There's nothin' like cleaning the worlds largest 50' Coke bottle! Says red Rock Window Cleaning.
The Library Seattle Grew To Love, Or At Least Get Used To: The building's glass exterior is encased in a diamond-shaped steel grid. Window washers hook themselves up to carabiners, like mountain climbers, to scale the slanting transparent walls. Crews shoot television ads in front of the building, and crowds of tourists still come to ride the escalator up to the glass enclosed reading room with its expansive views of Elliott Bay and the surrounding downtown skyscrapers. Pictured the Betty Jane Narver Reading Room on Level 10 of the Seattle Public Library.
Slight cooling, warmer weekend as morning clouds persist - A window washer works in the shady side of the fifth floor on the Popular Community Bank building in Anaheim under a sunny sky Tuesday.
Real estate drones grounded: An award-winning South Australian agency has been forced to ground its imported drone ‘quadricopters’ on the demand of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Anthony Toop, managing director at Toop & Toop, told Real Estate Business the publicity associated with the agency’s use of drones, which are fitted with cameras to take aerial photos and footage of properties, alerted CASA to the technology being used for commercial use. Mr Toop, who previously said the drones had been the single best investment he has ever made, explained that he was disappointed with CASA’s decision to outlaw drones for real estate use. "The drones are a big subject,” said Mr Toop. “We introduced them not just for photos but for video as well. We got some awesome footage, but we got quite a lot of publicity about them. We started with one, $1,000 was all it cost, so we ordered another two because they were incredible. “Because of publicity around these shots, we had CASA send us a note stating that you can't do this. So if you're a child using one without a camera on it, go your hardest, but if you’re a real estate agent with a camera attached it’s illegal. Work that one out,” he added.
Mr Toop said the licencing requirements for the drones are very prohibitive, but Toop & Toop has managed to come up with an alternative while the drones remain out of the air. “Never one to be beaten, we can share one thing with industry that you may not have thought of,” he said. “And that’s now you can get these very long poles, that are traditionally used for window washing of three story buildings. Agents can stick a camera on the top of that and you can essentially get over the top of things and get some of the same impact.” However, Mr Toop believes it's only a matter of time before legislation catches up with technology and the drones will get the green light for commercial use in real estate. “The drones will hit the air, they won’t go away, CASA will catch up with the legislation,” he said. “It moves so quickly they will catch up. Drones will be huge.”
Window washing: A tall order - Calvin Barr, president of Ever-Clear Window Cleaning, and his crew will be spending several weeks sitting on bosun chairs with their feet dangling in mid-air cleaning the windows of the Skye tower at Waterscapes, on Sunset Drive. The work started this Monday on the 26-storey residential building, the tallest in Kelowna. The job is particularly difficult because of the overhanging cornice at the top of the building. Click picture to enlarge.
Buildings with leaded glass windows need the lead replaced every 100 years. The basilica has at least 15 major stained glass windows held together with lead. Maintaining the historic Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville, which celebrated its centennial in 2010, requires constant vigilance on the part of curator and property manager Bud Hansbury.
One of his latest challenges: Buildings with leaded glass windows need the lead replaced every 100 years. The basilica has at least 15 major stained glass windows with lead "cames," the dividers that both separate and hold together the separate panes of colored glass. In addition to this necessary 100-year maintenance, some of the basilica's stained glass windows have been damaged over the years, and a separate nonprofit, the Basilica Preservation Fund, is working to restore many parts of the building.
Of the 15 major stained glass windows at St. Lawrence, Calligan said, each window is comprised of many panels termed "lites." With an estimated total of 90 lites, he anticipates it will take him seven years or more to replace the lead in all of them. The Basilica Preservation Fund is a nonprofit independent of the church. It was created with the intention of obtaining grants and contributions from the greater community, outside of the parish. Preservation Trades Co., now doing business as Waters Craftsmen, Inc., estimated the cost to complete the construction part of the restoration would be about $3 million.
