UK climber who broke neck in fall sues partner for ‘letting go of rope'
In documents lodged with the High Court, Littlejohn alleged Williams negligently failed to have 'due regard for his personal safety' and failed to act in accordance with his experience as a competent amateur climber.
Littlejohn spent four months in Southmead Hospital, where he underwent three surgeries for his injuries.
Since the accident, Littlejohn claims he has suffered from anxiety, depressed mood, irritability and panic attacks, and has constant pain in both feet.
The documents claim he is able to walk with a four-wheeled walker, but struggles with stairs and simple day-to-day activities. He also claimed he would be unable to commute if he did not work from home.
Littlejohn told the Telegrap h: 'I hope this will be resolved quickly given the serious impact of my severe injuries on me, my family, and my work life.'
Both men were members of a WhatsApp group for climbers in the Bristol area and had seen each other climb at a crag called Uphill Quarry, on a route only achievable with a high degree of experience.
On the day of the accident, the pair had successfully tackled a climb called Yellow Edge, graded an extremely severe three, and used the climbing calls 'climb when ready', 'climbing', 'safe' and 'off belay'.
A partnership of trust
To make the initial ascent, the leader is harnessed to a rope to go first up a rock face, while his companion, the belayer, passes the rope through a belay device and either gently releases the rope, which allows the leader to climb, or holds the rope tightly to prevent him from falling.
The leader then attaches a carabiner to a drilled bolt or to metal chocks or camming devices placed in cracks in the rock.
At the top of the climb, the leader secures himself to the rock face and can then be lowered back to the ground by the belayer, or if the latter wants to climb up too, the former secures himself to the rock face and calls 'safe' and then 'off belay' – at which point he is unprotected from falls.
After tackling Yellow Edge, Littlejohn and Williams abseiled down a section called the Ramp to climb the 17m tall Arms Race.
Williams went first.
He climbed about 12m before he was too exhausted to continue. After he was belayed back to the Ramp, Littlejohn decided to climb using the equipment put in the rocks by his companion.
He climbed a little higher than Williams before falling about 2m, but was held by Williams' belay, the documents claimed.
Littlejohn said he then rested on the rope, inserted more equipment into the rock, and managed to climb onto a small ledge at the top, where he secured himself to two metal bolts called maillons.
He called out to confirm his action but did not use the word 'safe' and Williams did not say 'off belay', the claim added.
Littlejohn, expecting Williams to belay him back down, claims he leant back to put his weight on the rope, but his partner had let go of the rope.
He then fell from the top of the Arms Race onto the Ramp and part way down the cliff below.
Stephanie Clarke of Stewarts Law, Littlejohn's solicitor, states in the claim: 'The defendant had let go of the rope or otherwise taken the claimant off belay where it had not been clearly and unequivocally communicated by the claimant as leader that this was required'.
Littlejohn, of Lymsham, near Weston-super-Mare, alleges Williams, of Send, Woking, Surrey, was negligent, saying he failed to wait for the command of safe before taking him off belay, failed to continue to use or wait for consistent verbal commands, and took him off belay unnecessarily.
Williams' legal team at Browne Jacobson solicitors have yet to file a defence against the claim with the court. They declined to comment.
