Tenants of Hull charity Winner say ‘safe houses' were not secure
Laura, not her real name, said she turned to the charity for support following an abusive relationship but claimed her mental health worsened after years of problems with the house she was placed in with her children."My back door was smashed in by an ex-partner," she said. "They did send someone round to fix it but they just put a cardboard box over it and left it like that for nine months."My handle used to fall off as well so if there was ever an emergency I couldn't get out of my back door. I had to force it with a knife to try and get out. "It wasn't a safe house. I had to get out."Joanne, whose name has also been changed, added: "My back door broke and when someone did eventually come out, they just took the locks off altogether and told me to just put plastic doorstops on and said it would be fine."When you're in a safe house you want it to feel secure and it certainly wasn't."Liv, also not her real name, spent four years in an abusive relationship but said she now felt trapped once more due to mould making living conditions miserable for her and her children."I just lay in bed and cry the majority of the time. I don't want to be here in this house, but I just have to put up and shut up, basically," she added."I'm stuck here. I can't afford private renting and the council isn't doing anything because I'm already housed, so I'm literally just stuck in this house."
Winner said it has 178 houses in the city for women escaping abusive relationships. They are provided by Winner Trading Limited (WTL) - the charity's commercial arm.According to its accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2024, WTL has managed a dispersed accommodation service since 2008 and charges rent.On its website, the charity states rents are set at "affordable levels which means that your Local Housing Allowance will cover at least most of the cost".The charity was founded 25 years ago by Lisa Hilder, who was awarded an MBE in 2024. It also provides training, nursery provision and volunteer programmes from its centre in east Hull and said it had helped "tens of thousands of women"."We take the protection, safety and comfort of our tenants extremely seriously," a statement added."All our homes are fitted with a communications hub through which the tenants can report an issue 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We are working proactively to make sure repairs are dealt with in a timely manner and that properties are maintained appropriately."
A former worker at the charity, who did not want to be named, said the poor housing conditions were the reason she and others left.Marie, not her real name, said: "There was always damp, mould, broken floorboards, and boarded-up fire escapes, which was the most scary one for me."Going into a property knowing there was only one way in and one way out, there's only so long that you can go around looking at vulnerable women and children in these homes in such disrepair without it taking a mental toll on you as a person. "That was the reason I left the role. I felt disheartened and disappointed because I went to work for a charity that was to empower women and look after women who had been victims of domestic abuse."Angie Wallace, who runs a community support group in the city called Changing Lives on Your Doorstep, said she was contacted by dozens of current and former Winner tenants, all detailing similar experiences with the charity.She said some of the women who had left their abusive partner had been forced to return to them "because they don't want to stay in the houses".
HCC said it was "aware of concerns from Winner service users" and had met with the charity."Council officers have also made a referral to the Regulator of Social Housing, which has responsibility for investigating some of the matters highlighted," a spokesperson added.