Police say a man miraculously survived a six-storey fall, landing on top of a parkade, while attempting to evade arrest. The incident happened about 9:50 p.m. Sunday, when police — including members of the tactical support team — descended on an apartment suite inside a tower on the 300-block of Cumberland Avenue. Const. Jason Michalyshen said four men were taken into custody, but the fifth attempted to evade arrest by escaping through a window on the ninth floor. He fell six storeys as a result, landing on top of the third-floor parkade. “Based on our investigation, it appears he was attempting to evade officers — being aware that officers were present, in the process of executing a warrant — and he was trying to flee,” he said. “As a result of this attempt, he fell and he fell from a significant height and unfortunately sustained some pretty serious injuries.” The suspect is now in stable condition at hospital.
A suspect fleeing from the police is something cops deal with regularly, but usually not to this extreme, Michalyshen said. “The uniqueness to this is the length that the individual went and the risk that he put himself in by trying to evade officers,” he said. As miraculous as it seemingly is to survive such a fall, it’s not the first time a Winnipeg man has lived through such a crash. In June 2012, window washer Chris Piper fell eight storeys while working at a 10-storey complex at 850 Cambridge Ave. Piper, who was said to be in his late 20’s at the time, suffered lower-body injuries in the fall but surprisingly no broken bones.
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Handybook hopes to provide users with a way to hire cleaners or a handyman with the push of a button on their mobile phones. The company today is announcing it has raised a $30 million round of funding from Revolution Growth to support its expansion in new markets. One of a growing number of startups offering the ability to book services online or through mobile apps, Handybook connects its users with professionals who can perform a variety of duties around the home. That starts with cleaning, but also extends to light plumbing and electrical work.
Over the past few months, Handybook has been adding services in a number of new cities. In April, the company expanded to a dozen new markets and now operates in 28 markets across the U.S. Business has grown by 10 percent week over week, Hanrahan said, and the company’s transaction value is 6.5-7x what it was at the beginning of the year. At the same time it’s expanded across the country, the company has also been increasing its headcount to support its growth. Handybook has grown from about 40 people at the beginning of the year to 120 today, Hanrahan told me.
For Handybook, winning local means getting the most supply of service pros in a given area. The company wants to get to a place where it has 100 percent availability within a three-hour window of someone opening the app, Hanrahan told me. Of course, Handybook isn’t alone in the home services market. Last December, Homejoy raised $38 million and has also grown rapidly since then. And there are rumors that Amazon is looking to go after the local services market.
In many ways, those companies aren’t just vying for consumer adoption — they’re also competing to become the go-to platforms for home services professionals. While many pros may start out trying multiple platforms, they usually end up just using one, Hanrahan said. “Whenever these services appear, people will try multiple services to determine which delivers the most value for them,” he said. But he added that managing multiple calendars could be difficult, and that he believes pros “get the most value” if all of their work is on Handybook.
Program piloted by Vacaville prison to be implemented across the state - Program to provide training, create 1,000 inmate jobs: Artis Fitzpatrick didn't always like to clean. In fact, he used to think of cleaning as a task better left for his sister to do. On Thursday, however, as the hum of floor buffers echoed off the walls inside Vacaville's California Medical Facility, Fitzpatrick was hard at work cleaning — and enjoying it. "I'm pretty sure I could show her something new, now," the 53-year-old joked. Fitzpatrick has spent the past two and a half years as one of the 30 inmates who make up the prison's CALPIA Healthcare Facilities Maintenance Program. "For me, it's like a wakeup call. I'm learning all that I can and as much as I can," said Fitzpatrick, who said he highly recommends the program to others. After spending the last 32 years behind bars after being convicted of murder, the Los Angeles native said he hopes to employ the skills he has learned in the program and turn them into a job once he is released.
