The Myth of the LGO, Peter Swingler's Camden Complaints Unit, the Law Society's Office for Supervision of Solicitors and the Legal Ombudsman
Dear Mr Redmond, Mr Swingler, Mr Gibson, Louise Hayward (OSS), and Ms 'Alf' Garnett (Legal Ombudsman),
I have decided to write this letter to you all re your repeated failure to uphold any of my complaints against Camden Council. I have requested LGOWatch and Ian Johnston, Rottenboro, publish it on said websites. I have had 4 complaints in all about Camden Council, and my last and final complaint to LGO/OSS was about threatening behaviour from Camden Council which I processed in Feb 06.
Once again, you had prima facie evidence yet it has taken you 7 months and you have produced no evidence of an investigation, and once again wasted my time. My complaint to you was quite simple: what were the grounds for Camden Council threatening me with an ASBO? The answer is: there were no grounds! As you know, all I did was try to vindicate myself re lies told about me to Police by Kentish Town Rent Office (KTHO), and Terry Mulroe. And you have said evidence in the form of a taped interview from Met Police.
1) I am a member of LGOWatch and submitted evidence in final ODPM select committee report last November. And would like to give my full-hearted support to all who submitted evidence.
2) They have all voiced my own personal concerns about the LGO and its blatant pro- bias to Councils. We now have our own website re LGO and I am still overwhelmed by the distressing stories I am still reading by those who have suffered appalling injustices by their Councils, only to have their suffering further compounded by LGO.
3) I discovered Gary Powell's LGOWatch after going back to LGO for a third time re serious criminal offences/harrassment being committed against me by Camden Council. I knew by this time there was something seriously wrong in the way in which the LGO were investigating my complaints. And after reading Mr Powell's website about only 1.6% of complaints being upheld by LGO re MALADMINISTRATION and the LGO comprising of former CEO's of Councils including their so-called 'investigators', confirmed my suspicions. This discovery was made in March 2005.
4) I then decided to write to local press about this (Camden New Journal) on 7 April 2005 ( 'Exploding the Myth of Ombudsman') and 14 April 2005 ( 'Ombudsman Fails To Dispense Justice') and the response I received was quite overwhelming.
5) Unfortunately I was not in a position to help these unfortunate people, but suggested they send their stories to Editor of Camden Journal. Alas, NCJ couldn't help them either and referred them back to me. All I could do was give them basic legal advice and addresses of institutions that may be of use to them. However some of them were able to come to LGOWatch's 1st covention and were given a platform to air their sense of injustice against LGO and Councils.
6) Margot James, prospective Conservative MP for Holborn and St Pancras, also responded to my letters in NCJ and informed me that she was at a hustings meeting in Camden, and people were also voicing their concerns after reading my letters in NCJ. There was overwhelming agreement towards my comments. She had also been incredibly supportive of me when I went to her for help to assist with me a move outside of boro'. She wrote to Worthing Council on my behalf to help me move from here. She was more than familiar with my Rent Ofice, after being briefed by many others in Camden. I was deeply disappointed she never won election. And I had been a Labour supporter all of my life before I moved into this boro'!
7) My story began shortly after I moved here in 1994 when I became a council tenant with Camden Council. It was a nice place to live, but then a new residential caretaker and his boyfriend, John Monks and Terry Mulroe, moved in opposite me to No 34 Rowstock. And a Zoe Parker moved into No 6 Rowstock. Life was never to be the same again. John Monks is a Freemason.
8) From that moment residents were logging complaints to our Estate Manager, Ms O'Shea, about serious anti-social behaviour being committed by Zoe Parker. We even signed a petition to Frank Dobson MP (19 residents), and myself and another resident, Mr Ferri Zadeh, No 7 Rowstock, had also entered into correspondence with Mr Dobson. Alas to no avail. Ms Parker's abuse continued as following for a period of 6 years:
9) It all culminated when I made a Stage 1 complaint to Ian Sumner, Area manager via Johns and Saggar solicitors. My neighbour, Ms McPherson, had already been to this solicitor's firm re serious harrassment by John Monks/Mulroe. They had made her life hell. Monks was cautioned by Police: PC Moss. He had also been on a disciplinary hearing at his Rent Office re a witnessed incident by an employee at Rent Office, threatening his boyfriend. And one night after assaulting Mr Mulroe, John Monks was locked in a cell for the night by the Police.
10) During this period, September 1998 I discovered a water leak in my home. I contacted Ms O'Shea about it. It took her 7 days to send a plumber out. My home got quite ruined by water. It is supposed to take Council 1 working day to send a plumber out. I initiated litigation against Ms O'Shea/Camden Council in small claims County Court. My solicitors were doing nothing to help me: I had requested them to take Ms Parker to Court for an injunction. So after deciding another course of action, I decided to go to Ombudsman. This was in November 1998. I submitted all the appropriate evidence to LGO and witness statements. I was by now quite exhausted and yearned for a reasonable nights sleep...as we ALL did here.
