Soft drink tax ‘would cut heart attacks and rising levels of obesity’
By Jenny Hope
|
Slapping a 20 per cent ‘fat tax’ on soft drinks would cut consumption and help curb rising levels of obesity in the UK, claim experts at Oxford University.
Dr Oliver Mytton and Dr Mike Rayner of the Department of Public Health at Oxford said a tax of around 20 per cent – roughly equivalent to extending VAT – could lead to a drop in obesity-related diseases.
Estimates suggest taxing sugary drinks and other unhealthy foods could cut up to 2,700 heart disease deaths a year.
Unhealthy: Experts suggest that taxing sugary drinks and other unhealthy foods could cut 2,700 heart disease deaths a year and combat rising levels of obesity
Denmark became the first country in the world to introduce a fat tax last October, with a surcharge on foods high in saturated fat, while France has taxed sweetened drinks.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said the coalition would consider following its example as a way of tackling Britain’s growing obesity levels.
In a summary of evidence in the British Medical Journal the researchers claim poor diets in the UK must be tackled.
Dr Rayner said ‘Obesity has rocketed recently and if anything our diet is getting worse. We need to take steps to tackle this problem as a nation.
It’s affecting our health and it’s affecting our wallets through the increased burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.
‘David Cameron said that he wanted to look at fat taxes last October. He should now commission an independent review of the existing evidence that looks at the options for taxing unhealthy foods.’
The Oxford team claim government intervention such as taxation can be justified when the market fails to provide the ‘optimum’ good for society’s well-being, as with the duties on alcohol and tobacco, for example.
Following their lead: David Cameron has said Britain could copy Denmark and France in introducing the taxes
‘It is basic economic theory that raising the price will change consumption, and we already use the taxation system in this way to influence behaviour’ said Dr Rayner.
‘We have taxes on unhealthy goods such as tobacco and alcohol. And we don’t have taxes on books as they can be seen as a public good to be encouraged.
‘There would be benefits for the healthcare system too. It would save taxpayers’ money through reduced NHS costs as well as combat diet-related disease such as obesity and heart disease.
‘It is also likely that a tax on unhealthy foods would act as an incentive to encourage manufacturers to change what goes into their products and make them healthier over time’ he added.
A tax on sugary drinks is not going to cure obesity by itself, said Dr Rayner, there needs to be a strategy to deal with the affordability, the availability and the promotion of unhealthy foods.’
VAT is already applied to some foods and drinks in this country, but it is done inconsistently – as the recent pasty tax debate revealed.
‘VAT should be totally reformed in line with health goals’’ says Dr Rayner.
Taxes can have untoward or unexpected effects, and it is possible that a tax on saturated fats, like that introduced in Denmark, could be counter-productive, suggests Dr Rayner.
In avoiding some foods high in saturated fat, people could replace them with foods high in carbohydrates – food that also tends to be high in salt. The overall effect on health might be negative.
That is why Dr Rayner believes a tax on sugary soft drinks is the best option. Even if people moved to diet drinks instead, it would still be beneficial for health.
‘A tax on sugary drinks is one measure that is a sure, safe bet that would change how many calories people consume across the nation and have a significant effect on obesity levels,’ says Dr Rayner.
Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition last year said a 10 per cent ‘fat tax’ would drive down sales of sugary drinks and encourage consumers to swap to healthier alternatives.
A similar rise in the price of full-fat milk would lead to people drinking reduced fat milks instead.
Cat ‘attacks’ halt may
By Jamie Mcginnes
|
With her huge eyes and pure white face, you’d have thought the biggest problem posed by Snowball was being just too cute.
The postmen of Peterborough, however, disagree – and are refusing to deliver letters to her home because they say the three-year-old cat is a health and safety risk.
Royal Mail claims Snowball has attacked three postmen in recent months, leaving one with ‘quite deep’ cuts to a finger. It has now suspended services because of the ‘unacceptably high’ level of risk.
