Woman found dead in Glasgow flat as forensic officers probe 'unexplained' death
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Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Disabled woman died after carer lost control of wheelchair on escalator
Catherine Muir, 71, was being looked after by Debbie McWhannell, 33, at Glasgow's Easterhouse Shopping Centre on July 15 2023. A disabled woman tragically died after a carer lost control of her wheelchair on an escalator. Catherine Muir, 71, was being looked after by Debbie McWhannell, 33, at Glasgow's Easterhouse Shopping Centre on July 15 2023. McWhannell, of the city's Mount Vernon, ignored a sign which warned against putting wheelchairs on an escalator. Catherine - who had special needs and prone to dizziness - was only held on by McWhannell's one hand as they descended. Catherine sadly fell and suffered a serious jaw injury which affected her breathing. She died in hospital 11 days later after she contracted pneumonia. McWhannell pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to an offence against the Health and Safety at Work Act. Sheriff Shona Gilroy tagged McWhannell for six months keeping her indoors between 8pm and 9am as an "alternative to custody." Catherine's brother Donald Muir, 68, and sister Janet Muir, 72, said after the sentencing: "We weren't looking for her to get jailed. She made a horrible mistake and she will have to live with that for the rest of her days - it should never have happened. "It was a sad loss - she lived 72 years and to die that way is just tragic. It's been a disaster. I just hope it is publicised so that it doesn't happen again and gives folk a warning about escalators. "We would like carers to pay attention to all signs at escalators - she blatantly ignored all the health and safety regulations. I can't imagine what was in her head - Catherine was not a wee lightweight and had a bulky wheelchair. To even attempt to go down an escalator - I can't imagine why, it's shocking." The court heard that McWhannell worked for Inclusion Scotland as as a supported living assistant. Catherine - originally from Dunoon, Argyll and Bute - had significant learning disability and complex care needs. She was non-verbal and suffered from various medical conditions. On the day of the incident, McWhannell had initially taken Catherine up an escalator upon entering the shopping centre. The lift was out of order at the time of the incident. McWhannell and Catherine visited shops for a short period of time before they headed for the exit. McWhannell had a bag of shopping on the elbow of one arm while she held Catherine's wheelchair with her hand. Her right hand gripped onto the handrail of the escalator meantime. Prosecutor Kristina Reilly said: "When the wheelchair with Catherine strapped in began to descend, McWhannell lost her grip completely and the wheelchair tumbled to the bottom. Catherine also attempted to hold the handrail when the chair began to fall." Janitor David Ayton attended the scene and pressed the emergency stop button. He then tended to Catherine who was "hysterical" with facial injuries and was bleeding from her mouth. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. McWhannell attempted to assist Catherine but was stated to be "shaken and hysterical" while she apologised to her. Ambulance staff were concerned on arrival about Catherine's lower jaw injury as it could have caused an airway issue. Medics carried out an airway suction on her and took her to hospital for further treatment. Catherine was found to have suffered a fractured left jaw which required surgery which included restoring displaced bones using rods and screws. She also sustained a head injury and was admitted to a high dependency unit. Catherine unfortunately contracted pneumonia and died 11 days later. McWhannell was suspended from her job pending an investigation. The probe found that the escalator had signage which said: "No pushchairs, wheelchairs or bulky loads." Other safer routes of exit were also stated to have been available to McWhannell which included a ramp. Miss Reilly also told the court that McWhannell was properly trained in manual handling and would have been aware of Catherine's care plan. A formal decision on McWhannell's status with the Scottish Social Services Council will be made after the end of criminal proceedings. Ian McCarthy, defending, said: "This was a one-off tragic incident with very serious consequences. She deeply regrets her involvement in this matter and that it took place. She travelled with her in the ambulance and spent time in hospital with her and also visited her." Sheriff Gilroy expressed her condolences to Catherine's family at the sentencing. She said: "I imagine the events that led to her death have been utterly heartbreaking. "To her next of kin in court - what happened to your sister was utterly tragic and I understand there is upset and anger at the decision made by Miss McWhannell to take Catherine on an escalator while she was on a wheelchair and prone to dizziness. "Miss McWhannell appears unable to explain her decision and I take that from what she said to the social worker. It appears that her rash decision making has been profound and long lasting. "This was an isolated incident caused by a dreadful decision made by an otherwise law abiding member of society. A prison sentence of up to 26 weeks would not help rehabilitation and I am persuaded there is an alternative to custody."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
What are the new UK online safety rules and how will they be enforced?