Meet mini-muscle man Tommy Campion – the world’s lightest bodybuilder. The 55-year-old from Pennywell has just lifted a trophy after beating his own record at the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) competition. Tommy weighs in at 55.5kg – 8st 5lbs – but packs a powerful figure thanks to his hard work and dedication. Tommy, who won in the over-50s category, said: “I’ve been competing for 30 years, this is my first, first place win. “I feel good about everything I’ve done and I feel really passionate about being able to compete in natural, healthy bodybuilding.” Tommy puts his success down to “a clean healthy diet, no processed food, only food from the ground and food from an animal”.
Tommy Campion, from Sunderland, retained his title of lightest competing bodybuilder. The window cleaner turned muscleman entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2009 after weighing in at 55.5 kilos (eight and a half stone). The 55-year-old, who is also a keen runner, is just 5ft 2in. He said before: “I’m looking to beat my own record of weighing 55.5 kilos in the competition in Natural Bodybuilding. “It’s the first time the competition has come to the North East so we’re excited about that.” Tommy, who lives in Presthope Road, Pennywell, has been competing with the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) for eight years. He added: “I’ll be polygraphed after being drug tested to make sure I’ve obeyed the guidelines of natural bodybuilding. It means no drugs and a lot of hard work.” The BNBF was set up in 2000 with the intention of promoting bodybuilding without the use of drugs.
For decades women’s football has been considered by some as the poor relation to its male counterpart. In fact, for 50 years, The Football Association banned women from playing on league grounds on the basis that “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged”. But women’s football – which boasts a history of more than 115 years – is now becoming more popular, with increasing numbers of people watching it. In 1993 there were 10,400 women players but today there are about 150,000, while players including Kelly Smith and Faye White are how household names. Fifty-year-old Amanda Bevan-Talbot (pictured left) was spurred on to take up a new sport by the idea of getting fitter and meeting new friends.
The window cleaner from Witney started playing in goal eight years ago and has been hooked on the game ever since. She now plays football for Witney’s Tower Hill Ladies club with her partner Samantha. She said: “I started playing eight years ago because a group of friends decided to start up a team to keep fit. “At the time, I was 42. We did it for fitness and then it developed into a team. “It has changed my life. I have gone from doing nothing, and doing the same old mundane things, to going into a sport that has opened up a social life that I never had before. “It has opened up a friend base and I do see the majority of them as friends for life.” There are 20 women’s teams registered in the county and clubs hope that more women will join the sport.
Downtown workers’ licensing concerns causing some anger: Tempers Flaring Downtown: Increased competition from out-of-city window cleaners, snow shovelers and other manual tasks have some local workers screaming mad after having spent years combing the downtown streets for myriad cleaning jobs. Some of the locals are concerned that the new competitors may not be properly licensed by the city and therefore causing unfair competition. The issue first came to the fore last winter when there were verbal altercations between the newcomers and the regular downtown workers.
Freedom Window Cleaning Launches in North County - Freedom Window Cleaning, which provides professional interior and exterior cleaning services to businesses and homes throughout San Diego and North County, has recently debuted a new website. After nearly a decade of owning a successful franchise of Fish Window Cleaning, owners Kolan and Lupe Hairston are beginning a new independent venture with the launch of Freedom Window Cleaning. Freedom Window Cleaning offers professional window washing services to commercial and residential customers throughout San Diego and North County, including Encinitas, Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, and Poway. "One of the drawbacks of being a franchise is the limitations and restrictions that are placed on innovation and creativity, which of course is a big part of what the entrepreneurial spirit is all about," explains Kolan Hairston. "We decided after nine years to strike out on our own in homage to that true American spirit. Though we have a new name, we maintain our company culture and values, and we will offer our clients the same great crews and dependable service."
Praise Windows, Inc. a local window cleaning business is celebrating a landmark anniversary. Praise Windows, Inc. of Scottsbluff will celebrate 20 years in business with a public event on Saturday, June 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Frank Park in Scottsbluff. Spokesperson Theresa Deines said the family owned company would like to thank the community for its support by offering a Dutch oven meal, raffles, 20 $50 gift certificates and a music performance by the local band Acacia. All are welcome to join in on the festivities, she added.
