievable."

Police found Mr Kinsella in a shocking physical state after responding to reports of a man being abused outside the Rooke house on July 6 last year.

David Rooke's son, Jamie, was jailed for more than four years

He had a broken right arm, a fractured rib, extreme bruising to his back and around his kidney, a fractured chin and cuts, as well as lumps and bruises on his head and legs.

Prosecutors said Mr Kinsella was beaten with weapons that included a pick-axe handle and crowbar.

They said he was so scared of the beatings he would work from 7.30am to midnight for no money, cleaning the family's garden and vans.

Mr Kinsella had learning difficulties, and had first worked for the family a number of years ago, receiving £40 a week so he could keep claiming benefits.

Donna Rooke admitted a charge of battery and received four months in jail

David Rooke was also ordered to pay Mr Kinsella £15,000 that police found in his home.

Detective Inspector Vicky Short, who led the investigation, said: "It is hard to understand how any human being could treat an individual in such a grotesque, callous and inhuman manner.

"I am confident that if we had not received that phone call that day last July we would have been investigating a murder."

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Suspected Child Sex Offender Hunted By Police

Police are hunting a suspected child sex offender who poses a "significant risk to children".

Saber Haldari, who is believed to be in the country illegally, is wanted in connection with child sex offences in Bristol.

The offences are alleged to have been committed against a young boy between January and August last year.

Haldari has links to both the Afghan and Iranian communities and may have travelled to Birmingham, London or Leeds since August.

His date of birth is not known, but officers believe he is around 30-years-old.

Detective Constable Katherine Flanagan, of the public protection unit in Bristol, said: "Haldari is wanted in connection with serious offences and we believe he poses a significant risk to children.

"He is described as about 5ft 8in, of medium build, with short dark hair. He is clean-shaven and has a square face.

"If anyone has seen him or knows where he is, please call us via the 24-hour non-emergency number 101."

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Probe Into South Asian Vote-Rigging Claims

An investigation has been launched into concerns Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities are more prone to vote-rigging.

The Electoral Commission said differences in "cultural approaches to democratic participation" were not acceptable excuses for electoral fraud.

And while it emphasised that corruption was not confined to South Asian communities, it admits it is such a concern that further investigation should be carried out.

The commission has identified 16 areas where there are more likely to be complaints about electoral fraud.

They include Birmingham, the centre of vote-rigging scandal in 2004, which a judge described as worse than a banana republic.

Also on the list are Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford, Burnley, Calderdale, Coventry, Derby, Hyndburn, Kirklees, Oldham, Pendle, Peterborough, Slough, Tower Hamlets, Walsall and Woking.

Bradford has been pinpointed as an area where fraud is more likely

The commission said it was crucial the police and electoral officers in those areas improved safeguards against voter fraud ahead of May's local and European elections.

The commission report said: "The evidence and views we have heard raise significant questions about whether individuals within these communities are able effectively to exercise their right to vote, and whether they are able to participate in elections on the same basis as other electors across the UK.

"All electors should be free to cast their votes in the way they wish. It is not acceptable to explain or excuse electoral fraud on the basis of actual or perceived differences in cultural approaches to democratic participation."

"We have begun further work to identify relevant evidence in order to help address concerns about the vulnerability of some South Asian communities, specifically those with roots in parts of Pakistan or Bangladesh, to electoral fraud."

Voters should be forced to show ID before voting

The commission has also called for a change in the law by 2019 to make it mandatory for voters to show proof of identity at polling stations before voting.

However, it rejected calls to restrict postal voting and said such a move would prevent many innocent people from casting their vote.

But Electoral Commission chairwoman Jenny Watson said: "Proven cases of electoral fraud are rare and when it is committed, the perpetrators tend to be candidates or their supporters.

"Voters are the victims and sustained action is needed now to prevent fraud from taking place. Although the introduction of individual electoral registration this year will tighten up the registration system more can and should be done."

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "The Government takes the issue of electoral fraud very seriously and we thank the Electoral Commission for their work on this issue. We will consider the recommendations in this report carefully and respond in due course."

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Shock Pay Statistic On 'Fat Cat Wednesday'

A campaign group suggests top executives who returned to work on Monday had earned more money by mid-morning on Wednesday than the average worker does in a year.

The High Pay Centre has dubbed January 8 "fat cat Wednesday", based on average remuneration figures for FTSE 100 bosses compared with the wider average UK worker.

It found chief executives of firms in the FTSE 100 were paid an average of almost £4.3m in 2012, equivalent to an hourly wage of well over £1,000, compared with the country's average annual wage of £26,000.

The study said executive pay increased by 74% over the past decade, while wages for ordinary workers remained flat.

High Pay Centre director Deborah Hargreaves said: "Fat cat Wednesday highlights how insensitive big company executives have become.

"When top bosses take home more in two-and-a-half days than the average worker earns in a year, there is clearly something wrong with the way pay is set for both bosses and workers."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady added: "Soaring pay inequality, with top bosses now taking home more in a few days than most workers earn in a year, is damaging our economy.

