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17/05/2011
Other NI News In Brief
Balmoral Best Dressed
The Best Dressed winner and runner up at the Balmoral Show were revealed last week. The style stakes were high at the GOSH Cosmetics Best Dressed Competition at the 2011 event. The worthy winner was announced as Nicole Caldwell from Banbridge, pictured right, with Jayne Higgins from Magherafelt as the runner up pictured left. Nicole's vintage inspired look won her a GOSH Cosmetics hamper and a Topflight holiday for two to Italy.
Victoria Square Alert Ends
The Victoria Square shopping complex in Belfast city centre was evacuated in a bomb scare after reports that a suspicious device was discovered there on Tuesday morning. It has now ended.
Dentist Guilty Of Sex Assaults
Killer dentist Colin Howell, who is already serving life for gassing his wife and then lover's husband, has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually assaulting five female dental patients over the course of more than a decade. He was to have gone on trial on Tuesday before Antrim Crown Court, but his defence QC Richard Weir asked for the sex charges be put to him again. Howell had already admitted sexually abusing three women who were indecently assaulted after being drugged while being treated at his dental implant clinic in Ballymoney, Co Antrim. As a further nine sex charges were put to him again, Howell pleaded guilty, adding almost in a whisper: "And I am sorry" and has now pleaded guilty to a total of 12 charges of indecent assault involving the five women over a ten year period between March 1988 and December 2008. Five other charges of indecent assault involving some of the women, and a sixth woman, were not proceeded with and they will remain 'on the books'.
West Belfast Poll Looms
As one election ends another gets underway with a by-election in West Belfast due to take place after Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams stepped down to join the Dáil. Westminster Chief Whip Patrick McLoughlin asked for permission to hold a by-election for the now vacant seat. "Gerry Adams, since his election, has been appointed to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of Her Majesty's Manor for Northstead in the County of York," he said, a position that is a procedural device for MPs to leave their seats because they cannot technically resign. MPs approved Mr McLoughlin's motion without a vote meaning a timetable will now be set for the by-election.
DEL Minister Welcomed
The Chairman of the British Medical Association's student committee in Northern Ireland has welcomed the appointment of the new Minister For Employment And Learning. Chairman Neil Cunningham said: "We welcome the appointment of Dr Stephen Farry as Minister for Employment and Learning (DEL). Northern Ireland medical students would urge Minister Farry to look, as a matter of urgency, the debt crisis facing all students should tuition fees rise. The next generation of doctors should be trained according to their ability to become the best doctor, not their ability to pay." He added: "Acquiring high levels of debt will undoubtedly act as a deterrent to studying medicine and there has to be a better way of meeting the shortfall in higher education funding than penalising our future workforce. Northern Ireland leads the rest of the UK in the proportion of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who enter university; however we are concerned that widening access to medicine in particular will fail, if the debt implications of studying to become a doctor are not addressed."
(BMcC/GK)
The Best Dressed winner and runner up at the Balmoral Show were revealed last week. The style stakes were high at the GOSH Cosmetics Best Dressed Competition at the 2011 event. The worthy winner was announced as Nicole Caldwell from Banbridge, pictured right, with Jayne Higgins from Magherafelt as the runner up pictured left. Nicole's vintage inspired look won her a GOSH Cosmetics hamper and a Topflight holiday for two to Italy.
Victoria Square Alert Ends
The Victoria Square shopping complex in Belfast city centre was evacuated in a bomb scare after reports that a suspicious device was discovered there on Tuesday morning. It has now ended.
Dentist Guilty Of Sex Assaults
Killer dentist Colin Howell, who is already serving life for gassing his wife and then lover's husband, has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually assaulting five female dental patients over the course of more than a decade. He was to have gone on trial on Tuesday before Antrim Crown Court, but his defence QC Richard Weir asked for the sex charges be put to him again. Howell had already admitted sexually abusing three women who were indecently assaulted after being drugged while being treated at his dental implant clinic in Ballymoney, Co Antrim. As a further nine sex charges were put to him again, Howell pleaded guilty, adding almost in a whisper: "And I am sorry" and has now pleaded guilty to a total of 12 charges of indecent assault involving the five women over a ten year period between March 1988 and December 2008. Five other charges of indecent assault involving some of the women, and a sixth woman, were not proceeded with and they will remain 'on the books'.
West Belfast Poll Looms
As one election ends another gets underway with a by-election in West Belfast due to take place after Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams stepped down to join the Dáil. Westminster Chief Whip Patrick McLoughlin asked for permission to hold a by-election for the now vacant seat. "Gerry Adams, since his election, has been appointed to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of Her Majesty's Manor for Northstead in the County of York," he said, a position that is a procedural device for MPs to leave their seats because they cannot technically resign. MPs approved Mr McLoughlin's motion without a vote meaning a timetable will now be set for the by-election.
DEL Minister Welcomed
The Chairman of the British Medical Association's student committee in Northern Ireland has welcomed the appointment of the new Minister For Employment And Learning. Chairman Neil Cunningham said: "We welcome the appointment of Dr Stephen Farry as Minister for Employment and Learning (DEL). Northern Ireland medical students would urge Minister Farry to look, as a matter of urgency, the debt crisis facing all students should tuition fees rise. The next generation of doctors should be trained according to their ability to become the best doctor, not their ability to pay." He added: "Acquiring high levels of debt will undoubtedly act as a deterrent to studying medicine and there has to be a better way of meeting the shortfall in higher education funding than penalising our future workforce. Northern Ireland leads the rest of the UK in the proportion of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who enter university; however we are concerned that widening access to medicine in particular will fail, if the debt implications of studying to become a doctor are not addressed."
(BMcC/GK)
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23 May 2003
School principal in sex charge court appearance
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09 July 2021
Man Sentenced For Multiple Sexual Assaults
A man in his 50s has been handed a 24-year extended custodial sentence for a number of charges, including multiple sexual assaults.
Man Sentenced For Multiple Sexual Assaults
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