Children's online safety in the UK is having its seatbelt moment. On 25 July social media and other internet platforms will be required to implement safety measures protecting children – or face large fines. It is a significant test for the Online Safety Act, a landmark piece of legislation that covers the likes of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Google. Here is a guide to the new rules. Companies within the scope of the act must introduce safety measures to protect children from harmful content. This means all pornography sitesmust have in place rigorous age-checking procedures. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator and the act's enforcer, has found that 8% of eight- to 14-year-olds in the UK – mainly boys – visited an online porn site or app in a month. Social media platforms and large search engines must also prevent children from accessing pornography and material that promotes or encourages suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. This has to be kept off children's feeds entirely. Hundreds of companies are affected by the rules. Platforms will also have to suppress the spread of other forms of material potentially harmful to children including the promotion of dangerous stunts, encouraging the use of harmful substances and enabling bullying. Measures under the codes include: algorithms that recommend content to users must filter out harmful material; all sites and apps must have procedures for taking down dangerous content quickly; and children must have a 'straightforward' way to report concerns. Adherence is not mandatory if companies believe they have valid alternative measures to meet their child safety obligations. The 'riskiest' services, which include big social media platforms, could be required to use 'highly effective' age checks to identify under-18 users. If social media platforms that contain harmful content do not introduce age checks, they will need to ensure there is a 'child appropriate' experience on the site. X has said if it is unable to determine whether a user is 18 or over, they will be defaulted into sensitive content settings and will not be able to view adult material. It is also introducing age estimation technology and ID checks to verify if users are under 18. Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, says it already has a multilayered approach to age checking. This includes its teen account feature – a default setting for anyone under 18 – that it says already provides an 'age appropriate' experience for young users. Mark Jones, a partner at the law firm Payne Hicks Beach, said: 'Ultimately it is going to be for Ofcom to decide whether these measures meet the requirements under the OSA and, if not, to hold the companies to account.' The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity established by the family of the British teenager Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online, said the measures did not go far enough. It has called for additional changes such as blocking dangerous online challenges and requiring platforms to proactively search for, and take down, depressive and body image-related content. Age assurance measures for pornography providers supported by Ofcom include: facial age estimation, which assesses a person's likely age through a live photo or video; checking a person's age via their credit card provider, bank or mobile phone network operator; photo ID matching, where a passport or similar ID is checked against a selfie; or a 'digital identity wallet' that contains proof of age. Ria Moody, a lawyer at the law firm Linklaters, said: 'Age assurance measures must be very accurate. Ofcom has said that self-declaration of age, or terms of service saying users must be over 18, are not highly effective measures and so platforms should not rely on these alone.' Pornhub, the most-visited provider of online pornography to the UK, has said it will introduce 'regulator approved age assurance methods' by 25 July. It has yet to say what these methods will be. OnlyFans, another site which carries pornography, already uses facial age verification software. It does not store an image of the user's face but estimates age using data taken from millions of other images. A company called Yoti provides that software and also does so for Instagram. Reddit started checking ages last week for its forums and threads which include mature content. It is using technology made by a company called Persona, which verifies age through an uploaded selfie or a photo of government ID. Reddit doesn't have access to the photos but stores the verification status to avoid users having to repeat the process too often. Software allows a website or app to set a 'challenge' age – such as 20 or 25 – to limit the number of underage people who slip through the net. When Yoti set a challenge age of 20, fewer than 1% of 13- to 17-year-olds were incorrectly let through. An equally direct method is to require users to show a piece of formal identification such as a passport or a driving licence. Again, the ID details do not need to be stored and can be used solely to verify access. They should, but many smaller sites are expected to try ignoring the rule, fearing that it will damage demand for their services. Industry insiders say that those ignoring the rules may wait to see how Ofcom responds to breaches before deciding how to act. Ofcom can deploy a range of punishments under the act. Companies can be fined up to £18m or 10% of global turnover for breaches, or whichever is greater. In the case of Meta, such a fine would be $16bn. Sites or apps can also receive formal warnings. For extreme breaches, Ofcom can ask a court to prevent the site or app from being available in the UK. Senior managers at tech firms will also be criminally liable for repeated breaches of their duty of care to children and could face up to two years in jail if they ignore enforcement notices from Ofcom.
