Thursday, October 17, 2013

Desperatly seeking justice...

    Today I made a plea on twitter, the plea was to Anonymous to help me in my fight for justice which I have desperately seeking since 2008.
    My plea came out of desperation, I have tried everything, I have gone through all the correct channels I know of in regard of my case, I have even written to two UK Prime Ministers, other MP's, the BBC, many mainstream media out lets, ombudsman, & Liberty, the IPPC, & the European court of Human rights  asking for advice and help,and a fair hearing & trial. But I am getting ahead of myself so I will go through my story now, from when it began & how it began, with as much detail as I can remember without getting out the boxes of documented evidance,that I can cite in a court of law to support my allegations.
    Here I will present just the timeline of events & facts.
     
    In September 2006 I enrolled at the TCAT campus of Wolverhampton university to study for a foundation degree in health & socail welfare & social policy. After an interview I was accepted onto the course as a mature student & made the applications for student loans , grands & funding.
    I contacted my Social Landlord & Telford & Wrekin Housing trust & informed them of my change in circumstances.I informed my housing officer that I was not sure how much housing benefit I was going to be entitled to but that I knew I would have to pay a percentage but I wasn't sure how much.
    I contacted the benefits office & told them of my change in circumstances, & I contacted my sons schools & informed them as my sons would no longer be entitled to free school meals.
     
    I was informed by Jill Nicolls my housing officer at the housing trust, that there may be some delays the benefits office making any adjustments in them sorting what i'd have to pay towards my rent but not to worry and deficit or whatever could be adjusted later when my student funding came though.
     I had know Ms Nicolls for a long time I had lived in the house since 2001, even before Jill worked at that office, but she had dealt with my case since about 2002/3 and had been aware of my previous changes in circumstances and indeed a great deal about my domestic circumstances and the various changes they'd gone through regarding relationship changes, daughter leaving home, work, all the usual that you have to inform these offices off each time your circumstances change.
    Indeed she also knew some of the circumstances of my private life and mental health conditions related to depression & anorexia, and that my home was very important to me as a mother of three with no extended family in the area or support system, I had told her on several occassions through the years that if & when I had a decent job that would like to buy the house, indeed I had moved in when the right to buy existed and as a long term tenant still had that right under the old terms, I would have occupancy discount options that would make it a very favorable option, if I left that house I would of course loose those options as they don't carry over.
    This may seem like irrelevant info but the reasons I include it I hope will become apparent later.
     
    In or around February 2007 I received notification from the benefits office telling me I was being investigated for defrauding the benefits system as I had been claiming housing benefit I was not entitled to
    I was called into the councils offices and interrogated by two housing officers who said I was making fraudulent claims on my benefits, I told them they were wrong I was told by both advisers at the university and the housing officer I would be entitled to some help with my rent,although not all, and explained I had been waiting on being informed by the housing department of any difference that had to be paid, in short I explained what Jill Nicolls told me, they did not believe me and I left the council offices in tears and went straight to a solicitor and sought advice.
    After the solicitor had contacted them I received a letter saying I was no longer under investigation , they dropped the allegations of fraud but that I would have to pay full rent which was £380 a month & council tax, when in fact I had been informed as a full time student I was except from council tax.
     
    I contacted Jill Nicolls who said she'd look into it, who then put me on to someone called Brenda who was the benefits rep for the council & after requesting all my financial details regarding funding and indeed my banking records they both insisted I was not entitled to a reproduction in my rent & would have to pay full rent.
    I insisted they were wrong, because I had made inquiries both before signing up for my FDA, and since at the university & with other students with similar and indeed some with better financial circumstances than me who all agreed I was entitled to a percentage of housing benefit.
    On top of these issues I also received notification that my eldest son would not be entitled to his EMA for collage as my income was to high, ( it later turned out that the LEA, the same one that dealt with my funding and my sons appeared to have it down that my income was in excess of £94thousand pound, despite this being the same local authority who I had been getting free school meals from while on benefits directly before going to university and who were dealing with my student grants and funding.
    I agreed to pay the full rent as I had been told but continued to insist that an error had been made and that they should keep checking as I knew I was entitled to some housing benefit & council tax , but they kept saying no and threatening me with eviction each time my rent was late.
    I asked if it would be possible to make an arrangement that gave me some scope with my payments to work round when my funding went into my account which was quarterly and even offered to pay my rent upfront when my grants & loans were paid but was told I ws not allowed to do that. Additionally I was told that they had to take me to court each time it was late as it was policy even though they knew it was paid as soon as my payments reached my account.
    I continued to try to explain that I had expected to pay about £100 pound a month on my calculations before going to university and had worked my finances around this, & that I was now paying 3times more than I believed I should be so it was very difficult as it was almost a £300 deficit per month to my expected budget on the figure I believed I should be paying , this affected everything else, I was £300 a month down on my income , but they wouldn't work round the couple of weeks towards the weeks my grans and loans were due  help me out and took me to court about ever 3 months which meant I insured about £200 court cost which was added to my rent arrears bill each time. The financial distress was unbearable, and I was threatened each time I was taken to court with eviction,and I knew I had no where for me & my two sons who lived at home to go should that happen.
    Additionally I was receiving demand letters for council tax that I believed I should not be paying because I was exempt, and with these also came threats of court action telling me I could loose my home.
    I became quite ill physically, I couldn't eat because of the stress & also because of the financial stress, I had two sons to feed, & gas & electric and other bills to pay also.
     