But Snowball’s supposedly bloodthirsty nature has come as something of a surprise to her owner, Ian Wilkinson.
‘Harmless’: Ian Wilkinson was shocked when he received a letter from Royal Mail saying Snowball was a health and safety risk
‘It’s utterly ridiculous. A postman would have to struggle to even poke a hand to the other side of the letterbox,’ he said.
‘Everyone at work thinks it’s hilarious – they have started calling her Ninja Cat and even Photoshopped her holding a Kalashnikov.
‘I have never seen her attack a person. Sometimes she sniffs people’s feet when they come over for dinner – that’s as vicious as she gets.’
The computer analyst first received a warning letter from Royal Mail on November 15 last year stating his pet was a ‘potential hazard’.
It said: ‘Either ensure your cat is kept away from the letterbox or provide an alternative safe delivery point.’ Mr Wilkinson wrote back asking for clarification, but heard nothing until another letter arrived last Thursday.
Delivery office manager Jamie Clarke wrote: ‘At 28/03/12 at 14:30 hours…our delivery officer was trying to deliver a packet to you.
‘When they opened the letterbox your cat clawed out via the letterbox and cut our delivery officers [sic] finger quite deep. This is the third such incident.
‘As a result, it has been found that the level of risk during delivery to the property is unacceptably high.’ Mr Wilkinson, a divorced father of one, said at first he thought the letter was an early April Fool’s joke.
There is a three-inch gap between the outside and inside of his letterbox, which is set a few inches off the ground. Mr Wilkinson argues that a postman should be able to shove mail through without putting himself at risk.
He added: ‘Although I acknowledge that my cat is a very intelligent animal, she is not able to lift up a spring-loaded flap, keep it open, push her paw through a double brush guard and maul an unsuspecting delivery person in the time it takes to deliver a letter.’
But after not receiving any letters for a week, Mr Wilkinson decided to fit a cage around his letterbox, and hopes deliveries can now resume.
A spokesman for Royal Mail said there are 4,000 animal attacks on staff each year.
‘If we feel that there is a risk from any animal we are committed to working with the customer to agree simple steps to ensure that we can deliver the mail safely,’ she added.
Royal Mail claimed Snowball posed an ‘unacceptably high level of risk’ and was a ‘potential hazard’.
It said three postmen have been attacked with one suffering ‘quite deep’ cuts to a finger after delivering to Mr Wilkinson’s home in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
Following a complaint by one of its staff, Royal Mail did a health and safety assessment and decided it was too risky to deliver post to his home.
Officials said deliveries would be suspended until Mr Wilkinson finds a way to stop Snowball mauling its postmen or an ‘alternative safe delivery point’ is put in place.
Mr Wilkinson, a computer analyst, said: ‘It’s utterly ridiculous.
‘Everyone at work thinks it is hilarious – they have started calling her Ninja Cat and even Photoshopped her holding a Kalashnikov.
‘Ninja Cat’: ‘Royal Mail claims Snowball poses an ‘unacceptably high level of risk’
‘I have never seen her attack a person. Sometimes she sniffs people’s feet when they come over for dinner – that’s as vicious as she gets.’
The divorced father-of-one added: ‘She happily plays with next door’s animals and she wouldn’t hurt a fly.
‘It’s not like she is a huge great Alsatian or a Doberman – she’s just a sweet little cat who is just inquisitive and playful.
‘She is absolutely harmless. It’s all a bit bizarre.’
Royal Mail claimed Snowball managed to manoeuvre her way past the letterbox’s two spring-loaded covers and double brush guard to attack its postmen.
But Mr Wilkinson said added: ‘You have to stretch to even get your hand through the letterbox.
‘At worst, this is just a cat wanting to play with someone wiggling their fingers through it.
‘Although I acknowledge that my cat is a very intelligent animal, she is not able to lift up a spring loaded flap, keep it open, push her paw through a double brush guard and maul an unsuspecting delivery person in the time it take to delivery of the letter.’
