Dad's threat to kill social worker

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Saturday, June 06, 2009
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This is Cornwall

A PLYMOUTH father who feared Social Services were about to take his children away has been jailed for threatening to kill a social worker.

Plymouth Crown Court heard how John Whyte phoned Social Services at about 2.15pm on January 14, mentioned his daughter's name and said he wanted to leave a message for the woman.

He then said: "Tell her she's a dead man walking – she's dead."

Crown Prosecution Service Prosecutor David Gittins said that at about 3.55pm, the social worker, whose name is being withheld by The Herald, was working in an adjoining room when Whyte walked into the foyer of Ballard House.

A security man asked if he could help, then Whyte pulled an eight-inch kitchen knife from the front of his trousers and began waving it from side to side.

He then said: "Tell _____ _____ I'm going to slit her throat."

Whyte drew the knife across his upper arm, but didn't cut himself.

The guard was alarmed, as he knew the woman was working close by, but Whyte returned the knife to his trousers and stumbled out of the room, adding: "You can phone the police now 'cause I'm going to the police station."

The court watched a silent CCTV video of the incident before Mr Gittins described how 29-year-old Whyte, from St Mary Street, Stonehouse, then walked to Drake Circus.

Two security guards were standing outside Primark, and Whyte approached them, holding a container of cider, and said: "Call the police."

He then produced the knife, walked into the store, picked up a ski jacket and walked just outside with it, asking: "Am I going to be arrested?"

The guards detained him until police arrived and arrested him at 4.30pm, commenting that he was "clearly drunk".

He then gave a 'no comment' interview.

In her witness impact statement, the social worker said she felt frightened and vulnerable, but felt it was "a mental health issue".

McKenzie Robinson, for Whyte, said a psychiatric report showed he was not suffering from mental illness or a learning disability, but had suffered an unsettled life since childhood.

He had just one previous conviction for a minor public order offence in 2004.

He had been told, wrongly, that his children were to be taken away, and this had affected his behaviour on one day.

He added: "This was an incident of huge emotional impact – having his children taken away. It was a cry for help and he handed himself in.

"He is not a problem drinker and entered guilty pleas at an early stage."

Whyte, who cried, shook and appeared to be hyperventilating throughout the hearing, had admitted two counts of making threats to kill and one of possessing an offensive weapon.

He was jailed for a total of three years, less 140 days spent in custody on remand, and the knife was ordered to be destroyed.

High Court Judge the Hon Mr Justice Royce told Whyte these were serious offences, adding: "____ ____ was only doing her job in difficult circumstances.

"Those in her position are entitled to be protected.

"Your psychiatric report causes me considerable concern about the risk you pose."

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49 Comments

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    by stephen, cardiff

    Sunday, December 06 2009, 5:03AM

    “social services, or SS like the nazi death heads, who would take people an "relocate them" never trust a social worker, all ss are evil, trust me i know, and iv never dealt with them.”

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    by kay, plymoth

    Sunday, August 09 2009, 12:09PM

    “Plymouth social service are known for taken children aways from good home and they will use everything to get ur children ever ur past, if u are known to them it worst cause they use it against u.

    i know this family and u know they would never hurt the children in anyway, this was a loving family who would do anything for their children, it just happen that they haven't had an easy upbringing but does that mean they would hurt their children???? NO IT DOESN'T! people these day judge to quick. this baby p case as got everyone thinking that children are abused! that not always the case. this family has been ripped apart and i feel for the mother as this should of never happen. i know what the dad has done wrong but what would u do if it was ur children???

    since BABY P case their are so many children being put up for adoption it a quick way of fixing the problem? but i thought they was meant to keep family together????

    these children was taken away from a good family how loves them very much.

    i fear for people who are involved wiv social service cause u don't know what will happen to their children.

    SOMEONE NEED TO PUT A STOP TO THIS NOW, IT NOT RIGHT FOR A CHILD TO B ADOPTED WIVOUT GOOD REASONS THEY HAVEN'T GOT A CRYSTAL BALL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHILDREN THEY JUST THINK THEY KNOW. CHILD ABUSER ARE SOCIAL SERVICE they don't help family stay together they just take away children from good family's”

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    by ab, cornwall

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 7:02PM

    “Social services do not kill children. Social services in Haringey did not kill baby P, the mother and her partner did!!
    It is so unhealthy to blame blame blame Social services, the NHS, the police and so on.
    These professionals are accountable for their actions, and at times mistakes are made, they are human, but it grates at me that others just want to blame blame blame all of these services when none of them caused the abuse in the first place. Parents, you are ultimately accountable!!!!!!”

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    by dave, at home, plymouth

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 6:51PM

    “Kim, Newcastle, its not that i am defending social workers, but you need to look at it from both sides of the story. In many cases social workers do a really good job at helping and supporting families, that is a fact!! We can all make mistakes, but that does not give anyone the right to threaten or harm anyone else.
    This man was out of order for taking a knife into Ballard House and threatening a member of staff. We simply do not know the full facts of this case, so no one should be making judgements or accusations against anyone including social services. Social workers are accountable for their actions, but some people who have dealings with social workers do not like being told the truth or having to change the way they parent their children. They are often too keen to critisise the social worker rather than accepting and changing their own behaviour. Social services cant seem to do right for doing wrong, as if they do intervene they are being critised for that and if they do not get involved they are slated for that!!
    I think you should give social services a break.”