Leroy Deines started Praise Windows, Inc. in Longmont, Colorado, but the Deines family moved to the Panhandle about a year after the company was founded, taking what Theresa Deines called a big leap of faith. “All of our business was in Colorado,” she said. “We came out here with no customers and had to build from the ground up.” As the company gathered a customer base over the next several years, the Deines’ children — Isaiah, Reniah, Jesse, Josiah, Moriah and now Tobiah — regularly clocked in to help their parents and the job soon became a family tradition. The business grew enough to allow Josiah and Flo to earn a living cleaning windows in eastern Wyoming and the northern and southern reaches of the Panhandle.
Their son, Isaiah, also heads his own window cleaning operation in Fort Collins, Colorado, Deines said. “All of our children worked for us and now their children are cleaning windows,” she said. Praise Windows, Inc. has extended its reach in the last few years and now covers Torrington, Wyoming, Alliance, Sidney, Kimball, Chadron, Bridgeport, Valentine, North Platte and McCook. To this day, the Deines family cleans the windows of their first local client, Man’s Image Barber Shop in Gering, as well as area homes and larger facilities such as Regional West Medical Center. “There’s nowhere we don’t go now,” Theresa Deines said. “God has been faithful to us. It’s been humbling, and it’s been an honor to do it.”
Good Works: Window Genie cleans up, paints the town - Window Genie of Boise provided free cleaning services on May 19 at the Northwest Children’s Home in Nampa. Justin Beller, owner of Window Genie Boise, and his technician, Nic Hopkins, spent more than two hours cleaning about 60 windows and a rooftop skylight at the facility. The home provides rehabilitative, therapeutic and educational services for children from the ages of five to 17 and their families.
In June, Window Genie will participate in Neighborhood Housing Services’ Paint the Town event, this year focused on the Central Bench neighborhoods in Boise. Beller and his staff pressure washed and prepped three homes in the weeks before the event and the team will paint a home during Paint the Town.
Penzance man uses 25ft banner for grand St Ives proposal - St Ives was the setting for a grand and very public proposal earlier this month. Josh Strick from Penzance created a 25ft banner, emblazoned with the words ‘Lois Marry Me’ and laid it on the Island. The 21-year-old window cleaner surprised his girlfriend of one year, Lois Hayden, 19, by pointing out the sign from Porthmeor Beach before getting down on one knee. Josh, who regularly surfs at the beach, picked the location for his Bristol partner because she holidays there every year. The couple were engaged on May 16 and plan to tie the knot in November.
MASON CITY | The City Council on Tuesday voted down a proposal to hire an outside firm to provide janitorial services at City Hall. The proposal to hire Midwest North Iowa Janitorial Services for one year received a 3-2 favorable vote — but it takes four votes to pass a resolution so the measure failed. Councilmen Alex Kuhn and John Lee voted against it with Scott Tornquist, Janet Solberg and Jean Marinos voting in favor. Councilman Travis Hickey was absent. Longtime City Hall custodian Larry Buckman retired this year. City Administrator Brent Trout said Buckman's retirement gave the city the opportunity to look at various options to replace him, including hiring from the outside. A committee was formed to look at the possibilities. It determined Midwest North Iowa Janitorial could provide the service at a savings of $2,493 from what Buckman was paid. In addition, the janitorial service would do window cleaning which was not part of Buckman's job and had to be hired out.
Fedde, a physicist in the Aerospace Testing Alliance Integrated Test and Evaluation Department, swims with the sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks as a volunteer diver at the Tennessee Aquarium’s Ocean Journey Secret Reef tank in Chattanooga: To become a volunteer diver at the aquarium, the vol unteer must be a certified diver complete a written exam and pass a water skills test. Fedde’s advice to anyone thinking about volunteering as a diver at the aquarium is simple. “If you’re a certified diver and you meet the minimum requirements, then go online and sign up,” she said. “They have a lot of programs for kids like the Keeper Kids programs that they run during the summer and over school breaks where children can learn about the animals and what is necessary to responsibly care for them,” Fedde said. The Keeper Kids programs offer children in kindergarten to 12th grade activities such as learning about sharks, going behind the scenes with scuba divers, or recording penguin observations.
