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Father defends teaching assistant daughter, 23, who had sex with 14-year-old boy, says \’she just wanted to help\’

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The father of a teaching assistant who had sex with a 14-year-old schoolboy in a car park has said \’she just wanted help\’ as the family plot to appeal her conviction.

The teacher, Hannah Harris, 23, had sex with the pupil in the supermarket car park after contacting his parents posing as the mother of his fictional girlfriend to hide their relationship. She cried in the dock as she was convicted of a single count of engaging in sexual activity with a child by a majority verdict at St Albans Crown Court yesterday.

Her father, Jason, today defended his daughter and insisted \’we\’re not giving up on her\’.

He told The Sun: \’I don’t believe what came out in court. She shouldn’t have been doing that job. She was too young.

\’She was in that job because she wanted to help people, that’s what she does, she helps people.

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\’She’s very very good-natured. Anyone she’s ever worked for before and still working for now speak very highly of her. And she is still working now.\’

Harris told the boy\’s parents she lived in Baldock, Hertfordshire, with her fictional daughter Kayla, whom she claimed was their son\’s girlfriend.

In one text to the boy\’s parents, she wrote: \’Seems Kayla and (the boy) are getting on well, so I am happy to ferry them around.\’

Their relationship was uncovered in January 2020 by the boy\’s older brother after the 14-year-old admitted to his sibling that both \’Olivia\’ and \’Kayla\’ were fictional.

Mr. Wiltshire said: \’When the parents became aware, they realised they had unwittingly facilitated the contact. They had been duped by the boy into the belief he was seeing someone of his own age.\’

The prosecutor added: \’As a teaching assistant at his school she (Harris) would have known his age – such activity is a criminal offence regardless of whether he believed himself to be a willing party.\’

Harris was first employed by the school in 2020 to work within the IT department, before moving into a teaching assistant role in 2020.

When questioned by detectives, she said the first contact was initiated when he sent her an Instagram message.

She said she stupidly replied and communication continued until she agreed to meet him outside school hours.

Harris, of Henlow, Bedfordshire, denied four counts of sexual activity that were alleged to have taken place twice on Dunstable Downs, once at her home and once in the supermarket car park between December 2020 and January 2020.

A jury convicted her of one of the counts by a majority of 10 to two on Monday. February 7.

Following the verdict, defence barrister Julia Flanagan said Harris was now in a stable relationship.

She said there had been concerns for her mental health, but she had returned to working in IT.

Judge Caroline Wigin bailed Harris, who cried in the dock, for sentencing on March 9. She must abide by a curfew between 7pm and 7am.

The judge said she will also have to register as a sex offender and told her: \’The sentence is inevitably going to be custody.\’

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ASUU begins indefinite strike in Nigerian varsity

On Thursday, May 2, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Abuja chapter has commenced an indefinite strike.

Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, Chairman of the Branch, acknowledged the event, saying the resolution was made during a congress meeting held at the institution’s Permanent Site.

Platinumpost reports that members of the UniAbuja chapter of ASUU have been at loggerheads with the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah and the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman over the processes for the appointment of a new VC.

An advertorial that surfaced in a national daily on March 15, 2024, sought a replacement for Na’Allah.

However, ASUU members, in a conference, rejected the ad, declared it “illegal,” and stated that it was not from the governing council.

Ugoh noted that the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 1993 as amended; 2003 and 2012 (Section 3, subsections 1 and 2) empowers only the governing council to advertise the VC’s seat when declared vacant.

“You will recall that the university administration placed an advert on the vacancy of the post of a Vice-Chancellor on Friday 15th March 2024,” Ugoh had said.

He argued that no other organ or individual is legally vested with the power to initiate the procedure of appointing a successive VC.

More to follow…

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Lagos GDP Hits N41trn – Ranks 7th In Africa

During the ongoing ministerial press briefing to commemorate the first year in office of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George, revealed that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Lagos State has experienced significant growth under the current administration.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports that the GDP has increased from N27 trillion to N41 trillion within a span of four years.

The development highlights the impressive strides that the state has made in its economic development and positions Lagos as a leading contributor to Nigeria’s overall GDP.

According to George, “Over the last couple of years, Lagos had face numerous challenges particularly when COVID 19 and Endsars struck.

“And so we have had a lot of shocks within our system over the last couple of years and with everything going on around the world.

“We are currently riding the curve and we are coming out on a better side. “You hear sometimes when they say Lagos is one of the largest economies in Africa and truly, it’s not static, we will continue to move based on what’s going on in the world.

“As we speak now, I believe that we are currently ranked 7th in terms of GDP in Africa. “We contributed at least a minimum of over 20 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP and you will find that over a period of review, during the first term of Mr Governor, we are moving in the right direction.

“Our GDP has moved from about N27trn to N41 trillion, everything shows that our indices are climbing in the right direction despite all the shocks and all the problems we have witnessed in the past.”

GDP is the standard measure of the value added created through the production of goods and services in a country during a certain period.

Otherwise, is the monetary value of all finished goods and services made within a country during a specific period.

Meanwhile, World Economics Research, London, showed the official estimate for Nigeria’s GDP was $1.116 trillion at the end of 2023 in Purchasing Power Parity Terms, PPPT.

World Economics has developed a database presenting GDP in PPPT with added estimates for the size of the informal economy and adjustments for out-of-date GDP base year data.

World Economics estimated Nigeria’s GDP to be $2.113 trillion- 89% larger than official estimate.

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BREAKING: Alleged Mastermind Of Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack, Moniker Mandi, Arrested – Lifestyle Nigeria

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have made a significant breakthrough by apprehending the alleged mastermind behind the violent assault on the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train in March 2022.

The development was disclosed during a press briefing held in Kaduna on Thursday, May 2, 2024, by the Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.