Five accused 'intent on revenge'

16 July 2011 Last updated at 12:13 GMT Five men have been charged over the attack Five men arrested in connection with a gang rape and assault that lasted over 12 hours, had nothing to do with the actual attack, a court has heard.

In fact, police feared the five were intent on revenge for that assault.

The men from Lithuania were charged with possessing an offensive weapon and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm in court in Lisburn on Saturday.

The court was told two of the men had gone to police to provide information about a sex assault on Wednesday.

A police officer said the five were arrested as they were carrying out searches at 2230 BST on 14 July at Tandragee Road, Portadown.

A 6in knife, and two metal poles were found in the men's car, police said.

The driver of the car told police they intended to get those who assaulted their friend.

He was referring to a serious gang rape and assault at Dingwell Park, Lurgan, on Wednesday 13 July in which a man and a woman were seriously injured.

The five men are Deividas Miskinis, 27, of Mourneview Street; Dainius Ulevicius, 24, from St John's Crescent, Vytautas Petryia, 19, from the Tandragee Road; Aurimus Kliavga, 25, from Clonavon Avenue, all in Portadown and Donatas Endrikaitis, 21, from Park Road, Craigavon.

A detective objected to bail saying police feared that if released, the men would commit further offences and interfere with the investigation into a rape and physical assault which happened on July 13.

She said two of the men provided information but within hours, police on mobile patrol spoke to Mr Miskinis who was driving the car who told them they were "going to get the men" who comitted the assaults.

When the car was searched, the police uncovered the weapons.

"Police believe that the defendants were going to take justice into their own hands," she said.

A solicitor said the men had clear criminal records and were in fact intent on assisting the police investigation.

If they had intended to take justice into their own hands, it was unlikely they would have gone to the police station beforehand, the solicitor argued.

All five were granted bail.

The magistrate said this was a highly unusual case.

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'Fantasy' of river murder accused

1 July 2011 Last updated at 16:09 GMT John Pope is accused of murdering Karen Skipper in 1996 The version of events presented by a man accused of murdering Karen Skipper in Cardiff is a "complete fantasy", a jury has heard.

John Pope, 62, from Cardiff, was convicted of killing Ms Skipper, 34, in 2009 but his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Her partially clothed body was found in the River Ely in Fairwater in 1996 with her hands tied behind her back.

The defendant denies murder. The trial continues at Newport Crown Court.

Ms Skipper's ex-husband, Phillip, stood trial for her murder in 1997, but was cleared. He has since died.

On Friday the jury was told how Mr Pope claimed he met Ms Skipper at a local shop before she was killed.

He said one of her dogs bit him and caused him to bleed and that is how traces of his blood were found on intimate parts of her clothing after her death.

'Desperate invention'

Cross-examining, prosecution barrister Ian Murphy QC, described that as a "fantasy" and a "complete invention" and one Mr Pope had had many years to come up with.

He said it was a "desperate invention" to try to explain how his blood was on her jeans and underwear.

Karen Skipper's body was found tied up and dumped in the River Ely in Fairwater, Cardiff

Mr Pope told the jury it was 100% what had happened.

The defendant was also questioned about a jacket and rucksack he said he habitually wore at the time of the murder.

A man in a wax jacket was seen close to the murder scene, according to witnesses.

The jury was shown a wax jacket taken from Mr Pope's home when he was arrested.

He said it was the only wax jacket he has ever owned.

The prosecution called it "immaculate" suggesting that Mr Pope had disposed of the jacket and rucksack he wore on a daily basis "because you were concerned it would incriminate you in the killing of Karen Skipper."

Mr Pope claims he was at home at the time of the murder.

Under cross examination, he was directly accused of being Ms Skipper's murderer.

The prosecution said he had seen a chance for sexual gratification, followed her until she was in a dark and lonely place and attacked her, bundling her into the River Ely after removing her lower clothing and tying her hands tightly behind her back.

Responding to the allegation, Mr Pope said: "That's rubbish and you know it".

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Teenage murder accused 'hated ex'

23 June 2011 Last updated at 12:30 GMT Rebecca Aylward's body was found in woodland near Bridgend A 16-year-old schoolboy accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend "hated" her and told a friend how he would kill her and "cover it up", a court has heard.

Rebecca Aylward, 15, of Maesteg, near Bridgend, was battered to death and her body found in woodland last October.

