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Day: 30 March 2016

Four male students stand trial accused of rape at university ball

Four male students are standing trial for allegedly raping a woman during an annual university ball.

The alleged rape took place during the End of Year ball at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, in May 2014.

The four male students—Thady Duff, Leon Mahon, Patrick Foster, and James Martin—deny all the charges they face, which were all allegedly committed against the same woman.

The jury at Gloucester Crown Court, made up of six men and six women, were sworn in this week and told that the prosecution, led by barrister Fiona Elder, would open their case on Wednesday the 30th of March.

They were also told that they would be shown graphic video footage as evidence in the trial. Judge Jamie Tabor QC addressed the jury: “This case concerns sexual activity on a ball night at the Royal Agricultural University. Some of that was filmed.

“This is going to be what we call adult pornographic material—very short in length—to be watched.

“If any of you feel uncomfortable with that please put your hand up.”

Duff, 22, of Swindon, Wiltshire, denies three charges of rape. He also denies one charge of sexual assault against the same woman, an act that was allegedly carried out in October 2013.

Mahon, 22, of Cirencester, denies three charges of rape and two of assault by penetration. Foster, 22, of Colchester, Essex, denies one charge of rape and two of assault by penetration. Martin, 20, of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, denies one charge of rape.

Founded in 1845, the Royal Agricultural University was the first agricultural college in the English-speaking world, and in 2015 it had a student body of 1,185 students, studying across 30 undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.

Formerly known as the Royal Agricultural College, it gained university status in 2013.

In the same year, it was named the safest university in the South West by the Complete University Guide.

The trial continues.

Home Office liable for the wrongful deportation of 48,000 students from the UK

The Home Office and Theresa May have been found liable in court of wrongfully deporting almost 50,000 students since 2014 who they believed to have fraudulently passed English language tests in order to study in the UK.

In 2014, the Home Office took drastic action after a BBC Panorama documentary exposed an East London school to be fraudulently passing students who sat the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)—a test carried out by students wanting a visa to study in the UK. After the documentary was broadcast, the Home Office revoked the licenses of over sixty institutions, and detained and removed over 48,000 students who had allegedly passed their TOEIC.

This week, the case has reared its head again as the Upper Tribunal (Asylum and Immigration) ruled that the Home Secretaries’ actions were based on evidence that included “multiple frailties and shortcomings.” The President Honourable Mr Justice McCloskey, said: “The evidence adduced on behalf of the Secretary of State emerged paled and heavily weakened by the examination to which it was subjected… In the sporting world, a verdict of ‘no contest’ would have been appropriate at this juncture.”

Adding to evidence that the Home Office made a hasty decision, Justice McCloskey noted that there was no evidence from any English Testing Service (ETS) witness, a US firm the that Home Office had contracted for overseas students seeking a study visa.

Last week The Mancunion reported Emmaculate Tshuma’s story, an 18-year-old University of Manchester student who is currently facing the threat of deportation back to her home country, Zimbabwe, where she suffered physical and sexual abuse. Her experience of how the Home Office treated her through deportation shares similarities to witnesses of deportations in 2014. The Hindu Times reported that “students were rounded up in dawn raids and taken to deportation centres, carrying only the clothes they were wearing.” The report continues, “Students had to return home in disgrace—their money having been spent, their courses remaining incomplete and with the badge of ‘cheat’ on them.”

The court ruling could mean that those who were faced with this punishment may be offered a chance to return to the UK to finish their courses, as a way to claim compensation from the actions of the Home Office.

A spokesperson from the Home Office has responded: “The investigation into the abuse of English language testing in 2014 revealed extremely serious, large scale, organised fraud.

“We are very disappointed by the decision and are awaiting a copy of the full determination to consider next steps including an appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Live: Submotion Orchestra

Gorilla

24th March 2016

8/10

Rudely, we considered missing the support act and going in straight for Submo at half past eight – because you know, time is just so precious these days. However, when memories of Catching Flies’ ‘Stay Forever’ came revolving back as it looped repeatedly in a fume filled hall of residence in first year, I thought it right that we indeed caught the flies.

Catching Flies is a 23 year old DJ from London and is the perfect sound to precede the main act’s ambient mix of dub, jazz and instrumental electronica. His downtempo lullabies wrap up the crowd in the black magic of the venue, enclosing the sound around us in the box room under Deangate’s railway bridge. It feels safe, it feels special, it feels like we’re experiencing something unique.

I wait patiently for my plus one to arrive, playing rock paper scissors with a fellow hanger-rounder by the bar. My friend is from Kirkby and has a rare Norwegian beauty to her, very Agnetha Fältskog from Abba, though the thick Liverpudlian accent makes the distinction clear. We look around for her and my new hand game pal asks where she is, ‘probably stealing, or lying’, I reply. To which he returns that they got in via tunnelling; his mate is part mole. ‘Mole mates’: they’re good to have.

Submotion begin and a couple of songs start off steady but I can’t get into it until Agnetha arrives. I spot her on the balcony steps and we unite with open arms. She smells of lush perfume. I remark that Ruby looks incredibly different. Ruby Wood is the lead singer; normally blonde, around 5’5, 5’6 with soft rounded features. She seems to have lost height, dyed her hair and become significantly more oriental. It isn’t until I shout ‘G’wan Ruby’ through a cupped hand that two mortified fans turn round to shout ‘Ruby’s had a baby! That’s not Ruby’ and I realise this transformation is not quite so supernatural.

Ruby’s replacement is the equally astounding Alyusha Sings, who slots into the seven piece with a transition so smooth that it could even go unnoticed to the untrained ear, let alone the eye. Accompanying her is a rather handsome male vocalist called ____. We call him Ryan. Ruby and Ryan. A fantastic duo. Not counting the five other members of the band left on stage.

Trumpet delivery is on point as the lights coincide with the clash of drums, the circling pool of white projections dancing on each wall reflecting the album artwork of ‘Finest Hour’. Imagery is further tied up by the aforementioned oriental style of Alyusha’s dress; coinciding with the Japanese garment-inspired track from their new album ‘Colour Theory’; ‘Kimono’.

The set ends with ‘All Yours’, which Agnetha, the two aghast fans and I emotionally wail along to with arms in the air for the band’s classic. Some disapproving looks aside, (not sorry if you can’t see the funny side of ‘We loved you in Drive’ heckles) the crowd is pretty together for this one, and as the lights go up and faces are illuminated, there’s more than just a trace of that ever so elusive gig feeling that breathes from the inside out.