11) After nearly 6 months someone from LGO actually phoned me: a Ms Trenner. She wanted to know exactly what my problem was and I repeated to her everything I had sent to her in the form of evidence. I really was not convinced by her and decided to settle out of Court with Camden Council re water damage and applied for a transfer, supported by 2 letters from my doctor and NOT pursue LGO course. Shortly afterwards Ms Hayden, Rent Office wrote to me re me reporting John Monks to Rent Office about his violent conduct and his racial harrassment of Ms McPherson.
12) She claimed I had made 'serious allegations' about him. I had made no 'allegations' about him, but simply reported actions taken by Police re Mulroe and his harrassment towards MsMcPherson, which Ms Hayden knew about! So now realised that this woman was now going to cause disruption in my life as had Ms O'Shea. And that was my whole point to Ms Trenner and LGO, that Camden Council is quite a dangerous institution run by some people wholly unfit to be in Local Government.
13) On 17 June 1999 Pat Hayden, Terry Mulroe, Zoe Parker and Adrian and Co, conspired to pervert course of justice to PC Moss, Kentish Town Police, and told a terrible series of lies about me. All of this was supposed to have been 'dealt with' in Stage 1 complaint in September 1998 via Johns and Saggar, but in this complaints proceedure no witnesses are investigated, but so-called investigating officer makes up the outcome as they go along. This is known as 'Dealt With'. The Police didn't want to know after I was released without charge and wouldn't give me custody sheets.
14) Ms McPherson and her child made themselves homeless to Manchester's Homeless Persons Unit 2 weeks later. I reported all of this to Peter Swingler at Camden Councils Complaints Unit and asked him for all of my file. He wrote back to say it had been 'dealt with' as did Cllr Kissen, who did nothing to help us. And allowed me to believe I did not have a file. Mr Swingler is friends with David Roberts, LGO investigator, and ARE neighbours in St Albans.
15) I HAD EXPLAINED ALL OF THIS TO MS TRENNER, LGO, AND TOLD HER CAMDEN COUNCIL WOULD BEHAVE IN AN UNRELENTING FASHION TOWARDS ME. AND THEY DID. STEVE BUNDRED, CEO OF CAMDEN COUNCIL, HAD MADE HEADLINES IN PRESS ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOUR AT TOWN HALL AND TO HIS DEPUTY CEO, AMANDA KELLY. AND ALL OF THE 'DIRTY WASHING' OF HIS FELLOW CRONIES WAS MAKING HEADLINES TOO. SO MUCH FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF FORMER CEOs BEING EMPLOYED AS LGOs! HIS WIFE ALSO WORKS FOR ISLINGTON SOCIAL SERVICES. NEIL LITHERLAND, HOUSING DIRECTOR, WAS ALSO EMBROILED IN A CAMPAIGN OF HARRASSMENT AGAINST A CO-WORKER OF HIS, CHRISTINE WINTER. HE LOST TRIBUNAL CASE AND WENT ON TO LIBEL HER BY WRITING 1,000 LETTERS TO COUNCIL EMPLOYEES. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS.
16) I reported above to Law Society, and this took another 6 months. There were 19,000 complaints to Law Society in 1999, and all they are is another version of LGO, covering up serious malpractices within the Establishment.
17) I eventually went to Court about this and District Judge Hodge (Margaret Hodge's husband) viewed my case as serious against Camden Council. Mr Ferri Zadeh came to Court as my witness. Ms lowton, boro' solicitor for Camden Council wanted to settle in Court with me, but DJ Hodge said 'justice would not be served' if I did. Ms Lowton ended up in a messy industrial tribunal re racial discrimination against her colleague, and she was discredited and her colleague was awarded damages against her.
18) DJ Hodge advised me to get a solicitor and I went to Hodge, Jones and Allen, DJ Hodge's former firm of solicitors. They did not follow any of my instructions, get my file for injunctional proceedings against Zoe Parker/Camden Council. Nor taped interview from Police re unlawful arrest on 17 June 1999. It is no surprise to me that Raj Chada, Hodge, Jones and Allen became Housing Chief of Camden Council. Raj Chada knew about another bout of serious harrassment here and did nothing. And became Leader of Camden Council! He lost his leadership and seat in May local elections.
19) I eventually won an injunction against Zoe Parker and Camden Council wouldn't uphold it. Judge Medawar QC awarded me an injunction for one year against her. I wrote to PM Blair and a noise abatement order was served on Ms Parker and she was 'rewarded' for her behaviour and given a new home and Monks/Mulroe were moved out to a more run-down property in Kentish Town. Monks still works as a caretaker for Camden Council. Ferri Zadeh, who came to Court as my witness, became a member of Camden Tenants Federation, yet did absolutely nothing to help us with ongoing harrassment. Brian Watson is now chair of of CTF, and he nor Silla Carron did anything either. So what is point of these organisations? I reported Zoe Paker to Theresa Ganley, Social Services, to get her child supervised. Theresa Ganley informed me her child was being monitored by Social Services.