Fedde became a Tennessee Aquarium volunteer diver in 2007. Her diving duties range from cleaning and feeding to conducting a show. Cleaning and feeding dives last 45 minutes to one hour, while a show may only take 15-20 minutes. “Each dive team has six members and each team is on a 28-day rotation,” she said. “We do two to three dives before lunch then one or two more after lunch. “About an hour before the aquarium opens for the day, five divers enter the Ocean Journey Secret Reef tank to scrub about a quarter of the tank and to wipe down the windows. Three divers will do the scrubbing and window cleaning while the other two in the water will be the shark guards. The sixth team member remains topside as our safety surface support.”
Superheroes used their powers for good at Mission Hospital Monday. Window washers gave patients a fun surprise by dressing up like comic characters. Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, and Catwoman (below) were on the other side of the glass. "Oh it probably makes their heart over-boil with joy just to see a super hero up there," says Spider-Man. "One of them drew a picture of me, he was so excited. It was fantastic."Chuck Watson's son Caleb was among those taking in the spectacle."And also it means there are some window washers with a big heart who really care," Watson says. Spider-Man seemed just as in awe of the children."These little kids man, they're awesome," he said clinging to the window."I'm just trying to find something to hold onto," says Spider-Man. "It's great to do this for the children. With great power comes great responsibility."
Glass window kills middle-aged woman at Rivers state secretariat: A glass window fell off at the Rivers State secretariat on Monday killing a middle aged woman. The victim, Theresa Nkechi Amadi, who hails from Etche Local Government Area of the state worked as a cleaner at the state Ministry of Environment.
Eye witness told DailyPost that she was hit by a glass window that fell from one of the uppermost floors of the building. The source said she died instantly, with her brains scattered on the ground. Doctors were immediately drafted to the scene where she was confirmed dead. Efforts to speak with top officers in the Ministry of Environment proved abortive as the Commissioner and the Permanent Secretary were not available.
Council's windows mysteriously shattering (NZ): Experts are being brought in to try and determine why large panes of plate glass on the facade of the Christchurch City Council building are mysteriously shattering. Four plates of glass have broken in the past few weeks for no apparent reason. The most recent breakage occurred this morning. A Christchurch City Council spokeswoman said no-one had been injured as a result of the breakages and there was no obvious reason why the glass was failing. The glass was installed by national company Metro Performance Glass.
Contracts manager Jeff Schmelz said the company was called last week after the first two windows broke to investigate the incident. Workers would look at the pieces of broken glass and window framing to determine what happened. The breakages could be related to "building settlement", but it was too early to speculate on the possible cause, Schmelz said. "We're working on it now. We're just keeping the city council and [building owner] Ngai Tahu informed."
Importance of window safety: In line with Singapore's annual Window Safety Campaign, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan shared in his latest blog on Thursday the importance of window safety. He suggested three simple steps - check, clean and change. June 6 is one of two dates for Singapore's annual Window Safety Campaign. The other is December 12. In line with this, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan shared in his latest blog on Thursday the importance of window safety, and the vital role played by homeowners to check, clean and maintain their windows.
Mr Khaw said in the first five months of this year, the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) records showed there were 27 cases of fallen windows. While there were no injuries, he said Singapore is simply lucky. Mr Khaw said windows fall because of wear and tear, and lack of proper maintenance. That is why homeowners must check their windows, at least twice every year. He said checking and cleaning the windows are fast and easy. Mr Khaw suggested three simple steps - check, clean and change. He said checking the windows will take less than five minutes and may just save a life. To learn more about window safety and window maintenance tips, visit the BCA website or
the HDB website. The full text of the Mr Khaw's blog, titled "Please check your windows and save lives", can be found on the "Housing Matters" site.
