Could this be Prince William’s olive branch to Harry?

Prince William has taken a conciliatory step in his feud with Prince Harry by publicly naming him for what is believed to be the first time in six years.

In a recent documentary, William describes how, as youngsters, Princess Diana brought the boys to a homeless shelter in London to expose them to the reality of life outside the palace.

The film, titled ‘Prince William: We Can End Homelessness’, includes poignant unseen photos of William and Diana at the Passage in Westminster.

One shows the young Prince intently playing chess with a homeless guy at the shelter during Princess Diana’s visit with William on June 14, 1993, a few days before his eleventh birthday.

Another, taken in December that year shows a suited-and-booted young William standing alongside his mother at the shelter, his arms stuffed with presents to give.

‘My mother took me to the Passage; she took Harry and I both there… I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect,’ explains William.

‘My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a joke with everyone…I remember having some good conversations, playing chess, and chatting.

‘You meet people, like I did then, who put a different perspective in your head.’

The touching introduction demonstrates how the Prince’s recollections of his mother fuelled his desire to eradicate homelessness.

The Prince of Wales is tragically familiar with trauma and family dissolution, which are highlighted in the movie as typical reasons for homelessness.

In addition to his mother’s passing, William and his younger brother are still at odds, and this should not be the case. They are brothers, whether royal or not! It shouldn’t matter what background you come from; blood is thicker than water!

Until this film, it was understood William had not uttered his brother’s name in a public speech or interview since 2018 when the two princes, alongside the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle, were interviewed at the Royal Foundation Forum.

If only through an old photograph of the two boys visiting the shelter in 1993, the documentary also brings the brothers back together on film.

His wife, the Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer, which was another personal catastrophe that occurred during the filming.

It’s more of a tribute to their mother’s work and his desire to carry on her legacy than an olive branch, although it would be good if it was a positive step. They are brothers, after all.

Reintroducing them both into each other’s lives would be wonderful. They should shake hands and put the past behind them as brothers, even if Harry might never be trusted again. At the end of the day, family is family regardless of what they have done.

Diana would not have wanted this and Prince William knows this. Even if they had a shallow, polite relationship, it would be something, and Diana would have been so disappointed in them both.

Normal individuals don’t permanently cut out their siblings from their lives because they disagree, and as Christians, they should just forgive those who have harmed them. In this case, it was Harry, but I’m sure he had his reasons, and I’m also definitely sure he knows more about his mother’s death than he’s letting on.

Some might say that it wasn’t a disagreement and that it was a complete betrayal. Either way, it has nothing to do with us. It is a family matter that we the public have no jurisdiction in, unless, of course, your surname is Windsor and you are related to them, and even then, they are brothers who should be working it out between themselves, and even their wives should mind their beeswax!

Wi-Fi and Bathrooms Are The Only Reasons Gen Z Soldiers Will Join The Army

Your Army needs you! Unless you’re Gen Z, you need better Wi-Fi and bathroom ensuites.

According to research on Armed Forces accommodation, these were some of the top demands of young soldiers. The top four requirements for Gen Z troops, who are described as those under 27, also included having a double bed and a suitable kitchen in which to prepare their meals.

According to a Ministry of Defence poll, young, unmarried service personnel currently anticipate receiving 19 benefits while in the military. In more recent barracks, troops often have their own rooms, and the most advanced have private bathrooms.

However, many troops on older sites share restrooms, showers, and common areas; in fact, up to six soldiers may share a single space.

According to the survey, inadequate accommodation and the poor quality of food offered in canteens are the main reasons why thousands of soldiers leave the Armed Forces each year.

Up to 40% of soldiers stated that their choice to choose other jobs was largely influenced by worries about housing and food. According to the poll, more than 6,000 of the 15,710 soldiers who left the Armed Forces last year complained about their meals and accommodations.

It also showed that a third of all soldiers believe they pay too much for their accommodation, with more than 20,000 military personnel making formal complaints about accommodation in the last two years, according to MoD figures. 

According to a different assessment released earlier this year, service housing was beset by recurring issues such as mildew, dampness, electrical and gas malfunctions, and insect infestations.

Colonel Phil Ingram, a former Army intelligence officer, said: ‘Too many facilities are shared, where heating often doesn’t work and where roofs leak. There are often problems with vermin and, worst of all, there is little privacy.