    In 2008 when I was taken to court I read a statement to the Magistrate McDonald of Telford & Wrekin magistrates court saying I was going to challenge these issues and would take legal action against every department involved and cited various acts of law relevant to the case including the human rights act and mental health act as there was no doubt in my mind of what these abuses & bullying tactics were doing to my mental & physical health.
    The magistrate told me he felt I had grounds to take action but that he had to deal with the case in hand.
    On that July day 2008, I was there on the pretext of of rent arrears in the region of £900+ that had been paid directly to the Telford and Wrekin housing trust a few days prior to the hearing, in other world I had no rent arrears at the time I was in court, but I was made to pay court cost of £235 which was added to my housing & council tax arrears bill, and before I left the hearing room the housing officer who was in attendance handed me a bill for rent due in 2weeks advance of that day 28th July as I recall, and  told me in front of the judge if I was late they'd have me back in court and request my eviction.
    The judge told me I could leave and to find a lawyer , and asked the housing officer to remain after I had gone as he had thing to discuss with her.
    I left and tried to find legal representation , no one would take on my case.
    I wrote to the ombudsman , liberty and various other agencies seeing advice , I have copies of all communications I made. I contacted various advisory agencies, they all said they couldn't help or I was wrong. I was becoming increasingly frustrated depressed and desperate.
    I contacted various tv & media outlets, including this morning itv, bbc, Rughters, almost every uk news paper I could think of and even some American ones, I contacted Zane lowe at the BBC as I had heard he was involved with amnesty and I presumed he was a human rights activist, I contacted Gordon Brown and pleaded for help twice, after the 1st time I wrote to mr Brown it seemed like there were even more demand letters arriving thought the door everyday form places I couldn't even associate with debts I had, I was going out of my head with worry about being evicted, I was trying to hide it from the boys, and I was having menstrual bleeding that didn't stop for about 4-5 months, so I was really tired.
    I have no doubt I was behaving irrationally and this impacted on my sons behavior.
     I had what I can only describe as a break down.
    My youngest son was removed from my care , without my consent or even proper consultation or investigation.
    He went to live with his sister in scotland temporally  but returned later, I had various problems with social supervises regarding their behaviors during this period as they did not fulfill proper procedures, this I know to be fact as I previously worked in residential child care and had knowledge of child care legislation, & procedures regarding child protection issues.
     
    I was late making my registration for my BA year at university as a result and this cause various other problems with my registration and funding.
    I wrote to Brown again in November 2008.
    By this time only my youngest son was living at home and he was having various problems at school and with the police regarding minor issues related to graffiti tagging.
     
    In November 2010 I was after much inquiry proven to be correct and that Telford and Werkin Housing Trust had in fact been wrong I should have been paying £80.00 a month towards my rent as I was entitled to housing benefit of £300month and was indeed except from Council tax as a full time student.
    I was repaid some monies, i DO NOT BELIEVE i WAS PAID THE FULL ANOUNT I WAS OWED.
    I did not receive a proper formal appology, and I was denied my right to bring action against then for negligence, extortion harassment bullying & the health problems they caused me for the duration of their harassment for the rent I was made pay that I was not in fact liable to pay during my time at university from 2006-2009.
    I tried to bring legal action through Telford Magistrates court twice and was struck out I believe on false grounds.
    I have all paperwork and documentation pertaining to all of these incidents.
     
