PLATELL’S PEOPLE: A heroic dad is battered and stabbed to death

PLATELL’S PEOPLE: While police chase wolf whistlers, a heroic dad is battered and stabbed to death

Ian Tomlin was just an ordinary dad trying to protect his two young children from the drug dealers who peddled their poison outside his flat, says Amanda Platell

By all accounts Ian Tomlin was just an ordinary dad trying to protect his two young children from the dope-smoking drug dealers who peddled their poison outside his flat.

On Wednesday, the 46-year-old had the audacity — and courage — to tell the thugs to leave. They responded by battering and stabbing him to death.

His father Cecil — one of the Windrush generation — had reported the drug dealers to the police before but ‘they did nothing’. He was too frightened to confront them himself as he was ‘scared they’d kill me’. How poignant those words now sound.

Yet this is daily life for folk such as Ian Tomlin on the Battersea council estate in South London where he lived. Yes Battersea, less than four miles from the Houses of Parliament.

Ian was a driver for the council and a devoted dad. The news of his death came as Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced plans to expand ‘hate crime’ to include acts of misogyny, contempt towards elderly people and even misandry — hatred of men. Met Police Superintendent Waheed Khan confirmed it might even be extended to cover groups such as redheads, goths and punks.

This is madness. Last year police forces — despite being desperately short of resources — investigated no fewer than 94,000 ‘hate crimes’, wasting precious hours on what in many cases amounted to nothing more than grievances. Sergeant Richard Cooke, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, has said forces are expected to record and follow up hate crime reports even when no criminal offence has taken place.

In the meantime, callous, savage crimes of the kind that killed Ian Tomlin go unchecked.

Javid and London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who is responsible for crime and policing in the capital — have played up their ‘humble’ origins as sons of immigrants.

Yet the people who suffer most from prioritising hate crime at the expense of street crime are those of similarly poor ethnic backgrounds.

The cold fact is that killings in this country are at a ten-year high. Ian was the 113th murder victim in London so far this year.

Of course, I’m not saying police should ignore genuine crimes caused by intolerance and prejudice.

But how can it be right that police have to chase up a wolf whistle or an insensitive comment about ginger hair when genuine hate crimes are committed daily by drug gangs and serial criminals with impunity?

And a loving father loses his life as a result.

 Reality TV starlet and beautician Scarlett Harrison, 20, claimed she couldn’t blow into a breathalyser after being stopped for drink-driving as her enhanced trout pout lips were too fat. Not half as flabby as her brain.

Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with a local surfing community group, known as OneWave, raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia

 Just let go of him, Meghan

Yes she’s joyfully pregnant, yes it’s her first big tour with Harry, but does Meghan have to cling on to her husband constantly as if her life depended upon it?

On Bondi Beach they had each other in a double hand grab.Where did the feisty feminist go? 

Let’s see a little less of the leech-like Duchess and a bit more of the independence that endeared Meghan to us.

While Megs was wowing the locals in an £800 summer frock (her umpteenth change in a few days), tottering along the beach in 5in wedges before going barefoot, then taking part in an ‘anti-bad-vibes’ yoga circle, the Queen was in the somewhat less glamorous Bracknell visiting a new shopping centre. Now that’s real royal duty.

As for that ‘hand-baked’ banana loaf she presented to residents in the town of Dubbo, no one believes she made it.

 Hard work, but Posh is worth it

Victoria Beckham must have been hurt when David described their marriage as ‘always hard work’. He added: ‘I feel like I’m doing OK, but it’s a struggle.’

VB has stood by him throughout all those rumours of his affairs, and she’s raised four children in the full public glare — although it’s true, she is not averse to the limelight. 

Was Becks being unchivalrous though, or just speaking a truth — that marriage is tough and you have to work damned hard at it?

Well, their hard work has paid off. In the fickle world of celebrity, few marriages last five years, let alone the 19 Posh and Becks have managed through thick (him) and thin (her). 

They know the joy of family life is so much better than the misery of divorce.

Holly’s Ant-free zone

Holly Willoughby will co-host I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! With Dec, despite having a fear of snakes

Before entering the jungle to co-present I’m A Celebrity with Dec Donnelly, Holly Willoughby reveals she is petrified of snakes. No need to fear, love, as the most poisonous snake, Ant McPartlin, will be safely back in Britain.

After the jury failed to reach a verdict, teacher Eleanor Wilson, 29, will not face a retrial over claims she denies that she had inappropriate encounters, including sex in a plane loo, with her then 16-year-old pupil. She may not have not joined the mile-high club with him but she certainly went the extra mile in offering special tuition — given the 339 texts she sent him from her phone. 

With eight Academy Award nominations and two wins, George Clooney has proved himself to be Oscar gold. Now he’s appearing in full armour for Nespresso coffee in a TV ad, looking like an extra in Monty Python And The Holy Grail. What has happened to his acting career? Perhaps it’s time he was put out to rust in peace. 

George Clooney in full armour for Nespresso coffee in a TV ad looks like an extra in Monty Python And The Holy Grail, says Amanda Platell 


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Westminster wars

After their crunch meeting the EU leaders had dinner, without inviting Theresa May. 

Then Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and the PMs of Belgium and Luxembourg met up for a cosy drink and stayed out very publicly boozing until 1am. 

It’s the first time I’ve actually felt sorry for our friendless Prime Minister.

As for Frau Merkel’s apparently conciliatory statement over the deadlocked Brexit negotiations that ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’, what the German leader really meant was: ‘If there’s a will to screw over the British, we’ll find a way.’

I wonder if the real reason the Labour sisterhood turned out in force to shore up the beleaguered Speaker John Bercow’s position was because they felt sorry for his frisky wife Sally. 

If he stood down, he’d be home early every night.

First snog-gate, when comedian Seann Walsh was dumped by his girlfriend after being caught getting amorous with his dance partner Katya Jones.

Now professional dancer Dianne Buswell has ditched her boyfriend having become ‘too close’ to her partner, YouTube star Joe Sugg.

Let’s just rename it Strictly Horizontal Dancing and be done with it.

Now ageism is to be a hate crime, I fear for my Dad, 92, who constantly refers to himself as Fossil Frank — a decidedly ageist term. Given the Aussie police are even more achingly PC than ours, he could have his pyjama collar felt before he finishes his cocoa.

Racists? Exterminate 

Amanda Platell yearns for the days Doctor Who’s biggest problem was the Daleks 

Our fearless new Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker, travels back in time tomorrow night to Alabama in 1955 to revisit civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. 

Rosa bravely refused to give up her seat in the ‘coloured section’ of a bus for a white passenger. Jodie’s sidekicks then discuss the problems of racism today.

Yes, all very worthy, but doesn’t it make you yearn for the simple days when the Doctor’s biggest problem was the Daleks?

Frozen star Kristen Bell attacks Snow White’s prince for failing to get consent before kissing the sleeping beauty. Surely the real crime is discrimination against dwarfs — why was it Snow White could only be awakened by a tall white guy, as opposed to any of the handsome, heroic seven little chaps who rescued her?

 Before the thanksgiving service, attended by 1,000 of Tessa Jowell’s friends, I re-read one of her emails to me when I was ill, sent before she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. It ended: ‘You are very precious, with very much love, Tessa.’ She had a great gift — to make everyone she met feel they were precious, as her memory still is to all those of us who loved her.

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