Man charged after passenger dies in Newton-le-Willows tree crash
A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving following a crash in which his passenger was killed.Jonathan Mennell, 35, died after the white Ford Kuga he was travelling in crashed into a tree on Southworth Road in Newton-le-Willows on 10 June 2024, said Merseyside Police.Martin Green, of Beech Avenue in Wigan, has also been charged with failing to co-operate with preliminary tests.The 36-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday and is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 25 July.
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The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Crossbow Cannibal' smirked as I searched his house of horrors… there were things in his bathtub no one should ever see
HE was a PhD student by day, and a sadistic 'Crossbow Cannibal' by night - a monster hiding in plain sight. But few know the horrors committed by Stephen Griffiths better than the officer who raided his chilling flat, greeted by the stench of death and horrific discoveries that made the "hair at the back of your neck stand up". 16 Between 2009 and 2010, the sick monster - now aged 55 - killed three sex workers operating close to his flat on the edge of Bradford's red light district, cannibalising and dismembering them. But the self-styled 'Crossbow Cannibal' - who fantasised about becoming a serial killer - saw his twisted spree come crashing down when chilling CCTV footage exposed his final, brutal act. In May 2010, Griffiths was caught on film with a crossbow in hand, attacking a woman who had followed him into his flat in Bradford. The grainy footage showed her trying to flee, with Griffiths chasing her down. It was a scene so disturbing that the caretaker who discovered it immediately called his manager and then the police. One of the officers brought in was Damian Sharp, a former firearms tactical advisor, who was urgently called to one of West Yorkshire Police's major planning stations. Speaking exclusively to The Sun, as part of our Meeting a Monster series, Damian recalls: "Whatever that security man's motives were for checking the footage, it's extremely good he did because it probably saved the lives of a lot of women. "In regards to the woman in the footage, when we got the call, we had to make the assumption that she was still alive. "She was dragged back into the flat and is essentially a hostage, and has been rendered unconscious. "It was not a good situation at all, especially with the crossbow. We treated it as a hostage situation, but we were dealing with what we call a collapsing timeframe. "We had to keep the wheels turning because every second counted. A hostage situation can turn fatal very quickly." 'Crossbow Cannibal' who dismembered and ate his victims 'is attacked in prison AGAIN The tactical plan was clear - surround the building, box Griffiths in, and storm the flat before he had a chance to act again. Tasers were drawn, and officers prepared to strike. "The officers barged in and he was in bed", Damian recalls. "He didn't know what was going on. "The preemptive Taser was taken out because the officer thought there was no requirement for that. He was clearly not a threat. "He was cuffed, and then he changed from being compliant to a bit cocky almost and almost abrasive. "And obviously, there was an immediate search of the apartment. Unfortunately, no female was found." 16 In that moment, the team's worst fears were confirmed. The woman in the footage was gone. Griffiths had already killed her and disposed of her remains. Damian says during the search of the blood-smeared apartment, his team came across 'unsettling' items in places like the oven, which gave credence to Griffiths' cannibal nickname. He says: "There were things in the bathtub and they were not nice. There was an awful smell in the apartment. "The environment was unsettling. Enough to make the hair at the back of your neck stand up." In their investigation, police discovered that Griffiths tried unsuccessfully to get a second female into the apartment that same night, indicating that the incident caught on CCTV was not just an isolated case. 81 different body pieces Investigators quickly pieced together that the woman in the film was Suzanne Blamires, 36, a sex worker who had a "promising life" but fell in with the wrong crowd. A court later heard how 81 different pieces of Suzanne's body were eventually found in or by the River Aire in Shipley. She was Griffiths' final victim, having already murdered 31-year-old Shelley Armitage in April 2010 and Susan Rushworth, 43, in June the previous year. Damian, who has dealt with some of the UK's most evil criminals, says: "As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don't think it gets much worse than what he did. "He showed no remorse for what he'd done. He bragged about it. He was quite pleased with himself." Sister's horror Now, a new Amazon Prime documentary, The Crossbow Cannibal, examines Griffiths' heinous crimes and the vile way he gained his moniker. In the film, his estranged sister Caroline breaks her silence for the first time to talk about her brother's actions, suggesting she had long sensed he was hiding a darkness. Describing the gut feeling she had when a news report talked about a killer, she says: "I was enjoying my fish and chips and the BBC news was on. "It came on that a 40-year-old man from Bradford. Arrested. Body parts [were] found in a river. As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don't think it gets much worse than what he did. He showed no remorse for what he'd done. Damian Sharp "I made this funny noise - kind of sucked air through my teeth. And I just said, 'My brother. I bet you that's my brother'." She adds: 'I watch true crime and I think that's terrible. But then I also think my brother did worse than that. "You hear about people chopping people up, and you think it's awful, and then the words 81 pieces come into your head. "And you never really come to terms with it. But it's real. It happened." Sickest crimes 16 16 After Griffiths' arrest, he