Man arrested in UK suspected of poisoning eight children at a summer camp
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New York Post
6 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ghislaine Maxwell rejects DOJ bid to unseal grand jury transcripts as she pursues ‘legal options': ‘Jeffrey Epstein is dead'
If she can't have them, no one can. Ghislaine Maxwell, the notorious sex trafficker linked to Jeffrey Epstein, on Tuesday opposed the Justice Department's bid to unseal grand jury transcripts from her case, after trying and failing to view the records herself. 'Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is not,' her lawyers wrote in a Manhattan federal court filing. 'Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain.' 3 Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted accomplice, wants grand jury transcripts in her case kept secret. US District Court for the Southe The disgraced British socialite — who is serving a 20-year prison sentence — is lobbying the US Supreme Court to review her December 2021 conviction on numerous sex crimes for grooming young girls for abuse by her on-and-off lover Epstein. 'Given that she is actively litigating her case and does not know what is in the grand jury record, she has no choice but to respectfully oppose the government's motion to unseal it,' Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus wrote. Maxwell's push to keep the transcripts hidden comes weeks after a federal judge denied her attempt to see them as pursues her appeal. US District Court Judge Paul Engelmayer noted in his ruling that 'black-letter law,' or fundamental legal principle, dictates that defendants cannot review grand jury transcripts, which are by definition secret. 3 The DOJ admitted in a court filing that the Maxwell grand jury testimony will likely not include any revelations. US District Court for the Southe DOJ officials have cited the 'public interest' in urging Engelmayer and a separate judge to unseal transcripts of testimony from an FBI agent and NYPD detective heard by grand juries in Epstein's case in 2019, and in Maxwell's case in 2020 and 2021. But the feds admitted in a 12:04 a.m. court filing early Tuesday that 'much of the information' included in the Maxwell testimony was already made public during her headline-grabbing trial. The Epstein grand jury testimony may yield more new details as he never made it to trial after dying in federal custody, in what was ruled a suicide. 3 Maxwell was Epstein's former lover who groomed young girls for the sick financier to abuse, trial testimony revealed. US District Court for the Southe But the testimony the government is seeking in both cases represents a tiny fraction of the 300 gigabytes of files it says it has about Epstein but has declined to release — sparking an uproar among many of President Trump's supporters. An attorney for Epstein victim Maria Farmer, who testified at Maxwell's trial, wrote a letter to the court late Tuesday urging the judge to unseal both grand jury transcripts. 'Unsealing the grand jury transcripts will illuminate the scope of Epstein's and Maxwell's abuse, provide additional insight into those who enabled his abuse, and bring light to how these crimes were investigated and prosecuted,' lawyer Sigrid McCawley wrote. Lawyers for Epstein's estate separately wrote to the court Tuesday that they take 'no position' on the government's move to unseal grand jury transcripts in his case. Maxwell, 63, meanwhile was moved to a cushy Texas prison known as a 'Club Fed' last week, days after meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense lawyer. DOJ officials have not explained why the convicted sex trafficker was transferred to a lockup typically reserved for convicts spending far less time behind bars.
Daily Mirror
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Jeffrey Epstein rubbed shoulders with The Queen after Prince Andrew Ascot invite
The revelation that the convicted sex offender mingled with the monarch casts a fresh shadow over the Royal Family, deepening the scandal surrounding Andrew's ties to Epstein Prince Andrew welcomed his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein into the Royal Box at Ascot - alongside her Majesty the Queen and the Queen Mother. The discovery that the sex offender was in the company of the monarch and her beloved mum pours even greater humiliation on the royal family than was first understood. A picture of Epstein, alongside Andrew and convicted teen sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, while inside the highly protected royal enclosure, took pride of place in the paedophile's 'House of Horrors'. The image, taken on Ladies' Day on June 22, 2000, shows the Duke of York alongside the American financier and the disgraced British socialite in an invitation-only area strictly reserved for members of the monarchy and their guests. The photograph was discovered during a search of Epstein's £60 million Manhattan mansion, where underage girls were trafficked and abused. It was placed in the residence's main corridor, surrounded by images of Epstein with other high-profile figures, including the Pope, Fidel Castro, Sir Richard Branson, and Mick Jagger. But sources say Epstein treated Prince Andrew's photo - taken at one of Britain's most prestigious royal events - as a personal badge of legitimacy and protection. 'This was no accident,' said a source. 'That image was positioned to be seen. It was a clear statement of the access and influence Jeff had cultivated. He had it positioned in front of pictures with some of the world 's most powerful and rich men; that is what his friendship with Andrew meant. Jeff wanted everyone and anyone to know he was connected to the royals. He joined Andrew on the day the Queen and her mother were there. He would tell anyone.' The Manhattan property, where the picture was displayed, was not only Epstein's primary residence but also where Andrew stayed while visiting New York. Court documents, witness testimony and the royal's own words place the Duke inside the house on multiple occasions. It is also where Andrew's sex abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, claimed she had sex with the royal at the behest of Epstein. The Prince repeatedly and vehemently denied her claims. In 2019, Giuffre, the former 'teen sex slave' of Epstein's, sued the royal for the sexual abuse she claimed she endured in Manhattan. Facing a civil lawsuit in New York, Andrew opted to settle out of court in early 2022, reportedly paying Giuffre £12 million. The payout came without any admission of liability, but it led to