Here we provide two affidavits concerning Simon Danczuk's behaviour at home. The first is from his brother-in-law, Steven Burke, the other from his ex-wife, Sonia Milewski.

Danczuk does not like being challenged.

For speaking out against Danczuk, Steven Burke was sacked from his job working for Rochdale Labour Party. Seven members of the Rochdale Party were also kicked out.

For more information, please go to:
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/29506/danczuk-divorced-for-adultery
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/whitewash-claims-as-party-expels-five-930407
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/party-stalwarts-left-facing-axe-929702

Affidavit from Steven Burke

“One late bank holiday evening, I received a phone call off my father telling me that Simon Danczuk had hit my sister, Karen Burke, and had dumped her and my niece and nephew at Alicante Airport with no money and no food. I left my girlfriend’s house and returned to my father’s flat. When I got there I asked my father for further information and he elaborated and said Simon Danczuk had dragged my sister across the floor and hit her and ripped a gold dress that she was wearing. My mother was in contact with Karen by mobile phone and she received several text messages from my sister which included the phrases

‘I can’t believe he has done this to me’ and
‘I have never been so scared in my life’.

Whilst this was occurring my younger brother was on the internet trying to purchase flights to try to get the three of them home. He finally got the flights for them, taking off from Alicante at 06:00, using my father’s credit card. This cost just short of £600.

When they arrived back in Manchester it was approximately 1pm. I received a phone call from my father who had gone to pick them up stating he had picked Karen up.

I asked, ‘How does she look?’

He said, ‘Shaken and she has bruises on her arms.’

I went into the office (Tuesday) where I work and sent the emails describing what had occurred.

When Karen came back to my father’s flat I asked how she was and she replied that ‘she was still a bit upset but that she would get over it’.

I was in the flat that Tuesday, late afternoon, and Karen started receiving a lot of phone calls; for which she kept leaving the room. I said to my mother, ‘She’s getting phone calls off Simon.’

My mother didn’t believe me so she asked Karen, ‘Is that Simon ringing you up?’, to which she replied, ‘No.’

I then said to my dad, ‘I can’t believe she’s talking to Simon. I believe I have wasted my time.’

My father replied, ‘He’s finished in Rochdale. You can’t go round hitting women and that is why I rang Jim Moran the first thing this morning, to tell him what had occurred.’
I then left the flat and went back down the stairs to my own flat.

Later I received a phone call from Anna Hutchinson (North West Regional Director of the Labour Party) saying that she had spoken to Simon and Karen regarding the allegations I had made in the email, and all they said happened was an argument and no physical violence had been involved.

I was then threatened with legal action by Anna Hutchinson over the telephone concerning the Data Protection Act, for doing a group email to over three hundred people. She stated it was misuse of the Labour Party’s emailing system. I told her that I had no desire to be in a party that protects alleged women beaters while threatening me with legal action. I then resigned forthwith.

It was after that conversation that I sent the email titled ‘The Cover-Up has begun’. In this I informed the recipients of the conversation I had had with Anna Hutchinson regarding the threat of legal action, and I said I would inform every organisation in Rochdale with a public listing of what Simon Danczuk had done, and invited both of them to sue me if they disagreed with what I’d put.

Two hours later my mum received a phone call from Karen telling her to ask me to stop sending emails because she had decided to go back to him, and Simon had paid all the money back to my father; so it was none of my business anymore.

I received a text on Friday off Karen saying she was coming to the club (Rochdale Labour Club) to sort everything out. I did not reply and have had no contact with her since.
I also spoke to my father that Friday. He told me that the Region were going to see me, and that if it came to court he would stand right behind me.

When I asked him to provide his evidence he said he didn’t need to because he thought Simon would resign and that he was finished in Rochdale.”

Sworn, and Attested, in the presence of John Philip Moorhouse
Barrister-at-Law
And Commissioner for Oaths
Signed,
Steven Martin Burke

Statement from Ms Sonia Milewski

Re: NEC case against seven members of Rochdale CLP

With regard to the afore mentioned subject, I wish to provide the following statement in defence of the seven respondents, whom this case is against:

Late August 2008, my husband Simon Danczuk took our daughter [A] on a 10 day holiday to Spain with his girlfriend – Karen Burke, Simon & Karen’s son –
[B], and Karen’s young relative [C].

The day they arrived back from their holiday, I collected our daughter from Simons home. Before I had the opportunity to start the car, [A] began to cry uncontrollably and became very distressed regarding the whereabouts of her passport; she was in a real state of panic and very restless. I tried to ask her what the matter was, but all she would reply is ‘please mummy get my passport, find it, find it now’, so I got out of the car and knocked on Simons door and asked where her passport was.
Simon told me it was in her suitcase in the back of my car and that it was safe. I then asked Simon why on earth our daughter was so fraught and crying over her passport
and he said ‘oh its nothing, nothing at all’ and then shut the door on me.

We drove home, but literally 90 seconds after I started to drive, [A] began to panic and cry uncontrollably again. To this day I have never seen her in what can only be described as a sheer state of fright, a bag of nerves, such strong emotions, and very fearful. Our daughter was inconsolable. So I stopped the car, got out and got her passport and then began to hug her, and ask what had happened to make her feel and cry like this.

