Cowardly criminals will be forced to face their victims’ families at sentencing hearings under a new law set to be passed this autumn, with extra time behind bars added to their term if they try to refuse. Rishi confirmed judges will be given extra powers which will apply to anyone facing a life sentence, and are the direct result of baby killer Lucy Letby declining to appear in court earlier this month. Judges will be able to whack an extra two years to a sentence without having to go through the lengthy process of charging the defendant with contempt of court…
Rishi said this morning:
“It is unacceptable that some of the country’s most horrendous criminals have refused to face their victims in court. They cannot and should not be allowed to take the coward’s way out. That’s why we are giving judges the power to order vile offenders to attend their sentencing hearings, with those who refuse facing being forced into the dock or spending longer behind bars.”
Labour are already on the attack, with Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed saying the “Conservatives have dragged their feet” on the legislation:
“We called for new laws on this back in April last year – but the Conservatives have dragged their feet. This is the fourth time in over 18 months the government has promised action – and yet again they have failed to outline a proper timeline on when they will act. In government, Labour will give judges the power to force offenders to face justice in court. The families of victims deserve nothing less.”
At the moment, the government is only committing to implementing this “as soon as parliamentary time allows“. Although Guido hears the King’s Speech, set for 7th November, might be a decent bet…
Bob Stewart will again appear in Westminster Magistrates Court (WMC) on July 19th to face two charges related to using “threatening or abusive words”. Although reports suggested Bob’s day in court was due to be today, he initially appeared in WMC on 30th of June before proceedings were adjourned. He faces one charge of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour, which was racially aggravated and one of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Both are in relation to an incident outside the Embassy of Bahrain. It’s not been a good few weeks for Colonel Bob, who’s also under fire from the Standards Commissioner…
As Jared O’Mara’s fraud trial rumbles on, with increasingly salacious allegations emerging by the day, Guido was struck by one revelation from yesterday’s proceedings. A text message from one of Jared’s co-defendants alleged:
“You got sh*tfaced before a Look North TV interview and then harassed a female member of staff.”
With the court hearing the disgraced Labour MP had downed a litre of vodka beforehand. Well, Guido has managed to track down the interview in question above. He holds up surprisingly well, all things considered…
Jared O’Mara’s court case today entered its fourth day, as the court hear yet more tales of the Ex-Labour MPs exuberance. On Wednesday, the court heard that O’Mara was “non-existent” in office and would often blame injuries, including “slipping in the shower”, for his absence – so far nothing new. Leeds Crown Court did hear from a staffer who described a rare meeting with the disgraced MP:
“He did turn up, about an hour late… He appeared to be on some sort of substance, he was gurning, clenching his teeth, sweating and talking at a million miles an hour.”
During the meeting, O’Mara outlined plans to upload speeches and comedy routines to a paid online subscription service – “he fancied himself as a bit of a comedian”. One team member introduced a healthy dose of skepticism into the discussion and questioned the suggestion. O’Mara threatened to sack him.
As the case continued into Thursday, the jury was regaled with some of text messages sent by Gareth Arnold, one of Jared’s co-defendants. The prosecution said the messages included references to money-making schemes, bending the rules, demanding money from IPSA, deleting records and abandoning claims for payment. All in a day’s work…
Amongst the messages was a confession that Jared was “a few k in debt with a dealer” and in June 2019 Arnold bragged that he “just smashed loads of coke” with the local MP. Other messages suggest some more fraught relations between the pair:
“You got sh*tfaced before a Look North TV interview and then harassed a female member of staff.”
“It’s you who does cocaine instead of going to Parliament.”
Arnold also told O’Mara that he had seen his mental state deteriorate into “something very strange”, as a call played to the court claimed Jared “started to entertain the idea that some sort of shadowy government cabal is trying to bring him down”. This is less surprising when contextualised appropriately. The court also heard his coke use amounted to “anything up to five grams a day”.
Dominic Raab had a confident dispatch box moment late yesterday afternoon, when he pointed out David Lammy has backed himself into a corner of his own making in opposing the government’s Judicial Review Bill. Part of the Bill includes the abolition of “Cart” judicial reviews, which Raab argues are broadly unsuccessful while delaying the deportation of people with no right to be in the country. Awkwardly for Labour, the Blair government proposed an even broader power in their own Bill in 2003 before dropping it due to outcry. The minister pushing through the changes at the time? David Lammy…
Raab confronted Lammy on his past judicial reforming zeal:
“I would be interested to know whether Labour will support us in this matter. I have done my homework – the right hon. Member for Tottenham is laughing – but if Labour plans to vote against this Bill on the basis of Cart, I would point out that the shadow Justice Secretary personally proposed a much broader so-called ouster clause back in 2003 in Labour’s Asylum and Immigration Bill…
It was the Asylum and Immigration Bill back in 2003. It did not have any of the exceptions and it was not as constrained as the Bill before the House today. He did not just support the measure; he proposed the measure.”
Midway through Lammy heckled out a feeble excuse: He was “young and naïve”…
Red wall Tory MP, Imran Ahmad Khan, appeared at Westminster Magistrates this week over a historic “groping” claim. Khan has pleaded “not guilty”. The case involved the alleged sexual assault of a 15 year-old boy.
Khan stated:
“May I make it clear from the outset that the allegation, which is from over thirteen years ago, is denied in the strongest terms. This matter is deeply distressing to me and I of course, take it extremely seriously. To be accused of doing something I did not do is shocking, destabilising, and traumatic. I am innocent. Those, like me, who are falsely accused of such actions are in the difficult position of having to endure damaging and painful speculation until the case is concluded. I ask for privacy as I work to clear my name.
He will appear at the Old Bailey next month…
UPDATE: He has had the Tory whip removed pending the outcome.
