Month: January 2018

“I’m going to ruin his life lol”: Connor Fitzgerald, 19, alleged rapist, latest victim of police disclosure failings

/ Mike Buchanan / 11 Comments

Our thanks to John for this. Extracts:

A teen accused of rape spent three months in custody because police did not disclose texts that proved his innocence. His alleged victim wrote in one message: “I’m not just going to mess his life up, I’m going to ruin it lol.” [J4MB emphasis]

Connor Fitzgerald, 19, had the rape charge against him thrown out when prosecutors discovered the texts. Fitzgerald, of South Norwood in south London, lost his job as a BT engineer because of the claim. [J4MB emphasis]

The charges were dropped at Croydon Crown Court last week when it emerged that the complainant, who will have lifelong anonymity, had sent texts threatening to destroy him.

“It’s been heart-breaking – It felt like I was guilty until proven innocent,” he told the Sun. “My life has been ruined. I’m scared to even leave the house because everyone thinks I’m a rapist.”…

Fitzgerald was arrested in front of his mother and sister in November when police officers raided his home. It followed a complaint that a woman made in June. She alleged Fitzgerald had raped her after a drunken night out.

After the arrest, he was denied bail and was held on remand at HMP High Down, a category-B prison in Banstead, Surrey.

He was reprieved after Fitzgerald’s brother found some of the text messages from the woman on his iCloud account and informed the authorities. Missing texts also showed the woman saying that she had enjoyed the sex.

Fitzgerald says he plans to sue the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). “If my brother hadn’t found the texts, I’d have ended up in prison for 12 years or more,” he said.

Channel 4 News does a piece on the gender pay gap at the BBC. But who to present it? Why, Cathy Newman of course! What could possibly go wrong?

/ Mike Buchanan / 4 Comments

Channel 4 News included two pieces tonight of potential interest to those with an interest in gender matters, a link to the programme is here. From 27:37 – 30:50 there’s a piece on Liam Allan, the university student whose recent rape trial was halted when it was learned police had failed to disclose his accuser’s mobile phone records to the defence team, records which proved his innocence. From 30:51 – 37:04 there’s a piece on the gender pay gap, presented by Cathy Newman – because her recent interview of Jordan Peterson amply demonstrated her deep insights into the issue – including an interview with Tony Hall, Baron Hall of Birkenhead, Director-General of the BBC. He commissioned studies which have reported there’s no gender bias in setting salaries at the BBC, so he’s made it his declared aim end to end the gender pay gap at the BBC in a short period of time. Yes, that makes sense.

BBC’s report into pay inequality finds NO gender bias in the way stars’ salaries are decided but announces ‘substantial pay cuts for men and increases for women’

/ Mike Buchanan / 10 Comments

Our thanks to Ray for this. In summary:

– there is no gender bias in the way stars’ salaries are decided
– the BBC is announcing substantial pay cuts for men, and increases for women
– the BBC is introducing gender bias into the way stars’ salaries are decided

Am I missing something here?

‘Get a grip!’ This Morning viewers slam Sally Howard, a feminist, who says having walk-on girls at the darts is ‘demeaning’ – as two women tell her they’re ‘honoured’ to do the job

/ Mike Buchanan / 5 Comments

Our thanks to Mike P for this. An extract:

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, journalist Sally Howard said there was ‘broad support’ for a move towards the sports industry removing walk-on girls from matches altogether.

I’m sick to death of this passive-aggressive language from feminists. ‘Broad support’ my a***. Only a couple of days ago on the BBC news, some hatchet-faced trout (a professional feminist i.e. grievance collector) opined that men-only social events are today ‘culturally unacceptable’.

Doctors told to hang rainbow flags to make waiting rooms more welcoming to gay and transgender patients

/ Mike Buchanan / 11 Comments

How a waiting room might look

Another piece for our “You couldn’t make this s*** up!!!” filing cabinet. Extracts:

Doctors have been told to hang rainbow flags in their waiting rooms to make them more welcoming to gay and transgender patients.

In addition to displaying the symbol, NHS policy advisers also want medics to be given lessons on how to speak to sexual minorities so they do not cause offence. [J4MB: Because doctors have a reputation for saying to gay men, “Here, you’re not one of those shirt-lifters, are you? We’ll have none of those in this clinic!!!”]

But Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen blasted: “You would have thought doctors would have higher priorities than pandering to the PC brigade — particularly when the NHS is under so much pressure.”

Tory colleague Philip Davies said: “If they spent as much time on treating patients and less time flexing their politically correct muscles, they might get somewhere.”

The guidance on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is in a monthly journal sent to more than 50,000 docs and researchers.

Prof Kamila Hawthorne, of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We want all patients to feel welcome.

“If surgeries find that displaying a rainbow symbol in their practice encourages LGBT patients to seek medical attention when they need it, then that’s a good thing.” [J4MB: Madness on stilts. Why would the silly bat imagine rainbow symbols might have that impact? Do gay men and lesbians requiring medical attention currently walk into doctors’ waiting rooms, then storm out if they don’t see rainbow flags hung there?]