Blackmail judges ‘acted unwisely’

Two judges under investigation after a blackmail attempt by their illegally employed cleaner have been found guilty of “poor judgment”, but no further action is to be taken against them.

Mohammed Ilyas Khan, 61, was forced to step down on full pay of £110,812 in October 2006 after an attempt by his Brazilian cleaner to blackmail him and his lover, another judge, known as Judge J. The pair, who were both immigration judges but no longer practice, were then investigated by the Office of Judicial Complaints for bringing their office into disrepute by hiring an illegal immigrant.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, and Jack Straw, the Lord Chancellor, said yesterday: “We have concluded that they demonstrated poor judgment in offering paid work to cleaner Roselane Driza, without being assured of her immigration status.” Ms Driza was cleared of blackmail but convicted of stealing Mr Khan’s sex videos. She won her appeal but a retrial has since been dropped.

Parents’ appeals rise over primary places

The number of admissions appeals from parents whose children were refused places at their preferred primary schools rose by 20 per cent last year amid fierce competition (Alexandra Frean writes).

Government figures show that 26,440 parents lodged appeals to attempt to force schools to accept their children for the September 2006 intake, up from 21,990 the previous year.

The rate of appeal rose from 26 per 1,000 admissions to 31, and the number of successful primary school appeals rose by nearly 4 per cent to 5,590.

The figures suggest a rise in parental dissatisfaction over primary school choice.

Man admits role in Nairac death

A man allegedly linked to the kidnap of the army officer Robert Nairac in Northern Ireland in 1977 admits driving the soldier’s murderer to the site of his death, a court was told. Captain Nairac, 29, was kidnapped and shot by the IRA. His body has never been found. Police told Newry magistrates that the victim’s hairs were found in the car of Kevin Crilly, 57, who denies kidnap and false imprisonment. He was released on bail.

Boris job for tycoon

Boris Johnson, the new Mayor of London, has appointed the top businessman Tim Parker as chief executive of the Greater London Authority. Mr Parker, 52, said by unions to have a reputation as an asset-stripper, will also be in charge of transport. He will not take a salary and will step down from all business interests.

Smith Square deal

The EU agreed a £20 million deal to buy the Conservative Party’s former headquarters in Smith Square, Central London, to house a European “super-embassy”. Lord Tebbit, the former party chairman, said: “This will be regarded as another example of the conquest of Britain by Brussels.”

Device explodes in restaurant

A man was in police custody last night after a small explosion in an Exeter restaurant.

The man was treated in hospital for slight injuries after what was believed to be a homemade device exploded. The city centre was evacuated and search teams checked that no other devices had been planted in shops or restaurants. Police said they believed that the explosion was an isolated incident caused by an individual acting alone.

Rogue clamper gets four years

A woman who led a team of car clampers was jailed for four years by Stafford Crown Court after being convicted of conspiracy to blackmail. Rebecca Meakin, 27, of Heath Hayes, Staffordshire, cheated drivers out of thousands of pounds.

Killers of father are to appeal

Adam Swellings, 19, leader of the gang that kicked a Cheshire father Garry Newlove to death, was given leave to appeal against his murder conviction and his 17-year jail tariff. Stephen Sorton, 17, has leave to appeal against his 15-year tariff.

Lightbox shines for £100,000

The Lightbox in Woking, Surrey has won a £100,000 prize for the most inspiring museum in Britain. The £7 million project beat the Wellcome Collection and Britain’s most northerly museum in Shetland to take the Art Fund Prize.

HRT patches 'safer'

Hormone replacement therapy in the form of a patch does not increase a woman’s risk of blood clots, unlike HRT taken orally, according to the first study to compare the methods. But the French researchers added in the online edition of the British Medical Journal that full medical trials were needed.

David Gest

In Weekend TV (times2, May 5) we incorrectly suggested that David Gest had been given herpes by Liza Minnelli on their wedding night. This was entirely wrong. David Gest has never had the disease and has never actually accused Ms Minnelli of giving it to him. We apologise to Mr Gest for any embarrassment or distress caused by this mistake.

Clarification

Mike Judge, a spokesman for The Christian Institute, should have been quoted in our report (“I won’t marry gays so I’m facing the sack”, News, May 21) as saying that no homosexual couple are being denied their right to a civil partnership, not as we reported their right to marriage.

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