TWO LIFE SENTENCES FOR EX LONG EATON HEAD TEACHER

A former Long Eaton head teacher has been given two life sentences after killing his wife and her lover. Officers found Helen Hancock (nee Almey), 39, and Martin Griffiths, 48, from Derby, at her home in New Zealand Lane, Duffield, in the early hours of New Year’s Day. They had suffered fatal stab wounds. Rhys Hancock was sentenced at Derby Crown Court on October 1st, where Her Honour Judge Nirmal Shant QC told him he will serve at least 31 years before he can be considered for parole. The court heard that Hancock inflicted over 6o injuries on his wife and 37 wounds on Mr Griffiths. A paramedic said it was the most violent incident he had ever seen and described it as a bloodbath.

Hancock called the police after the attack and told them, “I’ve just murdered my wife in her bed.” He admitted to the murders when he appeared at court in July.

Her Honour Judge Nirmal Shant QC, sentencing Hancock, said: “What you did that night has deprived two families of the people they love and no sentence I impose will seem adequate to them and nothing I do can fill the undoubted void that the deaths of Helen Hancock and Martin Griffiths have left in their lives.

“Your actions that night left your three children without a mother and you left Martin’s family without a son and his children without a father.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Steve Shaw said: “What was apparent throughout our investigation was just how popular Helen and Martin were.

“They were much-loved by not only their families but by friends, neighbours and colleagues and I know their deaths have devastated everyone who knew them.”

 HAPPIVALE TO REOPEN

Councillors Kewal Singh Athwal, Alan Griffiths and Garry Hickton were requested by Mr William Robins of Happivale for grant assistance of £300 to install hand sanitizer dispensers and gel so that they could open their premises safely. Mr William Robins, Happivale Secretary said;

“ It is with great appreciation that we welcome and acknowledge the grant of £300 received from Derbyshire County Council which will help Happivale re-open its doors by providing essential sanitising dispensers and gel.

This will ensure when we invite our members back (all with learning difficulties) to their social club, we can provide the protection that is so vital to help combat the COVID 19 pandemic”

Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal said;

"Myself and my colleagues, Cllrs Griffiths and Hickton are very pleased that we could assist this worthwhile organisation with £300 Grant funding from the Members Leadership Scheme to install the dispensers. We all need to stay safe in the current Covid - 19 pandemic" 

TEENAGER BAILED

A teenage thief entered the house of a Sandiacre pensioner after saying he would do some work for her. He then stole £170. The incident occurred in Beech Avenue, Sandiacre on July 15th. Johnny MacDonald, 18, of Gables Close, Solihull, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary when he appeared at Derby Crown Court via a video link. Judge Shaun Smith QC gave him bail on the conditions that he lives and sleeps each night at the Solihull address. He will be sentenced over a link on October 15th.

CHARITY CAKE STALL

Councillor Mike Powell, Betty, Deputy Mayor Donna Briggs, Sue and Val.

A Charity Cake Stall raises £655.00 for Macmillan Cancer Support on Friday 25th September, hosted by Betty and Nigel Thompson assisted by Val Glover, Sue Haley and Michelle Adcock.

The Erewash Deputy Mayor Councillor Donna Briggs together with her consort for the day Councillor Mike Powell attended and met other visitors also using face masks, hand jel and social distancing.

We would like to thank all who supported such a worthwhile charity and to the friends and family who supplied such delicious cakes for the stall.

FA CUP WINNER DIES

The oldest living FA Cup winner who played for Long Eaton United has died at the age of 97. Reg Harrison was in the Rams side that beat Charlton 4-1 at Wembley in the first FA Cup Final after the war. He joined Derby aged 16 and spent 11 seasons with the Rams between 1944 and 1955 scoring 59 goals in 281 appearances. During the war he turned out for Sheffield United, Notts County, Charlton Athletic and Hartlepools United. He later played for Boston United and Long Eaton United.

GARAGE BREAK IN

A pair of burglars have appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court. The court heard how the two men were caught breaking into the Fast Fit Garage in Oxford Street, Long Eaton on September 2nd. Andrew Brown and Paul Hallam both pleaded guilty to entering a building as a trespasser with intent to steal. They were both jailed for 12 weeks and ordered to pay a £128 victim surcharge..

ASSAULT IN SAWLEY PARK

A teenaged boy has suffered a fractured skull following an assault.

Police were called to Sawley Park, Draycott Road, Sawley, at around 7pm on Saturday 12th September to reports of a group of teenagers fighting.

A 16-year-old boy was found with head injuries. He told officers he had been assaulted.

