Johnson Partnership, Legal News

20/08/25

A female police officer has been awarded more than £40,000 after her boss criticised her for being unable to work in cold weather due to a rare medical condition.

Pc Denise Gemmell, a serving officer for 26 years, suffers from neuralgia — a nerve disorder that causes sudden, severe facial pain, often compared by the NHS to an "electric shock" in the jaw, teeth, or gums.

30/07/25

A female prison officer has been jailed after being caught smuggling £35,000 worth of drugs into a prison for an inmate with whom she had developed a romantic relationship.

Olivia Johnson, 27, was found in possession of 88 sheets of paper soaked in the synthetic drug spice during a random search at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk in September 2022. The drugs were intended for Javelle Taylor, a prisoner serving a 12-year sentence for firearms offences.

19/06/25

A prison governor remains in hospital nearly three weeks after suffering a fractured skull in a violent assault by an inmate at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire, highlighting growing concerns over violence in Britain's overcrowded prisons.

The attack occurred on May 16 during a celebratory event held on one of the prison's wings. The incident is considered highly unusual, as it is rare for a governor to be targeted so severely. The governor's injuries were so serious that he has yet to be discharged from hospital.

21/05/25

A family falsely accused of leaving a Derbyshire pub without paying their bill has been awarded £75,000 in damages following a libel case.

Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr and Carol, were wrongly alleged to have left The Horse and Jockey pub in Tideswell without settling a £150 bill in July of last year. The pub posted CCTV images of the family on Facebook alongside the false accusations, labelling them as "dine and dashers."

25/04/25

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to introduce a legal presumption of anonymity for firearms officers facing criminal proceedings following police shootings, up until conviction. The reform comes in the wake of the acquittal of Sergeant Martyn Blake, a Scotland Yard officer cleared of murdering 24-year-old Chris Kaba, who was shot during a police stop two years ago.

Kaba, who was later revealed to be a "core member" of a dangerous London gang, was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Following his acquittal, Sgt Blake was forced to leave his home after a £10,000 bounty was reportedly placed on his head by criminal associates of Kaba. Sources described Blake's life as a "nightmare," lived in fear for himself and his family.