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| Man in court accused of lacing sweets with sedatives before summer camp children fell ill | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Jon Ruben, 76, remanded in custody in connection with the incident at Stathern Lodge in Leicestershire | Jon Ruben, 76, remanded in custody in connection with the incident at Stathern Lodge in Leicestershire |
| A man has been remanded in custody charged with child cruelty offences after children became unwell at a summer camp in Leicestershire. | A man has been remanded in custody charged with child cruelty offences after children became unwell at a summer camp in Leicestershire. |
| Jon Ruben, 76, appeared in Leicester magistrates court on Saturday morning after being charged with three counts of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting, abandoning or exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health, where he was told he would be remanded in custody and appear at Leicester crown court on Friday 29 August. | Jon Ruben, 76, appeared in Leicester magistrates court on Saturday morning after being charged with three counts of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting, abandoning or exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health, where he was told he would be remanded in custody and appear at Leicester crown court on Friday 29 August. |
| The charges are in relation to three boys becoming ill while staying at a summer camp at Stathern Lodge in Stathern, north Leicestershire, between 25 July and 29 July. The court was told that the charges relate to sweets that were allegedly laced with sedatives. | The charges are in relation to three boys becoming ill while staying at a summer camp at Stathern Lodge in Stathern, north Leicestershire, between 25 July and 29 July. The court was told that the charges relate to sweets that were allegedly laced with sedatives. |
| Ruben, of Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the four-minute hearing and gave no indication of how he would plead. | Ruben, of Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the four-minute hearing and gave no indication of how he would plead. |
| Leicestershire police arrived at the camp after receiving reports that children were feeling unwell, with eight boys, all between the ages of eight and 11, and one adult admitted to hospital as a precaution before being discharged. | Leicestershire police arrived at the camp after receiving reports that children were feeling unwell, with eight boys, all between the ages of eight and 11, and one adult admitted to hospital as a precaution before being discharged. |
| Ruben was arrested on Monday evening at a nearby pub on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. | Ruben was arrested on Monday evening at a nearby pub on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. |
| Neighbours at the scene described seeing distressed parents outside the village hall in nearby Plungar, which was used as a triage centre for the children. | Neighbours at the scene described seeing distressed parents outside the village hall in nearby Plungar, which was used as a triage centre for the children. |
| The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has said it is investigating Leicestershire police’s handling of the incident after it emerged that officers responding to the scene allegedly gave conflicting accounts of what happened, including whether the incident took place on the Sunday or the Monday. | The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has said it is investigating Leicestershire police’s handling of the incident after it emerged that officers responding to the scene allegedly gave conflicting accounts of what happened, including whether the incident took place on the Sunday or the Monday. |
| Police have stated that the owners of the lodge at which the camp took place are not being investigated, saying the “owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are independent from those people who use or hire the lodge and are not connected to the incident”. | Police have stated that the owners of the lodge at which the camp took place are not being investigated, saying the “owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are independent from those people who use or hire the lodge and are not connected to the incident”. |