She said ‘please mummy please don’t make me go to see Daddy again, I don’t want to see him anymore’

I asked why she was so frightened and why she needed her passport and she told me that it was a horrible holiday, and that all Karen and Simon did through out the holiday was shout and row with each other. Then she told me that after a major argument, Karen stole hers’ and Simons’ passport and ran off with them and told them both that she was going to burn them so that they couldn’t get home.

I asked how they got the passports back, and she said that Karen came back to the apartment said sorry and gave them back.

I asked if that was the reason why she didn’t want to see her Daddy anymore, and she said no, its not that, its because Daddy and Karen were hitting each other.

[A] then continued, that on day 7 of the holiday, Daddy and Karen had a big row and they were rowing all day. Because of the constant arguments Karen wanted to sleep on the sofa and let [A] sleep with her Dad. Simon wanted Karen to sleep with him, the row became very intense and Karen lashed out at Simon, struck him several times and tried to push him off the balcony. Simon retaliated and struck Karen back, she fell to the ground and then he proceeded to drag her from room to room by her arm and her hair, collecting her belongings along the way. Then he physically forced her out of the apartment along with her belongings. She then banged on the door repeatedly, begging to be let back in crying that she had no money.

By this time [A] had calmed down from my hugs and stroking of her hair, as I reassured her that she was safe now, and that we were going to her grandparents so she could be away from Rochdale. I then asked her what happened next. She smiled and said, ‘that’s when it all got better Mummy, then we had a really happy holiday because Karen went home and Daddy and I had 3 nice days, and there was no shouting anymore’.

My final question to [A] was, where exactly were you when Daddy and Karen were hitting each other. Her response was ‘on the sofa next to Daddy and Karen hitting each other’.

After consoling my daughter for over an hour, I made the decision to write all of what I’d heard down, so that it would bear no inaccuracies, and reflect exactly what was
said at its inception.

It took many months for [A] to become her usual happy self, after this ‘holiday’, and to this day she still suffers night terrors as a consequence.

Important points to note:
I have worked for many years in child-based settings, as a professional child carer and also worked voluntarily and paid, in Sure Start Children’s Centres. Due to the nature
of this work I have been obliged to study and attend many Child Protection courses, and trained to a professional standard, enough for me to deal effectively with situations where children are in vulnerable situations, like the one that our daughter was in.

One of the most important things to do in this situation is to ‘NEVER’ put words in the child’s mouth, and merely listen which is why you will note from my contributions to the conversation that I had with our daughter, that my questions were simply to give flow and direction to her statement, not to force her to say anything that was false or untrue.

Why I have chosen to make this statement:

I feel at this time, a year after the event that, on behalf of myself and my children that it was necessary to defend my integrity, as I am concerned that information about myself in some of the witnesses statements has been said in a derogatory manner and that any mention of my name has been done so without my permission, or the courtesy to inform me, and without the opportunity for me to defend myself. All mentions of my name in witness statements are wholly untruthful. For the sake of my children and their emotional and mental well-being, please may it be noted that, I am their mother, the one who has to pick up all the pieces and mend their lives when these despicable occurrences take place.

Unfortunately I felt obliged to defend my name in an attempt to find closure on the terrible case of domestic abuse for a second time, between two people who mean nothing to me.

Sonia Milewski

 

Shortly after this, Sonia Milewski wrote the following on website Rochdale Online:

The father of my children has absolutely no interest in seeing his children and never contacts them, he leaves the responsibility of contact to them. They have to send him an email to communicate with him, they always have to make the first move, they're children for god sake, why should they be the one responsible for making a relationship with their dad happen? He saw them as a 'one off' at Christmas.

After this, over the course of about 3 months, my 9 year old fell into what can only be described as depression. She cried all the time, she wouldnt eat, and became very insecure and clingy, and asked me questions like 'does dad not love me or want to see me anymore, because he's got his new family? Why does he never ask to see me, have I done something bad?' This is only a brief example, the reality of what she was going through was far worse, and it broke my heart to see my daughter so upset all the time, I was the one who had to be there to pick up the pieces, I dont have that luxury of just walking away from my kids. Emotionally it drained me, and believe me, being a single parent 24/7
is tiring enough without having to watch a 9 year old child spiral into a very dark place.

So I contacted my childrens father by text and told him about his daughters depression. He never got back in touch.

A month later my eldest child text his dad, and told him to 'man up' and start having contact. This worked, he briefly saw my daughter for a few hours each week, for a couple of weeks, but then ceased contact again. That was at the beginning of March this year, since then he's done his usual vanishing act. Were near the end of June now.

My son broke his leg last week, and I asked him if he wanted me to tell his dad. My son's response speaks volumes, he replied 'mum whats the point, its not like he's remotely interested in me. Mum your best friends husband is a better Dad to me than my own dad'!

Colin, do you think that my childrens dad should be shamed for not being there to emotionally support his children and taking absolutely no interest in their lives?