‘I am not surprised so many cite accommodation as a reason for leaving, as on the whole, it is generally atrocious.’ 

An MoD spokesman said it is ‘determined to tackle the dire state of service accommodation’ and will appoint an Armed Forces Commissioner ‘to act as a strong, independent champion for personnel and their families to improve service life’.

Cooks on the base used to prepare and serve the food, and it was delicious. However, since it was outsourced to civilian caterers, the quality of the cuisine has declined. Why? Because the goal of civilian caterers’ businesses is profit, not providing the greatest service.

Schools and NHS staff canteens are no different. Instead of having in-house chefs prepare far superior cuisine, they hire catering services to deliver unappetising, subpar food that is then reheated.

Why shouldn’t our forces get decent accommodation and good food? Not only that, but they should get it for free because they’re fighting for their King and country. Let’s face it, if you’re an asylum seeker, our government hands out food and accommodation, but they treat their forces like they’re lepers, disgusting!

Barracks should be neat, orderly, and mould-free, but they can’t expect fine food or bubble baths when they’re on the field and fighting.

We need to provide our troops with far better facilities than they have now.

Nursery Ordered To Remove Privacy Fence

After a ‘ridiculous’ council ordered a nursery to demolish a 6-foot fence that was put in place to protect kids while they were playing outside, parents expressed their outrage.

Westcliff-on-Sea’s Imperial Day Nursery has filed an appeal against Southend Council after the council ordered that a massive fence that rises above the business be removed or its height reduced.

Situated on a residential road in the seaside suburb, neighbours say the fencing, which is 6 feet high, looks ‘terrible and unsightly’.

But parents of children attending the nursery accuse the council of prioritising the ‘aesthetics of the street’ over the safety of their children as they campaign for the fence to stay up.

The nursery first became engulfed in a planning row with the council in 2022 after a complaint was made regarding the structure, which was built without proper planning permissions in place.

Imperial Day Nursery then lodged a retrospective planning application, but the council rejected it, claiming it was ‘visually prominent and stark’ and ‘out of keeping’ with the surrounding area.

The nursery has since intensified its defence by contesting the enforcement action taken by the council.

Speaking to MailOnline outside the nursery, parents told of how they feel safer with the structure being in place.

They say that before its use, strangers could easily peer into the ‘baby room’ at the front of the building, and that the fence also allows children to safely play in the outdoor area in front of the property.

One mother, Natalie Toby, said, ‘I’m a security advisor so from my point of view, it keeps children hidden away from the public walking past.

‘You can’t really see where the front door is unless you go all the way down there, so they’re keeping access routes nice and tucked away.

‘The nursery has been here for 30 years so I don’t see why the council are applying the same rules that they would to domestic dwellings.

‘New-build schools are being built with fence lines not dissimilar to this, so why are they not allowing this?

‘Surely the safety of the children is more important than the aesthetics.’

She told of an incident before the fencing that blocks the window of the front room was erected when a postman unintendedly dropped heavy parcels through the window of the baby room.

She added, ‘So it’s not just about keeping it closed off from people with malicious intentions; it’s accidental things as well.

‘They’ve got vulnerable children in that front room, and having the fence up keeps the babies safe.

‘It’s ridiculous; I don’t understand why the council are being so stubborn about it.

‘Surely safeguarding children and their safety is paramount to aesthetics.

‘I don’t want my daughter in a room where people can just walk past and look through.’

This is a story with two sides. Residents believe the fence is an eyesore and may be depreciating their property, while parents believe it keeps their kids safe.

If Southend council want the fence down, why don’t they find the group a suitable centre where they could be safe and in no one else’s eyesight?

However, all of this makes me feel negatively about the world we live in. What comes next? Will we all be forced to live in bunkers?

Although it’s pleasant to see kids play, not everyone is watching with good intentions, and I would want every safety measure in place if it were my grandkids. However, saying that it’s not normal to keep children away from everyone’s sight. It’s not mentally healthy to have such a fear-driven mindset, and it’s not healthy for kids either.

Mega-mansion On Thames Worth £8 Million

James Corden bought a mansion for £8 million and just abandoned it!

More money than sense! It could be because how this man achieved fame and fortune is even more bizarre than the property itself.

Gavin and Stacey were famous, to be sure, but James Corden has turned into a jerk.