"Workers need better pay rises so that the recovery is built on growing incomes, rather than falling savings and mounting household debts. But Britain's fat cat bosses are hoarding earnings owed to staff for shareholders and themselves.

"That's why we need workers on remuneration committees to knock some sense into top bosses' pay."

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England's Matt Prior Rescues Suicide Bid Man

Cricketer Stuart Broad has said he is proud of friend and England colleague Matt Prior after he pulled a suicidal man to safety from a bridge near their hotel in Sydney.

Prior reportedly pulled the man away from the edge of the bridge in Darling Harbour, before both players spoke to the him for nearly an hour ahead of police officers' arrival.

Broad tweeted: "@MattPrior is a best friend of mine and I'm very proud of him.

Stuart Broad paid tribute to his colleague on Twitter

"It was a tough situation but so glad he was there."

The pair's actions earned praise from Twitter followers, including comedian Al Murray, who hailed them as "courageous".

"Nicely done chaps," the Pub Landlord performer wrote.

England and Sussex cricketer Luke Wright tweeted: "Top work lads! Great effort!"

Prior told the Daily Telegraph: "We just did what anybody would do in that situation.

"We were trying to help a bloke who was struggling and in a bad way. I look back and I'm just glad we left the bar when we did and we were there for him."

Comedian Al Murray was among those to praise the duo's actions

Prior and Broad had been returning from a charity event with England fans organised to raise money for motor neurone charity the Broad Appeal, when they spotted the man, believed to be British, standing on the bridge railings.

Team security officer Terry Minish helped Prior in stopping the man jumping.

Mr Minish told the Telegraph: "He was saying he just wanted to drown. Matt helped to pull him down off the edge of the bridge and sat with him until the police arrived.

"It all happened very quickly and we acted on impulse. It is what you do in these situations."

Both players took part in England's failed attempt to win the Ashes test series against Australia, who secured their 5-0 victory by winning the final match last weekend.

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PC David Rathband Took His Own Life - Coroner

The policeman shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat took his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Police Constable David Rathband was found hanged at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, in February 2012. 

The 44-year-old was out on patrol when Moat, 37, shot his former partner Samantha Stobbart and killed her new boyfriend Chris Brown in July 2010. After a tense stand-off he was shot dead.

The inquest into Mr Rathband's death heard that his encounter with Moat was the "first step" in a series of events which led to the father-of-two's suicide. 

Raoul Moat was killed after a six-hour stand-off with armed police

He became a national hero after the incident and used his profile to establish the Blue Lamp Foundation to support 999 staff injured on duty. But Mr Rathband became desperate after the breakdown of his marriage and struggled to cope with his disability. 

Coroner Eric Armstrong said none of those involved in what happened should blame themselves.

In a statement read out by her lawyer after the hearing, his widow Kath said: "It has been an immensely difficult few years for us all. Now that the inquest has been concluded I would like to ask for privacy for Ashley, Mia and myself so we can look to rebuild our lives while remembering David and all that he meant to us."

During the hearing in Newcastle it was revealed Mr Rathband, who lived alone, had made threats to kill himself and told his lover - 7/7 survivor Lisa French - that he had attempted to hang himself but could not do it.

Ms French saw him on the day he died. Although his family were concerned for his welfare they did not consider him to be at immediate risk of suicide.

Kath Rathband (centre) at her estranged husband's funeral

The three-day inquest was told Mr Rathband's wife had put up with his previous infidelity, but his affair with Ms French effectively ended their marriage. He moved out of the home they shared in August 2011.

Mrs Rathband told her husband their marriage was finished before he flew to Australia for a holiday with his identical twin brother Darren. While he was there Mr Rathband desperately tried to contact her, often calling up to 50 times a day.

The last time Mrs Rathband saw her husband alive was on the night he died - February 29. She said he looked "awful" and needed help. However, she thought she was not the right person to do that and contacted his sister Debbie Essery and his welfare officer Inspector John Heckles.

Mrs Essery contacted DC Brown via Facebook to raise her concerns. Later that evening, officers broke into Mr Rathband's home and found him hanging in the dark with music playing on his mobile.

Some of his friends and family believe the police could have done more before he died. Superintendent Jim Napier said that, because Mr Rathband had made suicide threats on previous occasions and his family had only raised their concerns via Facebook, he did not think there was an immediate threat to his life.

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Essery said they would continue with Mr Rathband's legal action against Northumbria Police.

:: Samaritans is available 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90 in the UK or in the Republic of Ireland on 01850 60 90 90.

Emergency service workers carry the coffin of PC David Rathband

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Boris Wants Water Cannon For London's Streets

Boris Johnson has requested the Metropolitan Police to be able to use water cannon on the capital's streets by this summer.

The London Mayor said the weapons would be used only in "the most extreme circumstances", but there are fears the cannon could be deployed to break up small-scale legitimate protests.

He said the water cannon were necessary in case there was a repeat of the summer riots of 2011.

The violent outbreaks and looting in cities across the country led David Cameron to warn that the machines could be used on the British mainland for the first time ever.

