Broken buzzer at jail stops Cambridgeshire wife's suicide warning
He said Olugosi's wife, Cambridgeshire Police and the Met were all unable to contact the prison by telephone to warn them because "calls were being diverted to an unmanned or obsolete number".He shared that Olugosi's wife drove for two hours and banged on the main gate for some time, calling out and pressing a buzzer which promised to connect her to an intercom through which she could speak to prison staff.Mr Furniss said Olugosi's wife and police could not contact the prison all night and "the deceased took his life".A jury inquest on Friday concluded he died by suicide.
'Difficult to understand'
"The buzzer/intercom system must have been provided because it was thought important to provide that additional means of communication between the prison and the outside world," Mr Furniss added."In this case, a working system would have enabled the deceased's wife to warn the prison of his impending suicide."This could happen again in the future if there was another problem with the telephone system during the night shift."It is difficult to understand why the buzzer/intercom system has not worked for several years. "There was evidence that it is irreparable. But the proposed solution appeared to be either to leave it as it is (still not working) or to remove it altogether."He continued: "The jury found that the failure to provide a working buzzer/intercom system was a failure. It is a matter of concern that the prison/the Ministry of Justice still considers that it is unnecessary."The prison's governor has been asked to respond to Mr Furniss' report by 21 April with details of action taken or proposed action to be taken.The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tottenham ‘disgusted' by racial abuse aimed at Mathys Tel after Super Cup defeat
Tottenham have said they are 'disgusted' after forward Mathys Tel received racial abuse on social media after Wednesday night's UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris St Germain. Tel missed a spot-kick in a penalty shoot-out, which Tottenham lost 4-3 after they had surrendered a late 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 after 90 minutes. The France Under-21s international, whose loan deal from Bayern Munich was made permanent in a £30million deal in June, was targeted with abuse after firing his effort wide. Tottenham said in a statement: 'We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night's UEFA Super Cup defeat. 'Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views. 'We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Mathys.' Tottenham led 2-0 until the 85th minute at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, through goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero before late efforts from Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos hauled PSG level.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Thieves are targeting luxury Mercedes 4x4s to steal vulnerable part
Thieves in London have been targeting a specific high-end luxury Mercedes model in a new crime spree involving an extremely vulnerable - and valuable - part. Video footage has been circulated on social media of six £100,000-plus Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUVs - commonly referred to as 'G-Wagons' - parked on the street in the capital, all of them victim to this crimewave. The expensive 4X4s, which are immensely popular among celebrities and professional footballers, traditionally have one very exposed component. It has a value ringing into the thousands of pounds if criminals can prise it from vehicles. The item in question is the spare wheel. But it's not just the expensive alloy rim the brazen thieves are going after, with the tyres and wheel covers also worth hundreds of pounds. But as the video footage shows, just one wheel appears to have been successfully removed from the six G-Wagons attacked. That's because Mercedes now fits a part that secures the part on its latest models. Instagram account supercarseurope posted the video earlier this month, attracting almost 17,000 likes from viewers. The clip has also been shared across various other platforms, amassing hundreds of thousands of views and comments. The footage shows a selection of privately owned expensive Mercedes G-Class SUVs, all of which appear to be parked in affluent parts of the capital. Each one clearly shows that they've been attacked by thieves attempting to remove the spare wheel. The Instagram account holder has urged G-Wagon owners to 'be aware' of the new crime wave impacting their motors. The G-Class is one of the most expensive 4X4s on the market, with prices starting from £140,000 and ranging up to £200,000 for the most exclusive and powerful variants. These big-budget price tags explain why they have been targeted is the latest instance of what has been dubbed 'locust', cannibal' or 'vulture' thefts. This relates to when thieves strip cars of the most valuable and easy to remove parts, with vehicles typically attacked at night while parked at the roadside outside owners' houses and even on their driveways. These are not recorded as part of motor theft statistics when vehicles are taken; instead, they are accounted