| Graeme Swann had been drinking for four hours before driving, court hears Cricketer told police he had gone out to buy screwdrivers to rescue cat trapped under floorboardsEngland cricketer Graeme Swann had been drinking for more than four hours before being stopped by police for drink-driving, a court heard today.The off-spinner, who yesterday was named in the ICC's test team of the year, was stopped at 3am in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham on 2 April.His trial began in August but had to be adjourned because of his cricketing commitments, and resumed today.Lisa Hodgkinson, the nurse who took Swann's blood sample on that night for testing, told Nottingham magistrates court that the cricketer had told her how much he had drunk."Mr Swann stated he drank approximately five glasses of white wine which were home measures," she said."Mr Swann stated he started drinking at approximately eight in the evening and finished drinking about half twelve or one in the morning."Hodgkinson also told the court she took two samples of blood from Swann that night because the first was only 2ml and she believed she needed at least 4ml for analysis so took a second 5ml sample.At the August hearing Nottingham magistrates heard how the 31-year-old told police he was popping out to buy screwdrivers to rescue his cat after he was pulled over for drink-driving.He had been out earlier in the evening, belatedly celebrating his 31st birthday in West Bridgford, just a mile from his home. However, upon returning he found one of his two pet cats, named Max and Paddy after comedian Peter Kay's television series, trapped beneath floorboards.Unable to locate a screwdriver to free the stricken feline, Swann decided to drive his new white Porsche Cayenne to the nearest 24-hour Asda to buy a set of screwdrivers, the court heard.He was pulled over by PC Steven Denniss, who told the court he had stopped Swann because he was driving a high-performance car in an area where there had been a spate of burglaries. When he turned around to pursue the cricketer, Swann initially accelerated before eventually stopping.Yesterday Swann missed out on winning the ICC player of the year award to the Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar. He had initially been omitted from the long list for the award, which brought an official protest from the England and Wales Cricket Board and forced the judges into a rethink.Swann did make the ICC's test team of the year, however, alongside England teammate Jimmy Anderson.Graeme SwannAdam Gabbattguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Oboist 'risked WNO's reputation' Welsh National Opera sacked an oboist because his playing risked its world reputation, a tribunal hears. bbc.co.uk |
Spending review: train fares to shoot up by 3pc above inflation Train fares are to rise by far more than inflation, adding more than £1,000 to an annual season ticket, under plans unveiled in the Spending Review. telegraph.co.uk |
Baby P death 'could have been prevented' Serious case review into Baby Peter's death condemns as inadequate almost every agency that had contact with himBaby Peter suffered as a result of incompetence on the part of almost every agency involved in his case, from social workers to doctors, lawyers and police, according to a previously secret official report disclosed for the first time today.A serious case review found that the 17-month-old's death could and should have been prevented, and that if professionals had taken the right approach the case would have been "stopped in its tracks at the first serious incident".But the approach of the majority of staff who played a role was "completely inadequate", it said."[Baby P] deserved better from the services which were there to protect him, and they in turn deserved better than the ethos which influenced their work at the time," the case review concluded.Peter Connelly died in Tottenham, north London, in 2007 at the hands of his mother, Tracey Connelly, her violent partner, Steven Barker, and his brother Jason Owen. Peter had suffered more than 50 injuries despite receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over an eight-month period.The report – the first serious case review to be published in full, following a commitment from the coalition government – reveals that agencies consistently failed to work out that Connelly was in a relationship with Barker, whom she even named as her next of kin on an official form. An unrelated man joining a single-parent family where there are child protection issues would be a serious cause for concern.A social worker was told that Connelly had a boyfriend but did not ask who he was or request to meet him. Police who arrested and questioned her after Peter was brought to hospital in December 2006 with bruising that a consultant paediatrician concluded was probably non-accidental did not ask who else had access to her home, despite being aware of a man who was mentioned as a "friend".The joint investigation by police and social services at this stage should have done more to establish the identity of the man and to test Connelly's assertion that he was peripheral to the family and not left alone with children, the report concluded.Health services were also criticised. A GP who saw Peter in autumn 2006 should have been more concerned about Connelly's claims that he bruised easily and a later report that he had fallen down the stairs, which he should have told the health visitor about.Hospital doctors were at times too willing to believe Connelly's explanations for her son's injuries, the report said. Doctors and social workers took a "sanguine" view when Peter was brought to hospital in April 2007 with large swelling to the side of his head, failing to alert police or convene a child protection conference.After it was decided that Peter should stay with a family friend after the December incident, the police agreed he could go back home in January even though their investigation was not finished. They then "mislaid" the investigation because of staff changes and only found and resurrected it months later.When more injuries were discovered on Peter in June 2007, officers were convinced they were non-accidental. But, the report said, they did not do their duty by investigating, instead leaving it to the social worker.It took seven weeks to arrange a legal planning meeting to consider the need for care proceedings, because of administrative failures in the legal services team and a lack of urgency by social work managers. When the meeting did finally take place it was with a "relatively inexperienced" lawyer.A review conference held on 8 June was poorly attended, with neither doctors, lawyers or police turning up despite the fact that Peter had suffered two sets of injuries since the previous conference.The report, of which only a summary was published in March 2009, said: "In this case, the practice of the majority, both individually and collectively... was incompetent and their approach was completely inadequate to meet the challenge presented by the case of [Peter]."An earlier serious case review, which was later judged "inadequate" by Ofsted, was also published in full. The children's minister, Tim Loughton, said he hoped the release of the reports would bring "some form of closure" so that everyone involved in the case could move on.Downing Street described the report as shocking. Graham Badman, who chaired the second case review, said: "There have been significant changes to the way in which Haringey services are conducted. If Peter Connelly is to have any legacy at all, it is that children are now safer."Baby PChild protectionRachel Williamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
RSPCA criticised for killing orphaned deer The RSPCA has been criticised for "euthanasing" an orphaned deer who was too tame to survive in the wild. telegraph.co.uk |