RM800,000 COP Student ‘too bright’ to go to jail
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LONDON: A college student who stabbed her boyfriend could be spared a custodial sentence because of her academic record.
Aspiring heart surgeon Lavinia Woodward stabbed her boyfriend in the leg before hurling a laptop, a glass and a jam jar at him during a drug-fuelled rage at Christ Church College in Oxford.
The 24-year-old admitted to a charge of unlawful wounding at the Oxford Crown Court.
Judge Ian Pringle said: “To prevent this extraordinary, able young lady from not following her long-held desire to enter the profession she wishes to, would be a sentence which would be too severe.”
Christ Church College will also allow her to return to her studies in October because she is “that bright”, having had articles published in medical journals, the court heard.
Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said Woodward’s behaviour at the time of the Sept 30 attack had “deteriorated”.
Defending counsel James Sturman said Woodward was a drug addict and her dreams of becoming a surgeon would be “almost impossible” should she be convicted as her record would have to be disclosed. She had a “very troubled life” and had been abused by an ex-boyfriend.
Woodward will be sentenced on Sept 25 and has been issued with a restraining order and told to remain drug-free. – The Independent
PUTRAJAYA: A whopping RM800,000 in cash has been seized from the home of a police corporal in Malacca by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) f o l l o wi n g h i s a r r e s t o n Wednesday. The 52-year-old cop from the Malacca state anti-vice, gaming and secret societies division, led MACC officers to the stash in a storeroom at his house after being quizzed on his role in the “protection” of vice and gambling dens in two districts in the state.
He was the 10th suspect to be arrested in connection with the probe.
Six senior officers – an assistant c o mmissioner a nd deputy superintendent who are both district police chiefs, two assistant s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s a n d t wo inspectors – were detained since Tuesday.
Three others picked up in the probe by MACC were individuals believed to be the middlemen between corrupt cops and criminal syndicates.
Sources revealed that the cash seized from the corporal’s house is believed to be bribes paid out by gambling and vice den operators for police protection.
The corporal was allegedly the “bagman” who collected the bribes on behalf of his superiors from runners of the operators.
The role of t he corporal included safekeeping the cash and disbursing it accordingly to his superiors on request.
MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the arrest of the corporal but declined to provide details.
Yesterday, the magistrate’s court in Putrajaya allowed an application by MACC for a seven-day remand order for the corporal to be held until May 24.
On Tuesday, after months of surveillance, MACC launched an operation to nab policemen who allegedly took bribes for years to look the other way and spare the illegal businesses from enforcement action.
MACC is also investigating claims that the gambling and vice kingpins had the influence to exert pressure on police top brass to transfer out any officer who did not cooperate with them.
The case also prompted the federal police Integrity and Standard Compliance Department to initiate a parallel probe on the detained policemen.
In a separate case, a police inspector at the Subang Jaya district police headquarters was placed under remand for five days until May 22 on suspicion of accepting bribes.
The man was arrested at his office yesterday for allegedly accepting a bribe of RM5,000 for not taking action against an individual involved in criminal intimidation under Section 507 of the Penal Code.