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North Wales Live
3 days ago
- North Wales Live
Welsh tycoon caught on CCTV 'assaulting' lawyer
The moment mining tycoon David Lewis "assaulted" a solicitor was captured on CCTV. Footage shows the millionaire jabbing a finger at Robert Davies MBE while pushing him up against a window. Lewis, whose company operated Merthyr Tydfil's controversial Ffos y Fran mine, was cautioned for assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH). He was later prosecuted for that offence. But the case was dropped, prompting Mr Davies to share CCTV of the incident with WalesOnline. It appears to show Mr Davies, 75, exiting the Newport office of his firm, RDP Law, while Lewis is nearby in a parked convertible. Lewis, 68, gets out of the car and moves his face close to Mr Davies before following him to the side of the building, placing both hands on the solicitor and holding him up against a window. Lewis is the sole director of Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, which ran Ffos y Fran - the UK's last opencast coal mine - from 2007 until two years ago when it finally closed more than a year after its planning permission had expired. The company, which turned over £75.2m in 2022 and £54.6m the following year, is currently mired in controversy over the land's restoration. Mr Davies has been a solicitor for more than 50 years and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for his contribution to legal services. He is the founder and chairman of RDP Law. The background to the alleged assault, according to Mr Davies, has to do with a civil court case. He told WalesOnline: "In April 2024, proceedings between companies controlled by Lewis, and a third party, were heard by the High Court in London. Both parties had wanted me as a witness; I declined, but appeared when summonsed by the court to do so." After Mr Davies gave evidence in the High Court, he says he was visited by Lewis on the afternoon of May 16 last year while heading out of the RDP Law office. The solicitor claimed in a statement to police: "I noticed there was a black convertible car parked in the bay immediately to the right of the front door of the office as one walks out. "As I was leaving the front entrance, I turned left towards my car and heard someone call: 'Come here you f***ing little s***.' At that I saw Mr Lewis getting out of his car. He walked up to me saying a stream of invectives, came right up against me pushing himself against me and causing me to move backwards." Mr Davies claimed he tried to de-escalate the situation but that Lewis followed him around the corner of the office. He alleged Lewis pushed him against the lobby window, with a hand or arm around the solicitor's neck. Lewis allegedly told him: "You dropped me in it, you lying b******." The solicitor continued: "His face was right up against mine by then and he was forcefully holding me against the wall... I said nothing to him in reply and he eventually released me. I walked back into the office and he remained outside." Mr Davies said he sustained a permanent scar to the neck which he believes was caused by Lewis' ring or a fingernail. Following a police investigation, a PC emailed Mr Davies in February: "Mr Lewis will receive a conditional caution for [assault occasioning actual bodily harm] with the condition to attend a victim awareness course." After being cautioned, Lewis allegedly failed to comply with the condition, which led to a prosecution being brought for ABH. But when Lewis appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court last week, the case was dropped without explanation, leaving Mr Davies appalled. Prosecutor Adam Warner then wrote to Mr Davies: "I am writing to let you know that I have reviewed the charge of assault occasioning you actual bodily harm on May 16, 2024, and made the decision to stop the prosecution. The reason for my decision is that a six-month time limit to commence a prosecution for the appropriate offence has passed." However, no such time limit applies to the offence of ABH. Mr Davies suspected the prosecution service decided a more appropriate charge would be common assault - which is subject to a six-month time limit - but then realised it was out of time. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now confirmed this. Its spokesman told WalesOnline: "Having received the case from the police, and following a review of the evidence, we concluded that the correct charge was assault by beating. However, the statutory time limit for that offence had already expired. Consequently, the case was discontinued as we could not proceed with the original charge." The explanation has failed to satisfy Mr Davies, who claims no-one from the authorities came back to him to check "the extent, nature or effect" of the injury, which he alleges to be a permanent scar. He said: "It is beyond dispute that Lewis assaulted me. It was caught on CCTV. He subsequently admitted it [by accepting a caution]. Nothing could be clearer. That he has escaped answerability to the court is wholly unacceptable, and I will be asking Gwent Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to account for their apparent failures in enabling this." During the magistrates' court hearing, Presiding Justice Richard Morris granted a request from Lewis' solicitor Matthew Demaid that his legal costs be covered by central funds. When the magistrate confirmed this, Lewis laughed and walked out of the courtroom. Outside court, WalesOnline asked Lewis if he had previously accepted a caution for ABH against Mr Davies. He replied: "I haven't accepted a caution, absolutely not. I've just been found acquitted." When we said we had seen an email from police confirming the caution, his solicitor advised him not to comment further. We have since verified the email. Ffos y Fran mine shut in November 2023 after Merthyr Tydfil council refused an application to extend the time of operations there. Local residents were angered by delays to the closure, which came more than a year after the deadline on its planning permission. Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd originally agreed a plan to restore the 285 hectares of land once mining finished, but earlier this year the company applied for a revised scheme involving a different, "more affordable" restoration process. WalesOnline recently reported that the Coal Action Network, a campaign against coal mining, was planning to take the firm to court over its alleged refusal to fund the original restoration deal and "clean up its mess". In 2003 Lewis, of Sluvad Road in New Inn, Torfaen, was convicted of obtaining £88,000 by deception. Cardiff Crown Court heard the then-46-year-old ran firms with a turnover of £39m a year and became a "pathological gambler", betting on "anything that lived or moved". He placed more than £250,000 in bets over three months in an account with bookmakers Stan James. But after running up debts of £88,000 he lied to the bank that the account had been used without his authority, and was repaid the money. The court heard that Lewis - whose civil engineering business had contracts with various local councils - later paid back the refund he should not have had. Imposing a three-year community rehabilitation course and £33,000 in prosecution costs, Judge Jonathan Durham-Hall KC told Lewis: "You set about a scheme to deprive everybody except yourself, and when the truth was put before you, you wriggled, twisted and whinged." In its 16 years in operation, some 11 million tonnes of coal was extracted from Ffos y Fran. The mine was responsible for 86% of the UK's coal output before it shut. Gwent Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have been approached for comment on Mr Davies' criticism over the ABH prosecution. Lewis has been approached for comment through his solicitor.
