My blog will be updated daily, so make sure you come back! If you would like to add or reply to a comment on one of the articles below just send me your comment and, if it's reasonably decent and not libellous or anything like that, I'll add it to the article (don't forget to include the date and title of the article).
26.10.12
Lottery winner who 'could afford to buy several homes' refuses to budge from council house
One lucky lottery winner won enough money to buy several homes but has been able to stay in his taxpayer-funded council house
When most people hit the jackpot, they tend to splash their cash on frivolous shopping, plush sports cars and luxury homes.
But one lucky lottery winner - who had the money to buy several pads wherever he so desired - is still living in a council house in Stroud.
This means that despite his mega-win, his lifestyle is still being partly footed by the taxpayer.
And he is entitled to stay in his local authority property, paying subsidised rent and no mortgage, as a lifetime tenant.
The man in Gloucestershire - who has not been named - is said to have won a 'significant' sum but council rules prevent him being forced to move out of social housing and buy his own place.
The news comes at a time where there are more than 3,200 people who cannot afford their own homes on the council house waiting list in the Stroud area.
Stroud District council tenant Margaret Marshall said she thought it was vastly unfair and that the lottery winner should move on.
vicious.sid: Why do these people buy lottery tickets? Either let someone else win the money who will enjoy it and you stay in your council house or win the lottery and let some other poor soul on the streets have the council house. Is it a case of 'it's my money and I'm gonna keep it'? If you don't want it, I'll have it - I'll definitely find a use for it.
26.10.12
Heskey Cam!
His number nine shirt sold out within minutes due to unprecedented demand and his arrival sold the Newcastle Jets 2,000 more season tickets... but Emile Heskey fever Down Under just got a little more bizarre.
An Australian broadcaster has launched a live 'Heskey Cam', so fans of the English striker, 34, can study his every move in Friday night's clash with the Melbourne Victory.
Fox Sports will offer the service via the red button during their live coverage of the A-League fixture, having previously broadcast Alessandro Del Piero Cam and Shinji Ono Cam.
An advert for the service says: 'Heskey Cam gives you it all: one camera, one hero; every pass, every run, everything Heskey does on the pitch, you'll see it first with the Heskey Cam, the dedicated broadcast providing a rare insight into what makes Heskey so good.'
While English fans might question the use of the words 'run' and 'so good', Heskey has got off to an excellent start in Australia.
vicious.sid: What the hell have the Australians been told about Heskey? It'll just be 85 minutes of footage of him on his bum!
26.10.12
Cruel thug filmed himself putting cat in tumble dryer
A CRUEL yob is facing jail after he shut his girlfriend’s terrified cat in a tumble dryer and put it through three spin cycles - for a LAUGH. Twisted Allan Staughton, 23, left the pet in the machine for 12 seconds and even filmed the moggie’s ordeal then posted a video of it online.
During the film he can be heard joking that the cat, called Princess, was ”the new Mr Tumble”. He even asked viewers to rate the disturbing YouTube footage on a forum.
The RSPCA were alerted via Facebook to the online film entitled “You must see this - it will crack you up” and launched a hunt for Staughton, who posted the sickening clip under the alias Nitroazza.
Charity officials discovered Princess suffered a broken tooth and a tongue injury in the terrifying episode. She has now been rehomed.
Staughton is now facing up to six months in jail after admitting animal cruelty at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court.
The lout broke down in tears during the hearing after his internet anonymity was unmasked in court.
Magistrates heard Staughton had been dumped by his lover of four-and-a-half years and thrown out of their home following the attack.
Robert Starr, prosecuting for the RSPCA, asked the bench to slap a life-time ban on him keeping pets.
He said: “The cat would have been terrified and would have suffered mental and physical effects caused by having no method of escape.
“The reason why Princess didn’t move when the door was opened is because the incident would have left the cat in sheer terror, unbalanced and disorientated.
“It left the cat without any of its senses that you would attribute to a cat."
Mr Starr added that when Staughton was interviewed he had thought the incident was “funny.”
RSPCA spokeswoman Klare Kennett said yesterday: “This is a horrible thing to do to a cat.
“The animal will have suffered great trauma and a great deal of panic in that situation. It is totally unacceptable.”
