Judge tells Derek Hatton not to chew in court during bribery hearing
The former leader of the Trotskyist group Militant was told by a judge not to chew in court during a bribery hearing.
Derek Hatton, who was deputy leader of Liverpool city council in the 1980s, was charged with bribery after a police investigation into the awarding of commercial and business contracts from Liverpool city council between 2010 and 2020.
The 77-year-old was also a well-known figure of Militant, a Left-wing group that infiltrated Labour from the 1960s through to the late 1980s.
Mr Hatton, of Aigburth, Liverpool, denied one count of bribery and one count of counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office at Preston magistrates' court.
Before he confirmed his name, age and address, District Judge Wendy Lloyd asked Mr Hatton not to chew in court.
Former mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, 67, also appeared in court accused of involvement in council corruption.
On Friday, he indicated not guilty pleas to charges of bribery, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
On the misconduct charge, he is said to have sent and/or arranged to have sent 'threatening letters' to himself.
The ex-social worker, of Knotty Ash in Liverpool, was elected mayor of the city from the time the role was created in 2012 until 2021.
Previously in a statement posted on social media site X, formerly Twitter, he said: 'I am innocent of charges and will fight to clear my name.'
His son David Anderson, 37, of Wavertree, faces a charge with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, which he denies.
Hatton's wife, Sonjia Hatton, 49, of Aigburth, indicated a not guilty plea to one count of misconduct in a public office by providing and seeking confidential council information over matters of commercial and business use to Mr Hatton's contacts and to his business dealings.
Andrew Barr, formerly the council's assistant director of highways and planning, 51, of Ainsdale, Merseyside, is charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and also faced a charge of bribery for which he indicated a not guilty plea.
Adam McClean, 54, of Woolton, also entered the dock on a charge of conspiracy to bribery, to which he entered no plea.
Other defendants appeared at court remotely via video link.
The council's former head of regeneration Nick Kavanagh, 56, of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, indicated not guilty pleas to two counts of bribery.
Phillipa Cook, 49, of the same address, also indicated not guilty pleas to two counts of bribery.
Alexander Croft, 30, of Aughton, Lancashire, indicated a not guilty plea to one count of bribery.
Julian Flanagan, 53, of Knowsley; Paul Flanagan, 71, of Knowsley; and James Shalliker, 38, of Downholland, Lancashire, are all charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and entered no pleas.
The Flanagan brothers founded construction business the Flanagan Group.
All 12 defendants were granted unconditional bail ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Preston Crown Court on April 25.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reeves to say spending review will reflect ‘priorities of working people'
Rachel Reeves will unveil her spending review on Wednesday, arguing that her priorities are 'the priorities of working people'. The Chancellor is expected to focus on 'Britain's renewal' as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the Government is 'renewing Britain', she will acknowledge that 'too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it'. She will say: 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.' Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8% in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. But Wednesday could present a tough prospect for other government as the Chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5% is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The Chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. She will say on Wednesday: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. 'These are my choices. These are this Government's choices. These are the British people's choices.' Other announcements expected on Wednesday include £39 billion for social and affordable housing over the next decade as the Government aims to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Treasury said this would see annual investment in affordable housing rise to £4 billion by 2029/30, almost double the average of £2.3 billion between 2021 and 2026. The additional spending has been welcomed by homelessness charities, with Crisis calling it 'a determined political signal that housing really matters' and Shelter describing the move as 'a watershed moment in tackling the housing emergency'. The Chancellor has also already announced some £15.6 billion of spending on public transport in England's city regions, and £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, the bulk of which will fund the new Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. There is also expected to be an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 and an extra £445 million for upgrading Welsh railways. But one of the big losers from the spending review could be London, which is not expected to receive funding for any significant infrastructure projects or powers to introduce a tourist levy – both key requests from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rough sleeping to be decriminalised in England and Wales