A road safety community campaigner died after making an 'error of judgement' when he stepped into the road while trying to stop traffic, an inquest heard. Roger Davis, 73, was killed on December 19 after he was struck outside his house by a Vauxhall Astra van on Milnrow Road, Hollingworth Lake. An inquest heard Mr Davis had been trying to help a friend of his wife Cynthia to ease her car out into the traffic. He was struck by the vehicle at around 4.45pm while he was standing in the road holding up a white pillow – with which, it is believed, he had been attempting to signal oncoming traffic.
The inquest heard from window cleaners Robert Tonks and Jason Parsons – the driver and front-seat passenger of the Astra, respectively. In a statement read by Assistant Coroner for Greater Manchester, Lisa Hashmi, Mr Tonks said he had been driving along when he saw a white ‘thing’ in front of him. He had tried to do an emergency stop – but had not managed to avoid hitting Mr Davis. Mr Parsons added: “I saw something out the corner of my eye and we realised someone had stepped out but we did not know at the time he was trying to stop traffic although I could see the back of his head.” Mrs Hashmi asked: “Would you say that he (Mr Tonks) is a careful driver?” Mr Parsons replied: “Yes – I’m always joking with him about how slowly he drives.”
Mr Tonks and Mr Parsons went to help Mr Davis and to check if he was still breathing. He died shortly after as paramedics were unable to revive him. The inquest also heard that Mr Davis had been looking in the opposite direction at a vehicle which had just gone past him, rather than in the direction of the oncoming Astra. A police investigation found Mr Tonks had no alcohol in his system, was driving within the 30mph speed limit and that his vehicle had no defects.
Couple lose court action against lender: A couple who borrowed €1.4m to refinance property investments have lost their High Court action alleging their lender had not validly appointed a receiver over their assets when they went into arrears. Anthony Freeman, who owned a window cleaning business, and his wife, Miriam, Willow Wood Lawn, Blanchardstown, Dublin, borrowed €1.4m in 2006 from Bank of Scotland Ireland (BoSI) to fund re-financing and refurbishment of six Dublin houses. Of that sum, €800,000 was used to re-finance existing loans on the properties held with First Active with the remainder released to the Freemans. Following the financial crisis in 2008, they went into arrears in 2009 and a receiver was appointed over the properties in 2011. They claimed the receiver was invalidly appointed because BoSI had been dissolved.
They argued, its successor, Bank of Scotland plc (BoS), was not legally entitled to appoint a receiver because it had transferred the mortgages on some properties to a third party as a means of raising capital, a process known as securitisation. In proceedings against BoS and the receiver, they also claimed BoS breached a voluntary Central Bank code in relation to the securitisation. They further claimed it was not entitled to appoint a receiver because, under the Registration of Title Act 1964, registration of title from BoSI to BoS was never completed. They also alleged the admitted overcharging of €20,700 in interest by BoS contributed to them defaulting on their loans. The claims were denied.
The art of being flat and mad - Let there be light - Ottó Gecser, president of Personal Branding Institute, former CEO of Brokernet and AXA, advises all companies, not only to startups, to “be hungry, be mad.” One of the anecdotes Gecser shared was about Fotexnet, which bought the former Hungarian household shop chain (the only one in the socialist era), selling a wide range of household commodities, from paintbrush to detergents. After renaming it Azur, they made two major innovations, both involving the CEO’s personal intervention: the first was washing the shop windows every morning, instead of every month, the second was changing the light bulbs inside the display windows. “The boss checked every shop window every night, and if he saw even a single bulb was not working, he would instruct the managers personally.” The point is you need to be there personally, you need to be ‘flat’, or you’ll become the sort of corporation of your nightmares.
Some customers get money back from window washer while others continue to wait - Overland Park, Kan. - Angela Hernandez is glad she spoke out. "I was happy that it finally got to the point where he felt the he actually did need to do the apology,” she said. So is Donna Weninger. "I'm glad I got my refund,” Weninger said. The two homeowners of the Mills Farm subdivision in Overland Park contacted Call for Action after a salesman knocked on their doors. Dave Lowry peddles a cleaning product called Tuf Job. At $90 a gallon, it’s a tough sell.