Swansea Crown Court heard how the defendant had told a friend it would be "easy" to kill her and "wouldn't life be a lot easier if she wasn't here?"

The teenager denies murder and the trial continues.

Student Rebecca, 15 - known as Becca to her friends - was beaten on the head with a rock.

Her body was found the following day face-down on a wet forest floor.

Giving evidence via video link, a 16-year-old friend who had known Rebecca since primary school, told of the defendant's feelings for his ex.

He told the jury how the accused teenager joked: "Wouldn't life be a lot easier if she wasn't here?

"I'm just going to kill her. It won't be hard - it will be real easy."

The friend said: "It was no secret that he hated Rebecca for quite a long time after their relationship finished.

'Joked'

"I heard him say on several occasions that he could kill her.

"He'd explain how he would do it and how he would cover it up so he wouldn't get caught.

"But I didn't think he was being serious at the time."

The court heard the last time the defendant "joked" of killing Rebecca was in September 2010 - just weeks before she was murdered.

The jury was told the friend had also talked about the relationship with the accused, and heard his reasons for breaking up with Rebecca.

'Buy you breakfast'

"He'd told me Rebecca had tried to get pregnant because she was scared of losing him," he added.

Rebecca's ex-boyfriend claims another friend killed her.

Rebecca was found dead the day after being reported missing by her mother.

The court has heard how Rebecca told her family she was going to meet the accused and that he was due to return to her home that night.

The trial also earlier heard the defendant used to meet every Saturday at a local cafe in the area with teenage friends where they had breakfast together.

At one such meeting he openly discussed killing the girl, his friends assuming he was joking.

They later told police he had a reputation for saying he was going to do things he never subsequently did.

But in a later text to one friend, the jury was told he asked: "What would you do if I actually did kill her?"

The friend replied: "Oh, I would buy you breakfast."

The trial on Wednesday heard the subject of the murder became a regular text topic between the friends.

Two days before the killing the defendant contacted his friend to confirm he would attend their breakfast date.

He added: "Don't say anything but you may just owe me a breakfast."

The friend replied: "Best text I have ever had mate. Seriously, if it is true I am happy to pay for a breakfast."

The defendant adds: "I hope by then it will be done and dusted."

The trial is expected to last five weeks.

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Man accused of online harassment

15 June 2011 Last updated at 15:15 GMT Ian Puddick is accused of using the internet to harass his wife's lover A plumber used Twitter, blogs and online videos to expose his wife's affair with her boss, a court heard.

Ian Puddick, 41, from Enfield, north London, is accused of harassment after allegedly detailing online his wife's affair with insurance firm director Timothy Haynes.

Mr Haynes, from Billingshurst, West Sussex, said Mr Puddick should have taken up his anger with him alone.

Mr Puddick denied the charges at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Mr Haynes told the court that both he and his wife needed counselling after the "embarrassment and shame" they had been caused.

"I think most of the country - thanks to the internet - is aware I had an affair," Mr Haynes, who lost his job as a result of the relationship, said.

His 10-year affair with Leena Puddick, which gathered pace after they slept together at a Christmas party in 2002, was exposed after her husband read a text message on her mobile phone in 2009.

The court heard details of e-mails and text messages that Mr Haynes had sent her over the course of their affair.

Continue reading the main story

Every medium, including Twitter, was being utilised to create information about myself and the affair”

End Quote Timothy Haynes Mr Puddick's counsel, Michael Wolkind QC, asked Mr Haynes if he was "not to be trusted because you are a dishonest and deceitful man?"

The barrister added: "What is it about the website that you are moaning about? You suffered the same degree of harassment that a burglar does when he is caught by the police."

'Upset and distress'

Mr Haynes initially made a complaint to police after receiving text messages and phone calls but dropped charges in a bid to put the incident behind him.

He complained again to police in 2010 after Mr Puddick set up websites and detailed the affair on Twitter, the court heard.

Mr Puddick bought a number of web names, including "Banksyunmasked", prior to setting up his website detailing the affair, the court was told.

It was also said that he set up a fake page on LinkedIn, which contains business-themed profiles of individuals, to expose potential clients of Mr Haynes to details about the insurance broker's private life.

Mr Haynes added: "Every medium, including Twitter, was being utilised to create information about myself and the affair.

"The whole thing is causing my wife upset and distress. We are very anxious that, with the graphic nature of the website, that children do not stumble across it."