Magistrates were shown the film - which has been removed from YouTube - of the cat being put into the machine as Staughton is heard saying it was going for “a tumble”.
The dryer was then turned on with the cat spinning inside for 12 seconds before Staughton opened the door.
Even after the cat was on its back in the bottom of the machine with its legs in the door and meowing Staughton spun it twice more.
Staughton, of Huntingdon, Cambs., admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the cat and sentence was adjourned for reports.
Kevin Warboys, mitigating, said: “Mr Staughton suffers from conduct disorder which he says means ’I just do things without thinking.’
“The idea arose from the cat often getting into the tumble dryer after it has been used, which my client believes is because it is warm."
He could be jailed for up to six months and fined up to £20,000 for animal cruelty.
vicious.sid: Why do these people do this? They have seen what has happened to people in the past who have done similar and they still do it! And, yet again, we have the handwringers who make up the 'condition' that 'made' him do it, he didn't want to do it but this 'conduct disorder' (hands up whoever's heard of it) made him do it. As long as these weirdos are making up excuses for idiots, they'll carry on doing it. Very strange.
26.10.12
Pictured: Twycross Zoo enclosure where three keepers 'were caught on CCTV beating Tonzi the elephant with canes'Three zoo keepers have now been sacked and arrested after they were accused of harming the two animals at a Leicestershire zoo.
Three male staff members are accused of beating Tonzi the elephant with bamboo canes after reportedly being caught on CCTV camera.
A source at the zoo claims that the keepers took turns hitting the 28-year-old Asian elephant but left no marks, so it was not obvious that the animal had been harmed, it was reported.
The zoo says it acted promptly when it looked through the CCTV footage (camera pictured top right) and called the police
The elephants can be seen today on the webcam at Twycross Zoo, after it was revealed that three employees had been dismissed following the allegations
It is believed that the other two elephants were hit with bamboo canes.
But when other staff members were checking through CCTV footage of the zoo, they spotted the alleged abuse.
The source said: 'It appeared Tonzi was being beaten by the keepers.
Apparently the keepers were taking it in turns to hit her with bamboo canes.'
The source claims that the zoo fears people will not visit the Leicestershire attraction after the alleged cruelty to the star animal.
Tonzi, who originally came from a timber camp in Burma, became a grandmother this year when her daughter Tara had a baby.
A source claimed the trio were caught on CCTV
The zoo, which has an 80-acre site, confirmed that they had sacked staff following the alleged incident and said the animals had not been permanently harmed.
vicious.sid: Human nature has so many terrible flaws. How or why anyone could do this is beyond me. What actual pleasure would you get out of hitting a creature that will just stand there and take it? I can sort of understand why some nasty people would want to hunt an animal in the wild - there is the slimmest chance that this animal can fight back so it would be exciting for them (even though the chance is practically zero). But to hit an animal that's just standing there, over and over again? I honestly believe that these people should have their private lives looked into and they should be monitored in the future. This is literally psychotic behaviour - they are not normal people and they sound quite dangerous.
26.10.12
Sacked panto star Craig: 'I took up porn roles to spend more time with my wife'
SACKED panto star Craig Chalmers has revealed his new career as a porn star allows him to spend more time at home with his wife. Craig was dumped from his role as Prince Charming in Cinderella after bosses at the Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, discovered he had appeared in an adult movie as Ryan Ryder.
But the 30-year-old star of Any Dream Will Do, says he gets to spend more time with his wife of two years, Jennifer Smith, because filming porn is a “10am to 3pm” job.
Craig, who grew up in Edinburgh, explained that his new adult entertainment role meant he worked fewer hours and could spend more time at home.
He said: “Working on conventional shows, I was basically living out of a suitcase, going from town to town. I hardly ever saw my wife.
“In my new career I head to work for 10am and I finish at 3pm. I’m home every night for dinner.”
vicious.sid: Ah, he's so good to his wife. I'm going to try that excuse on my wife, she'll love it.
26.10.12
Race ace McCririck in ‘ageist’ TV axing
VETERAN pundit John McCririck accused Channel 4 of “ageism” yesterday as he was axed from its horse racing coverage. The Celebrity Big Brother star, 72 — known for his deerstalker hat and sexist attitude — has been left out of the broadcaster’s new team.
