One to test the liberal resolve of OTFers.
The 'he's done his time' doesn't appear to carry much weight with his crimes hence most country's refusal to have him. However, the tabloid circus in the UK I can see why he would like to avoid that
you are the ref
___________
The disgraced glam rock star Gary Glitter last night appeared to have dodged deportation to the UK after refusing to get on a connecting flight from Bangkok and asking Thai officials to allow him to enter Thailand. After a series of confrontations involving flustered British embassy officials, police and Thai immigration officers, Glitter whose real name is Paul Gadd, collapsed in an airport hotel room complaining of a heart ailment.
Glitter had earlier been released from a Vietnamese prison where he had served two-and-a-half years for sexually abusing children, and was expected to arrive at Heathrow shortly after 7am today, having been released from Thu Duc prison, north of Ho Chi Minh City. He was jailed in November 2005 after being convicted of repeated sexual assaults on two girls, aged 10 and 11.
His return was thrown into confusion last night, however, when he reportedly collapsed in room 6000 of the Louis Tavern, a hotel sited at the airport but which is in a "no man's land" between disembarkation and immigration, so not officially in Thailand.
In the early hours of this morning he was attended to by a doctor on call at the airport and paid for his treatment in cash. He has demanded to be taken to hospital today. If he is allowed he will have to pass Thai immigration.
Sudarat Sereewat, secretary of Thailand's Fight Against Child Exploitation group, who was present said: "At first he asked to be allowed to enter Thailand. But he was refused. He said he had not committed any offence here, but he was told he was not wanted here."
Unable to enter Thailand Glitter then demanded to fly on to Singapore but was advised that there was no flight until much later in the morning. He then demanded that he be treated as a first class passenger. "I am not getting back on the plane with all the press there," he said. "And I'm not going to the first class lounge to be hassled by them. And I'm not going to London. You can't make me. I have done my time, I am a free man."
After complaining of fatigue and dizziness he was escorted by two Thai immigration policemen to Louis Tavern, a VIP area with small bedrooms in which transit passengers can lie down. Rooms are usually rented by the hour with three hours costing the equivalent of £50. Glitter rented a room for eight hours for £100.
A British police officer from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre who had been sent to escort Gadd back to the UK was asked to persuade him to get on the flight, but was unsuccessful. He told Thai officials that Gadd should return to London.
Two Thai Immigration police who were sent to collect him to put him back on the flight to London refused to use force to take him back on the flight.
And when the British police officer was asked if he had any paperwork, he admitted he had none except an order to bring Gadd home. He also admitted he had not legal jurisdiction, and he returned to the departure gate to wait.
As Glitter was due to fly home the Home Office announced a series of measures that would make it easier to monitor sex offenders and prevent them committing further crimes in Britain or overseas.
They include removing the need for recent evidence when police are seeking to bar offenders from areas frequented by children, for instance, requiring registered offenders to notify police earlier if they want to travel abroad, and allowing the authorities to remove an offender's passport if he has been banned from travel.
Foreign travel orders, which prevent abusers travelling to specific countries or leaving the UK altogether, will be extended from their current limit of six months.
"I want to see anyone who poses a threat to our children dealt with as firmly as possible," the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said. "I've spoken to child protection experts and the police and they have told me that these changes will further restrict the ability of child sex offenders to harm children both here and overseas."
Glitter, who also served a short sentence in the UK in 1999 for possession of more than 4,000 images of child pornography, had been expected to be met on arrival by Metropolitan police officers, and will be required to sign the sex offenders' register and remain under supervision for the rest of his life.
Under Mappa, the multi-agency public protection arrangements by which sex offenders are monitored, it is understood he will be considered a level 1 risk, requiring the lowest level of monitoring by police and probation officers.
This means he must register an address with police and notify them if he moves or stays away for more than a few days. Reports that the former star would go to a hostel in the West Country were unconfirmed.
He retains his British passport, however, and, visas permitting, will be free to travel overseas unless a specific order bans him from doing so.
