Man that totally sucks..
I am trying to get help too but never got a reply to my post here mooooonths go..
During my case i have meticulously recorded evidence in the form of documents, letters, text messages, photos (time/date stamped),videos (time/date stamped), travel receipts, gps data etc. and whenever preparing my statements before a hearing, I make a log and (email log, contact log, video log etc) in my statements always refer to the log.
My situation is:
29 January 2014 – Married my wife with her 12 year old son and pregnant
during relationship before marriage wife was physically and metally abusive to son. this was a point of contention for a long time until she calmed down. it resurfaced now and then from my knowledge.
wife (unemployed) previously faced eviction on multiple occasions for rent arrears. i aided in confronting bailiff on grounds of not following due process providing notice of eviction and got the matter back into court,
wife got involved and influenced by anti governmet protest group Kilburn Unemployed Work Group (KUWG) and the relationship broke down over disagreements in the methods she was engaging in.
after 4th bailiff visit wife was evicted and rehoused in temporary accomodation aided by myself, a police officer and a member of KUWG
wifes mother who is a strict jehovahs witness came to stay with wife for 2 months from overseas after not seeing each other for 12 years
18 august 2014 – i agreed to move in with wife under pressure of mother-in-law and wife
27 august 2014 – Seperated; wife became abusive, sent text messages, i moved out of her temporary accomodation after only 9 days saying i would return when mother holiday was up. she cut off all communication
28 august – 7 october 2014 – tried multiple times (even on due date visited hospital, they would not release info) sending text messages and call. one occassion my family members visited telling me she was very bitter and stated that they would soon find out what i had done to her.
8 october 2014 – wife/mother sends pictures of baby girl, i send message asking when can i see her. wife/mother replies 12 october and to bring my passport and birth certificate
9 october 2014 – Apply for mediation
12 october 2014 – See my baby girl for the first time, visited with 2 family members. did not bring any documents
13 october 2014 – wife refused access because i would not immediately post her my passport and birth certificate. (claimed she wanted to apply for babies passport) she cut off all communication again
29 october 2014 – refused mediation final attempt
29 october 2014 – paid for solicitor to make contact for 2 weeks and then make contact order if not succesful.
7 november 2014 – received summons for court hearing for application of non-molestation order against me by wife
27 november 2014 – heard allegations of harassment, stalking -called police 12 november (police report 17 november – never action taken by police), domestic abuse, drug abuse. I DID NOT agree to allegations and signed an undertaking until next hearing to present statement and evidence. wife represented by solicitor with legal aid.
3 december 2014 – my solicitor filed application for child custody with allegations of child abuse (physical and mental)
8 december 2014 – submitted statement and evidence
10 december 2014 – wife’s represented by barrister withdrew application
30 december 2014 – received court hearing date 24 febuary 2015
17 january 2015 – Cafcass telephone interview with me and then some time later the mother/wife.
22 february 2015 – ascertained that wife/mother has given our daughter her maiden name as her last name.
24 february 2015 – cafcass present – mother continues allegations. she stated she does not want me in our daughters life until she is about 5 or 6, i dismiss allegations as not based on fact also reffering to previous withdrawn non-molestation order. court dismisses previous case and allegations on both sides saying contact is priority.. court gives me access for 2 hours a week takes precaution to get me to sign undertaking saying i will not take drugs or excessive alchohol 24 hours before (i have no record). mutual party will facilitate pick up and drop off as mother says she feels threatened and never wants to meet with me. court demands birth certificate.
next hearing date 18 june.
27 april 2015 – mother denied contact multiple saying baby was sick – i make application an enforcement order and arrange for myself to pick up daughter as my third party was no longer available. court directed that I cannot enforce an order that i am attempting to change in respect to pick up and drop off… changed and made an application to change arrangements of the order.. and made complaints about missed sessions.
1 may 2015 – mother/wife gets a new solicitor
11 may – court hearing – mother/wife complained that daugher was distressed and i should not change childs clothes and demanded receipt of requested feeding to assure daughter was being fed right, mother told the court that i was driving illegally. court ignored complaints and i presented my drivers licence (lol). I complained about 3 missed sessions (6 hours) being replaced and contact time too short and should be for 4 hours, i also arranged for myself to pick up daughter as my third party was no longer available. court ordered that time would not be replaced or extended because they cannot undermine the time set in the original order until 18 june at next hearing. court instructed that any further sessions where baby is sick or unable, that parents will attempt to replaced missed session at another suitable date.
court ordered that wife/mother assign 3rd party facilitate pickup/dropoff around the corner (on the side of the road) as to prevent me and the mother meeting. mother claims lost birth certificate and says that i am not named as the FATHER. court dismiss this and focus on contact.
next hearing 18 june
receive call from social services saying that mother/wife has made raised safeguarding issues about my care of our daughter. i explain the situation and history, notify them of the failed non-molestation order. social services apologises stating that i will not hear from them again as there are too many professionals are already involved in court and will be logged in their files.
