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I was chairing the remand Court today. Never a nice task straight after Christmas, but it soon teaches you that there is no limit to what one person will do to another if pushed. We are now the Remand Court for the whole of the Black Country so have a greater selection of local "talent" to choose from.

First case this morning is one where a 60 year old woman is alleged to have strangled her husband on Christmas Day... with her knickers. We were not told the significance of the murder weapon.

Another case is almost a copy-cat of one I dealt with over Christmas some time ago:-

Five year old little girl kept asking Dad on Christmas Eve "When's Santa coming". So much so that Dad became annoyed and taught her a lesson which included breaking her left arm in three places. That one isn't alleged as he admitted to it in interview.

In another, a chap was charged with causing serious injury by careless driving. Chillingly, we were told that this was merely a holding charge as it was inevitably going to be superseded by a more serious charge.

Next, a woman of 45 who got her partner so drunk on Christmas day that he fell asleep and she then took the opportunity to set light to their flat, before heading down to the local pub. The bloke was rescued before he was too seriously affected by smoke and was only slightly burned (somewhat akin to our turkey from yesterday to be fair). The defendant admitted her actions in interview.

Finally, a 50 year old man who passed a parcel to the bar staff in a local pub, upon which was written "this is a bombb (sic) from the talebin (sic)".

Oh, I forgot, there was one defendant charged with possession of cocaine. What a refreshing change.

Now, where's that bottle of Glenmorangie.

All of life's rich tapestry!.....

Human beings. No doubt these people are breeding.

Gary M.

Think I will have to move to the Black Country - no excitement where I am now.

Having minimal experience or knowledge of the seamier or gratuitously violent side of this merry existence, the revelations of what does seem to be the everyday experience of others never ceases to amaze and horrify. I wonder if the causes of such bestiality (no disrespect intended to sentient animals) can be measured over time, using social trends and morals, so as to arrive at some more effective ways of dealing with this ultimately self-destructive approach to Armagheddon. Euthanasia in the overriding interests of Humanity with the back-up of Human Rights legislation (the H.R. of the rest of us)?

How about this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bi ... m-35185597

Hopefully they will be coming your way soon Paul

With some of your stories, I sometimes wonder if I am really living in the same country. It all seems a world away (thankfully).

Could not Do what you do Paul,I would be the one in the dock,No one hurts a child in any way or form.

You never get used to it Les. However, you have to remain objective to do the best for the injured party. I'm back in the remand Court tomorrow as well. I wonder what the day will bring?

I've just walked into the Court building to be briefed by the security desk staff. 51 remand cases and rising, cells can't contain all the bodies, transport vans being used as temporary cells.

First on my list seems to be a triple handed murder and kidnapping.

Once more unto the breach...

Les, let us be thankful that there are people like Paul who seem to be able to suppress their emotions and deal correctly with scum such as the so called father who broke his daughters arm in three places. Think some of us in cases like this would send him for trial by Judge Jeffreys.

So ends my several days of Remand Court over the Christmas period.

It wasn't, in the end, a murder. Kidnapping, false imprisonment, GBH, but not murder, and we are assured that the injured party will make a satisfactory recovery.

What else happened today? Well, the usual Christmas fare of domestic violence, a couple of racially aggravated assaults, thefts, a nasty robbery, and a whole procession of socially inadequate people who really shouldn't be in the Judicial mill.

Oh, and this:-

Twenty two year old woman who had breached her bail when her parents ejected her from the address she had been bailed to, making her of no fixed abode and almost certain to be remanded in custody as a result.

Over time as a Magistrate you get to spot those who REALLY shouldn't be in prison, and this woman was one such.

Probation said that there was a place in a hostel albeit some distance from the Court but it looked like a non starter as their rules state that induction ceased at 16:00 hours and no exceptions and the defendant didn't have a penny to her name, even if she could have found a bus at that short notice on a Bank Holiday. The time was 15:25. I had already prepared the pronouncement that would consign her to a remand in custody but the prosecutor asked for a short adjournment.

Five minutes later the prosecutor re-appeared and informed us that transport was immediately waiting and available to take the woman to the hostel, a mere 15 minute journey by car. We bailed her to the hostel.

It transpires that the prosecutor had phoned a local taxi firm and paid for the woman to be taken to the hostel.

Now, pardon my cynicism but I thought Santa Claus had done his thing for this year several days ago.

Oh, and one more thing. The causing serious injury by dangerous driving from Christmas Eve was changed today. The new charge is causing death by dangerous driving.

I hadn't intended to turn this into a blog but it seems to have become so.

An interesting few days. Hopefully my ramblings haven't been too boring.

Anybody who wants to observe a Court in process is welcome. All human life is here as they say.

Anybody who wants to become a Magistrate... you must be totally off your trolley

Happy New Year when it arrives everybody

Paul, your Court postings are always interesting and thought provoking - a glimpse of a different world. A different slant from the local journalist who has drawn the short straw and gets the Court reporting job they did not really want.