Scottish Sun
17-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
I quit the UK with my boyfriend for sunny Australia – I never imagined the horror that was awaiting us
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIKE most young couples, Joanne Lees and her boyfriend Peter Falconio were eager to explore the world together. The pair dreamt of leaving their home in Brighton for a sunnier, less pebbly beach in Sunny Australia - but Joanne could never imagine the horrors that would take place on the other side of the world. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees in the Australian Outback in 2001 before his tragic end 6 Joanne had no idea their trip of a lifetime would end in horror Credit: PA 6 Bradley Murdoch killed Peter and attempted to kidnap Joanne Credit: PA Joanne, 28, and Peter, 27, decided to get a working visa before heading to Sydney in 2001. Joanne found a job at a bookstore and the pair spent five months exploring the city and its nightlife before buying a campervan to explore the rest of the country. The pair planned to cruise from Sydney to Brisbane taking in the sites along the way. But their lives were soon about to change forever after driving along Stuart Highway one cold July night. The two travellers were flagged down by Bradley John Murdoch along a remote stretch of the highway near Barrow Creek. Murdoch, a drug-runner and mechanic, drove alongside the couple to warn them sparks were coming out the back of their van. As Peter stepped out to check the damage, Murdoch brutally shot him in the head while Joanne sat up front in the van none the wiser. She said: "I heard him talking to the man, all seemed amicable, joking, I could hear him saying 'Cheers mate, thanks for stopping,' it just seemed all friendly." At one point, she looked in the mirror and made eye contact with Murdoch, which left Joanne feeling uneasy, so she began to rev the engine in the hope Peter would hurry up. "I heard a bang, I automatically thought 'Oh it's the exhaust.' I stopped running the engine, turned to look around the man was stood outside the driver's door," she reveals. 6 Peter was shot in the head by Murdoch after checking the campervan Grandparents, 46 & 47, found GUILTY of murdering boy, 2, after horrific 'targeted' abuse and 'casual cruelty' "I saw the gun in his hand pointing at me." He went on to bound her wrists with cable ties and forced her into his own van before taking her hairband and tying it around his gun as a trophy. For me there was no choice. It was either run or be raped and killed. Joanne Lees "I just felt the isolation that I was completely alone. I was screaming for Pete to come and help me, he didn't return. "Now I realise that Peter had already lost his life but I didn't want to accept that," she said. The Outback Murders Timeline July 14, 2001: British backpacker Peter Falconio disappears and is presumed murdered on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, is assaulted and abducted but manages to escape. British backpacker Peter Falconio disappears and is presumed murdered on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, is assaulted and abducted but manages to escape. November 1, 2001: Police interview Bradley John Murdoch in Broome. Police interview Bradley John Murdoch in Broome. August 22, 2002: Bradley Murdoch is arrested and tried on an unrelated kidnap and assault charge by South Australia Police. Bradley Murdoch is arrested and tried on an unrelated kidnap and assault charge by South Australia Police. November 2002: Joanne Lees identifies Murdoch from police photographs. Joanne Lees identifies Murdoch from police photographs. 2003: Murdoch is arrested and charged with the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees, following his acquittal for unrelated rape and abduction charges in South Australia. DNA evidence links him to the crime. Murdoch is arrested and charged with the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees, following his acquittal for unrelated rape and abduction charges in South Australia. DNA evidence links him to the crime. October 17, 2005: The trial of Bradley John Murdoch for the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees begins in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in Darwin. The trial of Bradley John Murdoch for the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees begins in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in Darwin. December 13, 2005: Bradley