The 'he's done his time' doesn't appear to carry much weight with his crimes hence most country's refusal to have him. However, the tabloid circus in the UK I can see why he would like to avoid that
you are the ref
___________
The disgraced glam rock star Gary Glitter last night appeared to have dodged deportation to the UK after refusing to get on a connecting flight from Bangkok and asking Thai officials to allow him to enter Thailand. After a series of confrontations involving flustered British embassy officials, police and Thai immigration officers, Glitter whose real name is Paul Gadd, collapsed in an airport hotel room complaining of a heart ailment.
Glitter had earlier been released from a Vietnamese prison where he had served two-and-a-half years for sexually abusing children, and was expected to arrive at Heathrow shortly after 7am today, having been released from Thu Duc prison, north of Ho Chi Minh City. He was jailed in November 2005 after being convicted of repeated sexual assaults on two girls, aged 10 and 11.
His return was thrown into confusion last night, however, when he reportedly collapsed in room 6000 of the Louis Tavern, a hotel sited at the airport but which is in a "no man's land" between disembarkation and immigration, so not officially in Thailand.
In the early hours of this morning he was attended to by a doctor on call at the airport and paid for his treatment in cash. He has demanded to be taken to hospital today. If he is allowed he will have to pass Thai immigration.
Sudarat Sereewat, secretary of Thailand's Fight Against Child Exploitation group, who was present said: "At first he asked to be allowed to enter Thailand. But he was refused. He said he had not committed any offence here, but he was told he was not wanted here."
Unable to enter Thailand Glitter then demanded to fly on to Singapore but was advised that there was no flight until much later in the morning. He then demanded that he be treated as a first class passenger. "I am not getting back on the plane with all the press there," he said. "And I'm not going to the first class lounge to be hassled by them. And I'm not going to London. You can't make me. I have done my time, I am a free man."
After complaining of fatigue and dizziness he was escorted by two Thai immigration policemen to Louis Tavern, a VIP area with small bedrooms in which transit passengers can lie down. Rooms are usually rented by the hour with three hours costing the equivalent of £50. Glitter rented a room for eight hours for £100.
A British police officer from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre who had been sent to escort Gadd back to the UK was asked to persuade him to get on the flight, but was unsuccessful. He told Thai officials that Gadd should return to London.
Two Thai Immigration police who were sent to collect him to put him back on the flight to London refused to use force to take him back on the flight.
And when the British police officer was asked if he had any paperwork, he admitted he had none except an order to bring Gadd home. He also admitted he had not legal jurisdiction, and he returned to the departure gate to wait.
As Glitter was due to fly home the Home Office announced a series of measures that would make it easier to monitor sex offenders and prevent them committing further crimes in Britain or overseas.
They include removing the need for recent evidence when police are seeking to bar offenders from areas frequented by children, for instance, requiring registered offenders to notify police earlier if they want to travel abroad, and allowing the authorities to remove an offender's passport if he has been banned from travel.
Foreign travel orders, which prevent abusers travelling to specific countries or leaving the UK altogether, will be extended from their current limit of six months.
"I want to see anyone who poses a threat to our children dealt with as firmly as possible," the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said. "I've spoken to child protection experts and the police and they have told me that these changes will further restrict the ability of child sex offenders to harm children both here and overseas."
Glitter, who also served a short sentence in the UK in 1999 for possession of more than 4,000 images of child pornography, had been expected to be met on arrival by Metropolitan police officers, and will be required to sign the sex offenders' register and remain under supervision for the rest of his life.
Under Mappa, the multi-agency public protection arrangements by which sex offenders are monitored, it is understood he will be considered a level 1 risk, requiring the lowest level of monitoring by police and probation officers.
This means he must register an address with police and notify them if he moves or stays away for more than a few days. Reports that the former star would go to a hostel in the West Country were unconfirmed.
He retains his British passport, however, and, visas permitting, will be free to travel overseas unless a specific order bans him from doing so.
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