The Johnson Partnership, News

23/07/25

Prisoners at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire will keep their Saturday morning lie-ins after a quarry extension was approved with a delayed weekend start time. Shropshire Council, led by the Liberal Democrats, granted planning permission for Grundon Sand & Gravel to extend operations at its Tern Hill site—on the condition that no work begins before 9am on Saturdays.

The decision followed objections from prison officials concerned that early morning quarrying, including noisy blasting, would disturb inmates' sleep. The category C facility houses 734 prisoners, who are allowed to sleep in beyond their usual 7:30am wake-up time on Saturdays.

19/06/25

Members of Parliament have voted by a majority of 242 to remove criminal penalties for women who end their own pregnancies at any stage of gestation and for any reason. The change effectively decriminalises abortion in these circumstances, meaning women will no longer be subject to investigation, arrest, or prosecution for doing so.

Under current law in England and Wales, abortion is a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, but it is legal if performed by an authorised provider up to 24 weeks, and under limited conditions thereafter. Women can also take prescribed abortion medication at home if they are under 10 weeks pregnant.

21/05/25

A 24-year-old female prison officer has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after admitting to a romantic and physical relationship with an inmate at HMP Lindholme in Doncaster.

Morgan Farr Varney, formerly of Stainforth, North Yorkshire, was caught on CCTV entering a cupboard with the male prisoner and loitering with him on the prison wing, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The footage led to an investigation, during which Farr Varney confessed she had "proper fell in love with him" and admitted she had "messed" her life up.

25/04/25

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a house explosion in Worksop that left one man dead. Nottinghamshire Police confirmed that a 43-year-old man was taken into custody for questioning before being released on bail as investigations continue.

The body of 53-year-old David Howard was found beneath the rubble after the blast, which occurred at around 7:39pm on April 12. Two terraced houses were completely destroyed in the explosion, and emergency services remain on site as they work to determine the cause.

20/03/25

Fewer than 1 in 200 crimes result in jail time, with career criminals often avoiding justice, new analysis reveals. An estimated 13 million crimes occurred in the year to September 2024, but only 71,573 jail sentences were handed down, equating to just 0.5%. This data highlights that prolific offenders, responsible for a significant portion of crime, continue to evade prison. The number of prolific offenders has risen over the past decade, with many being spared jail despite having dozens of prior convictions.