John Murdoch is found guilty of Peter Falconio's murder and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees. He is sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years. Bradley John Murdoch is found guilty of Peter Falconio's murder and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees. He is sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years. June 24, 2025: It is announced Murdoch has been released from prison into palliative care at Alice Springs Hospital due to terminal throat cancer. It is announced Murdoch has been released from prison into palliative care at Alice Springs Hospital due to terminal throat cancer. July 15, 2025: Bradley John Murdoch dies at the age of 67, without ever revealing the location of Peter Falconio's remains. At some point, Murdoch went back to the couple's van and Joanne seized her chance to escape and ran into the outback. There, she waited for several hours, hiding in a salt bush, praying Murdoch and his dog wouldn't sniff her out. "For me, there was no choice. It was either run or be raped and killed," she told 60 Minutes. Thankfully, Murdoch was unable to find her and she eventually was able to flag down a road train to get help. Joanne was taken to the police, where she was able to describe Murdoch's appearance and his car, which the police were later able to track down thanks to CCTV. His DNA was then tested against the cable tie handcuffs he made Joanne and it was a match. 6 Joanne Lees went back to the location to try and find Peter's body Life Now He was officially charged for the murder of Peter and attempted kidnapping of Joanne in 2005 and sentenced to life in prison. Earlier this week, Murdoch died while in hospital from throat cancer at the age of 67. While many won't be saddened by the news of his death, grief is felt as Peter's family has never been able to properly say goodbye. Despite spending 24 years in prison, Murdoch has never confessed to where he put Peter's body, which still remains unfound. Last month, police offered a reward of £400,000 for information on the murdered backpacker. Joanne, who has never forgotten about Peter, went back to the Australian outback in 2017 to help bring him home. "The important thing is for me to come here and at least try," she said. "I loved his smile, his sense of adventure. And even though you know he only had a short life and died at the age of 28... he made the most of it." Joanne, now 51, lives in West Yorkshire and works as a social worker. Since her return to the outback to try and find Peter in 2017 she has stayed out of the media. 6 Bradley Murdoch died in hospital earlier this week without revealing where Peter's remains are Credit: EPA
BBC News
16-07-2025
- BBC News
Daughter of Oldham speeding driver victim backs safety campaign
The daughter of a man who was killed by a speeding driver has thrown her support behind a new road safety "No More Flowers" display unveiled by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) features 154 flowers, representing each of the young people killed or seriously injured between 2021 and 2023 as a result of Armstrong, from Oldham, was fatally struck by a vehicle while walking in Chadderton on 8 October 59-year-old's daughter, Joanne Briggs, said she hoped parents would see the display and "make their children aware" of the dangers of speeding. Muhammed Numan Ahmad was last month convicted of causing Mr Armstrong's death by dangerous was jailed for seven had been driving at speeds of up to 60mph (96km/h), considerably higher than the road's 40mph (64km/h) limit."I'm so angry that the stupid actions [of speeding drivers] have caused me and my family so much pain," said Ms Briggs. "I can't put into words how much it's done to us."She said she could not understand some motorists' desire to speed and questioned why those running late for work could not "just call beforehand and be late".Ms Biggs added: "I wish [the drivers] could see the consequences it has, and imagined it was their daughter crying their eyes out at home." Peter Boulton, TfGM's network director for highways, said his organisation wanted to reduce road casualties to zero by 2040."Any death or serious injury on our roads is one too many," he said. "Speeding is the leading cause of fatal road injuries which have a devastating impact on families like Mark's and countless others every people to slow down on the roads, Mr Boulton said: "The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
