Latest news with #MichaelGleeson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Psychologist tries to back-track child abuse admissions
A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. The court heard evidence on Thursday by former Nyman Gibson Miralis solicitor Penelope Baker about her then client's decision to plead guilty and sign a statement of agreed facts relating to the eight complainants. The psychologist claimed Mr Gleeson advised that he would get a maximum jail term of eight years with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years because of the pleas, the jury heard. A file note from a 2020 conference with Ms Baker revealed the psychologist was "gobsmacked" that estimates for his non-parole period had been expanded to five to seven years instead. "I was very disappointed," he said, according to the note. "I'm feeling that he has let me down, I'm doubting everything he's done." The psychologist was swiftly advised that if he pleaded not guilty and went to trial, he would have a very high risk of losing and receiving 10 years' minimum in prison, the jury was told. After he requested to reverse his pleas, Ms Baker said this would be a terrible idea. The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Asda swings to £600m loss as debt pressures mount
Asda fell to a loss of almost £600m last year as its soaring debt burden and a costly IT overhaul weighed on the beleaguered supermarket. Sales at the Leeds-based grocer grew by more than £1bn to £26.8bn in 2024, latest accounts show, but it posted a £599m pre-tax loss, compared with a £180m profit the previous year. Like-for-like sales excluding fuel were down too, falling by £750m to £21bn. Writing in the accounts, Michael Gleeson, Asda's chief financial officer, admitted: 'Trading has been challenging and food sales have been behind expectations.' Bosses have been battling to reduce the burden of Asda's £3.6bn debt pile, which has put the company under increasing pressure as interest rates have risen in recent years. The cost of servicing the debt pile grew by £170m to £611m last year. The supermarket said it had been forced to pay higher interest rates after refinancing debts during the year. Asda's debts were built up during its takeover by the billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa and the private equity firm TDR Capital in 2021, which lumbered the company with billions in borrowings. The supermarket was acquired from long-time owner Walmart and the deal has prompted Asda to undertake a costly project to divorce its computer systems from its former US parent. Dubbed 'Project Future', Asda has spent heavily on the transition, shelling out £867m on it to date and £310m in 2024 alone. Mr Gleeson said 2024 was an important year for the retailer, in which it oversaw a transition to the new IT systems, insisting it would be 'stronger and fit for the future as a result of the transformation progress made in FY24'. However, the transition has been beset with issues and delays, such as an incident in March 2024 that saw thousands of workers receive incorrect payslips. The plunge in profits comes as Allan Leighton, Asda's chairman, attempts to restore the supermarket to growth after a loss of market share to grocery rivals since its takeover. Asda commanded 13.6pc of the UK grocery market at the beginning of 2024, but that figure had fallen to a record low of 11.9pc this month, according to Kantar. Mr Leighton, a veteran retailer credited with turning around Asda's fortunes during a difficult period in the late 1990s, was drafted in to lead the company once more last November. Since then he has kicked off a price war with supermarket rivals and embarked on a major cost-cutting push. The businessman has called many of Asda's issues 'self-inflicted', saying he wants to 'turn it into what it was'. An Asda spokesman said: 'Asda's core business remains strong and profitable, delivering a pre-tax profit of £115m before exceptional items. 'The reported overall loss is the result of two significant one-off costs: a £378m non-cash impairment charge, which reflects updated asset valuations, and £310m in one-time costs related to Project Future – our strategic programme to separate Asda's IT systems from our former owner, Walmart. 'These are not recurring costs and do not reflect the underlying performance of the business. 'A more accurate indicator of our ongoing strength is our adjusted EBITDA after rent, which increased to £1.14bn from £1.078bn the previous year.' 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. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
