Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The 'soul-crushing' office where people worked long hours below minimum wage

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 2d

When we caught a rogue employer in a sting, his direct sales career looked over.

Yet he turned up in a new office that exploited people using the same playbook.

Questions for regulators and clients like ScottishPower that keep working with these people. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

After being caught in a sting, Zaafir Jamal's career in direct sales looked over. Then he turned up in a new office where young people were manipulated using many of the same tactics that first landed...

Youth club forced to close for six weeks after rapist scandal

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 4d

A watchdog has forced a youth club to close for six weeks after we revealed a rapist had got a job there despite a warning in a background check. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

YMCA Porthcawl is being investigated by a regulator over the hiring of Sarah Vigus

Woman got youth club job after raping girl

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 8d

This is an extraordinary safeguarding failure.

A YMCA youth club hired a woman despite her DBS certificate stating she was under investigation for raping a 17-year-old girl.

She continued working there until she was found guilty and remanded in custody. walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Police said checks on Sarah Vigus when she applied for the role at an after-school club notified her employer of 'comprehensive details about her arrest and the nature and extent of the alleged offenc...

walesonline.co.uk

Reform MS made false cancer claim and recruited people to controversial scheme

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 12d

Jones hit back at accusations that it was a pyramid scheme by misquoting Donald Trump as saying "a corporation has only one person at the top, generally the CEO, and everyone else below" www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Laura Anne Jones was part of a business model in which sales reps progress to higher levels depending on how many people they recruit

Reform MS made false cancer claim and recruited people to controversial scheme

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 12d

The highly controversial scheme that Jones was involved in has a long history of regulatory findings against it.

Full story here www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Laura Anne Jones was part of a business model in which sales reps progress to higher levels depending on how many people they recruit

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 12d

... sales reps progress to higher levels depending on how many people they recruit.

Multi-level marketing is notorious for reps falling into financial difficulty and resorting to desperate attempts to sign up their own friends and family.

The awful state of hospital where 'patients are at risk'

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 12d

Reform's highest-profile politician in Wales spread a false cancer claim and recruited people into a multi-level marketing scheme.

Before her current stint as an MS, Laura Anne Jones made wildly misleading and pseudoscientific claims to promote a business model in which...

2 8 11

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 13d

Whistleblowers have frequently spoken out about the hospital’s horrendously unsuitable conditions, and plans to build a replacement have stalled.

A desperately bleak situation. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

An employee at Wales' largest hospital has shared pictures saying they are 'deeply troubled' by the extent of necessary repairs

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 13d

The coroner found Gareth’s care “was sub-optimal for a number of reasons, including the impact of being cared for outside the main critical care unit”.

She’s sent a scathing report to Cardiff and Vale health board warning of more deaths unless there are changes at the hospital.

Dad died after being moved out of hospital critical unit for building work

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 13d

No one should be dying like this in the 21st century.

Gareth Johnson, a beloved dad-of-three, died aged 41 at the University Hospital of Wales after he’d been moved out of the critical care unit because of building work on the dilapidated site. walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

'The world will forever be a darker place without him'

walesonline.co.uk

Pharmacy chain in 'chaos' as staff 'ordered to work without pay'

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 16d

Staff at embattled pharmacy chain Jhoots are owed months of pay

"We've just finished our 11th week out of operation due to no stock being delivered in eight weeks and no pharmacist for five weeks," said one employee

"We must remain on premises or are threatened with disciplinary action."

'We are struggling to find morale to keep going'

He flew a drone over my house and made me feel like prisoner

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 18d

He flew a drone over my house, watched my every move and made me feel like a prisoner www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Dominic Williams would call his ex 'a little girl and a rat' then in his next message tell her he loved her

Mum sues for £10m after nightmare childbirth left son disabled

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 19d

A mum is suing Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board for £10million over negligence during childbirth that left her son severely disabled with cerebral palsy and lifelong care needs. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

The child developed cerebral palsy after negligence by hospital staff during his birth

Five prison officers sacked after texts scandal

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 20d

Five officers at Parc prison have been sacked, two resigned while under investigation, and one has received a final warning after a scandal over texts gloating about beating inmates www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

It comes after leaked messages appeared to show staff bragging about beating inmates

Investigators brought into crisis-hit mental health unit

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 22d

Investigators brought into crisis-hit Hafan y Coed mental health unit www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/...

It comes after inspections found water damage, hygiene risks and a lack of training

Woman who quit park job in bullying row finds out result in case against council

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 24d

Evidence from the case appeared to show council managers ordered emails be deleted to “protect” against FOI disclosures.

It’s concerning the council still hasn’t directly addressed our questions about this. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Despite winning the tribunal, the council was criticised by the judge over several issues

Woman who quit park job in bullying row finds out result in case against council

3

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · 24d

An interesting employment tribunal

The woman who quit her job running Bute Park over a bullying row has lost her case against Cardiff council.

The judge slammed the council for “clear deficiencies” but they did not amount to constructive dismissal. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Despite winning the tribunal, the council was criticised by the judge over several issues

This man behind 'Welsh' news website isn't who he says he is

Reposted by Conor Gogarty

Michael Munnik @michaelmunnik.bsky.social · 27d

In her #FOJ25 keynote, @jodieginsberg.bsky.social of Comittee to Protect Journalists highlights recent coverage from @conorgogarty.bsky.social about a zombie site pretending to be "unapologetically Welsh" news.

Nice local flavour in a very international issue. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

'A new chapter for Welsh journalism' was promised. The reality was rather different

A faulty machine, collapsing stairwells and a hard-working woman dead

1 2

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 25

A fire service investigation report identifies the cause of the Treforest industrial estate explosion as a faulty calendar press machine.

Govt has issued warning that the product is unsafe.

The explosion claimed the life of much-loved Danielle Evans. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Danielle Evans died in the horror of the explosion

Hospital hiding the truth about 'strangers being let in to watch ops'

Reposted by Conor Gogarty

Eva Montemaggi @evamontemaggi.bsky.social · Aug 22

This is the kind of journalism we need, not the stirring of hatred, but real investigations.

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 22

Full piece here www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

There has been a complete lack of transparency after serious allegations from whistleblowers

Hospital hiding the truth about 'strangers being let in to watch ops'

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 22

Full piece here www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

There has been a complete lack of transparency after serious allegations from whistleblowers

1 3

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 22

South Wales Central MS Andrew RT Davies called for the health board to "share the outcome of this investigation, with appropriate redactions, so service users can understand what happened and why following the shocking revelations that came out of the Heath hospital earlier this year".

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 22

When we contacted the Welsh Government and Jeremy Miles they parroted the health board's line on HR practice.

Plaid Cymru MS @mabonapgwynfor.bsky.social said: "It's clear that there are fundamental issues within our NHS regarding institutional transparency and the power of the patient voice."

Conor Gogarty @conorgogarty.bsky.social · Aug 22

It's not clear why the unauthorised viewing of operations wasn't covered in the comprehensive service review, and instead got its own investigation.

The complete lack of transparency after that investigation will inevitably lead to suspicions of a cover-up.