Gavin and Stacy were unquestionably bloody fantastic. However, James Corden comes across as annoying and self-centred, which is why I didn’t like him back then and I don’t like him today.

Do I have anything positive to say about him? Absolutely not!

Both Ruth Jones and James Corden wrote the scripts for Gavin and Stacey. It was funny and good back in the day, but I’d like to see him singlehandedly produce anything near that standard now, and the nasty side of him has been shown too often for him to ever be popular again.

I wish I could spend £8 million on a mansion but the difference is I wouldn’t let it rot away. It’s a very weird-looking home, but also very unique, and if someone wants to spend some money and time on it so they can give it a bit of tender loving care, this mansion would just look amazing.

Suddenly James Corden is back in the UK after living in America for many years and now he decides he wants to do something with it, like knock it down. Don’t knock it down; renovate it; you have the money; you might not have the skill set like in Gavin and Stacey; we’d probably find him in one of the many bathrooms asleep!

Mind you, the mansion is round and expensive just like him, with mirrors everywhere for his vain narcissism, and it very much looks like he sold his soul. Perhaps he got a Black Friday deal with the devil.

James Corden was just a mediocre man who became a little bit famous but then sold his soul so that he could join the Secret Gentlemen’s Club.

This home matches his personality perfectly, in all areas, size, and personality, and he needs to put some backbone work into it to bring it back to its original architecture.

This home appears to have been abandoned until James Corden purchased it. He hasn’t lived there, I believe. It appears that the property and the possibility of building a new house piqued his curiosity more.

The fact that this is James Corden’s property makes it one of my favourites among abandoned mansions. He purchased it, lived in the US, allowed it to deteriorate even more, and then returned to the UK. Maybe the Americans were tired of him?

If you’re going to purchase a property, at least have the decency to bring it up to code regulations so that it can be lived in by someone who wants to live in it.

Don’t just leave it to rot; that is just selfish because while he was leaving it to rot, somebody else could have bought it for a cheaper price and brought it up to scratch. It could have been made into some kind of hostel for the homeless while James Corden was over there in the US scratching his nuts, and I wasn’t talking about the squirrel kind!

Some might say that the mansion is like an artefact from the Dark Ages, so a bit like James Corden, and let’s face it, what’s one more in the area?

Some might say that the 1960s monstrosity needs to be torn down—and so does the house!

NHS Blocks Alzheimer’s ‘Wonder’ Drug From TODAY

The NHS will now ban the use of the most successful medication ever developed for Alzheimer’s disease.

It is anticipated that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency would deem Donanemab safe.

Donanemab has been called a revolutionary treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. It delayed its development by 35 percent, according to research.

However, the Daily Telegraph said yesterday night that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will decide it is too costly.

Since health insurance policies are unlikely to pay prices, patients will only be able to acquire either medication from private clinics under Nice’s recommendations, unless they are enrolled in a clinical trial.

Prof Sir John Hardy, a leading neurological researcher at UCL, said he felt the drug was ‘game-changing’ and that Nice was ‘coming down on the wrong side of the argument’. 

Prof Hardy was the first to identify the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s, which has now led to drugs that work by clearing the protein. 

He told The Times: ‘These drugs can give people an extra two years at home rather than in a nursing home. That is time enjoying their lives, having holidays—this is important stuff.

‘These are finely balanced arguments, but I do think they’ve come down on the wrong side of it.

‘I also think that the benefit of approval would be that it would kick NHS dementia care into shape, which really needs to happen. These drugs will come down the line at some point, and I don’t think the NHS is ready for them.’

About 1 million individuals in the UK have dementia, including one in six adults over 80. The great majority of care is either paid for privately or given by loved ones.

However, Nice excludes these ‘non-medical’ costs of care in its decision-making. 

Forecasters anticipate that the UK spends about £42 billion annually on dementia, and by 2040, that amount might increase to £90 billion.

Lecanemab, the first ground-breaking therapy for the illness, was licenced in August; the decision on donanemab is expected to follow suit.

Lilly, the company that makes lecanemab, anticipates that the treatment will cost $32,000 (£24,600) in the US, which is around 25% more than their first ground-breaking medication.

As opposed to an hour every two weeks, it has the benefit of being a 30-minute monthly intravenous injection, which lowers the NHS’s cost of administration.