Mr Wilkinson, who has not had any post for the past week, has now put a cage around the letterbox and hopes this will be enough for Royal Mail to resume its service.
Bemused: Ian Wilkinson hopes post will resume after he put a cage around his letterbox
He said: ‘I respect postmen come out in all sorts of weather conditions, but they are in serious danger of making the Post Office a laughing stock.’
Neighbour Glenys Armstrong, 54, said: ‘Snowball is a lovely cat and friendly.
‘I can’t imagine her ever attacking anybody.’
After originally receiving a letter on November 15 last year stating Snowball was a ‘potential hazard’, Mr Wilkinson wrote back for clarification but only received a response from Royal Mail delivery office manager Jamie Clarke last Thursday.
Mr Clarke explained how a ‘delivery officer’ had been injured while trying to deliver a packet on the afternoon of March 28.
He said: ‘When they opened the letterbox your cat clawed out via the letterbox and cut our delivery officers (sic) finger quite deep.
‘This is the third such incident. As a result it has been found that the level of risk is unacceptably high.’
A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: ‘There are around 4,000 animal attacks a year on Royal Mail people.
‘These attacks cause great distress and in too many cases serious injuries.
‘If we feel that there is a risk from any animal we are committed to working with the customer to agree simple steps to ensure that we can deliver the mail safely.’
It emerged this week that Royal Mail had refused to deliver letters and parcels to four streets in Penkridge, Staffordshire, after a postman had tripped on the pavement.
Deliveries were halted due to health and safety reasons, forcing residents to make a 14-mile round trip to collect their mail.
Sean Penn attacks Britain for second time in two days over Falklands
By Gerard Couzens
Last updated at 4:23 PM on 15th February 2012
Controversial: Hollywood actor Sean Penn, pictured in Uruguay yesterday, has criticised Prince William’s deployment to the Falklands in a second attack on Britain in two days
Hollywood actor Sean Penn has criticised Prince William’s deployment to the Falklands in a second attack on Britain in two days.
Madonna’s ex-husband was condemned as ‘moronic’ by Tory MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer yesterday for claiming Britain’s continuing hold on the Falklands was ‘colonialist, ludicrous and archaic’.
But the left-leaning actor showed he cannot keep his mouth shut over the islands by accusing the UK of ‘insensitivity’ for posting William to the disputed South Atlantic territory and labelling Britain a colonial dinosaur for the second day running.
The double Oscar winner went on the attack again after a meeting with Uruguayan president Jose Mujica in Montevideo – less than 24 hours after he savaged Britain over the Falklands during his visit to Buenos Aires to see the Argentine president Cristina Kirchner.
Penn, who once called for U.S. president George W. Bush to be impeached over the Iraq War, met both state leaders in his role as Ambassador-at-large for Haiti.
He condemned criticism of his attack on ‘colonial’ Britain as ‘hyperbole’ and again insisted on calling the islands by their Spanish name of Las Malvinas.
Grinning smugly as he praised Uruguay as a ‘model of development in the world’ he added: ‘My oh my, aren’t people sensitive to the world colonialism, particularly those who implement colonialism.
Angry: Double Oscar winner Sean Penn (left) went on the attack against Britain for a second day running yesterday after a meeting with Uruguayan president Jose Mujica (right) in Montevideo
Controversial: Actor Sean Penn, pictured here with Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner on Monday, has branded Britain ‘colonialist’ for its refusal to hand over the Falkland Islands
Annoyed: Sean Penn said that the deployment of Prince William (left) to the Falklands was ‘unthinkable’
‘It’s unthinkable that the United Kingdom can make a conscious decision to deploy a prince within the military to the Malvinas, knowing the great emotional sensitivity both of mothers and fathers in the United Kingdom and in Argentina who lost sons and daughters in a war of islands with a population of so few.
‘There are many places to deploy the prince. It’s not necessary, when the deployment of a prince is generally accompanied by warships, to send them into the seas of such shared blood.’