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the incident and released under investigation while inquiries continue.

We want to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened at the park that evening and are asking parents and guardians to think about where their children were and get in touch if they think they were at the park at that time.

You can get in touch via the following methods. Please quote reference 20*479149;

     ·         Facebook– send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary
·         Twitter– direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact
·         Website– complete the online contact form derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.
·         Phone – call us on 101.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

EREWASH MUSEUM

Summer fun workshops

Erewash Museum are getting the kids feeling creative during a series of exciting workshops this August. The activities will be taking place in the museum grounds to maintain safe social distancing during the following dates:

·        Sea life basket weaving workshops on Thursday 13 August

·        Book mark making workshops with local artist Kerry Dilks, with inspiration from her new book The Peg People, on Tuesday 18 August, Thursday 20 August and Saturday 22nd August.

Booking is essential in maintaining that the museum remains Covid-secure and therefore only 2 groups (or bubbles) at a time will be allowed with social distancing measures of keeping 2 metres apart put in place. New equipment will be provided for each participant, with all equipment including tables and chairs being thoroughly sanitised before and after each session. The use of hand gel will be necessary and provided by the museum. There are hand sanitizing stations at every door and outside the toilets for visitors to use.

Public safety measures will include a one-way system throughout the museum with separate entrance and exits and child-friendly marker ‘spots’  to help with social distancing. The building is regularly cleaned with specific emphasis given to ‘high-touch’ points such as door handles, switches and stair rails. Don’t forget your face coverings if you are entering the museum building.

Toilets and baby changing facilities will be accessible during the workshops and are regularly cleaned and checked. If you would like to look around the museum during your visit to the workshops please mention this at the time of booking to ensure we can also book you in for this to ensure your safety, and that of others, in the building. 

Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and

Leisure, Councillor Mike Wallis, says: “It’s great to see visitors safely back at the museum and these workshops are sure to help entertain the children during the summer. Please be assured that all measures have been taken to protect the health and well-being of all our visitors, and the museum is constantly monitored and cleaned to ensure it is Covid-secure. We want our visitors, young and old, to feel safe when they are here. Activities will be popular so please book soon to guarantee your place as we welcome you back to our award-winning museum.”

All workshops run from 10.30am-3pm with a suggested £2 donation. In the case of bad weather the workshops will be held in the Hayloft, again adhering to social distancing guidelines.  To book your place please message Erewash Museum via Facebook or email museum.bookings@erewash.gov.uk #kidsbackinmuseums

 Erewash Museum is located in Ilkeston town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Contact 0115 907 1141, email museum@erewash.gov.uk  or visit the Facebook page /erewashmuseum. You can also follow the museum on Twitter @Erewash_Museum, and Instagram @erewashmuseum. 

BUSINESS WATCH

Business Watch by Eddie Walsh

So how has the retail scene changed recently?  The Natural Health store, 13 High Street has closed for good.  That was the shop with posters obscuring the windows.  Welch The Florist which has traded on Market Place for many years has transferred its business to its Stapleford branch.  The freehold of the premises is up for auction on 13th August.  

The biggest change locally was the opening of The Company Shop at Chapel Street on the old Focus site.  It is run on a membership basis. See www.companyshopgroup.co.uk.  It has a wide range of discounted groceries but check the use by dates.  80 pence for 4 pints of milk seemed cheap but  it had a use by date for the next day.  A six pack of Jack's Crisps for 50p had a 16 day use by date and crisps normally are dated up to 3 months ahead.  And, alas, just like Aldi, Asda and Tesco they allow kids to sit within trolleys.

This pathetic little government is going ahead with HS2 at a time when the cash could be better used co cope with the virus crisis.  And the 500 million earmarked for a tenner off a meal could have paid for free hospital parking for NHS staff for two years.

When Rowlands in Midland Street closed a few months ago customers who had not chosen another pharmacy were transferred to the nearby Boots.  This had the advantage of late opening and a window to collect scripts from.  However, the queue system was not adhered to by the Methadone clients who regularly went straight to the window saying they did not want to queue for 30 minutes if their order was not ready.  For an easier life, staff tolerated this.  I moved to another pharmacy after witnessing constant queue jumping.

The annual ISA allowance of £20,000 is certainly very generous and, of course, only useful to those who are already well paid.  The chancellor could well cut that in his review of Capital Gains Tax.  The current CGT is £12,300 up by £300 from last year.  This is reasonably generous too and could be tapered back.  CGT applies to the amount of profit you can make from selling an asset before any tax is payable.  Or he may impose a wealth tax but that would not snare the billionaires as their wealth can easily be moved abroad.

