www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk June 12, 2009 MERCURY M 5
Not again! Downpours
bring in fresh flooding
FLOODING hit parts of
Hertford as torrential
downpours swept across the
country.
Chambers Street and North
Road were among those
affected by the rain on
Sunday.
Two fire crews from Hertford
were called at 8.28am to
reports of heavy flooding in
the road affecting around 10
homes.
It took the crews more than
an hour to drain the road with
a light pump.
At 9.30am a crew was also
called to North Road in the
county town where flooding
was affecting the road. A
pump was used for 20
minutes to clear the
carriageway.
One resident of Chambers
Street said: "We are on the
higher side of the road so we
weren't too badly affected but
the water was deep so we
called the fire service.
"While they were pumping out
the water they said that there
were crews out all over the
town."
Newsbriefs
A TEDDY bears' picnic will be held
in Hertford next Friday, June 19, to
mark National Childminding
Week, giving parents the
opportunity to meet local
childminders.
Hertfordshire National
Childminding Association (NCMA)
is supporting the event at Hertford
Selections Children's Centre from
10am to midday.
East Herts children's centres are
working together in partnership
with the NCMA to provide a
morning of fun for children and an
opportunity for parents to find out
about the valuable services of
childminders.
There will be a bouncy castle, foot
painting, icing teddy bear biscuits
and water and sand play.
Jenny Close, the NCMA
development worker for East Herts,
said: "This is a great opportunity
for parents looking for childcare to
meet local childminders and
discuss informally their childcare
needs and discover the unique
flexible service childminders are
able to offer families."
For more information call Jenny
on (01992) 479663.
Ready, Teddy, go
for childminders
A CARAVAN fire at a farm in
Levens Green prompted fire crews
to race to the scene.
Firefighters from Hertford and
Ware rushed to Field Farm shortly
after 3.30pm on Tuesday.
They found a caravan and some
refuse well alight. They used a jet
to extinguish the fire and the blaze
was out by 4.30pm.
Fire crew douses
fire in caravan
Brothers own up to
banker manslaughter
TWO brothers this week pleaded
guilty to the manslaughter of
Much Hadham's good Samaritan
banker Frank McGarahan.
Former amateur boxers Tom
Cowles, 22, and Ben Cowles, 21, of
Costessey, Norfolk, had pleaded
not guilty to the murder last year
of the 45-year-old married father
of two little girls.
But as their trial began at
Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday,
the pair, who had admitted affray,
entered new pleas. Ben Cowles had
also admitted assaulting another
man during the incident.
Mr McGarahan, a wealthy exec-
utive for Barclays who lived in
Winding Hill with wife Alison, suf-
fered head injuries when he inter-
vened in a brawl in Norwich city
centre in the early hours of
September 28 and tried to stop a
Lithuanian man, Robertas
Sinkevicius, being beaten up.
Prosecutor Mark Dennis QC
said that Mr McGarahan, his
brother Kevin and cousin Sean
Ryan witnessed the assault after a
night out following a family chris-
tening.
After they stepped in to help and
Kevin called the perpetrators cow-
ards, they were attacked in a fren-
zy of "unprovoked and unjustified
violence".
He said that Mr McGarahan was
knocked to the floor after being
punched in the head and put in a
headlock. He fell into a coma.
A post-mortem revealed the
cause of death was a bleed to the
brain. Doctors found more than 20
marks on his body, including
severe head and neck injuries.
Mr Dennis said: "Both young
men took part in an unnecessary
and joint attack on Frank
McGarahan, his brother and
cousin.
"In the circumstances we sub-
mit [they] bravely intervened
when many others would have
stepped back."
Ben and Tom Cowles lived with
their father. At the time of the
attack, the former was a pipe fitter
and the latter a builder.
Judge Mr Justice Saunders said
that the prosecution's decision to
admit manslaughter was "sensible
and appropriate". But he said he
understood how the change was
difficult for the McGarahans.
Brother Tony was in court to
hear the pleas entered and the evi-
dence outlined. Although the fam-
ily have declined to comment fur-
ther this week, at the time of the
killing Tony said: "He paid the
ultimate price for trying to be a
good citizen."
Sentencing was adjourned pend-
ing reports and is due to take place
on June 26. The judge has warned
the Cowles they face lengthy jail
sentences.
By COURT REPORTER
mercury@hertsessexnews.co.uk
VICTIM: Frank McGarahan KILLERS: Tom Cowles, left, and brother Ben
CLEANING UP: Fire
crews pump away
water from
Chambers Street in
Hertford on Sunday
Photo: MER0561657
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Hertford TV Service
PLASMA TV &
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INSTALLATIONS
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THE SUMMER
COUNTRY HOUSE
SALE ENTRIES
Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers
Cambridge Road, Stansted CM24 8GE
01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk
For valuation
and sales advice
or to enter
items into this
major auction contact
John Black on
01279 817778
johnblack@sworder.co.uk
We are now accepting entries for
The Summer
Country House Sale
To include Fine Furniture
Ceramics, Clocks, Pictures
Jewellery, Works of Art
Oak and Country Furniture
Final Entries: Friday 19 June
Jewellery: Monday 15 June

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