Penn, who has received praise from crackpot Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, insisted he was proud of America’s long-standing alliance with the UK but felt he had the responsibility to criticise when criticism was due.
And he said that while he understood and respected the wish of people living in the Falklands Islands to remain British, they should also understand the need for Argentina and Britain to negotiate the sharing of the islands’ natural resources.
Graffiti: A mural in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires commemorates its soldiers who fell in the Falklands Conflict
Protest: Stencilled graffiti across Buenos Aires saying ‘They are not British, they are Argentine’ (left) and ‘English out of the Malvinas, we will return!’ (right)
Demonstration: A Buenos Aires street daubed in pro-Argentine graffiti, with a sign that says: ‘The Malvinas were, are and will be Argentine’
In an ugly attack on the press before ending his address to newsmen after his meeting with Uruguay’s president, he added: ‘Good journalism saves the world. Bad journalism destroys it so to all of you good journalists in the room I thank you. And the rest I will leave you to your own reflections.’
Penn, who had no previous knowledge or connection with the Falklands, later left by a side door of the skyscraper where he had met Jose Mucija, disappointing fans who had travelled miles to see him.
His comments have incensed Falkland veterans and islanders ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict.
Patrick Mercer added: ‘What on earth has this got to do with Sean Penn? He’s neither British nor Argentine and seems to know nothing about the situation judging by this moronic comment.
‘A good number of his movies have been turkeys, so I suppose we shouldn’t expect much better coming out of his mouth.’
Inspection: Actor Sean Penn (right) alongside Argentina’s Social Developer Minister Alicia Kirchner (left) during a visit to a factory in Berazategui, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on Monday
Disputed: Argentina calls the Falkland Islands (pictured) Las Malvinas and claims they were ‘stolen’ by Britain 180 years ago
ARGENTINIAN POLICE CLASH WITH FALKLANDS WAR VETERANS
Argentine police clashed with a group of Falklands War veterans in Buenos Aires yesterday, demanding inclusion in a pension plan for war vets.
The protesting veterans, who were deployed in the 1982 Falklands War when Argentina invaded the British-ruled South Atlantic islands, are disqualified from a Falklands war veterans package because they never actually deployed on the islands.
The demonstrators were blocking a major downtown thoroughfare when riot police, led by a massive water cannon truck, moved in on them to break up the demonstration.
The ex-soldiers, who began their protest on Monday night, resisted the police and hurled rocks, sticks and other projectiles. The police responded with batons and riot shields.
The police finally fired tear gas and advanced against the demonstrators chasing them through the streets and detaining several.
The protesting veterans say they want the government to recognize them as ‘continental combatants’ and afford them a ‘minimal pension’.
Penn waded into the row over the disputed territory’s future after he met President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in Buenos Aires on Monday, by insisting he was ‘firmly’ on the side of the South Americans.
Tensions between the UK and Argentina have been running higher than usual after Prince William’s deployment to the islands as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot. Penn’s remarks will further inflame relations as the anniversary of the start of the Falklands War approaches on April 2.
A total of 255 British soldiers were killed retaking the islands after an Argentinian military junta invaded the ‘Malvinas’, as the Falklands are known in Spanish, in 1982, while 649 Argentine troops died.
Tory MP Andrew Rosindell, secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Falkland Islands, attacked the actor’s comments as ‘nonsense’.
He said: ‘He shows complete ignorance of the issue if he comes out with nonsensical statements like that. In the 21st century people have a democratic right to their own future.
‘It is Argentina that is trying to impose its wishes on the people of the Falklands. As an American he should remember that freedom is precious, and it is something his countrymen have defended around the globe.
‘He must understand that the UK is equally entitled to defend the freedom of the people of the Falklands, even if they are 8,000 miles away.’
Dick Sawle, a member of the Falklands Legislative Assembly, said: ‘I don’t know Sean Penn’s films or what he looks like so I know as much about him as he does about the islands. His remarks are ridiculous.’