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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Court considers lifting name suppression for double-killer twice ruled insane
By Sam Sherwood of RNZ The Court of Appeal is considering whether a man who has twice been found insane after killing two people more than 20 years apart can be named. RNZ earlier revealed the man, who was made a special patient under the Mental Health Act after his first killing, was recently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity for a second time after killing someone he believed was possessed. The revelations of a second killing prompted the chief victims advisor to call for a royal commission of inquiry into forensic mental health facilities. RNZ is unable to publish details regarding either killings due to an appeal against name suppression. That appeal was heard in the Court of Appeal on Thursday before president Justice French, Justice Campbell and Justice Collins. The court reserved its decision, which the justices said would likely take "several weeks". The man and the victim's family earlier lost a bid for name suppression in the High Court. In declining suppression, Justice Karen Grau said while the decision had been "very difficult", public interest must prevail. "There is rightly a high degree of public interest in learning of the circumstances in which a person who has been released into the community under the supervision of mental health services has gone on to kill again," she said. The man appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeal. The Crown and RNZ opposed the man's appeal. Failure to consider tikanga alleged The man's lawyer Jamie Waugh said the appeal was brought on the ground that the High Court failed to appropriately consider aspects of tikanga that were raised in the victim impact statements. He submitted that in doing so, the High Court had incorrectly assessed the nature and extent of hardship that would be suffered by the victim's whānau and incorrectly refused name suppression. Evidence was provided by a tikanga expert who submitted that a suppression order should remain until such a time as the man was to be released. Waugh argued the court should uphold the appeal and either permanently suppress both the man and victim's names and any identifying details, or order continued interim name suppression until such a time as the man was to be released. He submitted any legitimate public interest could be met through "careful reporting", despite suppression orders being in place - which he said had already occurred, and referenced several RNZ articles. From a tikanga perspective publication would be more appropriate if and when he was released, he said. Waugh asked what was being achieved through publication of the names at this stage. "What are we actually achieving through publication at this point? We know the risk to this whānau… it seems to me there is very little to be gained via justice through publication and lots to be lost by this whānau." 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"Clearly something is seriously wrong with how these people have chosen to re-classify their status," she said. "It's getting to the point where we need a royal commission to find out what's happening in these facilities." In an earlier statement to RNZ, the director of mental health Dr John Crawshaw said they were limited in what they could say regarding the case as there was ongoing legal action and name suppression in place. Crawshaw confirmed there were specific processes set out under the Criminal Procedure Act and the Mental Health Act that must be followed when the status of a special patient was reviewed or changed. "The thresholds for decision making under the act are long standing. These processes are always followed." When a patient was moved from special patient status they were frequently subject to continued compulsory treatment orders, Crawshaw said. A Health New Zealand spokesperson said an external review of the care the patient received leading up to their offending was in progress.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Dogs that fatally mauled Neville Thomson also allegedly turned on owner Abel Wira
By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice Journalist of Abel Wira is on trial in the High Court at Whangārei, accused of the manslaughter of Neville Thomson. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A pack of dogs that mauled a man to death had a reputation for lunging at visitors, attacking livestock and even allegedly turned on their owner - resulting in him needing a trip to the emergency department. Despite their history, Abel Wira kept at least 21 dogs confined to a caravan on Neville Thomson's property - until the morning they allegedly broke free and fatally mauled the man he called his brother. Now the 61-year-old is on trial in the High Court at Whangārei on charges of manslaughter and owning a dog that caused injury or death. On day two of the trial the jury heard from Wira's friend Daniel Knopp, who said he'd come across the pack at least six times. "They were vicious-looking dogs. " had to wind the window up so they didn't jump in the window 'cause they were bailing up the truck." 