Total treatment costs for donanemab in the US, including monitoring and scans, average $78,000 per year (£60,000) per patient.

The medication can be stopped by patients if it effectively removes the amyloid protein that it targets from the brain. However, lecanemab is given indefinitely until the disease reaches a moderate stage. 

Our government can afford to treat illegal aliens, but they can’t afford to treat our own citizens. This is absurd, and our Labour government are going to spend millions on Ozempic for obesity. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink it.

Whether this is a wonder drug or not is probably open to debate, but as far as the cost situation is concerned, if the NHS stopped paying enormous salaries to non-medical staff, then perhaps their money would go further.

Additionally, it appears that Labour does not support the elderly.

The elderly are the focus of Labour’s policies, which they appear to hate. Since the fuel allowance was eliminated, the NHS no longer provides patients with treatments aimed at enhancing their quality of life.

Since this medication is used to treat primarily elderly patients, it has naturally been blocked. Since it’s all a part of the deliberate and continuous culling of the old, anything that extends the life of those over 60 is prohibited.

House Arrest To Relieve Jail Overcrowding

Labour will open the door to wider use of community punishments for criminals—including house arrest—under a new review.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said extending technology such as electronic tags would see the creation of a ‘prison outside prison’ for non-dangerous offenders.

The goal of the sentence review is to resolve the jail problem, which has resulted in the early release of thousands of prisoners in the past six weeks to make room in the cells.

Led by former Tory minister David Gauke, the review will look at ‘robust community alternatives to prison.’

Thousands of criminals a year are currently released from jail on a ‘home detention curfew’ which requires them to wear an electronic tag and observe a curfew.

This type of ‘house arrest’ cannot currently be imposed as an initial sentence by a court, but the review may recommend introducing it as a substitute for jail.

Ms Mahmood said, ‘We have an opportunity now to reshape and redesign what punishment outside of a prison looks like.

‘Theoretically, a judge could hand down a sentence of house arrest.

‘I’m interested in what punishment outside of a prison looks like.

‘It still has to be punishment, they still have to have their liberty curtailed, people have to know and believe there are consequences to breaking our laws.’

The review is also likely to recommend an end to short prison sentences.

When he was justice secretary in 2019, Mr Gauke said short jail terms did not prevent reoffending and called for them to be scrapped in favour of tougher community sentences.

Labour is still committed to constructing an additional 14,000 jail places, increasing the total capacity in England and Wales to 105,000.

Ms Mahmood said: ‘This review, along with our prison building program, will ensure we never again have more prisoners than prison spaces.

‘I believe in punishment. I believe in prison, but I also believe that we must increase the range of punishments we use.’

The review will look at introducing ‘minimum sentences’ for serious crimes but it remains unclear how they could work.

Ms Mahmood is also understood to have been impressed by a scheme in Texas that gives well-behaved prisoners time off their jail sentences.

To learn more about the programme, she intends to visit the United States in the next year.

The new review will scrutinise ‘the point at which offenders are released from prison’, opening the way for some inmates to be freed earlier.

Additionally, the length of time they are under community probation officers’ supervision will be examined.

The 34% of people who voted for Labour are not me, and I’m happy that I didn’t vote Labour or Conservative, and before you ask, yes I did vote for a party.

The reasons for voting for a party and not saying which one is because successive governments have failed to do anything constructive, like building enough prisons to cope with the enormous increase in our nation’s population caused by 20 years of open borders, and releasing dangerous criminals into our neighbourhoods is far from the answer, and instead of voting for who we think would be the best choice, vote nobody. Don’t go to the polls like it’s the Olympics. Stay at home, and let our government swing from the chandeliers whilst trying to scratch their heads like a bunch of Orangutans, wondering what the hell is happening.

Five Strikes, You’re Out, Jenrick Says

A new ‘five strikes and you’re out’ policy with automatic jail terms for repeat offenders has been unveiled by Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick.

According to him, those found guilty of five or more offences will spend at least a year behind bars.

Its goal would be to stop the large number of crimes committed by repeat criminals.

The policy would require tens of thousands of extra prison places, funded partly by selling off inner-city jail sites in London and other cities.

The land would be ‘sold with planning permission for high-rise residential development’, Mr Jenrick said.

Money from the sales would be reinvested in new mega prisons’ located in cheaper areas of the country to hold 1,500 or more inmates.