Even comedian Jim Davidson weighed in. Davidson, patron of the Falkland Veterans Foundation, said: ‘The fact of the matter is Argentina broke all the laws of the UN and attacked the Falkland Islands. What’s next? Do we expect the French to land on the Channel Islands and do nothing about it?
‘I think the world today is not going to tolerate any kind of ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology.’ Britain has said repeatedly that those living on the Falklands – which have been in British hands since 1833 – have the right to decide under which country they want to be governed.
The 3,000-strong population has declared its wish to remain under British rule. Argentina has made a formal complaint to the UN over the UK’s supposed ‘militarisation’ of the South Atlantic, based on the Type 45 destroyer Dauntless being ordered to the region, as well as Prince William’s deployment in his RAF role.
A HOLLYWOOD REBEL WITH EVERY LEFT-WING CAUSE
As the acknowledged king of Hollywood’s liberals, there is scarcely a single fashionable Left-wing cause Sean Penn has not championed in recent years.
Vehemently anti-Republican and achingly trendy, he counts Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s hardline president Hugo Chávez among his friends.
He has also made anti-American propaganda visits to Iran and post-war Iraq.
Penn has met Chávez at least twice and defended the Left-wing leader, arguing that anyone calling him a ‘dictator’ should face jail. He has also said: ‘Chávez may not be a good man. But he may well be a great one.’
Penn even once took out a £40,000 full-page newspaper advertisement to attack President George W Bush for his ‘simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil’.
Friends: Sean Penn (right) who has been labelled a ‘communist’ for his friendship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (left) who he met in 2008
Later he would call for Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney to be jailed for ‘deceiving the American people into a war (Iraq) that was murdering young men and women’.
Last October Penn visited ‘inspirational’ post-Gaddafi Libya.
The 51-year-old actor, who was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989 and has two children from his second marriage to Robin Wright which has also now ended, was reported to have flashed a V for Victory sign as he arrived in Tripoli fresh from visiting Egypt.
Amid even Tinseltown’s numerous famous bleeding hearts then, Penn stands out.
But despite his tough political posturing the Oscar-winning star of Milk and Mystic River is also famously sensitive to criticism.
When he was lampooned as a naive egotist in the 2004 satirical puppet movie Team America: World Police, he complained bitterly.
In the film, written by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, a puppet of Penn made outlandish statements about how happy Iraqis were before the war.
But while Alec Baldwin, George Clooney and Matt Damon all saw the funny side to the film, in which they too were parodied, Penn sent Parker and Stone an angry letter inviting them to tour Iraq with him and signing it off with ‘**** you’.
Parker explained: ‘In the movie we were making fun of him for always saying “I’ve been to Iraq, you don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve been there”, and then he writes in the letter “I’ve been to Iraq…”.’
More recently, Penn set up a charity in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake in the country. It led to him being named ‘ambassador-at-large’ by President Michel Martelly, which is why the actor was visiting Buenos Aires.
He has also championed causes such as gay-rights and America’s poor, as well as supporting countries most Americans would consider to be enemies.
On screen he won an Oscar for his portrayal of homosexual politician Harvey Milk and appeared in a promotional advert for the Occupy movement.
In 2005 he helped rescue people in New Orleans, Louisiana, who had been injured by Hurricane Katrina. But some thought it was merely a PR stunt.
The Mystic River star has also visited Iran, Iraq, and Cuba – and most recently has been seen in Libya (following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime) and Egypt (after Hosni Mubarak was ousted).
The MoD says the deployments are ‘routine’. The Royal Navy is also sending a nuclear-powered submarine to patrol the islands. In a fresh development, it was announced yesterday that all British-flagged ships will be boycotted by Argentina’s transport workers’ union.
‘Should we give Gibraltar back to Spain because Spain is nearer or do you think the Gibraltarians have a say?’
