Freddie Starr Loses Libel Case Against Karin Ward

Freddie Starr and Karin Ward on Savile’s ‘Clunk Click’ show 1974

Freddie Starr has lost his libel case against Karin Ward. This follows allegations made in the 2012 documentary, Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile  by Ms Ward that Freddie Starr had sexually assaulted her.

Mark Williams-Thomas  told The Needle following the verdict; “As I told the court I had no doubt that Karin Ward was telling the truth. If I had concerns , even the slightest, I would not have done the interview with her and exposed her through it to national and international media scrutiny and attention. I am very pleased with the outcome.”

Even though the standard of proof is lower in a civil case, the judge having decided that on the ‘balance of probability’ that Freddie Starr had sexually assaulted Karin Ward rather than ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ the standard of proof needed in a criminal case, it is likely that Operation Yewtree will now look again at the original decision not to charge Freddie Starr for this offence.

25 Years For Ray Teret.

Next!

Former radio DJ Ray Teret has been jailed for 25 years for a series of rapes and indecent assaults on girls as young as 12.

Teret, 73, a friend of Jimmy Savile, was last week convicted of seven counts of rape and 11 counts of indecent assault during the 1960s and 1970s.

Police revealed four further women have said they were abused by the ex-Radio Caroline DJ in the wake of the trial.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating the claims.

Teret – known as Ugly Ray – was mentored by Savile in the early days of his career. His trial was told he followed Savile “around like a shadow”.

BBC News

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning admits abusing boys

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning has pleaded guilty to a string of historical sex offences against boys.

The 73-year-old admitted 29 charges of abuse against boys aged between nine and 16, at Southwark Crown Court.

He denied 12 further charges and will face a trial beginning on 24 November at the same London court.

Denning, of Basildon in Essex, was charged as part of Operation Yewtree, which was set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

BBC

Rolf Harris: “Kids Can Say No” 1985 Full Video

I’m just posting this up for the record though you might want to get your sick bags out ready if you decide to watch it.

CPS Statement On Rolf Harris Conviction

 

Jenny Hopkins, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS in London, said:

“Rolf Harris used his status and position as a world famous children’s entertainer to sexually assault young girls over a period spanning 18 years.

“The victims in this case have suffered in silence for many years and have only recently found the courage to come forward. I would like to pay tribute to the bravery they displayed in coming to court and giving evidence. That bravery and determination has seen Rolf Harris brought to justice and held to account.

“Each victim, unknown to the others, described a similar pattern of behaviour; that of a man acting without fear of the consequences.

“The prosecution of sexual offences is often difficult and complex, perhaps even more so when the allegations are from some years ago. We will continue to consider cases and wherever there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest, we will work with police and victims to build strong cases which can be put before a court.

“I hope today’s verdict provides other victims with the courage and confidence to come forward no matter who is alleged to have carried out the abuse and when.”

CPS

Rolf Harris Guilty On All 12 Charges

 

Rolf Harris has been found guilty on all 12 charges of indecent assault against 4 separate females who were children at the time of the assaults.

All the verdicts at Southwark Crown Court were unanimous.

Rolf Harris continues to be bailed until sentencing on Friday.

 

Savile and the abuse of absolute power

Extracts from Janice Turner’s Opinion article in The Times today;

A freelance despot, Savile befriended both high and low in the NHS. In return, they helped him commit his crimes

In the whole 253-page report into Jimmy Savile’s activities at Leeds General Infirmary there is just one instance where he troubles hospital bosses. Doctors complain that, although only a volunteer porter, he is plonking his vast Rolls-Royce in the consultants’ car park, filling two bays.

Savile skulking the wards in the dead of night; his access to nurses’ quarters and mortuary alike; the near-universal disgust felt for him by female staff — and, of course, his copious crimes — were not under their purview.

For a study in absolute power — how to win and exercise it; how to create useful allies and deflect would-be enemies; how to indulge undetected your taste for violence, humiliation and sexual depravity; how to steal trophies from the dead and the innocence from children and yet be garlanded with honours — forget Machiavelli. Read the Leeds and Broadmoor hospital Savile reports. Not every despot needs a nation; some go freelance.

