Latest news with #ActivityRequirement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Officer sacked for messages to vulnerable woman
A police officer has been dismissed and handed a suspended prison sentence after attempting to initiate a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman involved in a case he was investigating. PC Jody Lathwell, formerly of Northamptonshire Police, was leading an investigation into serious offences when he tried to contact the woman via LinkedIn in November 2023, a misconduct panel heard. The woman had made it clear she was vulnerable following an alleged abusive relationship. The hearing report stated: "The suspect believed that the former officer's motive in carrying out the investigation was the inappropriate interest in the complainant." The 44-year-old, from Bletchley in Milton Keynes, was suspended from duty while the force's Counter Corruption Unit carried out an investigation. He was later charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office and pleaded guilty to one of the charges at Northampton Crown Court on 17 April. The other charge was ordered to remain on the file. On 28 May, he was sentenced at the same court to 32 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and complete 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. During the investigation, Lathwell said he was "in a bad place" at the time. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the court was told in mitigation that Lathwell had been a police officer for just over a year. However, the misconduct panel concluded that this offered "little insight into the mindset of seeking out sexual interactions with a person who had reported a serious sexual offence to him". The hearing found that, although Lathwell did not contact the woman directly, he exchanged sexually explicit messages with a LinkedIn account he believed belonged to her. That account was later found to be controlled by the suspect in the same investigation. He did not attend the gross misconduct hearing at Northamptonshire Police force headquarters but admitted the allegations through a representative. Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet ruled that dismissal without notice was the "only appropriate outcome that would provide reassurance to the public". Deputy Chief Constable Ash Tuckley added that the officer's actions "fell well below the high standards" expected. Lathwell has also been added to the police barred list. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Northamptonshire Police Local Democracy Reporting Service
Leader Live
01-05-2025
- Leader Live
Flintshire man sentenced for drug driving and possession
Toby Cragg, of Cwrt Jones in Penymynydd, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, May 1. The 21-year-old previously, on April 10 at Mold magistrates Court, pleaded guilty to drug driving and possession of cannabis. That put him in breach of a suspended sentenced imposed up on him in June of last year. Cragg was handed a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours of unpaid work for violent disorder and possession of cannabis. Karl Scholz, prosecuting, explained that the breach took place on November 3 of last year. That morning, a member of the public had called North Wales police to inform them that they had witnessed a man smoking a 'massive joint' before getting into a vehicle and driving off. Police found that the vehicle was registered to Cragg and they stopped him later that afternoon. A roadside drug test was conducted and the defendant tested positive for cannabis. He was also found to be in possession of three quantities of cannabis - a joint in a plastic case, a 'smell-proof' bag containing two plastic bags of cannabis and a plastic tube containing cannabis. Cragg admitted to police officers that he had been smoking cannabis earlier that day and that he had bought £170 worth of cannabis. Euros Jones, defending, said that Cragg - supported by his mother and girlfriend in court - was a 'young man who fully appreciates the precarious position he finds himself in'. He added: "At the time of the offence, he was in a difficult time and fell in with peers who he would not normally associate himself with. He has since moved away from this group. IN OTHER CRIME NEWS ... "This was very much out of character for him and the person back in November is a completely different person to the one who is here today." Sentencing Cragg, Judge Timothy Petts said: "I think I'm going to give you one further chance. I'm going to work on the basis that you are still capable of making changes to your life with the support of those around you." Cragg was handed a 12-month community order for the drug driving charge and will be suspended from driving for 42 months. He will also have to complete 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement sessions and will be subject to a three month curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. He faced no separate penalty for the possession of cannabis charge.
