Moment van driver smashes into broken-down car after checking phone
The driver, Nathan Cole, was checking his phone and speeding at 72mph, exceeding his van's limit, when he collided with the vehicle and the man in his 60s standing nearby.
Footage released by Sussex Police showed Cole's dangerous driving leading up to the incident.
Cole, 29, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court to two years and four months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years and four months.
Watch the video in full above.
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BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
How a cowboy builder ripped off his customers – and got away with it
When the BBC exposed Russell McMaster as a cowboy builder last year, angry clients demanded he be 64-year-old had accepted about £220,000 from seven customers to complete home improvements over a two-year he left his customers tens of thousands out of pocket with half-built extensions and week, Ayrshire-based McMaster was due to face trial over an allegation he had defrauded a customer by pretending he would carry out construction work at his home four years he was acquitted on Wednesday when the Crown dropped the case. McMaster, it emerged, had handed back £3,000 he was alleged to have taken by did this happen – and what remedies do customers really have when left at the mercy of rogue traders? Retired social worker Jim McGinley reported McMaster to police in late 2022 after waiting more than a year for work to start at his home in Uddingston, North had paid the builder £3,000 to "secure his services" for internal a months-long wait for planning consent, Jim says that McMaster became "evasive" and stopped returning pair eventually fell out after Jim left a negative online review about his business, VJL that he had been "the victim of a con", he contacted said: "Police were very diligent and seemed very keen to present it at court… They felt that he was a fraudster, a bogus builder."McMaster – full name Alexander Russell McMaster – was charged with fraud, accused of obtaining the £3,000 by pretending he would carry out construction work at Jim's when the case called for trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court, prosecutors announced the case would be discontinued because McMaster had repaid the money in the weeks before said he had agreed to drop the case after discussions with the Crown."The reason we went to court was because we wanted to stop this happening to other people," he said."On discussion with the procurator fiscal, it became clear that perhaps taking the money was the best option. But in truth we felt, and it seems crazy, that we'd let people down." Customers left out of pocket This wasn't the first time McMaster, from Irvine, had been reported to least two of his former customers contacted Police Scotland in were among seven clients who contacted the BBC about McMaster, who traded under the company names VJL Builders and Alex McMaster those cases, customers who had contacted police were told their complaints were a "civil matter" and directed to trading Ayrshire trading standards confirmed it had received seven complaints about McMaster's businesses in of those complaints came from Chris we first interviewed him in the autumn of 2023, his loft space was a building site with exposed beams and tarpaulin covering roof we went back to his house in Bridge of Weir last week, not much had changed. Chris said McMaster was paid more than £30,000 for a loft conversion but abandoned the job midway through, leaving the Jardine family with a hole in the he also reported the matter to police and trading standards. He also had assurances from McMaster via his lawyer that he would be repaid £15, payment was made, and the loft remains as it – who is married with two children – took out extra loans to try and finish the work and said the affair had "crippled" his family's finances."It's hard to quantify how much money he owes us, because of the extra damage he did," he said."He has taken food out my kids' mouths. That's what really annoys me. It will affect us long-term because everything I do will be to pay back the debt he has left us with."Another customer, Grant Kilpatrick, told BBC Scotland News that McMaster left him with a half-finished extension and was owed between £15,000 and £20, said he reported McMaster to police and was also told it was a civil Scotland said each case was assessed on its own merits and that it provided "suitable advice" to both the Jardines and the Kilpatricks.A spokesperson said that in Grant Kilpatrick's case, inquiries had been carried out and no criminality was established. Civil action 'not always easy' The Jardines and Kilpatricks had both hired a company called VJL Builders in July 2022. The business was registered at Companies House a month both were pursuing the company, VJL was dissolved in January 2024. It had never filed Knowles, senior project lead for Advice Direct Scotland, said tackling rogue trade was challenging and that "civil action is not always easy"."Rogue traders frequently dissolve their companies to avoid liability leaving consumers with little recourse," she said."Consumers do have rights, including the ability to cancel contracts and claim refunds if they've been misled or pressured."They may also be entitled to compensation for distress - but these rights are only effective if consumers act quickly and seek advice."We urge anyone affected to report rogue trading to us and to contact their bank if money has been lost."Dr Nick McKerrell, senior law lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, said there was a greater chance of a successful prosecution where it could be shown that there was no intention or ability to carry out the work, something which could be seen as a "dishonest misrepresentation".However, it was more complicated if some work was done, because it becomes more difficult to show that the builder was never going to finish the said it was not a fair fight in many of the legal cases."It's an individual against a business organisation which can adopt a number of tactics to avoid private law actions," he said. McMaster has a string of businesses listed on Companies House under different variations of his name – most of them reporting by the Daily Record newspaper in 2006 and 2013 revealed how his old businesses left customers in debt after closing Alex McMaster Builders remains active. A note on the Companies House website states that a strike-off action had been temporarily suspended after someone objected to the attempt to dissolve the BBC attempted to contact the builder between December 2023 and February to answer allegations he was a rogue did not respond until he sent a text messages stating that he was "unavailable".However, we managed to approach McMaster in person outside court this asked whether he planned reimburse his other customers and whether he shut VJL Builders down to avoid paying them away with a friend, he made no comment.
