No Longer Subject to Judicial Review
Congratulations! You have been selected to take part in one of
the most far-reaching shake-ups of this country's legal system
since it was originally devised.
As you will no doubt be aware, in recent years it has become
apparent that our legal system is increasingly unfit for
purpose. Murderers and paedophiles are getting off scot-free
while it is clear to the man in the street that they are guilty,
and it is the victims who are being punished. Something has to
change, so from now on trials will no longer take place in a
physical courtroom, but in a public, virtual court, where common
sense can prevail.
The case you will be presiding over is a particularly nasty one,
involving the death of a young mother and her two-year-old
daughter. You have my full trust, and I am sure you will
ascertain who the culprit is without any trouble.
On the left is a list of articles written about this case by our
most trusted media outlets. Each article has select phrases and
names highlighted, representing potential evidence regarding the
case. It is your job to determine which of these clues
are relevant to the case by clicking on them (please note that
not all the evidence highlighted will be relevant to this case).
When you are satisfied you have reviewed the evidence
completely, click 'Make your Judgement' and the software will
inform you who is the most likely suspect according to the
choices you've made. You may then click on that suspect's name
to send them off for sentencing.
Welcome to the big society! Together we will tighten our belts
and make Britain great again.
Signed,
David Cameron, Prime Minister.
(unless the whole scheme backfires terribly, in which case it
was all Nick Clegg's idea)
Bodies of woman and child found on island in lake
The bodies of a young woman and infant have been found on an island in the middle of a Hertfordshire lake.
Police have reported the discovery of the bodies of a young woman and an infant on an island within Gobions Wood near Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire.
The remains were found early this morning by Roy Beech, 53, out walking his dog around Gobions Lake. "I was just walking Bell - my dog," said Mr. Beech, "and I let her have a little paddle in the lake as usual, but before I knew it she'd clambered onto the island and disappeared behind the bushes.
"I thought maybe she'd caught the scent of a fox or something, but then she came out of the bushes dragging that poor child. I called the police straight away.
"It's terrible," he added, "this is such a quiet village. For something like this to happen here... it's a terrible tragedy."
No positive identification has yet been made, but police suspect the bodies may be those of Elizabeth MacAskill and her daughter Sasha, reported missing last week. It is believed that the bodies were removed to the island after their death.
The island they were found on is in the centre of Gobions Lake, not far from the shore, and within Gobions Wood, a popular location for dog walkers. The lake itself is shallow, making it possible to wade to the island from the shore, though there are also boats reserved for anglers.
Police believe that, given the area's popularity, there is a strong chance that a member of the public saw something, and request that anyone with any information call the following number: 0845 3300 222
Boyfriend of murdered Elizabeth MacAskill questioned by police
Police officers have been questioning Mark Rider over the deaths of Elizabeth and Sasha MacAskill.
Mark Rider, 21, boyfriend of Elizabeth MacAskill and father of her daughter, Sasha, has been remanded for questioning regarding the recent discovery of their bodies in a Hertfordshire wood.
Rider, currently unemployed, is believed to be the main suspect in the case, having previously spent some time in jail for violent disorder, and with a reputation for having a fierce temper. With his arrest, police also took custody of his computer, on which they discovered a collection of "extremely violent pirated films, as well as a number of apparent screenplays focusing on torture and violent revenge fantasies", according to Inspector Anthony Stevenson.
Rider is believed to have met Elizabeth and Sasha MacAskill shortly after they left the home they shared with Elizabeth's father, John MacAskill, 47, on 25th June. Rider texted one of his friends with the message, "Lzzie gon of on 1 agn stupd bicth fckn chainsw tim lol" at 8:35pm that evening.
At some point that night both Elizabeth, 19, and Sasha, 2, were violently murdered, and their bodies were dumped on an island in the middle of a lake in nearby Gobions Wood.
Rider, whose father Steven Rider runs a successful estate agency, was previously convicted of violent disorder at the age of 19 and spent 9 months in The Mount young offenders institution. He has apparently struggled to find work since then.
