News
Woman ordered to pay man who abused her £35,000 and let him live in her home
‘The court thing was just harrowing. I can’t put into words how awful it was, I was completely out of my depth. It just broke me.’
A woman has been ordered by the courts to pay her abuser £35,000 in damages and to let him live in her home because of a family will.
Kirsty Easthope, 52, from York suffered abuse at the hands of her mother’s partner, Arthur Hepple, for decades. Now she must pay Hepple £35k in damages after losing a costly legal battle against the serial sex offender after he was released from prison.
The 84-year-old Hepple was given a suspended prison sentence in 2014 and put on the sex offenders’ register for abusing Kirsty. He was then jailed for another sex attack on a woman and her teenage daughter in 2017.
Family Handout
Kirsty’s mum, Irma Barnett, had written the will before Hepple started abusing her daughter and before she was diagnosed with dementia. In it, she wanted Hepple to live in the family home in North Yorkshire, and spend the rest of his life there.
Hepple started to attack Mrs Easthope in 2003, Mrs Barnett died in 2013. Mrs Easthope inherited the property from her mother but no longer lives there. She said she had been left ‘absolutely devastated’ by the ruling.
Mrs Easthope told ITV News: “I thought I’d be free of [Hepple] when he went to prison but he’s back and a judge has ruled that and it’s atrocious.
“I’ll never understand how he could have done what he did in the first place, but to continue to persecute me… I just want to be free of my perpetrator, but now the judge has put him back in my life again.”
After leaving prison in 2018 he insisted on being allowed to live in the bungalow he had shared with Mrs Barnett and her daughter. The court found in his favour, and ordered Mrs Easthope to pay Hepple £35,000 to cover the losses he had incurred while having to live elsewhere along with legal costs, which could bring her total bill to £100,000.
Mrs Easthope said: “The court thing was just harrowing. I can’t put into words how awful it was, I was completely out of my depth. It just broke me.”
In a statement, Hepple’s lawyers said Mrs Easthope could face further legal action if she refuses to comply with the order, saying: “Mr Hepple has an unconditional lifetime right to occupy the property under the terms of his late partner’s will.
“Mrs Easthope unlawfully excluded him and refused to allow him back into occupation. Her actions left Mr Hepple with no alternative but to issue a civil claim against her requiring her, amongst other things, to allow him back into the property.
“To date, she is still to allow Mr Hepple back into the property and to pay the damages. It is possible that the matter may have to go back to Leeds High Court for enforcement and a decision on costs, which will be substantial.”
In a written ruling, the judge at Leeds County Court said that Mrs Easthope was ‘bound’ by the will left by her mother, Irma Barnett. The order stipulated that Mrs Easthope must cover the ‘claimant’s losses’ of £35,248.75 and pay him £22.20 a day until he is allowed back into the property.
Mrs Easthope’s friend, Christina Hall, has started a Go Fund Me page to help her with legal costs. At the time of writing it has raised nearly £7,000.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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