    On February 6th 2009 after an argument with my youngest son he sad he was going to Scotland for a couple of weeks to say with his sister. I didn't want him to go for various reason, like school, it had become his habit that when he wasn't getting his own way he would say he was going to his sisters, I felt that this was not good as it interfered with his education and also because it meant every time, I pissed him off he'd go up there , come back behave a couple of weeks then start playing up again , he was a teenager, that's not unusual, I felt if she kept allowing him to do this it was counter productive to me being able to enforce boundaries and deal with his behaviors that were getting out of order, I admit I wasn't coping as well with his problems that I might normally have done I was really stress with the ongoing financial & housing problems I was depressed but I felt his pissing off when ever it suited him was not the correct way to deal with it either. His brother had sent him a ticket though so there was little i could do to stop him. I was very upset, I think when I took him to the bus station I said if he went I was finished with him I couldn't cope with this, I was hoping he would give in and not go , he didn't, he got out the car and went for the bus. I drove home in tears.
    When I got home I called my daughter and said words t the effect of I had had enough, I couldn't take anymore I was gonna end up topping myself.I was very distressed.
    She called the police, they came and asked me to go for a mental health assessment to the hospital as my daughter was worried I was going to kill myself, I said I wasn't and explained to them what had happened earlier and they asked would I go for the assessment to put my daughters mind at rest , I agreed to do so. I went with the two policemen in the police car to the princess royal hospital for a mental health assessment.
    At the hospital the police checked me in then left.
    I was put on a trolly in the corridor to await a doctor.
    I was a mess I hadn't slept the night before, I hadn't washed that morning , or combed my hair, I weepy, I felt very embarrassed and self-conscious as I lay waiting on the trolly , people passing and looking at me.
    After what seemed a very long time, though it probably wasn't I informed the staff I was leaving I was fine , I was under no obligation to be there I wasn't a risk to my self or anyone else and I was going home. i left and walked the short distance home.
    When I got home I took two of my prescribed tablets for sleeping and went to bed.
    I had been having regular counseling from my doctor since the problems began, I did not take anti depressants I don't like them , I had had them in the past and they had not helped my condition , they made me lethargic , and irritable, I coped with my depression by doing yoga, meditating writing & studying for my degree, I had sleeping tablets for emergencies for when I was really exhausted & couldn't sleep and to help as relaxants for the stress in my shoulders I rarely used them, But o this occasion I just wanted to sleep I felt it would help calm me.
    I went to bed.
    At around 4pm I was awakened by someone at the door.
    I got up went downstairs and answered the door . There were two policemen there. I invited them in.
    I showed them into the living room and put the dog in the kitchen because he has a tendency to sit and stare at strangers looking to get stroked, its distracting.
    I went back to the lounge.
    The one doing the taking ,McIntosh was very confrontational from the offset ,removing a torch that was on my chair next to me from where it was , when I questioned why he said in case I used it as a weapon against them, I asked why would I do that,I had not been aggressive or given any reason for him to think I might be violent, I had no history of incident with police ever, no police record, charge or even warning against me.
    I then said for all you know its like a comfort blanket to me you had no right removing it, I had not been threatening, he said the hospital had sent them and I had to go back as I had left without being discharged . I said no I didn't I was not under any section to be there I had went volentarly and could leave the same way, he said I had to go back to sign out,I said again I didn't have to do anything , and explained I had gone in the first place to put my daughters mind at rest, I didn't need to return, he said I did, I said if they tried to force me to go back it would be kicking and screaming.
    I then explained the circumstances that had caused me to be there, why I was depressed making reference to the letter to Brown Zane lowe ect, there were papers beside me on the table regarding it all which I threw on the floor while explaining saying I wrote all these , McIntosh was continuing to be confrontational , I picked up the paper saying , they were important and put them back on the table, still trying to explain whey I was depressed. I was talking with my hand's and swearing, i swear a lot, particularly when Im wound up, McIntosh said he was going to arrest me for being threatening and abusive, I had not threatened anyone, I had refused to go back to the hospital which I was under no obligation to do, and I can use whatever language I like in my own home, McIntosh stood up and grabbed me by the arm and put my arms behind my back about to cuff me , I kicked him in the shin, with my bare feet , i had got out off bed I had no shoes on. He released me there was more talking to calm me down the other one got me a coffee and a cigarette. I was now sitting at the other side of the room on the sofa McIntosh was at my left, I called him a fascist bastard.  Gurman to my right.
    I was informed I was now being arrested for assaulting a police officer. I knew I had by kicking him, so I agreed to go with them to be charged, but said I wanted to go put out food for the dog and cats as I had never been arrested before and didn't know how long this would take, I also wanted to go put clothes on and have a pee they said I couldn't they would feed the animals, I said they didn't know where anything was, and I had to get dressed anyway,
    I stood up and went to walk toward the living room door and McIntosh grabbed me from behind turning me round and pushing me onto the sofa face down. I had the cup of coffee in 1 hand the cigarette in the other cos I was going to put the cup in the kitchen when i went to feed the animals, the cup flew out my had as did the cigarette. He was pushing my arm up my back to my shoulders twisted I was face down on the couch with his knee in my back screaming with the pain , Gurman continued to sit on the sofa watching as he was dong this I screamed at him to get hm off me he was breaking my arms.  
    Eventually my shoulder clicked and he released me, I stood up and went faint, I arm was limp hanging, They sat me down and I said I was gong to be sick I say down on the carpet still crying I couldn't move my arm, from my shoulder it was limp and painful, I don't if I lost consciousness, Next thing I remember is the paramedics being there and examining my arm my shoulder , but my elbow was really painful too , they put me in a chair and took me by ambulance, I kept saying to them he did this to me, don't leave them in my house, but they did.
    Next thing I remember was being at the hospital I was seen right away, I vaguely remember seeing someone from mental health apparently, but its vague, I remember being x-rayed cos the girl kept asking me to move my elbow and I couldnt , I kept telling her what he done, I was taken to a room with Gurman,to wait for the x-ray result, then Mcintosh came to the corridor and Gurman left the doorway where he'd been standing to go speak to him in the corridor, then he came to the room and said there was nothing wrong wth my arm and they were taking me to the station to charge me. they took me out a back door into a paddy wagon and put me in the back, every bump they went over sent pain through my arm, and every round about seemed to send my sliding off the seat and banged my arm.
    I was then put ina cell where I was left for 19 hours. I was allowed to see the doctor , who said I was fine, and gave me 2 paracitomal.
    At 3pm the next day I was introduced to the duty solicitor who said she wanted my arm photographed which it was, during the interview, someone came in and the tape was stopped the person spoke to the copper interviewing me then they started again, by now my arm was completely disfigured black and really badly swollen, I kept saying this isnt right he did this to e, i want to bring charges. they wouldn't let me . I was told I could request a copy of the tape at any time , at a later date i did I never to this day received a copy.
    I was charged and bailed pending inquiry.
    I had no coat, and was taken home by two police men who were really nice to me , one commented in the car , we'r not like that, don't judge us all the same.
    when I got home I took pictures of my arm.
    I was in shock I think for about a week maybe more...
    I cried a lot, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't sleep for the pain, but the hospital said it wasn't broke so i had no cause to doubt them, so I put up with it. My head was fucked , I couldn't understand what had happened , how it could have happened, it didn't make sense , it was a concern for welfare call , how could this happen on a concern for welfare follow up...
     