The first principle of Savile’s modus operandi was: sort out the top and the bottom, then the middle will neither care nor dare. So at Leeds he first befriends night porters, dropping in for late-night chats, buying TVs for their seedy hospital bolt holes where they drank, played cards and entertained women. All against the rules, but Savile wouldn’t tell if they kept his secrets, too.

Besides keeping sweet the lowliest men, Savile ingratiated himself with the most powerful. At Leeds he befriended the chief governor; in Broadmoor he actually chose him, after Edwina Currie bizarrely trusted his judgment in heading up a task force to change hospital culture. He promised the minister he’d win officers’ compliance by threatening to expose their overtime fiddling to The Sun. He never did; conscious, no doubt, of what they had on him.

In Broadmoor, he didn’t need the slapdash security guards to lend him keys, to slip him in without question as he had in Leeds. The governor gave him, along with an office and a house near the grounds, a whole set of his own. This not only afforded him a back route to the women’s wards, but guaranteed nurses never challenged what he was allowed to see. Some were uncomfortable as Savile watched the female patients bathe, commenting on their “nice Bristols”. But they knew he had the power to have them sacked.

“No one knew” is the Savile refrain. But they saw, they heard, they knew.

read more…

Hospitals’ reports in detail

This is a summary of the findings of 28 hospitals’ investigations:

Hospitals’ Savile reports
Hospital	Number of allegations	Details
Leeds General Infirmary (inc St James and Seacroft Hospital)	60	33 of the 60 alleged victims were patients of whom 19 were children. A further 19 were staff. Encounters ranged from lewd remarks and inappropriate touching to sexual assault and rape.
Broadmoor Hospital	11	10 victims of assault, two were repeatedly abused. Six patients, two children and two staff. One indecent exposure to child. Report found “clear, repeated failure of safeguarding standards” at Broadmoor at the time.
St Catherine’s Hospital, Birkenhead	1	Savile allegedly groped a 14-year-old female patient. Report found the victim credible and convincing. Metropolitan Police have recorded it as a crime of sexual touching.
Saxondale Mental Health Hospital	1	Woman who was then 14 alleges that Savile lifted her skirt when she was at a disco at the hospital. She was a local resident rather than a patient. Savile had a fundraising association with Saxondale Hospital from 1972 to the early 1980s.
Portsmouth Royal Hospital	1	A man alleges being told by a cleaner that he was assaulted by Savile while unconscious. The report concludes that it is “highly unlikely” the incident took place.
Dewsbury and District Hospital (inc Pinderfields Hospital)	2	Woman says that when she was a 15-year-old in-patient in 1969 Savile French-kissed her without permission. A second allegation relates to lewd comments overheard by a nurse.
High Royds Psychiatric Hospital	2	Patient and member of staff say they were groped by Savile at a hospital fun day. Victim accounts described as “very compelling and certainly plausible”.
Wheatfield’s Hospice, (non-NHS – Sue Ryder)	1	At an opening ceremony before patients were admitted, a woman who was then 16 alleges that Savile touched her leg and made lewd comments. The report found her account credible but there was no evidence to substantiate it.
Cardiff Royal Infirmary	1	Patient alleged that Savile forcefully kissed her while she was lying in bed. The investigators were “unable to reach a conclusion about whether the incident took place”.
Great Ormond Street	1	One allegation of sexual abuse of a patient in 1971. Report found no evidence that Savile was at the hospital at the time.
Digby Hospital, Exeter	1	Former patient alleges that she was raped by Savile in a caravan in the hospital grounds. The report had “no reason to doubt the veracity” of her account.
Ashworth / Moss Side Hospital	4	Two female ex-patients said Savile abused them. One male ex-patient said he witnessed groping. One ex-staff member speculated about abuse which may have happened. Information was found to be credible.
Barnet General Hospital	1	Patient had conversation with nurses who said they had seen Savile having sex with a corpse at a different hospital. Investigators concluded incident did not happen at Barnet although conversation did take place.
Booth Hall Children’s Hospital	2	Woman who was aged seven or eight at the time says she was abused by her father and Savile. Man says Savile touched him when he was 10. Investigators cannot say conclusively whether the incidents took place.
De La Pole Hospital	1	Nurse alleged Savile groped a 14-16-year-old female patient but she denies the incident. Investigators found no evidence of the alleged assault but did find Savile had visited the hospital.
Dryburn Hospital	1	Allegations of potential procuring of children for Savile. No evidence was found to support this.
Hammersmith Hospital	2	One allegation related to a friend of Savile rather than Savile himself. A second allegation was of an inappropriate comment to a 13-year-old girl. No evidence of an association between the hospital and Savile.
Leavesden Secure Mental Health Hospital	0	Person thought Savile may have visited the hospital in the 1970s but report finds this unlikely.
Royal Marsden Hospital	1	Person said colleague had alleged Savile had made sexual advances to her at either the Royal Marsden or Stoke Mandeville hospitals. No evidence was found of Savile’s association with Royal Marsden.
Maudsley Hospital	0	Person thought Savile may have visited in 1964/5. Report found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Odstock Hospital, Salisbury	0	Person said Savile used to visit the hospital in the 1980s. Report found no allegation of wrongdoing by Savile.
Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital	1	Woman alleges that when she was a young girl she was taken onto the hospital site by Savile and another man and abused. Report found that the alleged incident had probably occurred, despite not being possible to verify her account.
Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead	1	Female patient alleged she was groped as she recovered from an operation. Investigators did not doubt that the attack happened but thought Savile was not involved.
Royal Victoria Infirmary	0	People flagged up that Savile had visited the hospital in 1987 and 1991. No allegation of wrongdoing made.
Queen Mary’s Hospital	1	Anonymous allegation that a junior nurse denied Savile access to a ward and was threatened that a BBC outside broadcast would be cancelled as a result. Investigators found it was not possible to conclude whether the incident occurred.
Whitby Memorial Hospital	1	Staff member said Savile had touched her inappropriately. Investigators found that the incident did take place.
Wythenshawe Hospital	1	Patient said that a fellow patient alleged that Savile was a “dirty old man” who had parties in his home with young girls. No evidence that Savile was present on the hospital site.
Woodhouse Eaves / Roecliffe Manor	1	Allegation of abuse against a boy aged between five and seven. Investigators found that it was likely that abuse had happened at the location but it was not possible to conclude it was carried out by Savile.