Finally, does anyone know of a premises with a good dance floor which is available on a Thursday Night or a weekend afternoon?

Email your business news to edwardjohnwalsh@hotmail.com  

BIKE STOLEN DURING SAWLEY BURGLARY

Police are appealing for witnesses after a couple were woken in the early hours to discover their home had been broken into and a bicycle stolen. At around 3.30am on Friday 24th July a couple were asleep at home on Beresford Road, Sawley, when they were alerted to a noise downstairs. They went down and discovered their house had been broken into, and a bike had been stolen.

While police would like to hear from anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in the area they have also issued a picture in the hope of tracing the cycle. It is a manufacturers image, not of the exact bike, a blue and yellow Cube Analog. If you have any information which could help with inquiries, please get in touch using one of the following non-emergency contact methods. Please quote the reference number 20*379548 and name of the officer in the case, PC Alice King in any correspondence.

·  Facebook – send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary

·  Twitter – direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact

·  Website – complete the online contact form www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.

·  Phone – call us on 101.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Please note in the event of an emergency you should always call 999.

OBITUARY

"Kenneth Raymond Moreton, aged 78

of Draycott.

Sadly passed away on 12th July 2020  at

The Nightingale McMillan Paliative Care Centre, Royal Derby Hospital.

There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child.

Forever in my heart. Miss you to the moon and back. Cheers.

The funeral will be at Bramcote on Tuesday 4th August at 1.15pm in Serenity Chapel.

We will be leaving Draycott around 12.35.

Ken requested no flowers and that colourful clothes are worn.

Due to Covid 19, there will be no wake, but drinks at Brennans.

Donations to Tree Tops Hospice and Guide Dogs for the Blind."

GARAGE FIRE

Firemen were called to an industrial building following reports of a fire, which broke out at around 4.45pm on Monday July 27th. Fire crews from more than 10 stations attended the blaze at Meadow Lane, Long Eaton. Adjoining properties were temporarily evacuated while firefighters tackled the blaze. Neighbours reported hearing a large explosion at the site.

A Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service sokesman confirmed that the fire had started in a garage off Chatsworth Avenue. He added,” Our crews arrived on-scene to find a well-developed fire in an industrial unit. They were faced with a lot of smoke and flames and quickly got to work to get water onto the fire.”

NEXT STEP IN TOWN BID

Long Eaton residents are being urged to get involved and share their views on the shaping of an investment plan for the town – an important step in the bid for substantial government funding. The chairman of the new Long Eaton Town Deal Board is local businessman and entrepreneur Richard Ledger and he has urged residents to get involved as work continues to unlock the funding for major projects that will boost Long Eaton’s regeneration drive. A six week public consultation, hosted by Erewash Borough Council, is launched this week (Thursday 16 July) as the drive continues to finalise a detailed bid for funding after Long Eaton was named as one of the UK towns that could be in line for up to £25m funding through the government’s Towns Fund.

The Long Eaton Town Deal Board has a membership from across the community and chairman Richard Ledger is founder of Draycott-based Millitec Food Systems Ltd which manufactures machinery for the food industry and exports all over the world. The board is working to put together a Town Investment Plan that will, when finalised, feature a range of proposals that could include projects like a re-design of the often grid-locked Long Eaton Green junction and the High Street and the redevelopment of some derelict buildings. A detailed plan needs to be developed to ensure the town has a robust and effective case for government funding. Board chairman Richard Ledger says residents have an important role to play:

“I am extremely excited to be part of the team working to deliver the town deal for Long Eaton. This is a substantial amount of real money available to spend on transforming Long Eaton into a town that we can all be proud to live and work in and I hope that we’ll see real changes being made within months not years. What we need most of all though is to hear from the people of Long Eaton – it’s your town and you understand better than anyone what is needed to change it for the better. Don’t be shy about sharing your vision with us. Long Eaton is a unique place with a rich industrial heritage and together we have a fabulous opportunity turn it into a town that is the envy of the midlands.”

Councillor Dan Pitt, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Town Centres, added:

“We have said from the start that this is a marvellous opportunity to bid for millions of pounds of funding to revitalise Long Eaton. Much work still lies ahead to develop the best proposals possible for the economic growth of Long Eaton I am pleased with the Long Eaton Town Deal Board’s solid progress in terms of the bid for funding.”

The consultation is open until 30th August and is online at www.erewash.gov.uk The Town Fund is a government initiative designed to highlight the role towns can play in increasing economic growth with the focus on matters like planning and land use, developing local transport schemes that complement regional and national networks and ensuring towns have the space to support skills and small business development.