for under 'theft from' figures. This means they are recorded alongside instances of mobile phones, laptops and handbags that have been stolen when owners have left them inside their cars. According to the AA, some 218,431 thefts of this kind were reported in the 12 months ending September 2024. Other instances of these thefts include Porsches identified and earmarked for their high-powered headlights. Owners in recent years have returned to their expensive sports cars to find the valuable headlight clusters ripped and carved out of the bodywork, with thieves either selling them as spare parts or - as some reports suggest - to use car lights in cannabis farms. This is because the intensity of the beam they create is believed to accelerate plant growth. That makes them prime targets for those linked to wider criminal activity. The old Land Rover Defender has also been a high-profile focus for car cannibals, with the panels in high demand since production of the 4X4s ended in January 2015. Due to the simple construction of the old agricultural British off-roader, the bodywork is relatively easy to unbolt, detach and steal without raising alarm. It now appears that the Mercedes G-Class is the next lucrative option to locust thieves. This is because a replacement 22-inch alloy wheel for a range-topping G63 can cost north of £2,000. The unused tyre attached to it is also an expensive item with a market value of northwards of £300. Even the wheel covers are incredibly pricey. A new cover retails on the Mercedes website for £850 as part of an accessory pack. Dr Ken German (pictured), former head of technology for The Metropolitan Police's stolen car squad and now a vehicle crime consultant, told the Daily Mail and This is Money: 'Locust thieves may simply take wing mirrors, grilles, light clusters, and even badges from a car, though there is always some damage caused by their attacks. Too often, however, they are stripping vehicles to a bare shell on the owner's driveway. 'To make matters worse for victims, these attacks aren't recorded as stolen vehicles as only parts were taken - though often leaves people with half a car.' Mr German tells us that children as young as 11 have been found responsible for these types of thefts, with evidence indicating that they are being tasked by older, more experienced thieves who order them to target parts such as powered wing mirrors with cameras and headlights, which have a respective market value off £500 and £1,200. 'Whilst many youngsters have moved on to actually stealing cars, the current ease with which some expensive items can be removed from luxury models has brought about an influx of theft reports of exhaust systems, windscreen, bonnets, boot lids and boot-mounted spare wheels,' Mr German explains. The Daily Mail and This is Money approached Mercedes-Benz regarding the recent spate of theft attempts made on G-Class spare wheels in London. A spokeswoman told us that the German car giant is aware of this activity. 'Mercedes-Benz strongly condemns all forms of criminal behaviour,' they said. 'While our vehicles are equipped with a wide range of protective measures, targeted criminal activity can never be ruled out entirely. We recommend customers affected by any type of car crime contact the police and their insurance company.'
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ask for Angela training offered to pubs in Northamptonshire
Free training has been offered to help hospitality staff respond to women who feel Northamptonshire Council organised the online session to raise awareness of the Ask for Angela research has shown that many bar and waiting staff did not know about the initiative and were not sure how to respond to it.A senior councillor said the training would help residents feel safe when using venues in the area. Ask for Angela was founded in 2016 by Hayley Crawford, a substance misuse co-ordinator in was named after Angela Crompton, who was killed by her the scheme, when a person uses the word "Angela" to hospitality employees, they discreetly intervene and help the person get to safety by reuniting them with friends, calling a taxi, or contacting the police if necessary. When the BBC filmed secretly in pubs and clubs across London last year, staff in more than half of the venues they visited did not respond to the codeword. The training, offered on the morning of 20 August, will teach safe intervention techniques that staff could use when they hear the name "Angela".The council is also calling for more venues to sign up for the scheme, to join places like The Wig and Pen and The Althorp Inn. Charlie Hastie, the Reform UK council's cabinet member for communities, said: "This training is really important both for our venues to feel confident in responding and intervening in situations, as well as for local residents and those that visit us to feel safe and supported when they visit."This training provides a great opportunity to raise awareness of this important initiative, and I really hope venues take this up by booking onto the session."The council said venues that sign up could have access to training opportunities as well as posters and stickers to promote the scheme. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