He is being replaced by sidekick Tanya Stevenson — who he calls “The Female”.
Clare Balding, 41, will lead the new team from January 1.
Furious McCririck said: “Naturally I am devastated at being sacked. According to Channel 4, I’m being sacked after audience research.”
He added: “It is so sad that Channel 4 boss Jay Hunt and production chief Carl Hicks, both long-time BBC executives, have again gone down their well-worn path of ageism. Among the 13 slated to be on screen, only Jimbo McGrath is over 50.”
The pundit, in racing for more than 30 years, said he was told of the decision just 30 minutes before it was announced.
vicious.sid: Oh, the irony of it all! The ultimate revenge!!! It is a shame that such a knowledgeable man is being replaced but, be honest, he isn't a very nice man. Come on, all you girlies, let's have some comments!!!
26.10.12
Josef Fritzl dumps wife for deserting him in cell
MONSTER Josef Fritzl, who held his daughter in a cellar for 24 years, has divorced his wife for failing to visit him in jail. The beast, 77, is serving a life sentence for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement and negligent homicide of an infant son. A spokesman for the district court in Krems, Austria, where Fritzl — who forced his daughter to bear seven kids for him during her captivity — is imprisoned, declined to comment.
But Austrian magazine News reported the sicko’s missus Rosemarie would receive no pension as a result of the divorce. Twisted Fritzl imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in the basement of the family home in Amstetten in 1994, shortly after she turned 18.
Rosemarie reported her missing but Fritzl made Elisabeth write a letter saying she had run away.
vicious.sid: Why isn't she in prison with him? Like she didn't know what was going on.
26.10.12
You load hogs
WHAT a people-carrier! A mass of passengers and baggage clings miraculously to a lorry as it trundles across the Sahara.
vicious.sid: "Do you think the English Customs will spot us?" "No, we're the hundredth lorry-load today."
26.10.12
155mph killer was showing off to his girlfriend
A MANIAC driver who killed a father of three in a 155mph collision while trying to impress his girlfriend has been jailed for seven years. Shehzad Munir, 25, was racing like a “Formula One driver” when he cut across three lanes and ploughed into a car driven by Sukhpreet Singh Chimber.
Bus driver Mr Chimber, 30, was on his way home from work when Munir’s 4.5litre BMW 6 Series hit his motor with so much force it was hurled more than 200 yards.
Mr Chimber, of Grays, Essex, died at the scene. He had daughters aged six, five and 20 months, and was also expecting a son with wife of eight years Sonia at the time of the accident in September 2010.
The smash — near Rainham, Essex — was one of the highest-speed fatal accidents ever dealt with in Britain.
Mr Chimber’s devastated family said in a statement: “Our lives were shattered. He doted on his princesses and was excited beyond belief about the birth of his son. We cannot find words to explain the amount of grief and pain that we are still feeling.”
Arrogant Munir, of Plaistow, East London, denied causing death by dangerous driving but was convicted by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court. It heard how he had picked up his girlfriend unexpectedly after the pair had a row.
Judge Patricia Lees told Munir: “The sentence can never reflect the loss of life caused by your arrogant, idiotic and irresponsible behaviour.
“I have no doubt the victim died because you were showing off to your girlfriend. You were no doubt trying to win her over after having a falling-out a couple of days before. Two witnesses described your driving as like that of a Formula One driver. The distance travelled at excessive speed was six miles.”
Munir was banned from driving for eight years. He has a previous conviction for driving without due care and attention in 2005 — and was jailed for two years in 2008 for wounding with intent.
vicious.sid: It's now time to adjust these stupid prison sentences. Three and a half years for killing an innocent man just going about his business and destroying his family's lives for ever? The sentences we have now probably were a deterrent in their day, prison was harsh and people did suffer enough not to want to go back when they were created. Now they are just places to stay for a while with all mod cons which, to people like Munir, is no punishment at all. I think it's now time to review sentencing and triple or even quadruple the maximum time. At the every least Britain should adopt the 'three strikes and you're out' - twenty years minimum for a third offence, no matter what it is. Something has to be done to protect the public from these career criminals, just keep them away from the public until they've had a chance to grow up or they're just too old to bother anyone any more. Oh yeah, I forgot, human rights. Sigh . . .