‘If we have the extra capacity, then we can introduce a ‘five strikes and you’re out’ rule,’ Mr Jenrick said.

‘This will end the farce of career criminals, many with 25 or more prior convictions, committing yet more crimes and not going to jail for it.

‘This will enable us to bring about the much safer society we need. Altogether, this reform would significantly cut crime—by around a third.’

He said selling London’s Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth, Brixton, and Pentonville jails could raise £1.6 billion alone.

However, fourteen years of unrestricted immigration have resulted in overcrowding in our country’s jails, traffic jams on our highways, and sewage systems so overloaded that our once-pure rivers are now being forced to receive raw sewage from the water corporations. Our government needs to issue an apology, particularly to those in charge of the massive rise in boat crossings that is still going on.

And now they’re coming over more than ever, and no one in our government is attempting to stop them!

After releasing hundreds of criminals, our government now wants to imprison even more people. Somewhere here’s an irony! But then we must remember that Labour is in power and Jenrick is a Tory, and he can’t unveil such a plan.

Legal and illegal immigrants should be deported as soon as they are found guilty of any crime.

The issue is that there just isn’t enough prison space, the law hasn’t been adequately implemented for decades, and individuals increasingly consider prison to be a vacation destination.

Even some of our homeless try to get themselves banged up for the winter so that they can be warm and have a meal and a bed. That’s how lenient our prisons are.

I have no confidence in this man when all of our prisons are bursting at the seams. What is this man talking about—not enough room at the inn—where is he going to put all these people?

East London Fire Engines Rush To A Block Of Flats

A huge fire broke out at a block of flats in East London, with ten fire engines and 70 firefighters racing to the scene.

Shortly after eight in the morning, flames were spotted emerging from a flat at the residential complex on Queens Road West in Plaistow, sending clouds of smoke skyward.

The London Fire Brigade said the fire started in a flat on the tenth floor in a block of 15, and the ‘balcony and flat interior are currently alight’.

Three men managed to flee the burning flat before the emergency services arrived and are being treated at the scene.

About thirty residents of the apartment block were evacuated, and it’s still unclear what started the fire.

The brigade was called 30 times with the first report coming in at 8 am, and the blaze was under control an hour later.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are responding to a fire at a residential block on Queens Road West in Plaistow.

‘Traffic in the area will be impacted as crews respond.

‘The fire is located in a 10th-floor flat, in a block of 15 floors, and the balcony and flat interior are currently alight.

‘Three men left the flat before the Brigade arrived, and are being treated on scene by the London Ambulance Service. Around 30 people have been evacuated from the building.

‘The Brigade’s Control Officers have taken over 30 calls reporting the fire, with the first received at 0802. Firefighters from East Ham, Plaistow, Stratford and surrounding fire stations are currently at the scene.

‘The cause of the fire is not yet known.’

One witness took a photo of the fire from the Carter Road bridge nearby, tweeting: ‘Oi this is mad them blocks in Plaistow’ while another person commented ‘That is terrible’.

There seems to be an uptick in these fires.

As Lionel Bart wrote, ‘Fings ain’t what they used to be’, and London is not London anymore!

On a more serious side, though, I’m glad that there don’t appear to be any fatalities in the apartments, and I applaud the emergency services for acting quickly to put out the fire and save the lives of the victims.

Large cities are full of tower blocks, and more are always being constructed since they are space-efficient and are now referred to as “stack and pack” structures.

Sure, seventy firefighters is a bit much. I’m curious about the number of people that were just standing about, but because the fire department is often well-trained, I’d rather have too many personnel than not enough.

Tower blocks are grotesque in a multitude of ways. But more will be built, this time in deserted retail malls and abandoned parking lots, and when living in a block of flats, residents need to be even more cautious of leaving frying pan, cigarettes, hair straighteners et cetera unattended. Not only do they put their lives in jeopardy, but also their neighbours and carelessness is not an option in communal living situations.

They said the firefighters raced to the scene, what would we expect them to do? Take a slow walk!

Wearable Technology And Smartwatches Are Part Of Labour’s 10-Year NHS Plan

Labour’s 10-year plan to preserve the NHS includes the distribution of smartwatches to millions of people so they can track their health.

These individuals seem to be blind to the fact that the majority of people won’t wear them and that it will be a complete waste of money.

