News.Scotland.Org

Scotland, Nov 10: The speculation about the possible tax freeze to be implemented in Edinburgh is expected to be postponed. The council leader Jenny Dawe stressed the need for postponing the decision as the city is not in a position to accept a council tax freeze.

This remark by the council leader was on the backdrop of the claims regarding the scheme chalked out by the government of Scotland and the umbrella group for the welfare of the local authorities.

The Finance Secretary, John Swinney yesterday met the officials of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities abbreviated as Cosla in an attempt arrive at consensus about the possible freeze that was assured by the SNP during the May election.

The official version of the discussion is attributed as ‘constructive’ but the reports hint that the deal is blocked as the Cosla is ready to recommend a freeze to the 32 councils as an attempt to gather finance worth £400m.

The Edinburgh Councillor Dawe said that the council could not withstand a freeze unless adequate measures to overcome the financial requirements, which is calculated at £23m. She also said that she didn’t get any official information from Cosla about any deal concerning the tax freeze. She expressed her eagerness to see the details of the deal and the compensation package offered for its fulfilment.

While further commenting the issue Councillor said that “Edinburgh is not certainly prepared to put forth a council tax freeze if it leads to service cuts or job cuts.”

The discussion with Cosla was held ahead of the budget statement of Mr Swinney’s in the Scottish parliament next Wednesday. Meanwhile the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed in the parliament that the SNP government will fulfil its election promise of implementing a tax freeze in the council.

November, 10

In a sensational judgment a man was sentenced two-and-a-half-year imprisonment for his abnormal act of making 15000 obscene phone calls to women. The accused allured women by claiming himself a researcher for Marks & Spencer, Paul Kavanagh 40 use to ask these women in the beginning few simple questions like about their socks and cardigans and then starts the dirty talking asking them about their underwear and giving them indecent suggestions. This act of public annoyance by Paul Kavanagh got apt treatment by the law and was sentenced imprisonment by the London’s Southwark Crown court here yesterday.

The Judge of the case Peter Testar said “It seems to me that the defendant was taking drink and cocaine and making these calls for the purposes of sexual gratification and, to my mind, for the purposes of cruelty.” It was seen that the way this accused use to call these women, he presented himself as if he is taking any survey with a set of questions which he asked them. After getting the details about the women he used to call them again and again, creating a sense of fear in the minds of these women.

In his statement accused Paul Kavanagh agreed to have been made about 15000 calls from October 1995. It was known that he used to make these calls from unregistered pay-as-you-go telephones, so that he leaves no clues for someone to trace him. But as all criminals leave clues by-mistake, he also gave police an essential clue when he told one woman that he liked the way her hair is today. In the same way he asked another woman some other thing giving some traces to police.

The victims whom Kavanagh targeted mostly used to feel unsafe and uneasy and threatened even to stay alone in home. These victims of the phone menace also feared of being followed by the accused, even the Judge agreed the fact that this incidence had an immense effect to these women. This telephonic harassment and obscenity was nothing a small act to get escaped with, and it cost the accused imprisonment and banning him to use his phone on the charge of anti-social behaviour for four years.