Court report

A man with a schizophrenia background was given a suspended sentence yesterday at Bournemouth Crown Court amidst the “escalation of violence” related to knife crime.

Simon James, 32, was charged with possession and production of a knife in public place, which was “serious” in the words of Mr. J. Fuller Q.C.

On July, 23 last year, the defendant was overheard quarrelling with his girlfriend in a flat in Poole, Dorset. Close by were the car wash facilities, said Miss Carolyn Branford Wood, prosecuting. On that Wednesday afternoon, James, holding a knife with his right hand, entered the premises and pinned a man against the wall. A witness said: “I could see terror on the lad’s face”.

The police arrested James and seized a number of knives including the kitchen knife he used. Mr. Chris Gair, defending stated his client’s act was merely to show that he had a knife.

Miss Wood mentioned the drunken state of the defendant after drinking gin. James was so drunk that he could not remember anything when interviewed afterwards.

In 2003, James was arrested for drink-related disorder. Two years later, he was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court for dishonesty offences.

The man suffered from “spontaneous, irrational thinking”, “high anxiety”, some schizophrenic symptoms listed in his psychiatric report. Mr. Gair said James was caught in a “vicious circle” where he was disadvantaged because of his mental illness. The defendant was said to have tried to “get his life back on track” as well as seeking medical advice; “It was not his bad.” However, James did fail to attend his appointment due to family entanglements.

The judge announced a suspended sentence of 6 months with an operational period of 18 months. Mr. Fuller Q.C. stressed the public concern with the growing knife culture, which had just been highlighted by this case.

Nightmare before Christmas

Two bears from a vandalised Christmas theme park have been shot dead by Dorset police.

Superintendent Deb Daubery said the public was no longer in danger from the wild animals. Kirsty and Phill – 2 North American brown bears - escaped from Tinsel town theme park, Bournemouth after their cage was tampered with in the vandalism today. Mr Bob Statten, the owner, discovered the damages to the theme park first thing when he went to work at 8am.

“It is a sad ending but we had no choice” – Mr Daubery said. The bears did not react to the tranquiliser in the first place and ran away into the area of residence. They have now been removed from a garden on Glenferness Avenue, near Bournemouth University where the incident took place.

Police also arrested an animal rights activist, who dressed up as a bear to distract them from capturing the real animals.

One member of the Bear Unity movement – Sky, 14 said “I’m here to take the bullet for them”. The police risked shooting one of these people but none were injured.

Sky said the bears should have never been kept in Tinsel town. “People need freedom. The bears need freedom”, he assimilated the captivity to Guantanamo Bay prison. “We need to stop the exportation of animals.”

“We would die for our cause”, the activist wanted to send his message across to the owner of Tinsel town that “the bears should live unmolested by people”.

During the course of the search, a man was bitten by one of the 2 bears. Steve Bond – a worker for Meyrick Park - suffered from a minor injury to his shoulder while in a kebab shop at 1:30 am the previous day. “It’s a natural thing” – said Sky – “If the bears are brought to the urban and suburban areas, they will attack people”.

It will take a couple of weeks before the theme park could be reopen to the public. “It has ruined Christmas for the children”, said Mr Statten.

NATIONAL YEAR OF READING SCHEME BOOSTS BOURNEMOUTH BOOK BORROWERS

The National Year of Reading has recruited 12,506 new borrowers to Bournemouth libraries since its official public launch in April this year.

This adds to the existing number of active borrowers, which is 53,835 – around a third of Bournemouth population. Ms. Gerardine Bodey – Area Manager of Bournemouth Libraries said the increase was significant. In the same period of time last year, only 8,653 people took up library membership.

The National Year of Reading, led by the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency, is a government-backed scheme with the slogan “Everything starts with reading”. There are a number of monthly themes all embracing the core values of promoting reading in wider communities.

In Bournemouth, as part of the initiative, the Frankenstein novel written in 1817 by Mary Shelley was picked for ‘The Big Bournemouth Read’. The aim is to encourage everyone in the borough to engage in reading and discussing about the book. This latest theme, chosen for the connections between the author and Bournemouth, was set to take place from October to December. The writer - Mary Shelley - was buried at St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth in 1851. Her son was living in Boscombe Manor not far from there at the time.

The book stock in Bournemouth libraries up to April this year was 313,308. If aligned by length, the books would form a line of around 42 miles, that is 6 times the length of Bournemouth‘s golden sands. Last year, the average number of visitors to Bournemouth libraries each day was 2,890.

Drinking during the credit crunch: what Bournemouth has to say

By Linh Dao and Vicky Meadows

The British Beer and Pub Association reported a slump in beer sales of approximately 1.8 million pints a day.
So have the government awareness campaigns been effective in making people drink less? Or are we simply drinking less beer and turning to cheaper types of alcohol due to the credit crunch?

A random sample of 10 people on the streets of Bournemouth is asked to give opinions on what is responsible for the decline in beer sales.

Sociology student Amy Bryant, 20 from Norton Road, Winton blamed the credit crunch. She said students have to start saving for necessities and cannot afford expensive alcohol.

Amy Bryant


Ms Holland, from Boscombe, said “It’s definitely a money issue”. She only drinks once a year but said that when she does, it’s from cheap supermarkets.


“The credit crunch has nothing to do with this”- said Perkins David, a retired councillor from Parley Road, Winton. He said the Government’s actions to cut down on youth drinking culture were really helpful.

Perkins David

Dave, a 24-year-old student from Lansdowne said: “Just because beer sales are down, doesn’t mean people are drinking less. They just buy booze that’s cheaper than beer” .


Lewis, who works in the Old Fire Station - a popular student pub - shared Dave’s view. He said: “I go out less because I can’t afford beer, not because I think I should drink less.”


An unemployed chap from Elgin Road, Winton commented, “The government hasn’t really done anything has it?” Jeremy Canning said that finding a job was already hard, let alone affording binge drinking.

Jeremy Canning, unemployed


Regular drinker Alix Traynor from Boscombe believes that it’s the price of beer that puts people off, claiming; “I buy cheap spirits in the supermarket. Gets you wrecked, don’t it?”


Nani Leung, a non-drinker from Knole Road, Boscombe, attributed the sales slump to the credit crunch. The 30-year-old carer said the fall also affects other commodities, not just alcohol.

Nani Leung, non-drinker

Paula Castano, a student from Christchurch Road, Lansdowne, solely blames the increased tax on beer for the lack of sales. “It’s too expensive” she said.

Whilst most people appeared to blame the current financial climate for the falling beer sales, Gerard Howell, a lawyer from London believed the government’s measures have had just as much impact. “Government alone can’t stop people from drinking, there’s got to be a real squeeze from the credit crunch.”

Gerard Howell

A FEW HOME TRUTHS ABOUT LIVING AWAY FROM HOME

“I’m not a celebrity but get me out of here!!” – Some of you might shout this out loud after just over a month starting a new life in Bournemouth. Why?

You wouldn’t normally expect a fire alarm to go off at random times when you were home with your parents but in halls of residence, anything is possible. It is like the age-old fable “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf”. One minute you hear the deafening sound whilst tucking in bed and can’t be bothered to get out, the next minute you realise it is for real and follow the stream of people out of the building. Never assume it is just the authorities “crying wolf”, stay alert and clench your teeth if you have to! The recent case in Purbeck House where a female student luckily escaped the fire after leaving a tea light burning is a useful reminder.

Nor would you expect to see a load of strangers messing around in the communal kitchen at prime time, only to find out they’re friends of your flatmates. Okay we’re not in a communist society so that you could make yourself at home at anyone’s home (even in such a society, it’d still be too much!) You might wonder if those people would break your dear old mug, or they’d get drunk and knock on your door while doing an assignment, or simply just prevent you from watching your favourite programme on telly. As long as they are considerate enough and it doesn’t happen too often, don’t put on a grouchy face because you’d accidentally write on your face “Do not mess with me!” And remember you could always bring your friends over once in a while, that way fairness is mostly preserved. Also, if the “strangers” are cooking some stuff, you might well be invited to try out the food as a sign of friendliness. So don’t put people off by inhospitality, even though they’re not really your guests.