These wearable technologies will be distributed around the nation to help treat more patients at home and prevent sickness. They will include blood pressure monitoring devices, glucose monitoring devices, and cancer patient response to therapy.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is set to announce a ‘national conversation’ on the future of the NHS on Monday.

On Saturday, he said: ‘If we want to save the things we love about the NHS, then we have to change it.

‘Our 10-year health plan will turn the NHS on its head – transforming it into a Neighbourhood Health Service powered by cutting-edge technology that helps us stay healthy and out of hospital. We will rebuild the health service around what patients tell us they need.’

Mr Streeting believes there are three major shifts required to ensure the NHS’ survival, The Telegraph reports.

The government intends to replace analogue services with digital ones, shift the emphasis from treatment to prevention, and shift more care out of hospitals and into the community.

As part of this change, patients will be prescribed devices like smartwatches so they can keep an eye on their health in real-time.

Patients with diabetes may use phone notifications to measure their blood sugar levels, while others can keep an eye on their excessive blood pressure. And in a groundbreaking development, smart rings that enable cancer patients to monitor their vital signs may be made widely available.

Some patients in Greater Manchester who are facing blood, lung, and bowel cancer have already received the rings.

Patients may monitor their temperature, heart rate, amount of physical activity, and sleep patterns while undergoing therapy.

Patients undergoing stroke recovery will also have access to other gadgets that track their movement, and Parkinson’s disease patients can also record their tremors using smartwatches.

It is hoped that easier at-home health monitoring will lessen the strain on the National Health Service (NHS).

For instance, people with Type 2 diabetes often need to visit the GP or the hospital once a month.

Mr Sreeting said: ‘The challenges for the NHS are stark, but the opportunities are huge. Modern technology will transform how patients are cared for, making their lives infinitely easier and the NHS fit for the future.

‘At the same time, we will protect what patients want from the NHS – the family doctor relationship, free healthcare at the point of need, and shorter waits for appointments. Our 10-year health plan will preserve the NHS’s traditional values in a modern setting.

‘It’s going to take time, but it is our mission to take the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, get it back on its feet and make it fit for the future.’

It comes after Labour this week backed plans to offer unemployed Brits free jabs of the controversial ‘miracle’ weight loss drug, Ozempic.

Defending the drugs, Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC: ‘I think these drugs could be very important for our economy and for health.’

He added: ‘This drug will be very helpful to people who want to lose weight, need to lose weight, very important for the economy so people can get back into work.

The trouble with this idea though, is that the more people that are allowed to have ‘Ozempic’, the more likely people with diabetes, and who need it, won’t be able to have it because it will then be in short supply.

People must lose weight, but there are also other alternatives. Stop GMOs (Genetically Modified Foods), stop all processed foods and then that’s half the battle, but they won’t do that because it’s not profitable.

Whenever I hear the word ‘sustainability’ I cringe.

It is only sustainable when money is pouring into our politicians’ coffers. Otherwise, it is not economic sustainability. Regarding environmental concerns, in about twenty years they will be telling us that electric vehicles are a bad idea, just as they do with everything else they thought was a good idea until deciding it wasn’t. In terms of society, what I perceive is social purification. Then there’s resource conservation and the environmental impact. Indeed, it would be very sustainable to create more genetically modified organisms and cancer-causing foods.

The NHS rollout of issuing smart tech would be mired in overcharging and sleazy behaviour from our government, but smart tech will not prevent excess deaths of pensioners who are forced to choose between heating and eating.

While I support physical activity and a balanced diet, I predict that many smartwatch owners will sell them on eBay at a huge profit—just wait and see!

It sounds a little bit like a swindle, and while this initiative is being implemented, the manufacturers and politicians will undoubtedly make fat cat profits, and these watches won’t be free because the taxpayer will foot the bill, not our government, nothing ever comes out of their pockets, but this is how the world works, it always has and always will.

Schoolboy Hammers Sleeping Pupils And A Teacher

A public schoolboy who used hammers to beat two dozing classmates and a teacher at a boarding school was given a life sentence.

On June 9 of last year, just before one in the morning, the now-17-year-old attacked the two lads, who were ages 15 and 16, at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, after waiting for them to fall asleep.

Housemaster Henry Roffe-Silvester, who was asleep in his own quarters, was awoken by noises coming from the boarding house and went to investigate. Upon entering the bedroom, he was repeatedly struck in the head with the boy’s hammer.