was quickly linked to Susan and Shelley's disappearance, as cops feared another case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who killed more than 22 women. His first kill came in June 2009 when he targeted Susan. In the film, Christa Ackyord, a Yorkshire -based journalist, says: "I know mutual friends. I've talked to her brother. She literally went down the wrong track. It was all going so well for Susan. "She was married, she had children, she was also a grandma." But Susan's life fell apart when her marriage failed, and she turned to drugs and prostitution. She tried to get things back on track, but fell back into addiction. She was last seen walking near the red light district in Bradford, where she'd sometimes sold sex to fund her habit. That morning, Susan told a friend she was "just going to see a punter" - unaware she was about to walk into the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Her client was Stephen Griffiths. He had spotted her before and lured her in under the guise of paying for sex. Once inside his flat, Susan was never seen alive again. Sickening spree There were multiple police appeals and efforts to locate Susan. Exactly what happened inside remains unknown - her body was never found. Susan's family were left devastated. Her daughter described her as a "kind, caring woman" who had struggled with addiction but was "trying to turn her life around". Her death marked the start of Griffiths' sick killing spree - and for police, the nightmare was just beginning. Shelley Armitage was just 31, and described as bright, ambitious, and dreaming of modelling and a life beyond Bradford's streets. Friends say she "could have been a beautiful model" and had a bubbly personality. But a spiral of heroin and alcohol addiction drew her into sex work. On April 26, 2010, she was last seen on CCTV walking along Rebecca Street in Bradford's red light district . She disappeared after leaving her flat in Allerton with a friend and never returned home . Her boyfriend, Robert Preston, filed a missing persons report two days later. Again, several police appeals were launched with investigators pleading with the public for help to locate Shelley. Griffiths had lured Shelley to his flat under the pretence of sex, then tied her up in his bathtub while filming the ordeal on his phone, police later revealed. Mobile phones retrieved from his home showed images of Shelley's naked, dead body with the words: "My sex slave" written on her. Another video showed a nude body that had been bound. Griffith provided vile commentary describing himself as a "bloodbath artist". The murderer showed no remorse when detectives sat him down in the interview room. He was calm, collected and even smug as he detailed his horrific crimes. He confessed that Susan was killed with a hammer. He then dismembered her body with machine tools, he said. Griffiths also claimed he cooked and ate part of her flesh. In one shocking moment, he described eating the flesh of his victims as "part of the magic". He admitted to killing Shelley with a crossbow and dismembering her in the bath. He informed detectives that they would find traces of her body on the cooker in his home. He recalled butchering Suzanne Blamires with a crossbow. After divulging the information, he stopped talking to the cops, letting them know that to become a serial killer, he only needed to kill three people. Investigators quickly started piecing together a sinister motive - Griffith was after notoriety and infamy. He wanted to surpass his idol, serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. In the documentary, his sister says: "He once told me as well that if he couldn't be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me." Crossbow Cannibal When Griffiths first appeared in Bradford Crown Court on June 25, 2010, the room fell into stunned silence. He stood in the dock, unshaven, wearing a grey prison sweatshirt. When asked to confirm his name, he chillingly replied: "I am the Crossbow Cannibal." It was the first time the public heard the nickname, a vile moniker he had clearly chosen for himself, designed to terrify. Griffiths showed no remorse throughout the proceedings. The evidence against him was overwhelming, with CCTV footage and forensic evidence from his flat playing a crucial role. Cops also had the phone video he filmed of himself tormenting Shelley Armitage in the bath, and remains recovered from the River Aire. He once told me as well that if he couldn't be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me Caroline Griffiths In addition, blood samples from all three women were retrieved from his apartment, which was called a slaughterhouse in the media. He was charged with three counts of murder and pleaded guilty to each one. At his trial, the court heard how he had targeted vulnerable women working in Bradford's red light district, luring them into his home before murdering and dismembering them. In December 2010, Mr Justice Openshaw, sentencing Griffiths to a whole life order, told him: "You are a very dangerous man and in my judgment you should never be released from prison." Griffiths showed no reaction. He stood still and silent, not even looking at the victims' families who sat weeping just metres away. He was sent to Wakefield Prison, among some of Britain's most notorious killers. In November last year, Griffiths was attacked in prison by one of Suzanne Blamires' friends who was also incarcerated. 'Worst fears' 16 Today, Griffiths' sister only has one question - why. She says: "I just want to ask him why, probably. Why did he do this, and who are you? I'd probably tell him that I loved him as well. People might be shocked to hear that, but he's my brother. My big brother." Christa Ackyord says the attention must always be brought back to Griffiths' victims and their families. She explains: "For their families, they were people that they loved. People that they tried to help. People that they were desperately worried about. And their worst fears came true. "And they ended up meeting a psychopath. A cold-hearted killer who wanted to be famous."