Andrew's removal from royal patronages and military titles. Epstein's house is also where Johanna Sjoberg alleges Andrew groped her breast in 2001 while she was seated on a sofa next to a puppet of the Duke made by Spitting Image. Sjoberg was in her early twenties at the time and says Epstein and Maxwell arranged the meeting. Andrew has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. The emergence of the Royal Ascot image raises fresh questions about the nature and extent of Andrew's ties to Epstein. The event, deeply associated with the monarchy, is tightly controlled, and access to the Royal Enclosure is highly restricted. However, it is not the first time Epstein was taken into the royal fold. Andrew brought shame on the royal family after repeatedly inviting him into the monarch's homes. In 1999, he was pictured relaxing with Maxwell at the Queen's Balmoral residence, when the prince reportedly invited the couple to stay at the Scottish estate. In June 2000, the paedophile attended the Duke of York's 40th birthday celebration at Windsor Castle, a formal gathering organised by Queen Elizabeth II. The event brought Epstein into the very heart of the British monarchy with Andrew later admitting the disgraced financier was there at his personal invitation. During his 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, the Prince was directly challenged over Epstein's presence at the royal event. Maitlis said: 'He was your guest, as well, in 2000. Epstein was a guest at Windsor Castle and at Sandringham. He was brought right into the heart of the Royal Family at your invitation.' Andrew responded: 'Certainly at my invitation, not at the Royal Family's invitation. But remember that it was his girlfriend [Ghislaine Maxwell] that was the key element in this. He was the, as it were, plus one, to some extent in that aspect.' The Windsor Castle gathering was not the only royal event Epstein attended that year. In December 2000, Prince Andrew hosted a private shooting weekend at Sandringham, the monarch's Norfolk estate, in honour of Maxwell's birthday. Epstein was again on the guest list. When questioned by Newsnight about this second gathering, Andrew denied it was a birthday celebration, insisting: 'It was just a straightforward shooting weekend.' The revelation that Epstein was present at not one but now three high-profile Royal Family events, all as Andrew's guest, raises further concerns over the extent of the relationship between the Duke and the late American financier, who was later convicted of sex offences involving minors. Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Sandringham are private royal residences not typically open to outsiders without explicit invitation. Epstein's access to such venues, particularly one hosted by the Queen herself, illustrated the level of trust and social acceptance he enjoyed within Andrew's inner circle at the time. That the paedophile, then a private financier with no official role, was granted entry by a senior member of the Royal Family underscores how closely the two men were connected at the time. Epstein was first convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008 but remained socially active among the elite for years. Investigators have long believed he used his connections to shield himself from scrutiny and prosecution. He was arrested in 2019 and indicted on child trafficking charges, but took his own life as he awaited trial.
Daily Mirror
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Police shame British drugs mules by making them pose for photos with suitcases
Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, have been sentenced to nine years behind bars in a Zimbabwean prison after being caught with 53 packets of cannabis in their suitcases Two British drug mules have been locked up abroad after being caught carrying suitcases packed with cannabis. Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, were swooped upon by police and charged with unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs after being found with 65.41kg of cannabis at Zimbabwe 's Robert Mugabe International Airport on May 1. Photographs taken afterwards by police showed them sullen-faced and posing with their luggage. Today, they were each sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of the offences at Harare Magistrates' Court. They are set to serve six, after a judge suspended part of their sentence on condition of behaviour. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body. Zimbabwe's prosecution service said detectives singled out the pair as they left the Ethiopian Airways flight from Thailand after observing "suspicious behaviour". Four red and brown suitcases were then searched, and found to contain 53 packets of cannabis. A National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson said: "The couple arriving aboard Ethiopian Airways Flight ET 873 were flagged by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics after suspicious behaviour and intelligence led to a successful search of their four suitcases. "The search uncovered a total of 53 packets of cannabis hidden in red and brown luggage, tagged names of the offenders." The statement added: "No matter your nationality, the law will catch up with you. Airports are not gateways for crime." A spokesperson from the Foreign Office told the Mirror: 'We are supporting two British nationals who are detained in Zimbabwe and are in contact with the local authorities.' It comes after three British drug mules who smuggled £300,000 worth of cocaine into Bali stuffed in packets of Angel Delight were given a last-minute reprieve. Lisa Stocker, 39, her partner, Jon Collyer, 39, and accomplice Phineas Float were handed just a year in prison after fearing they could face execution under Indonesia's strict anti-drugs laws. They are set to be deported at the end of their sentences. A total of 992 grams of the Class A drug was found concealed across 10 sachets of Angel Delight in Collyer's luggage, along with 7 similar sachets in his partner's suitcase. Stocker and Collyer, from East Sussex, had journeyed from England via Qatar and were detained following a standard X-ray bag inspection upon arrival in Bali on February 1. Police later arrested Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, after a controlled operation which saw the other two suspects hand the drugs to him at the Grand Mas Airport Hotel carpark in Denpasar. The group managed to slip past Indonesian authorities twice before, but were caught on their third attempt, said Ponco Indriyo, the deputy director of the Bali Police Narcotics Unit.