Jake Locksley, one of Rider's friends, said, "Mark's got a bit of a temper, yeah, but there's no way he'd hurt Lizzie or Sasha. Not in a million years. He loved those girls more than anything. Ever since Sasha was born while he was behind bars he's done everything he can to turn his life around."
A friend of Elizabeth MacAskill, Lucy Tomlinson, contradicted that statement however; "Mark Rider is vicious thug. He beat up my brother just for looking at him, and I know for a fact that he hit Lizzie at least once."
So far, MacAskill's family have declined to make any statement.
Father questioned over death of Elizabeth MacAskill and daughter
John MacAskill is being held for questioning regarding the deaths of his daughter and grand-daughter.
The father of Elizabeth MacAskill has been arrested in relation to her murder. Police issued a warrant for the arrest of John MacAskill, 47, shortly after they released Miss MacAskill's boyfriend, Mark Rider, 21, on bail in relation to the same crime.
Elizabeth MacAskill, 19, and her daughter Sasha, 2, were reported missing by her mother, Shona Stewart, on 26th June. Their remains were later discovered by a dog walker on an island within Gobions Wood, nearby the house they shared with Mr. MacAskill in Brookmans Park, Herts. Ms Stewart has been separated from Elizabeths father since 2009.
Police initially believed that Miss MacAskill's boyfriend, and father of her daughter Sasha, was the most likely suspect in the case. Mark Rider has a criminal record and a history of violence, and upon his arrest police discovered screenplays of what they termed "extremely violent revenge fantasies" on his computer. This paper is now given to understand however that new evidence has come to light which may cast doubt on Riders involvement in the murders.
On the night they were murdered Miss MacAskill and her daughter had been on their way to Miss MacAskill's mother's house in Hatfield, having left Mr MacAskills house following an argument. Friends say John MacAskill frequently argued with his daughter over her relationship with Rider and other matters, and that Miss MacAskill would often spend the night at her mothers house as a result.
John MacAskill is a teacher at St. Albans public school, and it is believed he thought Elizabeth had thrown her life away by having a child with Rider, even saying so much in public more than once, in an apparent attempt to humiliate his daughter. Friends of Elizabeth have suggested that it was MacAskill's old-fashioned style of discipline that drove her mother away.
Neighbours, however, painted a picture of a well-loved and respected member of the community who cared for his garden and looked out for his more elderly neighbours. Beverley Williams, 76, said, "Oh, I can't believe he had anything to do with it. He's always so kind and always looking out for others. When my Tom had his stroke it was John who came round every day to look after the garden - my Tom's always been so proud of his flowers. And Elizabeth was always so nice until she met that hooligan. The police should be knocking on his door, not poor John's."
It is understood that Elizabeth's younger sister, Lindsey, 17, is currently staying with her mother. Her elder brother, David, 22, currently lives in London. So far all three have declined to comment on Mr MacAskill's arrest.
Police hunt for missing mother and daughter
Police are searching for a young mother who has gone missing with her nine-month-old daughter.
Elizabeth MacAskill, 19, was last seen leaving the home she shares with her father, John MacAskill, 47, in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire on Monday 27th June. It is believed the two had been involved in an argument and she had left to visit her mother, Shona Stewart, 43, who has been separated from her father for the past three years.
Miss MacAskill never arrived at her mother's house though.
Police are asking for anyone with any information about Miss MacAskill and her daughter Sasha's whereabouts to come forward as a matter of urgency. In a press conference a visibly upset Shona Stewart sat next to her ex-husband and made a heartfelt plea, "Please Lizzie, just let us know you're both okay. We just want to know you're safe."
Inspector Anthony Stevenson stated that the police do not believe there was any foul play involved and that they are treating this as a straightforward missing persons case. He urged anyone with any information to contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on 0845 3300 222 immediately.
Psycho murder suspect released on bail - beats up young dad
SICK THUG Mark Rider, suspected of the murder of Elizabeth MacAskill and her daughter, involved in pub brawl shortly after being released on bail.