The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was wearing his boxer shorts and claimed he was sleepwalking. He was found guilty of attempted murder and detained for life with a minimum term of 12 years. 

Chilling images shared by police following his conviction show the bloodied claw hammers – weapons he had collected to prepare for a zombie apocalypse – strewn on the floor of the dorm after the attack. 

Thinking there was an intruder, one of the students heard Mr Roffe-Silvester yelling and cursing as he ran out of the bedroom and called 999.

Moments later, the two youngsters were found in their beds. In addition to internal bleeding, they had also sustained rib, spleen, lung, and skull fractures.

The court heard both are living with the ‘long-term consequences’ of the attack but have no memory of the incident.

Mr Roffe-Silvester’s head was struck six times.

The defendant maintained he was sleepwalking at the time of the attacks – meaning he would be not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

However, the defendant was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder by the jury.

During the trial, James Dawes KC, prosecuting, told jurors: ‘The investigation has uncovered an obsession that the defendant had with one of the boys, an obsession with hammers as weapons, and an obsession with killing and killers and the killing of children.

‘He had motive, that he had planned something like this, thought about it in advance, and he was awake.

‘He was using his iPad right up to the moment before the attack.

‘Mr Roffe-Silvester said he thought the defendant appeared to be ‘on a mission’ and afterwards his face and body relaxed, and he was calm and slumped on his feet, squatting against the wall.’

But the youngster would have been sleepwalking, an expert informed the jurors.

Dr Mark Pressman went on to describe the attack on Mr Roffe-Silvester as ‘a textbook example of sleepwalking violence’ and said there were no features in the case inconsistent with sleepwalking.

The defendant’s relatives also disclosed to the court that sleepwalking runs in their family.

Another expert, Dr John O’Reilly, said he did not believe the boy was asleep because a sleepwalker does not initiate violence. After all, it is triggered by noise or touch.

Giving evidence, the boy said he kept two hammers by his bed ‘for protection’ from the ‘zombie apocalypse’.

The boy added: ‘I feel very terribly sorry for all three individuals because of what I did to them.

‘I feel very sorry for everyone, the families and themselves.’

Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Cutts said the defendant was ‘dangerous’ and only a life sentence could protect the public from further offending, as experts were unable to say how long he would pose a risk.

‘It nevertheless remains the case you knew the difference between right and wrong and planned to kill the boys and obtained hammers,’ she said.

‘You planned your offences and used hammers you had bought as weapons.

‘You knew full well if you hit the boys multiple times with the hammers they would die.

‘You are an intelligent boy, and I am satisfied you knew the difference between right and wrong.

‘I accept that in prison things will be difficult for you.

‘In my view, there remains a significant risk that you could behave in this way again.

‘I consider that you pose a high level of danger to the public because of the nature of your offences.

‘A life sentence remains the sentence of last resort. However, in my view, a life sentence is required in your case because it is impossible to say how long you will remain a danger.’

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Dave Egan said: ‘This was an unprovoked attack on two schoolboys as they slept in their beds. The assaults were both brutal and savage and I have no doubt that his intent was to kill.

‘Our detectives worked tirelessly to prove that the offender had indeed been fully conscious when committing this horrendous attack, which had been months in the planning.’

The family of one of the teenagers said: ‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have assisted in our son’s recovery – from the school community to the paramedics and the doctors and surgeons who gave outstanding care whilst he was in hospital. We are eternally grateful for your interventions.

‘The police and the prosecution team have helped us navigate this horrific case with the utmost professionalism and compassion.

‘Their thoroughness and attention to detail in the investigation has been truly impressive. We are indebted to everyone involved and would like to convey our sincerest thanks.’

The family of the other boy said: ‘I am pleased with the way the investigation has been handled by both the police and the prosecution team.

‘I am looking forward to my family moving on now that the trial is over, and I hope my son will continue his recovery and have a good future ahead.’

The problem is this won’t be a life sentence, he will eventually be paroled for good behaviour and granted a release because life doesn’t mean life at all, does it? And the only thing that seems to deflate with time is car tyres, balloons and life sentences, and this person should have been named regardless of his age.

This is an unduly lenient sentence, and attempted murder should be sentenced as if the victims had died, and he should never be released.

 

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