Rural Herefordshire: Where a Quiet Farming Life Was Shattered by the Forces of Hell

By Aflyon Thewall

Possibly the worst crime known in the Herefordshire farming community.

On a family farm near a small market town in North Herefordshire. My Mother had been blissfully content for fifty years, but in the Autumn of 2001 when she became slightly weakened by ill-health, family predators pounced on her. For the next two and a half years she was subjected to Elder Abuse. Mother was threatened, bullied, intimidated, and cruelly and harshly treated to ensure she stayed silent while her financial affairs were plundered. She was then persecuted til her death.

Tragically, the same fate was bestowed her faithful farm-help, who had been loyal to my Mother for 28 years, but he was also targeted by the family predators to be a victim. He was hounded, persecuted and falsely discredited until his spirit was destroyed. He died in 2013 aged 61, a broken man.

This crime was planned, well organised and ruthlessly executed to embezzle in excess of 500,000 and possibly making it one of the worst crimes known within the Herefordshire farming community.

This account is a reflection of the changing ways of the modern world, where values that once upheld society are being trashed far too often. The subject of sociopathy is touched on to raise awareness of the increasing danger it is posing to society. Also covered is the disturbing revelation that we can no longer depend on the establishment-the judicial, the legal and the criminal systems to be fair and just.

For the time being all we can do is raise awareness . . . . . . .

Note: This book has been written with help from some rather naughty Golliwogs from Pettifers hardware store who found themselves arrested by over zealous local police officers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Apr 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504992015

Aflyon Thewall

The author was a powerless observer of a bizarre unfolding sequence of events, that were carefully calculated to ensure they would result in a tragic outcome.

Book preview

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Published by AuthorHouse 04/11/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9200-8 (sc)

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A TRIBUTE

To the loyal Farm-worker and to everyone who suffered so

unjustly during the traumatic years at the Family Farm

near a small market town in North Herefordshire

The worst crime known in the Herefordshire farming community

On a family farm near a small market town in North Herefordshire, a Farmer’s Widow had been blissfully content for fifty years, but in the Autumn of 2001 when she became slightly weakened by ill-health, family predators pounced on her. Then she was subjected to ‘Elder Abuse’ until the end of her life. The Farmer’s Widow was threatened, bullied, intimidated, and cruelly and harshly treated to ensure she stayed silent while her financial affairs were plundered. She was then persecuted ’til her death.

Tragically, the same fate was bestowed on her faithful Farm Worker, who had been loyal to the Farmer’s Widow for 28 years, but he was also targeted by the family predators to be a victim. The Farm Worker was hounded, persecuted and falsely discredited until his spirit was destroyed. He died in 2013 aged 61, a broken man.

This crime was planned, well organised and ruthlessly executed to embezzle in excess of £500,000 making it one of the worst crimes known within the Herefordshire farming community.

This account is a reflection of the changing ways of the modern world, where values that once upheld society are being trashed far too often. The subject of sociopathy is touched on to raise awareness of the increasing danger it is posing to civilised society. Also covered is the disturbing revelation that we can no longer depend on the establishment: - the judicial, the legal and the criminal systems which can too easily be coerced, cajoled or misled when faced with the most hardened, devious and determined criminal minds.

For the time being all we can do is raise awareness… . . . .

Note: This account has been written with help from some rather naughty Golliwogs from ‘Pettifers’ hardware store who found themselves arrested by over-zealous local Police Officers.

* * * * * * *

The author was a powerless observer of a bizarre unfolding sequence of events that were carefully calculated to ensure they would result in a tragic outcome.

* * * * * * *

This is a true story based on actual events, though names have been changed.

Life on the Family Farm in North Herefordshire

This is an account of how an ordinary farming family living near the small market town rural North Herefordshire, found its peaceful and contented life shattered by all the forces of hell. This Family Farm is reached down a long drive off the A44 to Leominster, with the farm nestling in a valley near the head of the river Lodon, and straddling two parishes. It is a sheltered position with the farm surrounded by old orchards and meadows where sheep and cattle graze. Corn crops of wheat, oats and barley are grown on the rich red soils of heavy clay in the fields further away, and cider apples and perry pears are harvested from the old established orchards which are usually sold to the Bulmer cider factory in Hereford. All in all this was a productive mixed farm typical of this northern part of the county.

It was an idyllic place to live, peaceful and tranquil, a world away from the busy-ness of urban life. Chickens, ducks, geese and pet lambs were often to be seen wandering around the farm-yard; the garden was always tidy and pretty, as it was easy to maintain; a focal feature was an old stone cider-mill filled with a range of spring flowers like crocus and hyacinth, whilst a huge magnolia tree never failed to be absolutely stunning every springtime. In front of the house was an orchard where in springtime a huge sweep of daffodils danced away in glorious perfection while new born lambs skipped in between. This Farm was a place where one could be blissfully content, and The Farmers Widow was blissfully content there for over fifty years.

Quote by Rudyard Kipling:

‘Nothing is ever settled until it is settled right’.

Quote by Sir Winston Churchill:

‘You have enemies? Good, that means that you have stood up for something, sometime in your life’.

Contents

One

No-one put it better than Gandhi - ‘The richer society is, the less community minded it becomes’. This was a crime that was well-planned and ruthlessly executed.

Two

Winston Churchill: ‘We sleep at night because the Police are there to protect us from harm’.

Three

Greek Philosopher Aristotle: ‘No notice is taken of little evil, but when it increases it strikes the eye’

Four

Was this the first attempt at engineering the death of The Farmers Widow?

Five

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: ‘The fine line between good and evil does not run between nations, religions or creeds, but every human heart.’ The impact of domestic abuse and misogynism.

Six

The Trojan Horse. ‘It is better to eat a simple meal with those you love, than to eat the finest food where there is hate.’ Proverbs 15:17

Seven

George Orwell on the dangers facing the modern world: ‘Don’t let it happen’.

Eight

‘Elder Abuse’. ‘Why are the elderly often treated like pariahs, when they have time on their hands, love in their hearts, and much wisdom to impart?’

Nine

The impact of psychopaths on society.

Ten

‘There is more to the well-being of a family than just money’.

Eleven

A great storm in a tea cup back at the farm!

Twelve

A Snow White who was not very snowy. The Farm Worker - a tragic victim of circumstance.

Thirteen

A wake up call for society. Sir Anthony Seldon and the ‘Action for Happiness movement’.

Fourteen

Spring-time 2004 and the end of her days. ‘Few will understand how it feels to watch someone’s life ebbing away and not be able to do anything about it’.

Fifteen

The Runaway Train. The Solicitors and a bungled administration. Theodore Roosevelt quote: ‘To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace in society’.

Sixteen

Lord Acton: ‘All power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The cult of the Plausible Lie.

Seventeen

The worst crime known in the Herefordshire farming community. An open letter to ‘The Solicitor’.

Eighteen

Another day another scandal – The Legal Ombudsman ‘falls on his sword’.

Nineteen

Winston Churchill – ‘The further back you look, the further forward you are likely to see’.

Twenty

‘It was like playing a blind hand of cards’. Introducing ‘The Three Golliwogs’. A visit from The Duke of Gloucester and a kindly gesture from the High Sheriff of Herefordshire.

Twenty one

How in God’s name has Britain come to this?

Twenty two

Edmund Burke: ‘All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’.

Twenty three

The Police Constable’s Oath, and Tort Law. Theodore Roosevelt: ‘No man is above the law and no man is below it, nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it’.

Twenty four

Winston Churchill: ‘Always be guarded against tyranny, whatever shape it may assume’.

Twenty five

‘The Brick’ – a thought provoking message. The Election 2015.

Twenty six

As Gandhi said: ‘Be the change you want to see’.

* * * * * * *

One

No-one put it better than Gandhi -

‘The richer society is, the less community-minded it becomes’

* * * * * * *

A well-planned and ruthlessly executed crime

At this Family Farm during 2003, two people were enduring persecution so severe it eventually resulted in the premature death of both of them. This was all part of a crime that had been well-planned and was ruthlessly executed. To understand what happened at that farm it is important to look at society as a whole, and to observe just how much values right across the spectrum including in all our institutions and public services, have been trashed and undermined, and there is a need to consider how these negative influences have damaged the way that society often functions. It was during the early years of the first decade of the second millennium that saw this unprecedented change emerging, and it was also at a time when the huge advancement in technology was opening up a whole new different world through communication and easy access to information.