 
Source: BBC 26th June 2014
 

The Knight who was courted by Politicians, Media Celebrities and Royalty for decades.

Imagine their surprise, shock, horror and amazement when it first transpired that he was a predatory paedophile. Now it is confirmed that the serial sex abuser and necrophile had attacked both males and females aged between 5 years old and 75 years old on NHS premises.

This Knight managed to avoid detection from vetting, making our security services look pretty stupid, since it seems he was best mates with Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip and both Prince Charles and Lady Diana. That’s not to mention his closeness to politicians such as Prime Minister Thatcher and Cyril Smith.

Or even the fact that a clown DJ, with no medical qualifications, was appointed head of the Broadmoor Hospital Task force in 1988, where he had keys and unrestricted access. He was even referred to as a Doctor in the Parliamentary notes at the time.

Were they all asleep on the job?

Today’s report from the investigation covering 28 NHS trusts make for very grim reading.

click image for link

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “deeply shocked”, adding it was “important lessons are learned”.

I’m certain he might have also added that ‘no stone would be left unturned’ if he’d remembered this other worthless phrase.

click image for link

None of this will be news to regular readers of the Needle, but hopefully the greater masses might begin to stir from their slumber to see the scale of the cesspit that surrounds us all.

Not for one minute do I believe that this is ancient history which was only perpetrated by people who are now dead, and that it can’t happen today.

It’s time for our politicians to take a good look at themselves.

More important though is that its time for us to take a good look at our politicians.

• Anyone needing support should contact the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) on 0808 801 0331

All That Glitters…

Baljit Ubhey, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said: “We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to Paul Gadd, also known as Gary Glitter. He was arrested on 28 October 2012 over allegations of sexual offences and the police have been providing material to the CPS since July 2013, with the most recent material submitted in March 2014.

“Having completed our review, we have concluded, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Gadd to be charged with eight offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956. These relate to two female complainants aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the alleged offending between 1977 and 1980.

“Mr Gadd will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 19 June 2014.

