Fears over pre-teens being exposed to inappropriate adverts online, as regulators step up controls – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 1st, 2018 in advertising, alcohol abuse, children, food, gambling, health, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Pre-teens are being targeted with adverts for inappropriate alcohol and gambling, the chief executive of the advertising regulator has warned, as he called on social media firms to do more to protect children.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Chloe Atkinson Wilkie death: Drunk mother slept on baby girl – BBC News

‘A drunk mother whose seven-week old daughter died as she fell asleep holding her on a sofa has walked free from court.’

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BBC News, 22nd October 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Drunk’ women face harsher sentences than men, research claims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 19th, 2018 in alcohol abuse, equality, news, sentencing, statistics, women by sally

‘Women are twice as likely as men to receive harsher sentences for assault offences when alcohol is a contributory factor, according to a new study.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th October 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris admits being more than twice drink-drive limit in Porsche – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 13th, 2018 in alcohol abuse, disqualification, driving licences, fines, news by tracey

‘Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris has admitted being more than twice the drink-drive limit having been showered with drinks by diners at a London restaurant. The 31-year-old goalkeeper, of East Finchley, north London, was charged and bailed following a routine patrol stop in the early hours of August 24. He was fined £50,000 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and banned from driving for 20 months after admitting drink driving.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th September 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

CPS defends handling of case against cricketer Ben Stokes – The Guardian

Posted August 16th, 2018 in affray, alcohol abuse, assault, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, sport by sally

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has defended its handling of the high-profile case against the England cricketer Ben Stokes after a jury unanimously cleared him of affray.’

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The Guardian, 15th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legislation in Wales for minimum price for alcohol receives Royal Assent – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 14th, 2018 in alcohol abuse, legislation, news, Wales by sally

‘A new law introducing a minimum price for alcohol in Wales has this month been granted Royal Assent.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th August 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

English courts trial mental health referrals for vulnerable offenders – The Guardian

Posted August 10th, 2018 in alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental health, news, rehabilitation, sentencing by sally

‘Offenders with mental health, alcohol and drug abuse problems are being referred to health services as part of community sentences in an effort to steer them away from jail time.’

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The Guardian, 10th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police custody deaths hit 10-year high, with experts citing austerity – The Guardian

‘Police custody deaths have hit their highest level in a decade with police, campaigners and experts warning that austerity and a crisis in mental health services have driven the figure up.’

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The Guardian, 25th July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

FDAC unit closure threatens future of problem-solving courts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 22nd, 2018 in alcohol abuse, courts, drug abuse, families, family courts, local government, news by tracey

‘Days after it emerged that a national board set up to improve the performance of the family justice system and chaired by government ministers had not met for 17 months, a national unit set up only three years ago to support a pioneering problem-solving court service for families is shutting down due to lack of government support.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 21st June 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Smoke and mirror’ tactics of drink-drive defence teams criticised – The Guardian

‘The “smoke and mirror” tactics of defence lawyers in drink-driving cases have been criticised by the government’s forensic science regulator, who has launched an investigation into the work of a number of expert witnesses.’

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The Guardian, 18th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

BA pilot jailed for being four times over alcohol limit in plane cockpit – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2018 in airlines, alcohol abuse, news, sentencing by sally

‘A British Airways pilot has been jailed for eight months after being caught more than four times over the alcohol limit while on duty.’

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The Guardian, 12th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Some drunk offenders to be spared court and criminal record – BBC News

‘Offenders who commit minor crimes after drinking will be given the chance to attend a course rather than face court.’

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BBC News, 7th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Driver jailed after crashing through a family’s front living room – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 1st, 2018 in alcohol abuse, dangerous driving, news, sentencing by tracey

‘James Sparham has been jailed for five years after driving his car at high speed through the living room wall of a family home. The 29-year-old was almost three times the drink drive limit when he crashed through the wall of the home owned by David Garnett, 54 and his wife Claire, 50, in the early hours September 3 2017.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th April 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ant McPartlin fined £86,000 for drink-driving – The Guardian

‘The TV presenter Ant McPartlin has been fined £86,000 and disqualified from driving for 20 months after admitting drink-driving.’

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The Guardian, 16th April 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hayes crash: Drunk driver jailed for 13 years after killing three teenagers at London bus stop – The Independent

Posted March 29th, 2018 in alcohol abuse, dangerous driving, homicide, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A drunk driver has been jailed for 13 years after killing three boys as they walked to a 16th birthday party in London. Jaynesh Chudasama pleaded guilty in February to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving over the incident near a bus stop in Hayes.’

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The Independent, 28th March 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Drink driver jailed for killing girl returning from birthday party – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted March 21st, 2018 in alcohol abuse, dangerous driving, press releases, sentencing by tracey

‘A man who drank nine pints of lager and took cocaine before crashing into a group of schoolchildren, killing a 16-year-old girl, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving and given a nine year driving ban.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 20th March 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Domestic abusers could be electronically tagged in government crackdown – Daily Telegraph

‘Domestic abusers could be banned from drinking alcohol and electronically tagged under a Government crackdown. New civil orders will expand the potential restrictions courts and police can impose on criminals who torment partners, spouses and other family members.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th March 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Family Drug and Alcohol Courts to expand across London – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 1st, 2018 in alcohol abuse, care orders, courts, drug abuse, families, family courts, London, news by sally

‘The Family Drug and Alcohol Court ( FDAC) is to expand in London after a partnership of nine boroughs, led by Merton Council, commissioned the service from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The use of testing for drugs and alcohol in FDAC – Family Law

‘The FDAC National Unit (NU) coordinates quarterly meetings for all FDAC substance misuse workers, to provide a forum for discussing issues arising from working in FDAC, which is a very different experience to working within adult treatment services. Issues that arise include being part of a multi-disciplinary team, working within the tight timescales of care proceedings, and the need to focus on the welfare of the child and the child’s timescales rather than solely on the parent/s. Issues relating to testing are also discussed regularly.’

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Family Law, 9th January 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Unreliable forensic toxicology tests – next steps – Family Law

‘Family analysis: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that it is treating some hair strand test results as potentially unreliable. Maud Davis, partner at TV Edwards LLP looks at what this could mean for proceedings involving children where there was a reliance on hair strand testing, and suggests next steps for family practitioners advising in this area.’

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Family Law, 7th December 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk