Monday, April 14, 2014

Declan calls into Hammersmith Police Station for a crime intel report having been threatened with assault on our last night with the West London Churches Homeless Concern

I took the photograph below because I sensed deep trouble last night and wanted to protect Declan (see blog of 8 April, "Declan emails the chairman of West London Churches Homeless Concern a fourth time after being kicked awake in the middle of the night ... the third time was yesterday!"). He was coughing violently and breathing with difficulty, so I was given a tiny room for him in case other rough sleepers would be kept awake all night. The head of supervising staff told me I couldn't spend the night caring for him, yet within minutes another rough sleeper was in the room ... lying at Declan's feet!

As it turned out, the photograph came in extremely handy. This rough sleeper is now subject to arrest upon sight for a public order offence that caused alarm and distress. When Declan asked this guy to tell a member of staff what exactly he intended to do to him the next morning, he was struck dumb. (He had said: "I will see you tomorrow morning. I'm going to f*ck you up".) The three-month rolling winter night shelter programme run by the West London Churches Homeless Concern closed this morning, so we are now back to being street homeless (see previous blog, "My three-month brief for a solicitor following my arrest for rough sleeping in the Barbican").

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After the police station we went straight to hospital, where Declan was diagnosed with asthma and a chest infection. He now has antibiotic tablets for seven days and a huge inhaler when the holding chamber is attached. If this time next week the chest infection persists, he has to return to A&E and perhaps be hospitalized.
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