Pembrokeshire Herald
2 hours ago
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Rise in Welsh shoplifting sparks union concern for retail staff safety
A WHISTLEBLOWER has alleged that a senior officer at HMP Parc made violent threats against prison reform campaigner Zack Griffiths during a formal job interview. The comments, which included claims that officers 'up and down the country' were 'ready to kill' Mr Griffiths, were allegedly made in May during an interview for the role of prison officer. The whistleblower, Kirsten Myles, says the officer also falsely claimed that Mr Griffiths was a registered sex offender. According to the testimony, when challenged by another staff member, the officer doubled down on the remarks and responded with 'visible hostility,' reportedly saying: 'F* no**,' when asked if Mr Griffiths was currently housed at Parc. Ms Myles shared the statement publicly via a redacted document and a post in the HMP Prisons Justice Group, a Facebook group with over 6,000 members. She claimed she withdrew from the application process as a result of what she witnessed, stating: 'I cannot, in good conscience, work within a system where such behaviour is displayed without accountability.' Zack Griffiths held at HMP Swansea Zack Griffiths, 35, is a former inmate at HMP Parc who has since become a prominent campaigner for prison reform. He is currently in custody at HMP Swansea following his recall to prison earlier this year. He previously served a sentence after sharing a video from inside Parc Prison, which showed a violent restraint involving a staff member. In April, he was arrested again while attending Cardiff Crown Court. Charges of malicious communications have since been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, but one charge relating to the unauthorised prison footage remains active. Griffiths founded the HMP Prisons Justice Group and has led protests outside Parc highlighting concerns over inmate deaths, drug abuse, and alleged staff misconduct. Parc Prison, Bridgend (Pic: Herald) Prison responds: Claims 'unsubstantiated' HMP Parc has issued a formal response denying the whistleblower's claims. In a brief statement to The Herald, a prison spokesperson said: 'Ms Myles' claims have been thoroughly investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.' G4S also say that Ms Myles was not withdrawn from the recruitment process as she claimed. G4S added: 'Ms Myles was unsuccessful in her application and did not withdraw from the process voluntarily. This decision was made prior to her raising concerns.' Growing scrutiny at HMP Parc Prison officers prepare to enter a cell during a training exercise. HMP Parc, operated by private security firm G4S, has been subject to growing scrutiny over the past year. At least 25 inmates are believed to have died in the prison since 2023. Several staff are under investigation or have been arrested in connection with ongoing misconduct allegations. The Herald understands that formal complaints have been lodged regarding the comments alleged in the leaked statement. Ms Myles' post online has drawn significant attention and reignited debate about the culture and accountability of privately run prisons. Campaigners express concern Tom Blewitt of UK Prisons for Justice told The Herald: 'We are deeply concerned after hearing the remarks senior officers at HMP Parc have made regarding Zack. 'These comments show a total lack of regard for his welfare. 'As a group, we are worried for his safety and hearing this only intensifies that concern.'
