Man who attacked police while armed with Molotov cocktails jailed for life
Alexander Dighton stabbed one officer and knocked another unconscious, after trying to set fire to a police van during the attack in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The court heard that his sister had reported him to the counter-extremism Prevent programme a year earlier – but he was not considered to be a threat.
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Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Driver admits killing woman, 22, in 140mph Christmas Day crash
A man has admitted killing a young woman after crashing a Mercedes at 140mph on Christmas Day. Evan Forde was speeding when he crashed into the back of a BMW on December 25, 2022 at about 3.45am. He was driving on a stretch of Hendon Way in Brent Cross, north London with a speed limit of 40mph – but he reached speeds of more than 140mph during the drive. Maria Carolina Do Nascimento, 22, was a passenger in the BMW but died at the scene of the crash. Shortly before the crash, police officers on patrol had indicated for Forde's car to stop, but he drove off and they did not follow him. A short time later, the Met were then told the same car had been involved in a crash. The people in the Mercedes ran away from the scene on foot. London Ambulance Service attended but Ms Nascimento, from Brazil, died at the scene. Forde, 32 and from Bedford, appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday where he admitted causing death by dangerous driving. Ms Nascimento's family cried in court as he pleaded guilty. Defence barrister Tasmin Malcolm said Forde had 'always accepted' he was driving the Mercedes. She said: 'Undoubtedly the speed Mr Forde was driving will be an aggravating feature to the court. 'It is important we are satisfied of the accuracy of the material relied on by the Crown.' Prosecutor Frederick Hookway observed that small variations of the speeds involved in the case were unlikely to have an impact given the defendant had reached 'top speeds of over 140mph'. Judge Anthony Leonard KC adjourned sentencing until October 22 and granted Forde continued conditional bail. More Trending He told the defendant: 'You have pleaded guilty to a very serious charge. There was perhaps no option other than to do so given the state of the evidence. 'However, the fact you pleaded at this stage will be taken into account at sentencing. 'You must understand the most likely result – if not the inevitable result – will be you sent to prison.' The Metropolitan Police previously said it had made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the crash. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Food influencers narrowly escape death after car crashes into restaurant table mid-review MORE: Man charged after Molotov cocktail thrown inside busy pub MORE: Man busted for 'hoarding $31,000 worth of stolen meat' in freezer stash
Daily Mirror
14-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Southport victim Bebe King's family slam new plans to share suspects' ethnicity
Bebe King's grandfather said the actions of the far-right and Nigel Farage's Reform UK party in bid to "make a political gain" had been "despicable" in the wake of the horrific tragedy Southport victim Bebe King's family have urged the government to shelve new police guidance encouraging forces to publish the ethnicity and immigration status of high-profile suspects. Little Bebe was the youngest of the three little girls killed in the horrific knife attack last year. The six-year-old was murdered alongside Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Bebe's grandfather, Michael Weston King, said they had been failed by the "despicable" far-right who "tried to make a political gain" from their loss. Mr Weston King urged ministers to reconsider their support for the new official guidance, slamming it as "completely irrelevant" information about suspects. He also hit out at Nigel Farage's "despicable" Reform UK, whose party has been calling for the guidance to be an enforced policy. Mr Weston King told the Guardian: "This apparent kowtowing to the likes of Farage and Reform, who surely want such a policy in place, is extremely disappointing, though perhaps not surprising. 'I not only speak for myself but for all of the King family when I say that the ethnicity of any perpetrator, or indeed their immigration status, is completely irrelevant. Mental health issues, and the propensity to commit crime, happens in any ethnicity, nationality or race. 'The boy who took Bebe had been failed by various organisations, who were aware of his behaviour, and by the previous government's lack of investment in [the official anti-extremism strategy] Prevent . As a result, we were also failed by this.' He added that the family 'were failed further, by the likes of Reform and the right wing, as they tried to make political gain from our tragedy, only causing further misery to us and others, which was despicable'. Teen killer, Axel Rudakubana, was jailed for a minimum of a 52 years for his attack on the Taylor Swift themed dance class full of children in July last year. In the days that followed, fascist thugs used the tragedy to incite riots across the UK. They spread false information that Rudakubana, a black Brit born in Wales to a Christian family, was in fact a Muslim asylum seeker. The unrest saw scores of police officers injured, mosques and asylum hotels targeted and people of colour lynched indiscriminately in the streets. Home secretary, Yvette Cooper, welcomed new police guidelines released on Wednesday, despite criticism from anti-racism campaigners and women's groups. It follows claims of police 'cover up' that two men charged in connection with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, were asylum seekers. The far-right then staged an anti-immigration protest, where some worw Nazi imagery on their clothes and told a crowd the 'far right must unite'. A judge defied court guidance to publicly name underage Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack, in a bid to stop the riots. But the violence only stopped once hundreds of thugs involved began receiving prison sentences. Mr Weston King said: 'Though we are not interested in retribution or revenge, we were glad to see that the rioters, along with those who spread lies and hatred online, received prison sentences. I very much hope that the mood and opinion of the nation is in keeping with ours, and that this plan does not go ahead.'
Daily Mirror
07-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Big Brother star sobs in court after buying petrol for Molotov cocktail
A Big Brother star, who appeared on the show in 2017, appeared in court along with two others over an incident that occurred at the Peggy Junes pub in Redcar earlier this year Former Big Brother contestant Simone Reed purchased petrol for a Molotov cocktail that was thrown at a person's head outside a bar earlier this year. The 36-year-old, who was a contestant on the hit show in 2017, drove with Carl Wild to a garage after threatening to firebomb the Peggy Junes pub in Redcar following a row. Reed watched as Wild, 34, launched the Molotov cocktail at reveller David Brotton. The petrol bomb hit Brotton on the head. A CCTV video showed Brotton rolling around on the ground attempting to put out the flames that engulfed his head, with a passerby rushing to help put it out. Wild was also seen walking into the pub, smashing up furniture, hitting out at patrons and ransacking the till. Three people were taken to hospital on February 15 with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Reed, who once auditioned for X Factor but did not make it through to the live shows, cried in court as she pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence - the offence being arson with recklessness as to whether life would be endangered. In her basis of plea, Reed said: "I had no idea that Carl was going to take it as far as he did... I did not expect at any point that anyone would suffer physical injury." The Big Brother star was given bail and a home curfew between 7pm and 5am. Wild admitted to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and aggravated burglary. Co-accused Lee Wild, 37, admitted causing fear of violence. Judge Laird KC had told the defendants: "Mr Wild and Ms Reed, along with your co-accused, I will sentence you on October 9. I haven't made my mind up about you Ms Reed but Mr Wild (Lee) you are likely to get a short sentence of imprisonment. "As your counsel has pointed out, you have served as long as a court could possibly sentence you to already. I don't want to sentence you in advance of the others. "I will amend your bail so it will now be on condition you don't go to the premises and you do not contact any prosecution witnesses by any means. "The others [including a curfew tag] can be removed so your life to a large extent can return back to what it was." Carl Wild remains in custody while Lee Wild and Reed were given conditional bail. The three's sentencing will take place on October 9.
