Tippa Naphtali speaks out: Fury as ‘lethal’ Taser use on children rises

Tippa Naphtali - 2011-2by: The Sunday Post 
published: 27 October 2013

Tippa Naphtali speaks out to Sunday Post.

A furious row has broken out over the use of police stun guns on children. Official guidelines warn of potentially fatal consequences if youths are hit by the 50,000-volt Taser devices. But despite this, their use in confrontations with under-18s has rocketed by 1,000% over five years.

Figures show police used the weapons on just 29 occasions in 2007 but that shot up to 323 in 2011, an average of six times a week.

This included firing them outright and doing “drive stuns” in which the device is placed against a youth’s body and fired without causing incapacitation.

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West Midlands Police apologise to Powell family ahead of 10th anniversary of Mikey’s death

Mikey Powell March crowd @ 15th Nov 2003courtesy of INQUEST
published: 6 September 2013

As the family of Michael mark the 10th anniversary of his death tomorrow, Saturday 7 September, West Midlands Police have issued a formal apology for the first time.

Mikey Powell was 38 years old when he died after being detained by West Midlands Police on 7 September 2003. He had three children. He had a mental health crisis and smashed a window at the home he shared with his mother. His mother called the police for help, assuming they would take him to hospital.

During the incident that followed, the police drove a car at Mikey as fast as they could, claiming they thought he had a gun, which he did not. Mikey was injured but survived the collision. 

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Simon Hall confesses to Albert murder 12 years on

Simon Halloriginally by: BBC News
published: 8 August 2013

Following news that Simon Hall admitted to the murder of Joan Albert 4WardEverUK has suspended his case profile and any related articles.

A burglar who stabbed a 79-year-old woman to death has confessed to the crime after a decade claiming he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Simon Hall, 35, was jailed for life in 2003 for the attack on Joan Albert at her home in Capel St Mary, Suffolk.

His case was investigated by the BBC series Rough Justice in 2007 and his claims of innocence also won the backing of ex-Ipswich MP Chris Mole. Police said Hall had now admitted his guilt to prison authorities.

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