Times
9 minutes ago
- Times
Officer who misled murdered banker's family in line for promotion
The family of a murdered banker have told of their anger after discovering a senior police officer who was found to have misled them was being lined up for a major promotion. Relatives of Alistair Wilson, who was shot dead on his doorstep in Nairn 21 years ago by an unknown assailant, were told a suspect would be arrested on May 15 last hoped the arrest would bring a breakthrough in the long-running, unsolved case but only learnt that it had not taken place owing to a last-minute decision when they later contacted a police liaison officer. Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone denied being aware that a date had been identified for the arrest, but an investigation by Police Scotland concluded this was not truthful and he was found guilty of misconduct. Despite this, he has now been selected for a prestigious training course and is reported to be in the process of being groomed to become assistant chief constable. A source close to the Wilson family told the Daily Mail they felt they had been 'betrayed'. 'They are deeply concerned but it is more a sense of outrage,' they said. 'The police claim their relationship with the family is a priority — but this proves it obviously isn't. After years of delays and a failure to make any breakthroughs, this feels like another betrayal for them.' • Murdered banker's son 'still has nightmares' about doorstep shooting Their concerns were echoed by Douglas Ross, the former Scottish Conservative leader. 'Eyebrows will be raised at the prospect of this officer potentially getting promoted for a senior leadership role, despite his previous conduct,' the Highlands & Islands MSP said. Ross added that 'instead of being held to account, it seems like those at the top of Police Scotland want to reward him'. He claimed that the move 'only risks adding insult to injury for a family desperate for answers'. Wilson, 30, a married father of two, was killed on the evening of November 28, 2004. A man called at the family's home and spoke to his wife, Veronica, who had answered the door, and asked for her went to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with 'Paul' written on it. He went inside and was shot when he returned to the gun used, a Haenel Suhl pistol from the 1930s, was missed in the first police search and was recovered from a nearby drain by a council worker ten days by Northern Constabulary in 2004 and Police Scotland in 2013 failed to make any significant progress or establish a motive. A reinvestigation was ordered last September after more than 150 'concerns' were highlighted in a review of the evidence gathered in the police inquiry into the killing. Crown Office officials ordered a fresh 'cold case' inquiry, involving a new police team. Jo Farrell, the chief constable, has now given Livingstone her backing to take part in the elite 19-week course, which, if completed, would pave the way for him to significantly increase his salary to more than £150,000. The executive leaders programme, run by the College of Policing, is a course which 'offers support and learning to build your personal resilience, boost your confidence and enhance your capabilities'. A police insider said: 'It's almost guaranteed that he will become an assistant chief constable once this course is completed.' Police Scotland declined to comment on Livingstone's participation in the course. Commenting on the investigation, Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow said: 'Our relationship with Alistair's family is a priority and we are determined to bring those involved in Alistair's murder to justice.'
Times
23 minutes ago
- Times
Met Police's use of facial recognition tech ‘breaches human rights'
Scotland Yard's plan to increase the use of live facial recognition technology is incompatible with human rights law, the equality watchdog has said. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the Metropolitan Police's policies for deploying the technology 'fall short' and could have a 'chilling effect' on individuals' rights when used at protests. Privacy concerns about live facial recognition (LFR) intensified this week as the Met finalised plans to use it on the approaches to, but not within the boundaries of, the Notting Hill Carnival over the bank holiday weekend. LFR links cameras to a watch list of photos of wanted suspects. Biometric data from a person's face is extracted and compared against the list, and a positive match alerts officers who can seek and stop them.