He added that he "was deceitful", but said "I like to think of myself as an honest person."

Speaking outside court, Mr Puddick said: "It is a very, very interesting story. I wish it was happening to somebody else and not me.

"But there are obviously big legal implications for the press and for the public. I've stood my ground."

The case continues.

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Police accused of Pilkington failings

24 May 2011 Last updated at 13:46 GMT The family received only eight visits from officers in 10 years Four officers face misconduct action after police "missed opportunities" to stop youths terrorising a woman who killed herself and her daughter.

Fiona Pilkington, 38, and 18-year-old Francecca Hardwick, who was disabled, died in October 2007 when Ms Pilkington set fire to their car.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has found the family should have been identified as "vulnerable".

They had complained 33 times to Leicestershire Police about harassment.

Continue reading the main story October 1997 - Ms Pilkington calls police to say her chequebook has been stolen from her car.October 2000 - Police are called after eggs are thrown at the house.August 2003 - Ms Pilkington's son Anthony Hardwick is punched in the mouth.January 2004 - Ms Pilkington's mother reports that fences are being set on fire. No action is taken by police.July 2004 - Anthony is locked in a shed at knifepoint and has to smash a window to escape.November 2005 - Members of the gang start jumping on the family's hedge. Police say no officer is available.June 2007 - Ms Pilkington reports children smoking in her front garden. An officer reports that she was "over-reacting".October 2007 - Two girls seen jumping on the hedge. Police advise drawing the curtains and ignoring the abuse.The IPCC said an inspector, a sergeant and two police constables had a case to answer for misconduct, but police stressed that their jobs were not at risk.

In a report published on Tuesday, IPCC Commissioner Amerdeep Somal said: "There was nothing in place to ensure the Pilkington family were considered by police as vulnerable or repeat victims, contrary to the force's own strategy.

"Systems were in place for officers to have linked the catalogue of incidents but these were not well utilised.

'Gave up'

"Police missed several opportunities to take robust action, inadequately investigated criminal allegations on some occasions and failed to record information on their own intelligence system."

Over the course of 10 years, Ms Pilkington's home in Barwell was repeatedly targeted by groups of up to 16 youngsters, with stones, eggs and flour thrown at the house.

On one occasion, Francecca - who had the mental age of a four-year-old - was told to lift up her night-dress, while her brother Anthony was locked in a shed at knifepoint.

Ms Pilkington reported the incidents, as well as keeping a detailed log, but in total received only eight visits from officers.

An inquest in 2009 heard that six months before her death she had told her family: "I give up."

'Unreserved apologies' Leicestershire Police's chief constable said the force had learned 'many lessons'

The 38-year-old killed herself and Francecca after pouring petrol in their car in a lay-by on the A47 in nearby Earl Shilton.

The 180-page IPCC investigation report contains 92 findings on interaction police had with the family and on force procedures and systems.

It concludes that the police's error in not identifying Fiona Pilkington and her children as a vulnerable family "lay at the core" of their failure to provide a cohesive and effective approach.

Incidents were too often dealt with by police officers in isolation and with an unstructured approach, it said.

In response, Leicestershire's Chief Constable Simon Cole said: "We accept the findings and recommendations of the IPCC.

"We acknowledge, as we did following the inquest in 2009, that our actions failed to meet the family's needs and in retrospect we would have done things differently.

"We again offer our unreserved apologies for whatever extent the force's actions contributed to Fiona's mindset at the time that she and Francecca died.

"The IPCC acknowledge in their report that we have learnt many lessons from Fiona and Francecca's tragic deaths and that we continue to make significant changes to the way we deal and respond to these types of incidents."

Police failed to share information about the abuse targeted at the family home

Ms Pilkington's family are taking legal action against the police force, as well as Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council.

Their solicitor Jocelyn Cockburn said they hoped the police watchdog's findings "will lead to improvements in the way that victims of anti-social behaviour and hate crime are dealt with by the police".

"The family know first-hand the terrible impact of such behaviour on vulnerable people and they dearly hope that other victims will be helped by this case," she said.

The case has led to a review of the way police forces deal with targeted anti-social behaviour.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government is shaking up the system to include better logging of complaints. This will ensure vulnerable victims are quickly identified and given the right support.

"We are also introducing a Community Trigger that will mean victims can compel police and other local agencies to take action against troublemakers. Never again should a vulnerable victim go so unheard for such a long time."

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