Rough sleeping will be decriminalised next year under government plans to scrap a 200-year-old law. Ministers are planning to scrap the Vagrancy Act, which outlaws rough sleeping in England and Wales. The law was introduced in 1824 to deal with rising homelessness, but Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has called it "cruel and outdated". The government's plan includes new legislation which will target crimes such as organised begging by gangs and trespassing, a statement said. Rayner, who is also housing secretary, said Labour was "drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society". "No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again," she said. The number of prosecutions and convictions under the 1824 act has declined over the past decade. According to government statistics, there were a total of 79 prosecutions and 59 convictions for offences related to rough sleeping in 2023 - down from a peak of 1,050 and 810 respectively in 2011. Repealing the Vagrancy Act was first announced in 2022 by the previous Conservative government. It had wanted to pass alternative legislation first, but this did not happen before the general election was called last year. The party's Criminal Justice Bill would have allowed police to move on "nuisance" rough sleepers and fine them if they did not comply. The Labour government said it plans to replace the Vagrancy Act with "targeted measures" that will "ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe". These measures, which will be introduced through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, will include new offences of facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with the intention of committing a crime. Homeless charities have long called for the Vagrancy Act to be scrapped. Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: "This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety." He praised the government for having "shown such principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious Act". He said: "We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced onto the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential." People living on London's streets rises by 26% Pressure grows over rough sleeping clampdown
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Federal labor board demands Washington Post rehire reporter fired over social media attacks
The National Labor Relations Board is seeking reinstatement and back pay for former Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez, who was fired in 2022 after attacking colleagues and fiercely criticizing the paper on social media. Sonmez was terminated for insubordination after she continued condemning other Post reporters online despite multiple memos issued by then-executive editor Sally Buzbee calling for civility. The Washington-Baltimore News Guild filed an unfair labor practice charge over Sonmez's firing. The NLRB, Guild and Washington Post each filed briefs on Friday. "To put it bluntly, Respondent just got sick of Sonmez's Twitter activity criticizing the Post's and its policies, as well as its implementation—or lack thereof—of those policies. In response, Respondent decided to bypass its progressive discipline system and fire her because of those criticisms," NLRB prosecutors said. Wapo's Felicia Sonmez Torches 'White' Colleagues For 'Downplaying' Workplace Drama With 'Synchronized Tweets' When asking for the complaint to be dismissed, the Post argued that allowing Sonmez to return to the company "would cause unmanageable and unacceptable disruption," and referred to the actions that resulted in her dismissal as a "seven-day tirade." "Because Sonmez lacks the 'journalistic integrity' necessary to work in the Post's newsroom, she should not be reinstated," the Post argued. Read On The Fox News App The Guild believes the Post violated her rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The saga began in June 2022 when Sonmez went after then-colleague Dave Weigel for retweeting a joke: "Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it's polar or sexual." Sonmez was not amused and publicly criticized her colleague, also attacking her workplace by reacting, "Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!" Sonmez then launched a days-long public tirade against the Post and many of her colleagues. Washington Post Torn To Shreds For Suspending Reporter Dave Weigel For A Retweet: 'Completely Insane' Weigel was placed on a one-month unpaid suspension despite having removed the retweet and issuing an apology. He left the Post to join the start-up site Semafor later that year. However, Sonmez's tweetstorms berating co-workers continued, and she began receiving public pushback from Post colleagues, who Sonmez then attacked publicly. She repeatedly ripped the paper's social media policy throughout the ordeal. Sonmez even took aim at "White" reporters who expressed solidarity with the paper amid infighting. "I don't know who the colleagues anonymously disparaging me in media reports are. But I do know that the reporters who issued synchronized tweets this week downplaying the Post's workplace issues have a few things in common with each other," Sonmez wrote during a lengthy Twitter thread, saying they "are all White." Washington Post Reporters Continue Airing Their Grievances With One Another On Twitter Despite Buzbee urging staffers to treat each other respectfully, following a week of constant viral warfare between Post colleagues, Sonmez was terminated. The Washington Post unveiled an updated social media policy after the ordeal. NLRB prosecutors are seeking reinstatement and back pay for Sonmez, who now works for Blue Ridge Public Radio. Sonmez declined comment. "The decision is now up to the judge," Sonmez wrote on X. The Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. Original article source: Federal labor board demands Washington Post rehire reporter fired over social media attacks