So Lowry promised to return with a crew to wash their windows. That was six months ago. He never returned. Call for Action caught up with Lowry recently. He promised to refund his customers. “If they want their money back they get their money back," Lowry said recently. Other customers like Vanessa Perry continue to wait for their money. Others are glad to be done with the window washer. "I didn't want anybody else to go through the misrepresentation of his sales tactics," Hernandez added.
WYCHERLEY TRIAL - Relatives speak of shock at deaths: Relatives of reclusive Mansfield couple William and Patricia Wycherley have described their shock at hearing that two bodies had been discovered in their Forest Town garden. Giving evidence at Nottingham Crown Court today (Friday 6th June) on the third day of the trial, nieces of Mr Wycherley described how Christmas cards and other letters had regularly been sent to family members after the couple were killed in May 1998. Their daughter, Susan Edwards (56) has admitted the manslaughter of Patricia Wycherley, who she claims murdered her father following a row.
In a statement read out by prosecutors, niece Christine Harford stated that initially family suspected that the Wycherleys may have been involved in a suicide pact, but ruled out the idea when they realised they had still been receiving Christmas cards from the couple more than a decade after they were killed. Meanwhile, niece Hilary Rose described William Wycherley as a “bit of a black sheep” and that the family felt he “could not stick at anything.” The court heard how Mr Wycherley had emigrated to Canada in 1930 but had returned to the UK the same year and set up a window cleaning business in London.
“The prosecution case is that Susan Edwards’ parents were shot and killed by them over that bank holiday weekend,” Mr Joyce told the court. “They were shot using a .38 revolver and over that bank holiday weekend they were not just shot but they were also buried in their own back garden. “Over the next 15 years and in order to continue stealing money and to keep up the pretence that the couple were still alive, they lied to family members, they lied to neighbours, and they lied to financial institutions - they lied to everybody. They deceived everybody into thinking William and Patricia Wycherley were still alive.” The case continues.
A burglary suspect nabbed inside an Anoka business by employees: Shortly before 6 a.m. April 13, 2013, Anoka Police responded to call from City Heights Window Cleaners on Fifth Avenue where the field manager reported that when he arrived for work and entered the business, he found a two-wheel dolly stacked with three computer towers, two computer monitors, two keyboards, computer cables and mouse devices, plus a large screwdriver nearby, which did not belong to City Heights Window Cleaners. Checking the building, the field manager told police there were fresh footprints in snow outside the rear overhead door, which had been jimmied.
Then when he and other employees went through the building, they discovered a man, later identified as Grbich, hiding inside a vehicle and detained him, according to the complaint. The employees found pocket stamps, computer cords and other property belonging to the business on Grbich. And when police searched Grbich prior to placing him in a squad car, they retrieved two folding knives and a flashlight from his pockets. In a statement to police, Grbich admitted that he forced open the overhead door and crawled under it into the business with the intent of stealing property and selling it to pay his rent.
A Dunstable man who beat up a young man outside the Nags Head in the town has been given a suspended sentence. Luton Crown Court heard 25-year-old Darren Campbell was attacked in an alleyway at the side of the pub by a number of men. Officers who were already in High Street North dealing with another incident came across Mr Campbell down on his knees on the pavement and bleeding from his face.
It was the early hours of February 22 this year and officers spoke to Mr Campbell, who then pointed to two males and said: "They are the ones who gave me a kicking." Judge Stuart Bridge was told one of the men was Glen Tompkins, 34, of West Street in Dunstable. He was arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Mr Campbell. The court was told Mr Campbell suffered a swollen eye and chipped tooth. He had been punched and kicked in the attack.
Judge Stuart Bridge hearing the case was told that Tompkins, who works as a window cleaner, had downed around 7 to 8 pints of cider that night. He was given a six month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. He was told he must pay his victim £300 in compensation as well as £150 towards the cost of the prosecution.
