Author: Sonja Francis

A COURT heard today how a Thame hair consultant allegedly grasped the face of a patient during a head massage and tried to force her to commit a lewd act with him.
Praminder Mankoo, who runs ‘Hairology’ in Thame, is on trial for two offences of indecent assault and nine of sexual assault against women who had sought his help for hair or scalp problems.
This, the first witness called in the case, an unmarried mother at the time, alleged that Mankoo assaulted her in 1998 whilst he was practicing trichology in Maidenhead.

She told the court that he described her underwear as ‘boring’ and suggested that she might like to wear “more sexy underwear and high boots” for her next appointment as it would boost her confidence and self-esteem.
She went on to tell how, as he massaged her head, shoulders and arms and the top of her cleavage, Mankoo suddenly dropped his trousers and pants and used offensive, sexual inuendo. She was very scared, she said, because she knew she was alone in the building with Mankoo and did not want to cause a confrontation.

After what seemed hours, continued the witness, Mankoo apparently seemed to switch suddenly back to, what she described as “professional mode” allegedly saying: “You’re obviously not going to do it,” and left her alone to get dressed. Finally, she said, he tried to get her to make another appointment but she pretented that she did not have her diary with her and said that she would telephone the next day. He then apparently said: “I haven’t lost your custom have I?”

The witness then told the court that when Mankoo phoned her the next day, she pretended to be someone else and said that ‘Miss H’was not in.

Following her complaining about his behaviour to the Institute of Trichology and the police, Mankoo was cautioned by the police and struck off the professional register of the ‘Institute for five years. He never re-applied to join.

When questioned about whether she noticed anything about Mankoo when he dropped his trousers, the witness described scar tissue she had noticed on his abdomen, which she said resembled a burn.

‘Miss H’ will return to the witness box when the trial resumes tomorrow morning at Oxford Crown Court.

Photo: Praminder Mankoo

THE Mayor of Thame will officially open a new shop in Thame tomorrow morning (30/08/08).
The shop, in North Street, Thame (opposite the Cattlemarket)is the venture of a Thame man, James Butler and his partner, Helen Sellwood who worked at the recently closed ‘Pied Pedaller’ toy shop.
Cllr Don Butler will open ‘The Spinning Top’ at 10.30am.

THAME golfing enthusiasts are being invited to join Thame’s Mayor for a charity golf day to raise money for the town’s community hospital.
Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club is the venue, and October 10, 2008, is the date of the event which will include a sumptuous dinner afterwards. Non golfing family and friends are welcome to attend the evening celebratory meal.
The cost is Golf and meal

MEMBERS of the district council’s planning committee are to visit the old Thame United Football ground before deciding whether or not to approve outline planning permission for a housing development on the site.
Thame Town Council has already recommended refusal of the plan for around 90 new homes on the site, in Windmill Road, Thame, mainly on the grounds of traffic generation.

South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee however, feel that they need to the see the site for themselves in context with the surrounding area before making a decision.

The planning officer in the case has expressed the view that he finds the application acceptable in principle.

The site visit is scheduled for September 15.

The Football club, now demolished, ceased to function in 2005 when it was taken into receivership following an unpaid VAT bill, and then sold to a developer for a pepper corn, on the proviso that the football club would get around

A THAME cycling enthusiast, who has done much to promote cycling in the Thame area through her training of both children and adults, has been given the accolade of ‘a Local Champion’ in a national competition.
Cathy Gaulter-Carter, of Aylesbury Road, Thame, was presented with a cup on behalf the the CTC, the UK’s National cycling organisation, after becoming the UK runner up following her award as the winner of the South East England heat of the competition.

In her capacity as Chair of the Thame Better Ways to School group, and later TWAC, Thame Walking and Cycling, Cathy was instrumental in the development of the Phoenix Trail, fighting tirelessly against planners, some local councillors and land owners less enthusiastic than she was about bringing about a shared use, cycling, walking and horse-riding path as a recreational facility to the town.

Cathy was presented with her cup by John Francis, a fellow campaigner and supporter of the Phoenix Trail, at the Three Horse Shoes pub, Towersey, a favourite ‘watering hole’ of users of the Phoenix Trail, following a celebration ride of the Trail with other enthusiasts and friends.

Typical of Cathy’s dedication to protecting the environment, was her declining an invitation to go and receive her award at Stormant Castle in Northern Ireland, which would have meant travelling by either plane or car and boat. It took weeks of clandestine planning and plotting to eventually get Cathy into a situation to be presented with her award locally, and so it was a huge surprise to her to be presented with the cup after, what she thought, was just a nice ride out and a meal with friends.