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Thomson was home alone and on the phone to his partner when the pack of dogs, which were allegedly barricaded in the caravan, got out and mauled him to death. Wira arrived home to discover Thomson's body, which he dragged into the house and covered with a blanket before sending a friend a Facebook message. "I need help bro please my dogs have attacked my bro and hes gone please bro," he said. He then locked the dogs in a truck, closed the gate and drove Thomson's truck an hour away to Ahipara, where he was able to wave down police officers. Emergency services arrived on the scene more than three hours after the incident and pronounced Thomson dead. Thomson's partner Shirley Orchard gave evidence about their 17-year relationship, which was mostly long-distance. Orchard lived in Auckland and would speak to Thomson on the phone every morning when he had his morning coffee. She said on that morning, about 10am, he was chatting about his garden and she could hear that he was outside. With her knowledge of the property, she believes Thomson was walking along the gravel towards the back of the house and the dogs, which were locked in the caravan, caught sight of him. "They started off barking, as soon as he walked into sight of the caravan, they thought he was a stranger because he had shaved off his beard," Orchard said in evidence. "The barking all started up and got louder and that was when I heard him shout out 'get out, get the f*** out' then the noise escalated from the dogs and I never heard not another sound out of him." During cross-examination, defence lawyer Connor Taylor suggested to Orchard that Thomson himself may have released the dogs from the caravan. "I'm not a stupid woman, as soon as he walked into sight of those dogs they busted out of the caravan and attacked him," Orchard responded. "You're just guessing, aren't you?" Connor questioned. "The evidence is he was attacked by dogs, whether he was by the fish pond or I'm making it all up the fact was, he was out in the garden and he was hurt by dogs," Orchard said. Orchard then gave evidence she spent the next hour trying to contact Thomson and asked a neighbour, Lucy Burkhardt, to check on his house. When Burkhardt texted her saying the gate was closed, Thomson felt a slight relief as it was his normal habit to close the gate if he had left the property. "That's a good sign, he's out and not lying in a pool of blood maybe he's in Rawene getting stitched up," she texted back to Burkhardt. Orchard assumed Thomson was okay but made a call to 111 as a safety check. The call was played to the jury. "The dogs are going off for quite a while and I couldn't hear him then the dogs have settled down. "Those dogs have actually attacked me and I know they haven't been fed for two days. I thought 'my God have they attacked him?' I've got no way of knowing," Orchard told the operator. When asked what kind of dogs they were, Orchard responded "mongrels". Burkhart gave evidence the dogs had mauled her pig's ears on one occasion. The trial continues before Justice Andrew Becroft. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Comancheros retribution: Elijah Meyer, Patrick Langi targeted departing gang member's family
Langi, who became a patched member after his deportation from Australia, and Meyer, who was partially raised in Australia but voluntarily left, were initially charged with attempted murder. They were set to go to trial earlier this year but it was cancelled after both agreed to instead plead guilty to lesser charges of discharging a weapon with reckless disregard and arson. Prison search, surveillance Court documents state Langi and Meyer carried out the shootings in August 2023 after high-ranking patched member Khalid Slaimankhel said he wanted out. Slaimankhel is serving a six-year sentence in Whanganui prison for his part in a Comanchero's methamphetamine distribution scheme. Khalid Naser Slaimankhel appears in the High Court at Auckland on an unrelated charge in 2015. Photo / Jason Oxenham On August 10, 2023 – just over two weeks before the shootings – the Department of Corrections searched Unit 8 of Rimutaka Prison, where gang president Pasilika Naufahu and fellow patched member Jalal Safi were housed. Officers seized notebooks from Safi's cell, as well as a mobile phone he was using when the search began. Authorities would later realise the phone had been used to search Google Maps for the same streets where the shootings would later occur. The notebooks also contained addresses on those streets, with notations such as 'mum' and 'brother older'. Jailed Comancheros president Pasilika Naufahu was investigated but not charged with participating in the retribution plan. Photo / Brett Phibbs Neither of the imprisoned gang members were charged. On August 15, 10 days before the shootings, Langi used his phone to screenshot maps of the same addresses. That same day, co-defendant Meyer was 'directed by unknown parties to conduct surveillance' on the addresses. He took notes and photos that were later recovered from his phone. Timeline of violence Langi and Meyer showed up at the first property, in Epsom, about 7pm on August 25, 2023. Meyer fired at least three shots while another unidentified man was armed but his gun appears to have jammed, documents state. 'One of the fired projectiles went through the wooden window frame of the master bedroom at the front of the house, causing the interior of the window frame to chip off,' court documents state. 'At the time of the shooting there were eight occupants within the house, including three young children playing in the master bedroom that was shot at.' Comancheros prospect Elijah Meyer appears in the High Court at Auckland for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig Thirteen minutes later, after fleeing the scene, the stolen car used by the duo was torched. Meyer and Langi arrived at the next home, in Hillsborough, at 7.31pm in a second stolen vehicle. Meyer got out of the vehicle and began knocking on the door aggressively. Langi did not go up to the door with him, but he was charged with the same offence for having aided or encouraged the crime. Those inside the home had been eating upstairs, and a man yelled that he was coming down. Meyer opened fire as the man opened the door, with the bullets lodging in the door as the victim attempted to shut it. 