“We have also decided that no further action should be taken in relation to five allegations made by two further complainants as we determined there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

“May I remind all concerned that Mr Gadd has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Charges

The charges relating to the first complainant, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time of the alleged offending, are:

• Two counts of indecent assault between 31 January and 31 May 1977
• One count of administering a drug or other thing in order to facilitate sexual intercourse between 31 January and 31 May 1977
• One count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 between 31 January and 31 May 1977
• Two counts of indecent assault between 31 May and 31 December 1977

The charges relating to the second complainant, who was aged 13 or 14 at the time of the alleged offending, are:

• Two counts of indecent assault between 1 October 1979 and 31 December 1980

CPS

Full Text Of Letter From Rolf Harris To Victim’s Father

Here is the full text of a letter written by Rolf Harris to the father of one of his alleged victims in March 1997

“Dear [the father],

“Please forgive me for not writing sooner. You said in your letter to me that you never wanted to see me or hear from me again, but now [the alleged victim] says it’s all right to write to you.

“Since that trip up to Norfolk, I have been in a state of abject self loathing. How we delude ourselves.

“I fondly imagined that everything that had taken place had progressed from a feeling of love and friendship – there was no rape, no physical forcing, brutality or beating that took place.

“When I came to Norfolk, [the alleged victim] told me that she had always been terrified of me and went along with everything that I did out of fear of me.

“I said ‘Why did you never just say no?’. And [the alleged victim] said how could she say no to the great television star Rolf Harris.

“Until she told me that, I had no idea that she was scared of me.

“She laughs in a bitter way and says I must have known that she has always been scared of me. I honestly didn’t know.

“[The alleged victim] keeps saying that this has all been going on since she was 13. She’s told you that and you were justly horrified, and she keeps reiterating that to me, no matter what I said to the contrary.

“She says admiring her and telling her she looked lovely in her bathing suit was just the same as physically molesting her. I didn’t know. Nothing took place in a physical way until we had moved to Highlands. I think about 1983 or 84 was the first time.

“I can pinpoint a date was 1986, because I remember I was in pantomime at Richmond.

“When I see the misery I have caused [the alleged victim] I am sickened by myself. You can’t go back and change things that you have done in this life – I wish to god I could.

“When I came to Norfolk, spent that time with [the alleged victim] and realised the enormity of what I had done to [the alleged victim], and how I had affected her whole life, I begged her for forgiveness and she said ‘I forgive you’.

“Whether she really meant it or not, I don’t know. I hope she did, but I fear she can never forgive me.

“I find it hard to like myself in any way, shape or form. And as I do these Animal programmes, I see the unconditional love that dogs give to their owners and I wish I could start to love myself again.

“If there is any way that I could atone for what I have done I would willingly do it. If there is a way I can start to help [the alleged victim] to heal herself, I would willingly do it.

“With your permission I’ll phone you in a week to talk to you. If you hang up, I will understand, but I would like to talk to you to apologise for betraying your trust and for unwittingly so harming your darling [the alleged victim].

“I know that what I did was wrong but we are, all of us, fallible and oh how I deluded myself. Please forgive me, love Rolf.

“Please forgive me for what must have been the most insensitive thing in your eyes – sending the book for Christmas. Alwen knows nothing about all this – at the time – and rather than tell her I signed the book and wrote the platitudes with sinking heart.

“Forgive me.”

Content Warning!

Warning: The details of the allegations that will be made by the Prosecution in the Rolf Harris case, and which will be published in the press over the next week, will likely shock members of the public.

For balance it should be noted, that the Defense case will be made in the second half of the trial and the jury will make a judgement after hearing all of the evidence presented to them.

CPS Statement On Freddie Starr Decision

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided that Freddie Starr should not be prosecuted for any offence.

Baljit Ubhey, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said:

“Having carefully reviewed this case, we have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute Freddie Starr in relation to allegations of sexual offences made by 13 individuals. Each allegation was considered on its own merits and we have concluded that the available evidence does not offer a realistic prospect of conviction for any of the alleged offences.

“In relation to one further complainant, we have decided that although there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, according to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, a prosecution would not be in the public interest. It must be remembered that a determination by a prosecutor that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute under the Code does not mean that the suspect is guilty of the offence. Prosecutors have to consider whether there is enough evidence to bring a case to trial but deciding whether an offence has been committed is entirely a matter for courts and juries and every suspect is innocent until proven guilty.

“All of these decisions have been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and our guidance for prosecutors on cases of sexual offences. The complainants have been informed and we will be writing to them to more fully explain our decision.”

The CPS received initial material from the Metropolitan Police Service regarding these allegations in December 2012. Investigative advice was provided to the police throughout 2013 and the final evidence was submitted to the CPS in March 2014.