Penn, who called on Britain to join UN-sponsored talks over the islands, said: ‘I hope that diplomats can establish true dialogue between the UK and Argentina in order to solve the conflict as the world today cannot tolerate ridiculous demonstrations of colonialism.
A copy of the original telex announcing to the British government that Argentina had surrendered in the Falklands War is to go under the hammer.
Sent by the commander of the British land forces, Major-General Jeremy Moore, it states that the junta’s forces have laid down their arms and the Falkland Islands are ‘once more under the government desired by their inhabitants”.
The document is expected to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000 when it is auctioned by Bonhams on April 3, a day after the 30th anniversary of the start of the war.
The telex, sent by Major-General Jeremy Moore, Commander of British land forces in the Falklands, which is to be sold at Bonhams in April
It reads: ‘In Port Stanley at 9 o’clock pm Falkland Islands Time tonight 14th June 1982, Major General Menendes (sic) surrendered to me all the Argentine Forces in East and West Falkland, together with all their impedimenta.
‘Arrangements are in hand to assemble the men for return to Argentina, to gather in their arms and equipment, and to mark and make safe their munitions.
‘The Falkland Islands are once more under the government desired by their inhabitants. God Save the Queen. Signed JJ Moore.”
The message was sent via special forces to the Government Communications Headquarters on June 14 1982 – six days before the hostilities officially ceased.
It came to the auctioneer from what was described as a naval-related source.
Bonhams chairman Robert Brooks said: ‘This remarkable document encapsulates perfectly the very moment of total capitulation by Argentina’s 12,000-strong occupying forces in the Falklands.
‘It is a rare find of great historical importance and will excite considerable interest from around the world.’
¿The United Kingdom has no industry any more¿: Sneering Sarkozy attacks Britain on French TV
- Sarkozy was defending a VAT rise on national TV
By Peter Allen
Last updated at 6:52 AM on 30th January 2012
A sneering Nicolas Sarkozy has attacked Britain for being a country with ‘no industry’.
The French President, who is hoping to be re-elected this Spring, used the inflammatory words as he defended a VAT rise during a prime time national TV broadcast.
He had just announced a 1.6 per cent VAT rise which is meant to boost France’s failing economy by getting ordinary people rather than employees to pay for social charges.
‘No industry’: The French President used the inflammatory words as he defended a VAT rise during a prime time national TV broadcast
Mr Sarkozy admitted that he was borrowing the measure from Germany, arguing that it had ‘helped to boost German competitiveness’ and had not led to a rise in prices.
But when a journalist pointed out that Britain had experienced a rise in prices after increasing its VAT contributions, Mr Sarkozy spat out the words: ‘The United Kingdom has no industry any more’.
He was not picked on the comments by any of the carefully selected journalists assisting with the broadcast from the Elysee Palace.
In 2009 Mr Sarkozy actually attacked a VAT rise in Britain, saying it had ‘absolutely failed’ to stimulate the economy.
Yet last night, he saw it as an essential measure to reverse his country’s fortunes , as he praised Angela Merkel for applying it.
It came as the German Chancellor offered ‘active support’ at campaign rallies for Mr Sarkozy, who is widely expected to fail in his re-election bid.
A ‘Robin Hood’ tax on financial transactions was also imposed by Mr Sarkozy last night – despite fierce opposition from EU leaders including Prime Minister David Cameron who described it as ‘utter madness’.
David Cameron at the Toyota factory in Burnaston last year. In 2009 Mr Sarkozy attacked a VAT rise in Britain, saying it had ‘absolutely failed’ to stimulate the economy
‘With tax on financial transactions, we are going to show an example,’ said Mr Sarkozy, as he outlined the tough new measures in the hour long broadcast, which was shown by no less than eight channels.
While officially a presidential address, Mr Sarkozy made it clear that all of his attention is on the two round presidential election to be held in April and May.
The hugely unpopular Mr Sarkozy is currently trailing his Socialist rival, Francois Hollande, in all polls.