'Mr Meyer placed his foot in the door to attempt to keep it open but [the victim] managed to push the door closed, and locked it, before attempting to run up the stairs away from the defendant,' police noted in the summaries of facts for both men. Meyer then walked to the front entrance window and aimed three more shots at the fleeing man – one of them grazing him in the back. Less than 15 minutes later, the second stolen vehicle was set alight at nearby Nash Rd Reserve. Patched Comancheros member Patrick Langi appears in the High Court at Auckland for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig Police caught up to Meyer and Langi at 8.07pm that day after spotting them in a third stolen vehicle near the reserve. Gunshot residue was found in the vehicle and on both men's clothing, authorities said. 'The defendant Langi declined to comment to most questions, [but] when confronted with the gunshot residue evidence he stated that it was 'bullshit' and police must have made that up,' court documents state. Victim impact statements were provided to the court but Slaimankhel's family declined to read them aloud. They had come to New Zealand from Afghanistan seeking a 'safer foundation' but now their children are traumatised and suffer nightmares, the court was told. Raised in Australia Langi and Meyer both faced up to 14 years' imprisonment today for arson and up to seven years for discharging a firearm with reckless disregard. Defence lawyers disagreed the plot was as uncommon as the prosecution had suggested. Family homes are unfortunately shot at often in gang culture, said Jasper Rhodes, who represented Langi. Defence lawyer Jasper Rhodes. Photo / Michael Craig He noted that Langi was sentenced to prison at age 18 for an aggravated assault, after which he was deported to New Zealand without support despite having lived in Australia since he was 5. The defendant had developed cocaine, MDMA and cannabis habits as a young teen and began using methamphetamine and heroin on a near-daily basis while in prison, he told authorities. But since his arrest, he had engaged in rehabilitation and had written a letter of apology, Rhodes said. 'He's insightful as to how he got here,' he said of his client. Justin Harder noted that Meyer, his client, was only 21 at the time of the offending and as a prospect was quite low in the Comancheros hierarchy. Defence lawyer Justin Harder. Photo / Michael Craig 'He's not the architect,' he said of the retribution plot, describing a 'power imbalance' in which his role was to follow orders. Meyer was born in Australia but was sent to New Zealand by his mother as a young teen in hopes of getting him away from anti-social influences. His father had died when he was 11 and his major male influences after that were his gang-connected older brothers, the lawyer said. The change of scenery didn't appear to work, and Meyer picked up a Youth Court notation for firearms offending. 'The reality was it didn't matter what side of the Tasman he was on - he wasn't able to escape that,' Harder said. Meyer returned to Australia, then made a final return to New Zealand about 18 months before the shootings. Justice Ian Gault presides over a hearing in the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig The judge ordered Meyer to serve a sentence of four years and four months' imprisonment. Langi was sentenced to four years and seven months' imprisonment. He allowed some discounts for guilty pleas, background and remorse but said the reductions had to be weighed against their continued involvement in the gang. Good family, tragic past Slaimankhel, formerly a Dunedin bodybuilder, was also found guilty in 2015 of kidnapping a fellow bodybuilder and perverting the course of justice. He came from a good family, his lawyer said at his 2022 Auckland District Court sentencing on drug trafficking charges. Lawyer Mark Ryan said at the time his client turned to drugs and gangs after his father was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. The family of jailed former Comancheros member Khalid Naser Slaimankhel was targeted for retribution. Photo / Supplied Dr Hashem Slaimankhel had been a physician in Afghanistan and Pakistan before arriving in New Zealand in 1998 and taking on a role as a refugee health worker. His advocacy made enough of an impact in New Zealand that police publicly praised the 'dedicated and deeply respected community leader' after his death in January 2018. The elder Slaimankhel was among the nearly 100 people killed when an ambulance with a bomb inside detonated at a police checkpoint in Kabul. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the massacre. At his 2022 sentencing, the younger Slaimankhel told Judge Evangelos Thomas he wanted to leave gang life behind him. Prosecutors voiced some scepticism but acknowledged the goal was a worthy one if genuine. 'It's going to take an awful amount of work to make sure that is carried through,' Crown prosecutor Jacob Barry said. The judge agreed, turning to Slaimankhel's family and supporters, who filled the courtroom gallery, after the defendant was led away to begin serving his sentence. He encouraged them to continue supporting him. 'If people aren't working hard around him, he's going to be straight into that [gang] environment,' the judge said. 'This work is really only beginning now.' Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