CPS Blog

Rolf Harris: Jury Selection Begins Today

 

Jury selection will begin today in the trial of Rolf Harris, who denies a string of indecent assaults.

The 84-year-old veteran entertainer is accused of assaulting four girls, the youngest of whom was seven or eight and the oldest aged 19, between 1968 and 1986.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Jury selection is expected to begin today at Southwark Crown Court, and the prosecution case to open later in the week.

Harris, from Bray in Berkshire, is facing 12 counts of indecent assault.

His trial, being heard in front of Mr Justice Sweeney, is expected to take more than six weeks.

The Mirror

Max Clifford Jailed For 8 Years.

 

I’m very surprised he’s got that much and I’m guessing he will appeal the sentence.

 

Max Clifford, 71, has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of eight counts of indecent assault.

The 71-year-old was condemned by a judge at Southwark Crown Court for his lack of remorse towards his victims as he was sentenced today.

During his eight-week trial he branded his victims ‘fantasists’ and ‘opportunists’, but was found guilty of assaulting women and girls as young as 15.

Daily Mail

 

 

Child Abuser Max Clifford Could Face More Allegations.

I’ve always found Mark Williams Thomas extremely reliable on these matters.

Readers will have noted from yesterday’s verdicts that the 10 remaining members of the jury were unable to come to a verdict on one charge. This had left open the possibility of a retrial.

News that other women have come forward since Max Clifford had been charged increases the likelihood that a  retrial will take place though in the absence of an appeal by Mr Clifford it may be that he’ll plead guilty to any further charges that may be made against him.

I hope so for the sake of the victims.

When Louis Met Max Clifford

http://dai.ly/xycn16

Louis Theroux: Hypothetically, if a TV performer were gay, and you wanted to sort of defray that or put a stop to it, then would you put a kiss-and-tell…

Max Clifford: Well, the most effective way would be for me to create a relationship.

[Max Clifford gets out an issue of the News of the World]

Louis Theroux: Like, for example, this one.

Max Clifford: No, not like this one. It would have to be a long-term one.

Louis Theroux: [reading out the article’s headline] “Nasty Simon was my Sex Idol in bed”

Max Clifford: And she’s a very, um, sexy looking…

Louis Theroux: She is very attractive.

[he reads the article]

Louis Theroux: She went out with Clive Sinclair.

Max Clifford: He’s the one that really scored, he’s the one, Simon is…

Louis Theroux: And you believe this?

Max Clifford: Well, of course, it’s in the News of the World, so no reason not to.

Louis Theroux: [reading] “I ripped his towel off and he lay on his back and moaned as I pleasured him.” What does she get out of this?

Max Clifford: She should be earning ten thousand pounds for that. But maybe she would have got two or three thousand pounds herself.

Louis Theroux: I like this: “However when Simon discovered that Vicky had discussed his private performance with the News of the World, he rang her in a panic. ‘He begged me not to say anything about him and said he was a very private person. But he doesn’t have anything to fear from my appraisal, I gave him top marks.'”

Max Clifford: Well, there you are, you see. Says it all, doesn’t it?

Louis Theroux: It’s cobblers, isn’t it?

 When Louis Met Max Clifford

CPS Statement – Max Clifford

Jenny Hopkins, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said:

“Today’s verdicts provide a long-denied justice to the victims of serious sexual offences. I would like to thank these victims for having had the courage to come forward and give evidence. The victims of sexual abuse, whenever it may have taken place, should know that police and prosecutors will listen.

“It is only right that we now take some time to consider our position on the hung count and we will update the court accordingly.”

CPS Blog

‘I Can Make You Famous !!’

Max Clifford Guilty

Guilty

Guilty of abusing a 15 year old girl. Guilty of being a child abuser.

Spin that one Max!

PR guru Max Clifford has been found guilty of a string of indecent assaults on teenage girls over a period of nearly 20 years.

The 71-year-old became the first person to be convicted under the high profile Operation Yewtree sex crime investigation at Southwark Crown Court today.

He was found guilty of eight indecent assaults, cleared of two and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on one other.

He denied all the charges and continues to deny one outstanding offence, which the jury were unable to reach a decision on.

He was arrested by detectives from Operation Yewtree in December 2012, and charged in April the following year.

Daily Mail