A Miss Howa Ramadan, who was aged 19 at the time of the incident in October last year, went out to a house party in Cliftonville and having consumed 7LITRES of Diamond White Cider and the best part of a bottle of Malibu fell into a row. Kent's Finest were summoned and a PC Michaela Hill put Miss Ramadan (5ft 10 inches + huge stilettos and weighing 15 stone) into cuffs and took her down steep steps to a police van. All would have been fine except that leggy and legless Miss Ramadan stumbled ( after 15 pints of White Diamond, how surprising) and propelled PC Hill into the waiting Police van where PC Hill banged her head.
Miss Ramadan, was charged for this stumble on the basis that it was not a deliberate intent to hurt PC Hill but that she was reckless because of her drunken state and therefore guilty of an assault. (She was awarded 120 days imprisonment by the magistrates after pleading guilty, as she has some previous).
But what did Mr Roger Davis have to say in mitigation? "The charge of assault is incorrect, she should sue the police for failing to look after her. She is a big girl, she is 5ft 10in tall and weighs 15 stone. What are the odds she is going to lose her balance (she was wearing huge stilettos) while being taken down steep steps (cuffed by the way) by an officer who stands 5ft 4in?" (He does have a point here). Mr Davis also did his civic bit by 'slamming' the availability of cheap booze ( White diamond) at £1 per litre in Margate.
I do not know who the reporter is for Thanet Times but he/she deserves a mention/byline on these reports. The article ended with a description of Magistrate George Green jailing her for 120 days and ending his comments with " Your train has hit the buffers". Miss Ramadan's reply was, "My trainers are what?". Little snippets like this are marvellous; keep these reports coming Thanet Times!
As an afterthought; whilst Mr Darling has slapped a big tax increase on beer and wine (the tipple of mainly responsible drinkers) no tax was heaped onto White Diamond and alco-pops, the cause of much drunkeness and anti-social behaviour. White Diamond is a Constellation Europe brand, whose president, a Tony Christensen, says their 'Corporate Vision' is " To bring enjoyment to peoples lives by making our wines and drinks part of every social occasion". What misery is resulting from cheaply available White Diamond?
2 comments:
I agree with the principle invoked.
Now can we see it applied to Police by testing for anabolic steroids ? IE That a person knows at the time they load up on alcohol or steroids that they are surrendering self control in a manner the Courts can deem reckless.
I was surprised at the interpretation of this incident and like the ambulance man tripping and then sending a solicitors letter to an old couple in their 80s' it seems to be further evidence that our 'emergency' services have gone soft!
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