Living in a privately-rented house might reduce the number of fire alarms, but there’re a few other kinks. If you find yourself under a mountain of bills: water, electricity, gas, internet, TV license, you’re not alone. There should be no problem provided your housemates are responsible and pay the shares on time. Sadly, it’s not always been the case. Since you’re keen on both keeping the peace and getting the financial burden off quickly, this can be rather tricky. The only way to get round it is to get a few allies and apply some psychological knowledge, i.e. using social pressure.

At other times you notice food starts to go missing. There can’t be mice inside, there certainly can’t be ghosts, and this is where potential tension arises. It might be that there’re drunk people who can’t even distinguish a tennis ball from a pear. There was a case where the concerned housemates had to stick big notes inside their cupboards as to warn off “petty thieves”. Something like “I put my stuff in my cupboard for a reason” would do.

The last thing you would want to do is have the police coming round your house. Imagine being woken up in the early morning by absolute chaos caused by one of your troubled housemates, followed by a not-so-tentative knock on the front door by the police. That said, don’t just throw a tantrum against people, give them a chance and then phone up the landlord/agent if needed.

Haven’t experienced any of those mentioned above? Then you’re very lucky indeed. Or it might be that you go out too often to care about such “domestic affairs”. Either way, there is no room for complacency, be prepared for anything that might crop up along the way. Nonetheless, make full use of your 3 years: meet new people, live learn and laugh with them. You’re still just a student after all and too much stress shouldn’t be allowed!

WHAT MAKES A GOOD REPORTER – AN INSIDER’S VIEW

Dedication, an inquisitive mind and a good listening skill make a good reporter. Olivier Vergnault – a senior reporter of Western Morning News in Torquay - offered his view from inside the industry.

Mr. Vergnault, 33, has been in the profession for eight years and in his current position for one year, after working for various newspapers in Scotland, Cheltenham and Bristol.

Journalism requires true commitment, which is why dedication tops the list. “You just have to keep going”, the reporter explained. There is a reason why you should be able to do so, since journalism itself is fun, exciting and never boring. “I feel the adrenaline rush every time I get a good news story”. Once your heart is in it, you start realising yourself becoming a “news junkie”, he remarked.

Curiosity also makes a difference. A good reporter should “never take things at face value”. Being able to inquire matters but this is just one side of the story. He stressed that it is complemented by being able to listen. An effective listener picks up important information quickly and impartially from different sources.

Mr. Vergnault held a BA in history and a MA in journalism from Glasgow. What drove him to the career was the challenge, not the salary, as he recalled earning only £7,000 in his first year. “I’m happy where I am now with a good blend of work and life”. The reporter said he had time for his wife and hobbies, including rock climbing and walking. “I’ve been trying out script-writing for films too”, he revealed his other interest.

Whether his account inspires or scares would-be reporters, the message is firm: Give it a go.

The old piece of memory

For Jim Early, 71, the very first thing he could remember was the Dublin bombing by the Germans in World War 2. He was only a three-year-old child at the time when he witnessed the ceiling falling.

Mr. Jim, who used to be a retail buyer, was born and bred in Dublin, Ireland. Soon after his marriage, he moved to Swansea and has been living there since. Psychologically, your earliest memory should have some significance in order to be remembered in the first place. In his Irish accent, he spoke of his earliest memory in the raid. “I could remember the ceiling falling on top of my head”. At the time, he was too young to even be scared, yet he vividly recalled details of the German attack.

It was in the early morning when the planes approached Dublin and bombs began to fall. The vibration was so strong that it could knock down something “as high as a hill”. Fortunately, Mr. Jim and his family were not injured, “It was only plaster so I wasn’t hurt”; but their house was considerably damaged. In the series of tragic events, he also witnessed “planes crashing directly onto the sea”, explosions and numerous policemen around the area. Despite the fact Ireland had claimed its neutrality in the war, the bombing was said to have claimed 43 lives.

Now with grandchildren to visit in Swanage, Mr. Jim seemed pleased and delighted. With the war behind, perhaps such childhood memories would prove to be valuable history lessons for his offspring someday.