Leader Live
29-04-2025
- Leader Live
HMP Berwyn attempted drug smugglers dealt with in court
Karen Harrison, of Kirkby Park in Kirkby, and Perry Ellison, of Kelso Road in Fairfield, Liverpool, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, April 29. Harrison, 63, and Ellison, 37, both previously pleaded guilty to one count each of bringing/conveying a prohibited article into prison. Simon Mintz, prosecuting, told the court that the offence dates back to July 2023, when both defendants attended HMP Berwyn in Wrexham to visit a prisoner there. The pair had become 'separated' during the admission process and Harrison was searched first. She was found to have a packaged hidden beneath her waistband which she claimed was 'tobacco' which the inmate she intended to visit 'needed to smoke after and operation'. Officers then traced Ellison to the visiting room, where he was removed and searched. When a package was removed from his groin area, he told them 'it's only weed'. The searches revealed that Harrison had attempted to bring in 42g of cannabis resin into the prison. This would have been worth between £840 and £2,100 inside jail, the court head. Ellison had attempted to smuggle in 14.1g of cocaine, said to be worth between £2,800 and £5,600 within the prison walls. IN OTHER CRIME NEWS Both defendants gave no comment interviews, the prosecution said. Ellison had 40 previous convictions for 66 offences, including assault and burglary, while Harrison had no previous convictions. Owen Carville, defending Ellison, said that he was someone who suffers from Schizophrenia. He argued that, although he has a 'long list of offences', none of those have included the offence of conveying drugs into prison. Jeremy Rawson, defending Harrison, said that she was a woman with no previous convictions and therefore had a 'reasonable prospect of rehabilitation'. He added she concedes that she 'made a stupid decision'. Sentencing the pair, Judge Timothy Petts said: "Bringing drugs into prison is strictly prohibited, it undermines discipline in the prison as it leads to debt and extortion." Harrison was sentenced to a six-month term, suspended for 12 months. She will need to complete 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and will be subject to a three month curfew (between the hours of 8pm and 6am). Meanwhile, Ellison was jailed for three years for his role in the offending.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Army dentist in revenge porn plot against 'hero of Nairobi' secretly sacked over new stalking claims
An Army dentist who sent a stream of 'distressing' messages to her SAS ex-boyfriend's new partner has been secretly sacked by senior officers following allegations that she has again been stalking her victim. Major Jennifer Wilson had been allowed to continue serving in the Army after pleading guilty to harassment and malicious communications, including bombarding Tobi-Jayne Cadbury with aggressive messages. Wilson, an Afghan War veteran, also sent naked pictures of Christian Craighead - a former SAS soldier decorated for saving hundreds of lives in a terrorist attack in Kenya - to Ms Cadbury, who was in a relationship with the elite soldier at the time. Mr Craighead earned a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross after fighting terrorists from al-Shabaab - an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda, who attacked the Dusit D2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019. Wilson, 43, was forced to resign by defence chiefs at the end of last year. They said her behaviour was incompatible with military service. A soldier of any rank may be ordered to resign if their conduct falls foul of military discipline. One defence source said: 'Maj Wilson had hoped to continue serving in the Army. I think she always realised it was going to be a long shot. She is now attempting to rebuild her life. 'Given the publicity surrounding the trial, and her relationship with a former member of the SAS, it was always going to be difficult to rejoin the Army. 'The bottom line is that her position had become untenable and in cases like this soldiers are told they must resign.' In December 2023, Wilson pleaded guilty at Aylesbury Crown Court to charges relating to social media messages. Her defence team said at the time that it was an 'internet spat which got out of hand'. In June 2024, Wilson, who suffers from depression and PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, escaped a custodial sentence. Instead she received a community order, including 30 sessions of an accredited programme requirement, 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work. She also received a ten-year restraining order banning her from contacting her victims. Ms Cadbury, 38, said: 'I'm disappointed that the Army and the Ministry of Defence have tried to save face by quietly sacking Wilson in the hope no one will notice.' Back in the 2010s, Wilson had been in a relationship with Mr Craighead for about four years. But after finding out that he had a new partner, she began bombarding him with messages. She then turned her attention to Ms Cadbury. 'She bulldozed into my life under the disguise of 52 anonymous social media accounts,' Ms Cadbury told the MoS last year. 'It was relentless. Every time I blocked one, a new account would appear, sending me more disgusting messages.' An Army source said: 'We expect very high standards of behaviour of our personnel, whether they are on or off duty. 'Those who have fallen short of the Army's high standards are dealt with administratively and may face sanctions including dismissal.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
College ramps up security measures after teen takes machete to campus
A COLLEGE has put extra security measures in place after a teenager from Bradford took a machete onto campus. Nicholas Wojciechowski, 18, of Brafferton Arbor, in Buttershaw, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on March 5. He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon on school/further education premises. Wojciechowski was caught with a machete at the Somerville House building, in Leathley Road, which is part of Leeds City College, on February 10 this year. Bill Jones, executive principal at Leeds City College, said Wojciechowski was escorted off the campus and 'immediately suspended'. Somerville House is near the college's Printworks Campus. It provides "a diverse range of amenities, tailored for learners aged 16 to 24 who are keen on enhancing their personal development and employability skills alongside English and maths", according to the Leeds City College website. The building features dedicated spaces for projects and events, social hubs, and café facilities. Somerville House, in Leathley Road, which is part of Leeds City College (Image: Google Street View) Wojciechowski escaped an immediate custodial sentence for the offence. He was handed 12 months in a Young Offenders Institution, which was suspended for two years, by the court. The teenager was excluded from Leeds City College after the police investigation. Mr Jones said: 'Keeping our students and staff safe is our number one priority. 'As soon as we were made aware of the situation, Nicholas Wojciechowski was immediately suspended and escorted off campus. 'Following a police investigation, he was excluded from college. 'We take safeguarding extremely seriously and our staff acted swiftly and appropriately to ensure the safety of the campus community. 'As a result of this, further security measures are now in place and a number of student sessions are planned to raise awareness of knife crime-related issues.' The court also ordered Wojciechowski to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work within the next year and to complete up to 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. An order was made to deprive the defendant of the machete. He must pay costs of £385 to the Crown Prosecution Service as well as a surcharge of £187 to fund victim services. Wojciechowski was also originally charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, in relation to a zombie knife at his home, but this was withdrawn.