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    by sammey, plymouth

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 6:35PM

    “what ever you personally think of social workers, no one has the right to threaten or harm anyone else. Social services do not kidnap children, do not be so rediculous. I do live in the real world an accept that mistakes can be made at times but social workers are accountable for their actions. You need to do your research again and stop being so blindered. Perhaps you have had an unpleasant experience of social services but that does not mean that they always get it wrong. Without having the full details of each case you are ill equiped to make any judgements or comments. I have not had any personal dealings with social services but i am aware that they do work very hard and have some very difficult complex situations and families to deal with. It is not an easy task to remove children from their families and it is not something that is done lightly, it really is the last resort and social services have to have lots of evidence to go to court. The bottom line is that if you are not harming your children then you have nothing to worry about regarding social services. Children MUST come first at all times. For all those critising social services, wake up and smell the coffee and look at the facts for what they really are.”

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    by justice is coming, staffordshire

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 9:02AM

    “A father whose three young children were ¿dragged¿ from his arms by social workers and adopted is taking his battle to be reunited with them to the European Court of Human Rights.


    Philip O¿Gorman, a 31-year-old electrical engineer, was not accused of harming his children, yet he has been barred from any contact with them.

    They were snatched from his home three years ago with no explanation. He says his local authority failed to respond to more than 50 phone calls and letters.

    Finally, two years ago, with help of Lib Dem MP John Hemming, he was told social workers had believed the youngsters, now aged 10, eight and seven, were ¿dirty¿, and not up to date with their childhood vaccines.


    Last night Mr O¿Gorman, from Walsall, West Midlands, said: ¿I never abused my children or harmed them. I love them and would do anything to see them again.

    ¿We¿ve never had a letter to say how they are, no photograph or visiting rights. I could have gone to prison and had more rights to see them.¿


    Social workers were first alerted when he was living with his wife Ceta who suffers mental health problems.

    They split up in 2004 after six years of marriage. Mr O¿Gorman moved in with his parents and weeks later social workers reunited him with the children.

    But 18 months later the officials were back after his daughter¿s school complained she had been absent.

    After missing a court appearance because of a mix-up he was suddenly confronted with three social workers on his doorstep, telling him they had come to take his children.

    The stunned father said: ¿I begged them for two minutes with them to say goodbye and tell them I loved them and they threatened me with the police. They just took them out of my arms.¿


    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/105909/EXCLUSIVE-Social-workers-stole-my-children”

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    by justice is coming, staffordshire

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 8:51AM

    “mother,plymouth so you think its ok for social workers to commit crimes and not be held accountable.If there was accountability and justice people wouldnt be so angry and feel the need to threaten because there is not people are angry take the bomb left at doncaster social services.PS I 'D RATHER HAVE SOMEONE COME AFTER ME WITH A KNIFE OR A GUN ANYDAY THAN HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER COME AFTER ME WITH A KNIFE OR GUN IDHAVE A CHANCE TO DEFEND MYSELF AT LEAST WITH A CORRUPT SOCIL WORKER I WOULDNT”

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    by Amber, Alabama

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 8:07AM

    “WOW protect the "social worker" Bull, next time someone tries to kidnap your child, do not say one foul word to them. It sickens me to hear "most workers are good, this person must have been bad to have them involved" Huh Please, before you assume to know anything, do a little reasearch, dont take my word for it. ANYONE can call a hotline and say you are abusing your child, and they CAN come take them, with NO evidence.They lie in court and need no evidence. Are you aware that 90% of families who are accused of abusin their children NEVER get charged with anything. DO you not think perhaps, if they were abusing children, they should be charged with it? Do you realize, if they do not take children from their homes, they do not get the hundreds of thousands of dollars for state funding (which assures they keep their job). But,like I said, don't take my word for it, please feel free to google "corrupt cps" and you will have the proof.DO you realize that there was a case where a woman wittnessed a murder,of her husband, by robbers, and was raped by them, and cps took her child and adopted him out saying she was unfit because her child wittnessed her rape. So please, by all means, live in your world of flowers and rainbows, and "they have a hard job (sniff sniff) "As for me, I choose to live in reality.”

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    by Teresa, UK

    Tuesday, June 09 2009, 5:39AM

    “This man was naturally distressed at the possibility of losing his children as are so many who have been wrongly accused of abuse which is now such a regular occurance its crippled the already failed care system. There has been a rise in numbers of children taken into care when the care system cant even cope with the children it already has and fails. Social workers and many professionals do lie & make mistakes, thats a fact and they are heavily protected by the system that makes them exempt from prosecution or loss of their jobs unless it becomes a heavily publicised case. They are not held accountable for their bad actions. It is those bad professionals who in fact drag down the few good SW's. It is also those bad professionals who make mistakes that cost lives of children not only in and out of the care system but also mothers who take their own lives when wrongly accused and lose their children. SW's are also greedy and want more pay and already get more than the average income and they earn more than the average army and firefighters wages who work longer hours and put their lives in danger to save lives. No amount of money is going to weed out the undesirable SW's who do misuse their positions because they know the law and system will protect them even when they are in the wrong. Paying them more will in fact encourage more bad ones to work within the system. When any parents attempt to defend themselves the sw's and judges line the pockets of other professionals who seem to join in and have them all labelled as mentally ill when they are not, they are reacting to how badly they are being treated and the fact they are unable to defend themselves because the entire system makes sure of that.”

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    by Michael Wiffen, Manchester

    Monday, June 08 2009, 11:19PM

    “I strongly believe that if Social Services were abolished , it would do more good, than harm!”

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