Not only are some 3 million people currently unemployed in France, but the country lost its triple-A credit rating from Standard and Poor earlier this month.
Before this happened, Mr Sarkozy had said that such a downgrade would hamper his election chances enormously, saying ‘If we lose the triple-A, I’m dead.’
The hugely unpopular Mr Sarkozy is currently trailing his Socialist rival, Francois Hollande, pictured, in all polls
After the downgrade, Mr Sarkozy told aides: ‘For the first time in my life I am facing the end of my career.’
The decline of Mr Sarkozy, a right-wing conservative, is seen as Mr Hollande’s greatest asset, and last week the Socialist candidate launched an impassioned attack on ‘the world of finance’.
Mr Hollande has promised huge tax rises, some 19 billion pounds in new spending by 2017, and 150,000 state-subsidised new jobs for young workers, as well as 60,000 new teaching jobs.
But Ms Merkel on Saturday pledged to support Mr Sarkozy on the campaign trail, because she apparently doubts Mr Hollande’s ability to solve the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis.
Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy have built up such a strong working relationship that they are referred to as ‘Merkozy’.
The latest opinion poll published this weekend suggested Mr Hollande would take 56 percent of votes in the second round of the election, with Mr Sarkozy on 44 percent.
Mr Sarkozy, who turned 57 on Saturday, has been involved in numerous scandals since coming to power in 2007.
Magistrates are currently looking at allegations that Mr Sarkozy and other senior members of the ruling UMP party received envelopes stuffed full of cash from Liliane Bettencourt, the L’oreal heiress and France’s richest woman, in return for future tax breaks.
Mr Sarkozy’s third wife, the former supermodel Carla Bruni, has also been accused of enriching close friends in Paris through her charity work.
Categories: News Tags: 'The, attacks, Britain, French, Industry, Kingdom, More, Sarkozy, Sneering, United
Sex predator Kajus Scuka allowed into UK to carry out knifepoint rape and string of attacks
- Kajus Scuka, 48, jailed for life today with a minimum term of 12 years
- Rapist slipped into Britain undetected and signed on for benefits
- He stabbed wife three times in row over his infidelity and was jailed for life in 1988
- Also convicted of gross indecency, indecent assault and attacking a woman with an axe in his homeland
By Rob Cooper
Last updated at 6:40 PM on 27th January 2012
A dangerous sexual predator from the Czech Republic who murdered his wife at home came to the UK and carried out a knifepoint rape and three serious sex attacks on women, a court heard.
Kajus Scuka, 48, raped a woman on her 54th birthday as she walked her dog in a park and groped his other victims and offered them cash for sex.
The convicted killer was claiming £67-per-week in benefits after coming to the country in 2009.
A judge today expressed dismay that despite his serious convictions and lengthy sentence, Scuka was ‘free to enjoy the same freedom of movement as any other European citizen.’
Jailed: Kajus Scuka, 48, who had served 11-and-a-half years of a 13 year sentence in his homeland
He was allowed into the country despite serving 11-and-a-half years of a 13 year sentence for murdering his wife.
He had been jailed in 1988 for stabbing her three times in his homeland when they argued over his infidelity.
Scuka also has convictions in the Czech Republic for gross indecency, indecent assault and assaulting a woman with an axe for which he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Although he was already a convicted killer, as he was not deemed high profile enough he is likely to have slipped into the country unnoticed because border officials would not have known of his criminal past.
Judge Peter Kelson told the defendant: ‘It seems to me that even with your convictions for murder and assaults you were free to enjoy the same freedom of movement as any other European citizen’
Any EU citizen is entitled to come into the country unless border officials can show that the individual represents a danger under free movement of labour laws.
The system is reliant on criminal records databases being shared – and a conviction alone is not enough to keep someone out.
The Sheffield attacks all happened within a two-mile radius of the city’s giant Meadowhall Shopping Centre between March 2010 and May 2011 and – police did not even know the killer was in the country.