Suspicious window cleaner warning for Amersham residents: Police have warned Amersham homeowners to be on their guard after a couple were targeted by bogus window cleaners at the weekend. The men arrived unannounced at the couple's home before contesting the amount of money they were due to be paid - having failed to complete the job properly. They left after the couple threatened to call the police - and officers investigating the incident have told their victims to call them immediately if they spot them in the area again. The incident happened in Station Road on Saturday at the home of a couple in their 50s.
The couple's daughter, who did not wish to be named, said: "They initially said they would charge £70 for cleaning the windows, gutters and window ledges. This then dropped to £30 for just the windows, then £20. "This price was agreed, then in just under an hour they announced they were finished and my father placed £25 in their hand so they could get themselves a drink on him for doing what looked like a decent job. "They then questioned the amount stating they said £70, not £20, and that they had done the guttering. "After the men had become very rude and aggressive the police were called, oddly by both the window cleaners and my parents. On hearing that the police were to arrive they disappeared with £40, which my dad had negotiated to.
"We then assessed their work, the windows in sight were clean, anything else was smeared, the gutters undone and the ledges dirty." The woman added: "I worry for any vulnerable older people who are not able to do their windows themselves as this was clearly a scam. "The area I live in is full of elderly people and I think they mistakenly knocked on the door expecting someone older. I do worry that it will happen to someone who is more vulnerable."
Bogus council worker stole from OAP whose windows he used to clean - A con man was convicted of burglary after his 85-year-old victim gave evidence against him – from the comfort of her home. Former window cleaner Wayne Johnson, 32, claimed he was a council worker when he turned up at the pensioner’s home and stole £50 after being allowed inside. The victim told jurors, via videolink set up at her Hebburn home and linked to Newcastle Crown Court, how the raid left her frightened and in tears. Jurors could watch the woman giving evidence from her armchair. The court heard Johnson had turned up at the woman’s door, claiming he was there to inspect damp on December 3 last year. She said: “He went upstairs and had a look and said there was dampness on the wall, which there wasn’t.
The pensioner said the conman told her workers would be back that afternoon, but nobody showed up. It was after he had left her home she realised £50 she had kept in her cabinet to pay a bill was gone. Johnson admitted to police he was at the house, where he used to clean windows, but said he had only gone to ask the pensioner if she wanted guttering work done. He denied taking any money. Jurors found Johnson, of Australia Grove, South Shields, guilty of burglary. He will be sentenced at a later date and was given bail in the meantime.
Dartmoor drug dealer jailed after pub staff alert police: A drug dealer has been jailed after being spotted acting suspiciously by sharp-eyed pub staff in a town centre pub. Charles Baker was caught red handed with £500 in £10 and £20 notes and police found £1,500 worth of four different sorts of drugs at his home. He claimed he had bought the lot with the intention of spending a lost weekend at a festival on Dartmoor but was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court last month.
The unemployed window cleaner was dealing to pay off his own drug debts and had messages on his phone from buyers asking for deliveries of cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis. Baker, of Fore Street, Kingsteignton, denied possession of cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis and NRG2 with intent to supply but was found guilty and jailed for three years and six months by Judge Phillip Wassall. The Judge told him:”You were plainly in debt and became involved in supplying drugs, which police found when they searched your home, along with paraphernalia and text messages.
Window cleaner avoids jail after cannabis find: A Burton window cleaner caught supplying cannabis to pals has escaped with a suspended jail sentence. Police found more than six ounces of the drug and associated paraphernalia, plus £760 in cash, during a raid on the home of Adrian King on November 26 last year. Most of the cannabis was in a plastic tub containing two bags and there was a further small amount in the house, said Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting. King, 41, of Richmond Street, Burton, who admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply, was given a six-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid community work. “He is committed to a change in his lifestyle,” said Mr Hennessy, handing three character references on behalf of King to the court, including one from East Staffordshire borough councillor Bill Ganley.
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