November 11th, 2009
Compensation has been awarded to a woman who was glassed in the face after her attacker was identified via social networking site Facebook.
Jennifer Wilson was attacked in the Walkabout pub in Watford in March earlier this year.
Ashleigh Holliman, 22, of Croxley Green, pleaded guilty to charges of actual bodily harm over the incident, in which the prosecution said Miss Wilson had been doing nothing wrong.
Holliman, who works as a hairdresser, had been identified in relation with the crime after police officers tracked her down on Facebook, reports the Watford Observer.
Ms Wilson was left with a scar on her face after the assault and was awarded £2,400 by St Albans Crown Court.
Holliman will also have to undertake 120 hours of community service in addition to paying the compensation.
Earlier this week, a man was awarded £1,000 in compensation after he was attacked at a railway station in Wales.
Matthew Hale was punched to the ground and stamped on by Joshua Preece, 19, of Bridgend.
Tags: Actual Bodily Harm, Attacker, Crown Court, Hairdresser, Holliman, Jennifer Wilson, Joshua, Matthew Hale, Miss Wilson, Ms Wilson, Police Officers, Preece, Prosecution, Railway Station, Scar, Social Networking Site, St Albans, Wales, Walkabout Pub, Watford Observer
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October 8th, 2009
A girl who was almost killed in a frenzied knife attack has been awarded over £18,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Jessica Knight, 16, had been walking through a park in Chorley when she was attacked by Kristofer Beddar, who had drunk half a bottle of whisky.
She was stabbed 25 times and her injuries were so severe that she suffered a stroke and was in a coma for over a week.
Her mother Jill Walmsley said her life has been badly affected by the attack and that she often suffers double vision.
"We don’t know what the future holds yet – whether she’ll be able to work full-time or even drive," she added.
Jessica pursued a claim through the CICA, which has now agreed to the £18,895 payout.
The CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.
It can pay out a maximum of £250,000 to the victims of a criminal attack.
Tags: Chorley, Cica, Coma, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, Double Vision, England Scotland, Full Time, Knife Attack, Lancashire, Ministry Of Justice, Stroke, Wales, Walmsley, Whisky
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June 16th, 2009
A couple from Wales have been paid compensation after a devastating blunder at an IVF facility led to them losing a second chance to become parents.
The pair, named only as Debra and Paul, were hoping to try for a second child through IVF using their last surviving embryo in December 2007.
However, due to mistakes which were blamed on staff being overworked, the embryo was implanted into the wrong woman.
When the mistake was realised, the other woman agreed to a termination, but Debra said she was devastated that her last embryo made up of her own biological material had been destroyed.
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust apologised unreservedly for the mistake and has agreed to a compensation payout of approximately £25,000 after admitting to gross failures in care.
Debra and Paul have said they may use the compensation to pay for further IVF treatment using donated eggs.
According to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, one in seven UK couples have difficulty conceiving and infertility is the most likely reason for a visit to the doctor after pregnancy.
Tags: Biological Material, Blunder, Cardiff And Vale Nhs Trust, Eggs, Embryo, Gross, Infertility, Ivf Treatment, Led, Mistake, National Institute For Clinical Excellence, Parents, Pregnancy, Reason, Second Chance, Uk Couples, Vale Nhs Trust, Wales, Wrong Woman
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May 27th, 2009
A man who was imprisoned for four years after being convicted of a murder he did not commit has been awarded compensation for the miscarriage of justice.
Stephen Miller was jailed for life for the 1988 murder of Cardiff prostitute Lynette White, but was released in 1992 after the conviction was found not fit to stand up in court, Wales Online reports.
Another man named Jeffrey Gafoor pleaded guilty to Ms White’s murder in 2003 and Mr Miller’s legal representatives launched a compensation claim.
He has now been awarded £50,000 in compensation for his loss of liberty, as well as separate payouts for injury to feelings and hardship, bringing his total to £185,000.
A miscarriage of justice can result from unreliable confessions due to police pressure – as Mr Miller’s lawyers argued in this case – or psychological instability.
Anyone affected should seek the advice of a solicitor in order to discuss a potential compensation claim.
Tags: Cardiff, Compensation Claim, Confessions, Conviction, Feelings, Justice Stephen, Lawyers, Legal Representatives, Miscarriage Of Justice, Mr Miller, Prostitute, Solicitor, Stephen Miller, Wales
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