Jailing Scuka for life with a minimum term of 12 years at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Peter Kelson told him: ‘I regard you as a very, very dangerous man.’
He said he was ‘unwilling to control his sexual urges and was a grave danger to women’ and he would be recommending Scuka for deportation after he has served his sentence.
The judge said: ‘If there is ever such a day you are released in this country you should be deported. I have no doubt that the public will be terribly alarmed.
‘It seems to me that even with your convictions for murder and assaults you were free to enjoy the same freedom of movement as any other European citizen.’
After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Ian Harding said it was worrying that Scuka could slip into Britain under the radar.
‘It is a concern that people of this nature move freely about the EU without any restriction,’ he said.
‘This man has been living in Sheffield since 2009 and we were not even aware of his presence.’
Scuka first struck in March, 2010 as a 51-year-old grandmother walked her two-year-old granddaughter home in a pram at Sheffield Lane Top.
WHY ARE WE NOT WARNED ABOUT EU CRIMINALS?
Britain’s ‘open borders’ agreement with the European Union means millions of people with criminal records can get into the country unchecked.
Any citizen of an EU country, including the 8 countries of Eastern Europe, can get into the UK without a visa, just as Britons can travel freely around the continent.
When EU nationals arrive at the border, their passport details are checked against a ‘watch list’ of serious criminals and terror suspects compiled by the UK Border Agency.
But the database contains giant holes – as the British authorities are reliant on other countries to share their criminal records.
Unless an offender is high profile, is known to have committed crimes in several countries, or is on the Interpol wanted list – the system is unlikely to be aware of their previous convictions.
And even if a new arrival does have a conviction – or indeed several – and the authorities are aware of them, they cannot automatically be refused entry.
European free movement rules mean they can be barred to ‘maintain public security’ but convictions in themselves do not necessarily mean they will be turned away.
Even more worrying is that many foreign nationals do not undergo rigorous background checks even after they have been arrested.
Each year around 30,000 pass through the criminal justice system without police exploring the full extent of their criminal pasts.
By comparison, criminals from outside the EU who want to come to Britain must obtain a visa before entering – and are required to declare any previous convictions.
He approached the woman from behind and put his hand between her legs while making ‘sexual grunting noises’, said prosecutor Mike Smith.
His victim turned round and swore at Scuka who fled.
The second attack happened on April 14 when a 23-year-old was approached by Scuka who pretended to be jogging as she walked alongside the River Don.
His victim said he appeared to be wanting directions but he then grabbed her and tried to push her into nearby undergrowth and said: ‘I give you 30 quid.’
The woman, who escaped, told the court: ‘At first I thought he was going to mug me but then I realised he wasn’t after money.’
Two hours later Scuka raped his third victim as she walked her dog on playing fields after work just a mile away at Wincobank.
The victim told the court a man speaking broken English asked her for directions then knocked her into a ditch.
He slapped her hard on her thighs before taking out a penknife and raping her.
She said: ‘He tried to kiss me. He kept slapping me. At one point I was thinking I didn’t want to die in this ditch, I didn’t want to die with my clothes off and be found by children.’
The final attack was on May 17, 2011 when a student in her 20s was walking through a park in Firth Park.
Scuka grabbed her from behind and said ‘let’s have sex’ but she managed to break free and escape as he tried to rip off her coat.
He was arrested minutes later at his home half a mile away.
Scuka’s DNA was found on the rape victim while fibres from a hooded top he wore for the last attack were found on his victim’s coat.
Scuka, who spoke through an interpreter in court, was convicted by a jury of one offence of rape and three offences of sexual assault.
He told the court he lost his footing as he spoke to the rape victim and they both fell to the ground on a public footpath.
Scuka claimed the woman touched him sexually first and he found her attractive but did nothing against her will.
Police believed he returned home for brief periods by bus during his time in Sheffield. Det Sgt Harding said: ‘He claimed he came here looking for work but he hasn’t done any and just signed on.’