Mr Johnson wrote a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, who would make the final decision on whether to licence the water cannon.

Water cannon are used in Northern Ireland to control crowds

Plans have been laid out to buy three water cannon, at a cost of £30,000 each, from a German manufacturer, but Mrs May has turned down a request that the Government pay for such a weapon for the Metropolitan Police as a national asset.

Scotland Yard mulled using water cannon during the student riots in London in 2010, however, Mrs May then said in the House of Commons: "I don't think anyone wants to see water cannon being used on the streets of Britain."

In the summer 4,000 Metropolitan Police officers were trained in Hampshire in how to use the water cannon so they could support their Northern Ireland counterparts ahead of the G8.

In 2010, Mrs May said: "No one wants water cannon on Britain's streets"

Northern Ireland has used the weapons for crowd control for some time but they have never been used on the British mainland.

In his letter the mayor told Mrs May he was consulting the public and key figures on the use of the water cannon and was "broadly convinced" by the idea.

He said: "Should the engagement plan reveal serious, as yet unidentified, concerns I will, of course, take these into consideration and share them with you before you make any decision to licence this non-lethal tool."

There have been some instances reported of water cannon causing serious injuries to people including to a German protester who was blinded in 2010.

Mrs May told delegates at the Police Federation last year that she was considering requests from a number of UK forces to use the machines.

London Assembly member Jenny Jones said: "Would the Mayor have supported the deployment of water cannon against students protesting against their fees going up?

"What happens if the Commissioner wants to deploy water cannon but the Mayor doesn't? Londoners need to know when and in what circumstances the Mayor would agree with the Met using this weapon.

"Allowing water cannon on the streets of London is a step in the wrong direction towards arming our police like a military force, and it goes against our great tradition of an unarmed police service.

Calls for the use of water cannon were fuelled by the London riots in 2011

"People have a democratic right to protest and my fear is that once the Mayor allows these weapons onto our streets we will see them being used against people exercising their legal right to protest."

A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said: "Since the riots in August 2011 the police and the independent Inspectorate of Constabulary have argued that water cannon should be available as one of a range of tools to respond to serious public disorder.

"This is supported by the vast majority of the public. MOPAC will now be undertaking a period of public engagement to get the views of Londoners, prior to any final decision to purchase water cannon."

A final decision is expected to be made in February.

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Apollo Ceiling Fall: Play Moves To New Venue

Award-winning West End play The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is moving to a new venue after the ceiling collapse at the Apollo Theatre

The play will resume its West End run at the Gielgud Theatre from June 24.

National Theatre executive director Nick Starr said: "We are grateful to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres for providing us with another home on Shaftesbury Avenue for the show, which has played to full houses at the Apollo since it transferred there last March.

"It will be a real wrench to leave that beautiful theatre, but sadly the closure of the gallery to enable its restoration means that the show no longer works economically there. We look forward to renewing our relationship with Nimax Theatres on another show in the future."

More than 700 people were inside the Apollo on the night of December 19 when around 10 square yards of plaster fell on to the stalls below, leaving 80 people injured.

Some of those injured were taken to hospital but most were discharged shortly afterwards, most having been treated for cuts and bruises.

Tickets go on sale on Friday January 17 and priority will be given to people who had bookings at the Apollo.

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Mark Duggan Lawfully Killed, Jury Finds

Mark Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead by police but was lawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.

The jury said they believed he had the gun with him in the taxi when police stopped the vehicle but had thrown it over railings by the time he was shot.

A shout of "rubbish" could be heard in the coroner's court when the verdict was delivered.

The jury reached its conclusion by eight to two.

Mr Duggan was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in August 2011, sparking rioting in London that eventually spread to other cities.

Police intelligence suggested Mr Duggan was a gang member involved in gun and drugs crimes and officers believed he had just collected a gun in east London.

A firearms officer shot him twice as he emerged from a minicab that police had forced to stop.

One bullet went through his arm, the other hit his chest and killed him.

At the centre of the inquest was the issue of a handgun, found, said police, 10 to 20 feet from Mr Duggan's body and on the other side of park railings.

In heated exchanges with the Duggan family lawyer, police denied suggestions they had planted the gun.

The weapon was wrapped in a sock.

Neither had any trace of Mr Duggan's DNA or fingerprints, but his prints were found on a shoebox police said had been used to carry the gun inside the minicab.The jury

One witness, Witness B, told jurors Mr Duggan was "definitely" holding a phone in his hand when he was killed.

But the police marksman who fired the shots, granted anonymity, told the inquest he had "an honestly held belief" that the suspect had a gun and was about to shoot him.

Mr Duggan's death prompted rioting in Tottenham, north London, which eventually spread to other areas of the capital and beyond.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the incident.

In an interim statement in August, it said it had so far found no evidence of criminality by police officers.

But Mr Duggan's family has said it has not been kept fully informed of the investigation's progress and condemned the IPCC for suggesting early on that Mr Duggan, a father-four, had died in "a shoot-out with police".

More follows...

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