CPS News Brief

Flower nursery charged with corporate manslaughter

Rene Barclay, Principal Crown Advocate in the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“I have carefully considered the evidence and have concluded that it is sufficient to charge PS & JE Ward Ltd, based at King’s Lynn, with corporate manslaughter and with failing to discharge a duty imposed by section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

“The charges against the company, which runs Belmont Nursery in Terrington St Clement, relate to the tragic death of Grzegorz Krystian Pieton on 15 July 2010 from an electric shock caused when the metal hydraulic lift trailer he was towing touched an overhead power line.

“The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

“The company has been summonsed to appear at King’s Lynn magistrates court on Friday 23 November.”

 

Background

This is the third company the CPS has charged with corporate manslaughter since the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act in 2008.

Christopher Docherty-Puncheon found guilty of murder of Lt Col Robert 'Riley' Workman

Baljit Ubhey OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said:

“This case involved the cold-blooded murder of 83-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Robert ‘Riley’ Workman at his home in Furneaux Pelham in January 2004, almost nine years ago.

“Christopher Docherty-Puncheon has today been found guilty of the murder of Colonel Workman.

“Today’s guilty verdict brings a successful end to a complex and lengthy investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary. We have worked closely with them throughout the investigation and the guilty verdict reflects the strength of the prosecution case.

“This case also highlights to the public that both the CPS and the police are committed to continually reviewing and detecting unsolved cases. We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that criminals are brought to justice.

“This also sends a very clear message to anyone who thinks that they have escaped justice for serious offences that our determination to ensure that justice is done remains undimmed, even years after offences are committed.

"I hope that today's outcome gives some sense of justice to the victim’s family, with the knowledge that the person who killed Colonel Workman has been convicted and punished. Our thoughts are very much with them all at this time."

Michael Jackson jailed for kidnap and child sex assault

A man from Oldbury in the West Midlands has today been jailed indefinitely for public protection at Wolverhampton Crown Court after he had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing for kidnapping two children in separate attacks.

Michael Jackson, aged 50, pleaded guilty in May 2012 to the charges of sexual assault, false imprisonment, child abduction, kidnap and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Emma Garnett, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s Public Protection Unit, said:

“Michael Jackson is a dangerous man who preyed on young children for his own gratification.

“One of his victims, a young boy of 10-years-old, had been abducted after he had gone to the shops, which were only a few minutes from where he lived. Jackson took this opportunity to approach him and force the young victim to go with him to his flat where he was sexually assault, gagged, bound, and locked in a cupboard.

“As soon as the victim failed to return home, the victim’s mother raised the alarm immediately and the police and local community began searching for him. “Once the defendant left his flat, the boy managed to free himself of his bounds and a member of the community, who had been part of the search party looking for him, spotted him at the ground floor window of the flat and he was subsequently rescued.

“Jackson was then arrested and a further offence of abducting an 11 year-old girl in a separate incident in the West Midlands on 14 September 2011 was reported.

“I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the local community for their assistance in the search for the victim and pay tribute to the 10-year-old boy for his courage and bravery in managing to escape his captivity and raising the alarm. This must have been a traumatic ordeal for him, his family and friends and we hope that today’s sentence can bring this chapter to a close and they can now move on with their lives.”

CPS Statement: Four charged with forging £1.2m in counterfeit £10 notes

Andy Young, lawyer for the CPS Organised Crime Division said:

“Following an investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency, I have authorised charges against four individuals for the production of over £1.2m worth of counterfeit Bank of England £10 notes at a design and print business in Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands.

“Prem Karra, Amrit Paul Karra, Rajiv Kumar and Yash Paul Mahey each face a single charge contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act. It is alleged that between 1 September 2010 and 28 February 2011, they conspired with others unknown to make a counterfeit currency note, namely a Bank of England £10 currency note of the series E type, intending that it should be passed or tendered as genuine.

“This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.

“The four defendants will appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 15 November 2012.

“They now stand charged with a criminal offence and have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could prejudice this trial."