Shortly after being released on bail for the murder of his girlfriend and daughter, PSYCHOPATH Mark Rider was back behind bars after beating a young father to within an inch of his life.
Father of two, Dave Wallace, 24, was enjoying a quiet pint with his wife Sarah, also 24, in the local pub, when Rider, who had been drinking since noon, allegedly took offence at a comment from Sarah and proceeded to lay into Dave as HORRIFIED onlookers tried to restrain him. The beating resulted in a collapsed lung, 3 broken ribs, a broken arm, and, gruesomely, multiple fractures in Dave's left hand where Rider stomped on it and ground it into the floor.
Wallace is currently in a critical but stable condition at Queen Elizabeth II hospital, Welwyn Garden City. Rider was picked up by police after an attempt to flee the scene saw him crashing his car into a ditch.
Sarah Wallace laid the blame squarely on the police, saying, "That f*****g psycho killed his girlfriend and his baby daughter and they let him out? He should be f*****g locked up. They should throw away the key and let him rot. Prison's too good for the likes of him. My Dave's probably never going to breathe right again, all because the police can't do their f*****g job."
HOOLIGAN Rider, 21, had been held by police on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend, Elizabeth MacAskill, 19, and their two-year-old daughter, Sasha, but was released on bail when the police shifted their attention to MacAskill's father. Teacher John MacAskill, 47, is currently in police custody being questioned about the murders.
Rider was originally arrested on the basis of his violent past and a text message sent to a friend on the night of the murders. The message read, "Lzzie gon of on 1 agn stupd bicth fckn chainsw tim lol". "F*****g chainsaw time" is believed to be a reference to one of the SICK TORTURE PORN screenplays found on Rider's computer when he was arrested. At the time, friends of Rider claimed he was attempting to turn his life around and break into scriptwriting.
TRAGIC ANGELS Elizabeth and Sasha MacAskill were murdered late on 25th June and their bodies dumped on an island in Gobions Wood, near the house they shared with John MacAskill and Elizabeth's sister, Lindsey. Elizabeth and Lindsey's mother, Shona Stewart, had separated from their father in 2009, though she retained a close relationship with her daughters.
Police are still questioning John MacAskill over his daughter and granddaughter's deaths, but in the light of recent events, questions will surely be asked about the wisdom of letting SICK YOB Rider out on bail given his history and the evidence against him.
Woods murder bodies identified as Elizabeth MacAskill and daughter
Police have identified the bodies of a young woman and an infant as those of Elizabeth MacAskill and her daughter Sasha.
The bodies of a young woman and child found yesterday on an island in a Hertfordshire lake have been named as those of Elizabeth MacAskill and her daughter Sasha.
Miss MacAskill and her daughter were reported missing on 26th June after they had left the house they shared with MacAskill's father the night before, to visit her mother in neighbouring Hatfield. They never arrived, and the next day Miss MacAskill's mother, Shona Stewart, 43, filed a missing persons report at the local police station. Ms Stewart has been separated from Miss MacAskill's father, John MacAskill, 47, since 2009.
Elizabeth and Sasha MacAskill's remains were discovered on an island within Gobions Wood near Brookmans Park, where they shared a home with John MacAskill, Elizabeth's father. They were discovered in the early hours of yesterday morning by a local fisherman. Roy Beech, 53, described the gruesome discovery as "a terrible shock. I was out on the lake in one of the boats, when I caught sight of that poor child's jacket caught on one of the bushes on the island. When I got nearer I realised something terrible had happened. This is such a nice, quiet village. I never thought something like this would happen here."
Police have yet to identify any suspects for the murders, though it is believed that Miss MacAskill had been arguing with her father before she left his house.
Police are eager to talk to anyone who may have seen or heard anything untoward in the area on the evening of 25th June. Gobions Wood is a popular spot for walkers and anglers, and the police are hopeful that the crime did not go entirely unnoticed. Any members of the public who may have seen something are requested to contact the local police on: 0845 3300 222