20) Camden Council, however, were hell-bent on evicting me from my property and claimed I had written a 'hurtful' letter to Zoe Parker and Amanda McShane of Rowstock, a friend of Monks/Mulroe. And entered into 'uneccessary litigation' against Camden Council! None of the letters were hurtful, but informing said parties of possible litigation and about lies told about me to Police by Hayden, Mulroe etc. When I reported Alison Lowton and Ms Arnold to Law Society again, both DENIED sending said NOSP, and made no attempt to evict me from my property. So an 'imaginary' person must have posted it. I was also informed Ms Arnold had also worked for Islington Council in the 'reign' of Margaret Hodge, which wouldn't surprise me.
20) I went to Police for help, but they didn't want to know. I was very concerned about any more sleaze campaigns/harrassment against me, and Camden Council witholding their repairs service. I then made a formal complaint against Police re 'unlawful arrest', etc, and Camden Police began harrassing me in the form of PC Moss. It was a distressing period compounded by all of the previous distressing periods by Camden Council, and I wrote to Sir John Stevens and PC Moss never harrassed me again and was moved out of area.
21) I decided to try LGO again and wrote to Kevin Nevolls who referred my then substantial file against Camden Council to York Office- Mr Entwhistle I have since discovered via LGOWatch members that York LGO are the worst. It took another 6 months and York replied they could not find any Maladministration! So lies, perjury, harrassment, lurid smear campaigns, witholding repairs ets, does not constitute Maladministration!! It took them 6 months to tell me this and then told me I couldn't appeal against their decision.
22) Nothing changed here and I was beginning to get slandered by Keith Waskett, replacement caretaker for John Monks and I reported him to Camden Council for threatening an elderly male at Greenwood Old People's home. And charging my late neighbour, Arthur Edmunds of 34 Rowstock, a 78 year old male with terminal cancer, extortinate rates for basic chores to his home. I informed Mr Dobson, legal Dept, Raj Chada, and Peter Swingler. Mr Swingler wrote back to me to say that a Stage 3 complaint had been made against me for complaining!
23) My 3rd complaint to LGO was in September 2004. Mr Mathieson was investigator. It concerned another problem tenant at Rowstock. His name is Peter Harris and complaints were being recorded against him re his use of illegal drugs and undesirables turning up outside of his flat in early hours of morning; intimidating tenants; racism; causing assaults and criminal damage to our homes. Mr Swingler, Raj Chada etc, all knew about this and none of them did anything. My doctor wrote another letter to Council to help me move, but it served no purpose as did previous two. Once again I had to see another solicitor ( Avadis and Co. They also work for Council) and back to Court for another injunction. This was awarded to me by DJ Avent. The injunction was for 18 mths.
24) Mr Mathieson had substantial evidence, sworn affadavits from my neighbour Mr Kucukoglu, and statements/log sheets to Ms Weller, Rent Office. In fact Ms Weller was quite responsible for damage to my windows and Mr Kucukoglu having a breakdown over said harrassment: She kept giving out our names every time we complained. Mr Kucukoglu was voluntarily committed to St Lukes hospital by Dr Collis, UCH. He is also a colleague of Jane Roberts. I had reported harrassment here to Jane Roberts and she did NOT reply to my letter. Avardis reneged on their contractual obligations to me to uphold my injunction for a 18 months. The injunction was therefore a worthless piece of paper to Police, because Avardis said they would support me from anymore harrassment by Peter Harris, but they didn't. They told me to re-apply to Legal Aid Commission several months after they were paid by them! Legal Aid told me they could not fund me again because Avardis had been paid for this work. I reported Avardis to Louise Hayward, OSS. She had prima facie evidence, judges' comments, witness statements, crime ref nos, log sheets etc. Avardis then wrote to their chum at Camden Council, Peter 'Porkeus' Swingler, who went on to libel me and said 'no reports' had been made against Peter Harris, and like with Mr Redmond, Ms Hayward colluded with these lies.
25) There is something very perverse about our Rent Office and this appears to be Camden Council's policy. So Mr Mathieson had prima facie evidence and what was his decision 6 months on? Because Camden Council had moved Peter Harris 2 roads away from us and offered me £70.00 for smashed windows which took Camden Council 10 weeks to repair living room window and 8 weeks to repair bedroom window....this constitutes a 'local settlement'!! I have since learnt there is no such thing as a 'local settlement' and none of my 'investigators' investigated anything, nor uphold the 1974 Local Govt Act.
26) The sooner the LGO is got rid of, the better. It is croneyistic beyond belief.
John McKenna
Camden
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