A big shift in values However, this progress appeared to come simultaneously with a shift in the values that underpin our society, and some of these changes have also had a hugely detrimental impact. Who would have expected that we would reach an era when it is so difficult to trust anyone in positions of authority? This has been epitomised by the number of high profile public scandals that have engulfed every sector of society and public life, but worst of all is the loss of trust in one another as human beings. It seems that people are now having to think hard about what constitutes ‘good and bad’. People who were once regarded as ‘heroes’, are turning out to have some bad villainous qualities. Situations we once considered ideal, are beginning to look decidedly unsatisfactory; and some people are now needing to think what is right or wrong in their own personal lives, this may be disturbing, but it can also be healthy and liberating. A fresh understanding could help make the future much brighter.

A Coroner is jailed Who would have expected policemen, and even high-ranking officers, to behave like crooks? Who would have expected hospitable workers to be cruel to their patients? Who would have expected civil servants and Governance to be corrupt? Who would have expected the Church to cover-up so many cases of abuse? Who would have expected newspaper editors to be such propagandists? Who would have expected solicitors and lawyers to pervert the course of justice? Yet, in November 2013 the Coroner for Gloucester, a solicitor, named Alan Crickmore was jailed for stealing £2 million from his vulnerable clients to fund his lavish lifestyle! The matter only came to light through an audit in 2008, but for all crooks to succeed, they must have the knowledge that the likelihood of being caught is remote. Good gracious, can things really be this bad! Yes, it gets even worse!

Another Coroner is jailed! The respected Coroner for Carmarthen, John Owen was jailed for five years in November 2014 for plundering over £1 million from a client’s estate to fund his lavish lifestyle. This solicitor was a well-known member of the community before being struck-off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The Prosecutor said: ‘He was able to get away with the crime because there was no-one to keep him in check’.

Social values These are a set of shared cultural values that make up society and determine interaction within it. They form an important part of society and account for the stability of social order, and provide the general guidelines for conduct, and they also facilitate social control. Values are the criteria people use in assessing their daily lives, arranging priorities and choosing between alternative courses of action. They are values which are largely unconscious, but define what is right and important, they are the general guidelines for the behaviour of people. In the past, honesty, sincerity, truthfulness and piety were regarded as social values, and adopting unfair means in any walk of life for any reason whatsoever was regarded as wrong and in extreme case, it was considered evil.

People generally avoided negative influences It is a general perception that people try to keep themselves away from all sorts of malpractices and misdeeds, stating that ‘honesty is the best policy’; and we can recall a time when miscreants were held in disrepute in society. But it is a great pity that those social values are nowadays interpreted the other way round, with the criminals now being honoured as heroes in society, far too often. People in general are afraid to speak out against perpetrators of evil deeds. But in the modern time the definition has changed with a perception that particular beliefs also refer to a lifestyle that some people consider they should be ‘entitled to’. The basis of our present social values is the ever growing materialistic attitude, with people now chasing after name, fame and fortune without giving any thought to right or wrong, good or evil, moral or immoral. So the focus of self-centeredness has now replaced the focus that people previously placed on community and on society. The effects of the changed social values in the present age are deplorable, with all the noblest qualities now in exile.

The biggest scandal in global health care In February 2015 the Government Health Secretary announced sweeping reforms to end the Health Service cover-up culture through a national review aimed at preventing needless deaths, and also the introduction of new safeguards to blow the whistle on poor patient care. It was claimed that 1000 patients have been dying each month needlessly in NHS hospitals because of staff blunders. Goodness, can you believe it! It is claimed that this new policy is to be a defining moment for the Health Service, as the report that followed the Mid - Staffordshire hospital scandal, revealed the devastating treatment of NHS doctors and nurses who tried to warn of unsafe care.

What on earth has happened to natural compassion? The latest data suggested that 12,000 deaths a year in all the NHS hospitals are being caused by medical errors, in what has become the biggest scandal in global healthcare. The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave assurance that a change in behaviour will be seen, and also a change in the way everyone works in the NHS; with an emphasis on the need to learn from other industries that adopt rigorous protocols, to ensure that safety risks were identified and not tolerated. In fact an Ambassador for Cultural Change has already been appointed by the NHS in Staffordshire, and it is hoped to extend this role elsewhere. The public outrage, and the pressures imposed on the Government is certainly seeing an effort being made to raise standards. There has never been a greater need to ask, ‘what has happened to natural compassion?’