The Guardian
40 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Your reservation is at risk': beware the Booking.com scam
You've booked the hotel and you're starting to look forward to your break when you get a message telling you to make a payment, or give your credit card details, to secure your holiday. It's come through the app, or in an email that looks legitimate, so you get out your credit card in panic and pay. As the summer holidays get into full swing many of us are primed to hear from travel providers – making it open season for scammers. One of many holiday-related frauds preys on customers who have booked somewhere to stay via the platform either via its website or app. In the UK, Action Fraud received 532 reports of the scam between June 2023 and September 2024, with victims losing a total of £370,000. It says that it is likely hackers are using phishing attacks against accommodation providers and then using the details to contact customers – sometimes via WhatsApp but often through the real platform. This means the usual things to look out for – odd email addresses, or texts, may not apply. Cases seen by Guardian Money have typically involved the theft of several hundred pounds. The global nature of the platform means it can happen to you wherever in the world you live, or plan to holiday. Regulators in countries including Australia have warned of the issue. said: 'Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of online scams targeting many businesses operating in the e-commerce space. With the rise of AI, cybercriminals are able to create increasingly sophisticated scams.' It said continually invested in cybersecurity technology, and incidents on the platform were rare. The message may say that your payment details need to be verified, or that there has been a problem with your card. It will try to make you panic by telling you your accommodation will be cancelled if you don't respond – it will probably give you a deadline to act by – usually a few hours away. There will be a link in the message for you to click on to give your card details. A separate scam also preying on would-be holidaymakers involves fake web pages which are used to trick people into downloading a malicious file that gives criminals full control of your device. The technology firm HP Wolf Security says scammers are emailing links to the pages and visitors are asked to accept cookies before they can see the full site – it is when they press 'accept' that the file downloads. A payment, or credit card details which the scammers say will just be used to pre-authorise or verify the card before your stay. They then charge it. Try not to panic about your holiday and don't respond until you've checked the message is genuine. advises: 'Always double-check the property's payment policies listed on the booking page or in your confirmation email. If there is no pre-payment policy or deposit requirement outlined, but you're asked to pay in advance to secure your booking, it is likely a scam.' If you are in doubt, contact customer service team and/or the accommodation provider directly. Be suspicious of any links you are sent. Genuine payments will be made on the app or website – you won't be sent to another site. Look out for common fraud tactics and giveaways. 'Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors,' says. If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card. also advises enabling two-factor authorisation on your account
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bishop of Blackburn claims church leaders 'silent' on grooming gangs
A bishop has claimed church leaders have been "collectively silent on grooming gangs" in an article for The Church of England of Blackburn the Right Reverend Philip North's comments followed Baroness Louise Casey's recent report, which said the ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs had been "shied away from" by authorities. In the article, he described clergy's local knowledge as "legendary", adding: "There must be hundreds of other church leaders like me who had heard rumours, stories and concerns yet said nothing."The BBC has asked the Church of England for a response. Bishop North said: "I have heard directly and on many occasions of the anxiety of working-class families that their daughters are vulnerable to well organised gangs."Why did I so readily believe the voices that claimed that calling for an inquiry was a collusion with the far right?"In January, the prime minister accused those calling for a national inquiry of "amplifying" the far right's has since confirmed a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs will be held after recommendations in the Casey review found poor data collection on perpetrators' ethnicity, which could be "used to suit the ends of those presenting it", and cause members of Asian, Pakistani and Muslim communities to "needlessly suffer as those with malicious intent use this obfuscation to sow and spread hatred". Bishop North said the recent Casey report "causes me to ask myself a very uncomfortable question"."Why did I not publicly support an inquiry when the issue was raised earlier in the year?"He said the Church was "quick to speak out on benefits and inequality, on Israel and Gaza, on assisted dying and the care system"."Why have we been collectively silent on grooming gangs?" 'Fear-driven silence' Bishop North said his own reasons were "twofold", including that he "feared damaging" his "precious relationships with members of the south Asian Muslim community in Lancashire, sincere friendships which really matter to me and which are critical as we work together for social cohesion"."Second, the Church of England has rightly apologised for institutional racism and is seeking to change and become a church that promotes anti-racism at every level," he wrote."Raising an issue that so directly impacts one ethnic group could appear to sit ill with our commitment to racial justice."He added he found those reasons "unconvincing" when he analysed them."The cause of social cohesion is undermined by failure to name the criminal behaviour of a tiny minority, especially when it is equally condemned by the vast majority of Asian heritage men and women," he said he was engaging in "some serious reflection about my fear-driven silence when it comes to grooming gangs", adding: "I hope other church leaders will do the same."The Church itself has also faced strong criticism of its responses when members of the clergy are accused of abuse by survivors, with the former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigning in 2024 after a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church. 'Gap with working class' Bishop North said the institution faced the problem of a "growing distance" between a "culturally middle-class established church" and the needs of working-class communities."All too often, we are either silent or actively at odds with the issues that most trouble working-class neighbourhoods: not just grooming gangs but the impact of immigration on community life, benefits dependency, the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers, energy costs and so on."He added that "being attentive" to needs of working-class communities did not mean the Church had to agree with them said the Church should be "ensuring that voices that are often silenced are given proper attention in public dialogue", or else it would be playing its part in "creating a political vacuum that the far right will be all too happy to fill". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
