New Milton Advertiser 15th Jan 2021

Friday 15th January 2021 · 3

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Back from the dead – Ron’s obit shock

Man admits harassment

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we’ve still got him as our chair- man.” And she joked: “I’m afraid

Army veteran reads his own death notice after newsletter error

I’m one of those who when they look at the death notices in the paper each week looks to make sure I’m not one of them!” Having been sent a copy of the report, Mr Back noted all the cor- rect details, including his birth in 1936 and commission in 1955 to the Royal Artillery. After looking into the matter, he discov- ered the newsletter’s editor had been a fellow member of the 44th Par- achute Brigade in the early 1970s. He had obtained the information from one of Mr Back’s contempo- raries in 33rd Airborne Light Regiment, who in turn had heard it from a friend.

By CHRIS MARCH

“THE news of my death is greatly exaggerated” – so said a New Milton veteran who had the dubious pleasure of reading his own obituary. It was a Mark Twain moment for Col. Ron Back, chair of the Royal British Legion New Mil- ton & District Branch, when his death was erroneously an- nounced in a forces newsletter. Mr Back was astounded to receive a phone call from branch secretary Phyllis Inglis who shared her great relief that he was still alive and well, con- trary to a report printed in the Airborne Network (ABN) news- letter last November. “The details printed about me were correct – apart from the obvious,” Mr Back told the A&T afterwards. He saw the funny side of the situation amid the novelty of getting to read about his own death. He said: “It will certainly make a nice after-dinner story, whenever I might get a chance to tell any after-dinner stories! “It’s not something every- body gets to do – read their own obituary!” News of the article reached Mrs Inglis when she was con- tacted by one of the RBL A NEW Milton man was watch- ing a televised cage fight when a stranger bundled his way into his home and headbutted him, a court heard. Connor Chipcase was rushed to hospital after the attack by Jordan McClay (30) left him with a one-inch gash on his forehead that bled profusely, Southampton Crown Court was told. McClay appeared for sen- tencing having admitted caus- ing Mr Chipchase actual bodily harm. He was sent down for 14 months by Judge Peter Henry. The court was told that the attack happened when the pair faced off after McClay got into his victim’s home as the front door lock was broken. He had apparently been look- ing for someone else. Mr Chipchase, who worked as a security guard, required three stitches in hospital following the incident, just after 8pm on 11th July.  He later told police he had met the aggressor briefly once

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“I’ve spoken to the editor who apologised and said he would make sure he checks his facts more carefully in future,” Mr Back said. “It was a bit of a Mark Twain moment – the news of my death is greatly exaggerated!” American writer and humour- ist Mark Twain went down in history for his often-misquoted response when contacted in 1897 by a New York Journal re- porter who had heard rumours he was gravely ill or already dead. Mr Twain confirmed he was in fact in good health in a state- ment that included the phrase: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

Ron Back is still very much alive, and (inset) during his Army days

Mrs Inglis said: “I think I talked to one of the other com- mittee members and they said, ‘But I talked to him yesterday, so that can’t be right’. “As soon as I knew it was false I phoned Ron and said, ‘Did you know people think you’re dead?’ “I’m just glad he’s okay and

branch members. She ex- plained: “Someone emailed me and said, ‘You’re the secretary and you haven’t let anyone know that our chairman has died’.” Although initially shocked, she stressed it took only two or three days to establish the news was false.

Man jailed after home attack

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2020 for other offences and had used his time in prison to com- plete a range of courses and address his previous substance misuse. He said McClay had demon- strated “regret” for his behav- iour over the past decade, hav- ing realised the impact it was having on his “loved ones”. Mr Griffiths said McClay, a father of four, initially denied the headbutt but changed his plea to guilty on a certain basis, which had spared the necessity of a trial. The defendant’s address was of no fixed abode, Mr Griffiths confirmed, but he had a roof - ing job set up for him when he gets out of prison and will live in Christchurch.  Judge Henry castigated Mc- Clay for his “appalling” criminal record which included wound- ing, battery, criminal damage and assault. Sending him down, the judge said his headbutt had caused “nasty injuries” and it was an “unpleasant” offence. 

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before and subsequently identi- fied McClay to officers. Defending McClay, barrister Richard Griffiths said his client had been locked up in August Jordan McClay was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court

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