Fugitive Mother Accused Of 'Playing The Press'

A judge has accused Rebecca Minnock and her family of "playing the press" after she lost a custody battle and fled with her son.
Rebecca Minnock, 35, surrendered to police in Oxford on Friday and her son Ethan is now with his father Roger Williams.
Miss Minnock went missing from her home in Highbridge, Somerset, with Ethan on 27 May after losing a custody battle.
She is appearing at a court hearing in Bristol today for "directions in relation to the discharge of collection order" handed to her family and friends.
The order, which required a person to bring Ethan or any information leading to him before the courts, was served on 3 June after Miss Minnock went missing with Ethan.

Prior to the commencement of a private hearing, Judge Stephen Wildblood QC made a statement to the court.
He said: "Huge amounts of time, effort and money were spent on the case and it is simply unfair for a party to attempt to use the press in an attempt to deny another person justice.
"Not only is it absurd for anyone to try to 'play the press' in that way, because that inevitably backfires, but it is also an utterly irresponsible way to behave from the point of view of the welfare of a child.
"It means that an attempt has been made to use each one of you, members of the press, and the court system as a whole as a part of a publicity stunt that has now been played out in public."
Judge Wildblood added that his "principal task" would be to deal with Ethan's future, followed by Miss Minnock's behaviour in breaching court orders.
He said: "I do not imagine anyone could fail to recognise just how difficult a task that will be.
"I have already explained in a written judgment the principles of law that will be applied. The fact that the mother and child are now found does not alter those principles in any way."
udge Wildblood also said he had to ensure there were no further attempts by Miss Minnock and her family to "manipulate public opinion".
Miss Minnock's mother Louise Minnock, of Highbridge, and her mother's partner Andrew Butt, of Cheltenham, were sent to prison on Friday.
Judge Wildblood jailed Minnock for 10 days and Butt for 28 days after finding them in contempt of court for withholding information about Ethan's disappearance.
Butt admitted he lied in court and helped Miss Minnock escape with her son by driving them to Cheltenham on 27 May.
Speaking to the Daily Mail earlier, Miss Minnock said she was "hoping and praying the judge will look into matters and go through facts again and see if there is a different outcome to this and a fairer hearing".
Writing on Facebook, she vowed she would never give up trying to keep her "beautiful baby".