The airline industry sets the example Whilst making a comparison Mr. Hunt added that ‘In the 1970s there were about 2000 deaths a year from airline crashes, and the industry soon realised that it would go out of business if people became too scared to fly’. Now the global figure for that industry is around 500 casualties, even though there is nine times as much air travel. He said the key to change in the airline industry had been to encourage pilots to speak out about possible threats to safety; so there was need to urgently introduce the same protocols to the Health Service. These reforms followed a long campaign by The Sunday Telegraph ‘Heal our Hospitals’ which in 2009 called for a public enquiry into the Mid Staffs hospital crisis, where poor care had gone undetected for many years because warnings from staff were always suppressed.

The deluge from 19,700 whistle-blowers The new Health Service report published in February 2015 by Sir Robert Francis QC took much longer than scheduled after a deluge of concerns from NHS whistle-blowers telling how many had even lost their livelihood after speaking out, with more than 19,700 responding in total. During the investigation it was revealed how public authorities behave, and it shone a light on a sinister and dystopian culture of cover-up, exposing an irredeemable breakdown in trust,

Whistle-blowers have suffered Whistle-blowers have helped shine a light on the darkest recesses of the NHS, raising concerns over patient safety, staff bullying and declining standards of care. But rather than being praised for their courage many whistle-blowers claim they faced bullying, threats and in some cases the loss of their jobs. Those suffering this fate included senior consultants and doctors. Even a Professor, a consultant neuropsychologist with a worldwide reputation in his field, faced a severe backlash for raising the harshest of criticisms.

Public services need fixing The Social Services scandal has unearthed rather a brutal regime where it is claimed that the NHS has a style of management that insists you will do as you are told, you will not make a fuss, you will deliver the targets, or else. It is claimed that if you cross the NHS you are finished; senior management are career-focused and will happily bury any bad news. One young nurse starting a new job at a small practice was shocked to discover a backlog of hundreds of emails containing crucial details of patients’ tests and results that had never even been opened, let alone responded to.

Brave response That young nurse turned whistle-blower and complained, she subsequently lost her job, but in hindsight she said she did not regret her action, and added ‘If you have a moral conscience, you do not have a choice’. In our difficult society it is daring to say things that most people know are true, but few are brave enough to speak out about.

Health care scandal It was during 2012 that The Telegraph reported that at Stafford Hospital 43 patients starved and 120 died of thirst while being treated on a ward. This saga exposed the changed nature of the National Health Service, it became apparent that not everyone involved in the profession was compassionate and caring. The scale of excessive deaths was horrendous, and not only restricted to Stafford. The NHS had become such a financial burden that cost cutting had imposed enormous pressures on staff. Tribute must be paid to the sterling efforts of Julie Bailey for her determined efforts in exposing the scandal at Stafford, the CBE she was awarded in the 2013 Honours list was well deserved. But Stafford Hospital was not alone, similar scandals have appeared at hospitals and at care-homes nationwide that revealed that we are no longer a naturally caring society.

Hardened attitudes: ‘Bring back Matron’ It was no excuse to blame poor facilities, it was hardened attitudes and the absence of compassion that was the root cause; and of course in the rarefied world inhabited by the upper echelons of the NHS, the Police and Social Services, no one ever takes the blame and all that matters is that correct procedures are followed. Unfortunately, many nursing staff state that they still feel ill-supported by their senior teams during times of crisis. Such devastating claims never arose in the days when formidable Matrons patrolled the wards in a bygone age. But nowadays too many facets of our national life are getting forever out of control, with a growing under-tone of aggression making Britain a nastier more disturbing place to live, and very far from the days when there was zero tolerance of any type of misconduct, lax approach or negative attitude. Nowadays, complacency and incompetence are evident at all levels.

Radical changes needed One only has to look how compassionate medical staff are when working in war zones and third world countries where they remain committed in the most challenging circumstances, to realise that Britain has serious social and moral problems.

Wise words from a wise man The still small voice of conscience is rarely heard these days, and Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks suggests that concepts like duty, obligation, responsibility and honour have come to seem antiquated and irrelevant. Emotions like guilt, shame, contrition and remorse have been deleted from our vocabulary; and now there is barely a distinction between legality and morality; with freedom meaning the pursuit of all that which it is possible to get away with; and of course this all helps to make cheating and lying more palatable. There has never been a greater need to over-turn the values that have failed our British society; bold and radical changes are needed in these unpredictable times.