18 june 2015 – mother/wife continue allegations and complaints, her solicitor states that no agreement can be made and request section 7 cafcass indepent investigation before extending time. also handover to take place every other week at a contact center as wife/mother’s third party was only partly available.
4 july 2015 – received daughter with stitches over right eye and bruises to left side of face. no explanation in handover book, only instructionss not to remove her clothes. i called police. the female officer viewed while i examined under her vest and limbs for further injury. no injury found. officers said i did the right. police visited mother. mother said that baby fell off the bed. police logged, no further action taken.
24 july 2015 – visited cafcass at office – had interview, notified him i have video and picture evidence. cafcass outline the importance of being named on birth certificate.
28 july 2015 – cafcass visited mother at her home.
25 july 2015 – met with contact center coordinator before first (2 weekly) contact handover at the center. assertained and came to agreement that travel distance was to far for the opening times of the center and that the travel time allowed in the contact order would need changing. I agreed to cut the session short in order to arrive back in time just on that occasion. considered to apply to change of arrangements of the order again but due to the date of next hearing i was advised to wait it out and record evidence.
1 august 2015 – mother denied contact to go to a 3 day religious convention. mother up until this point has denied about 7-8 session without replacing hours.
solicitor offers 4 hour session on 15 august. i have no choice to accept.
10 august 2015 – received email from contact center saying they suspended facilitating handover because wife/mother raised safeguarding issues. social services notified.
15 august 2015 – contact went ahead for the promised 4 hours, baby picked up around the corner from wifes/mothers address (usual spot on the side of the road)
22 august 2013 – no contact again (plus many unmentioned missed seesions) suspended every other week
made enquiries to contact center and social services.. awaited details of safeguarding allegations
her solicitor did not inform me even after i contacted her. later she said she was unaware of the details why the contact had been suspended and that she was seeking her clients instructions.
13 september 2015 – received cafcass report – stated that baby seem healthy and not at risk of abuse. spoke with her now 13 year old son but deemed it unapprpriate to ask him if his mother beat him. did not recommend change of custody but did recommend extended time. cafcass that third party was unwilling to continue facilitating handover and in light of the allegations recommended that the next 4 sessions take place in a contact center un supervised to ensure baby is not in distress as reported by mother. cafcass said he was aware of the video evidence for every contact session but had not seen it. mentioned nothing about birth certificate.
17 september 2015 received divorce papers from wife/mothers solicitor – they ticked all boxes for the financial stuff (I live with my mum! lolsmh)
18 september 2015 – submitted my statement with contact logged as evidence and notified them i would be presenting video and pictorial evidence in court
18 september 2015 – received safeguarding report from contact center coordinator – too disturbing to mention – (thank goodness i recorded EVERYTHING!)
18 september 2015 – received wife/mother’s statement – continues rhetoric, baby distressed, lateness, abuse of third party facilitator, does not want contact to go ahead, do not want me in our daughters life at all etc.. does not mention safeguarding
23 september 2015 – daughters 1st birthday and contact order states that contact for 2 hours to take place on this day. contact denied. no explanation from solicitor.
23 september 2015 – submitted to the court and to the wife/mother’s solicitor a hard copy of supporting statement in response to mothers allegations and what solictor was instructed to do. included an email log between me and solicitor. included safeguarding report from contact center coordinator with counter evidence (mothers note in handover book). I still asked for time to be extended and that i had video evidence and that if the contact were to take place in a foreign environment then this will be a step backward in me and my daughters development if indeed she is distressed.
24 september 2015 – wifes/mother’s solicitor states in court that she will no longer be representing her client in fear of PROFFESSIONAL EMBARASSMENT. wife/mother precedes to ask court for adjournment to find alternate representation via her legal aid as she cannot address the details of the submitted statements. court do not extend contact time and order that next 4 session take place in contact center and that i make referal. ajourned till october 16
25 september 2015 – made a referral to harrow contact center. they tell me i have to pay for the services. the next contact was supposed to be tomorrow and i havent seen my daughter since 12 september. the court have done nothing when the mother breaches the order.
wow! i thought this was going to be a quick comment… guess not!
really shit system. I am going get all the names of the officials involved in the court so i can make a detailed complaint. maybe copy in an MP or 2..
I am so disappointed i didnt get any replies to my post here some time ago.. although they have some good info that helped me.. I was looking for a response of some kind of connectivity or community… but I have had to go it alone and learn as quickly as possible along the way.. i say again; reallly shit system! smh
I wish we had a bigger platform
I hope this info may assist others. Peace!
C. Hamilton
jazilian.