    In the weeks that followed before the bail appearance i got a letter from the lawyer,what it said was not accurate and I wrote to tell her , i got no answer , then she didn't turn up the day I was to attend the bail thing at the station, so I sacked her and sought different legal representation. When I went to the bail thing the first time i was told the date had been changed they'd informed my lawyer but not me , nor had she informed me. same second time, both times I said I wanted to make a complaint and each time I was told there was no one available at that time to take my complaint. I was til wearing a sling my arm still wasn't right.
    Eventually I went to the hospital about 6 maybe 8 week later cos things were still not right my arm was misinformed , the treage nurse actually commented on it.
    The doctor x rayed me and said he felt  my elbow had been chipped and referred me for a second opinion, which confirmed these findings. they said their was no need for surgery as it had healed itself.
    I was offered physio , I refused. I could do that myself , they had already let me down by getting the original diagnosis wrong and releasing me into police care on the 7th feb with a chipped elbow , having attended originally on a concern for mental health call, I had no fiath left in them.
    I sought legal representation. I was given a solicitor to pursue the complaint against the police the, solicitor I  asked to take action against the hospital said she would not take the case as I could not win.
     
    This was only the beginning of a very long journey...
    I will write more tomorrow, I can't write anymore about this tonight , what i'v written so far has wakened a lot of sleeping demons I have been trying to keep at rest for 4 years...
     
    TO BE CONTINUED...

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