Joanne Samak: Jury discharged in murder trial of husband
A jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict. Mohamed Samak, 42, has denied murdering Joanne Samak, 49, at their home in Chestnut Spinney, Droitwich Spa, on 1 July last year. Jurors, who had been considering the case at Worcester Crown Court, were thanked by the judge for their service during the trial. Mr Samak, a former Egyptian international hockey player and coach, will remain in custody while the Crown Prosecution Service decides how to proceed.
The family of Mrs Samak previously paid tribute to her as a "loving, sensitive, generous person".
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Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Year-long ‘groping' nightmare of father accused of sexual assault after tapping male waiter on the back to avoid collision in hotel bar
A businessman found himself at the centre of a year-long nightmare at the hands of the Metropolitan Police after tapping a male waiter on the back for a second to avoid a collision in a hotel bar. Father-of-two Simon Correia was hauled before the courts after being falsely accused of intimately groping and touching the waiter's bottom following a black-tie awards ceremony held at London 's Park Plaza Riverbank hotel. CCTV footage clearly shows, from multiple angles, that Mr Correia, 48, momentarily placed his hand on the back of the man – who was holding a tray of drinks – to warn him not to step backwards. But even after viewing the footage and admitting it did not show what the accuser had described, a Met Police officer arrested the married company director, threw him in a cell for 15 hours and charged him with sexual assault. The false allegation triggered a horrific year-long legal saga which cost Mr Correia £10,000 in fees and devastated his family. His nightmare only came to an end on February 6 this year when, after seeing the CCTV footage, a judge threw the case out of court, saying it 'wholly contradicted' the waiter's account. Yet despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, Mr Correia, from Liverpool, and his wife Clare, 45, say they are yet to receive an apology from either the Met or the Crown Prosecution Service – or an explanation for why the case was ever allowed to proceed to trial. Last night, speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Mr Correia, who feared he would be placed on the sex offenders register, broke down while describing his ordeal. He said: 'At some points I thought I was going to take my life. I would never do it, but I was so panicked about my business and about how people would perceive me - I've never been in trouble in my life and then suddenly I'd been accused of something I hadn't done by this horrible individual.' 'It was like this evil spell had been cast over us.' The couple now want recognition from both the Met and the CPS of what Mr Correia was put through – and for his accuser to face justice for making false allegations. Mrs Correia said: 'The CPS and the Met, who have allowed this to happen, have given not one apology. They've all just tried to cover their back and they've allowed a dangerous man to walk free.' Mr Correia, the director of luxury watch brand Escudo, had been shortlisted for the Family Business of the Year award by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and had travelled with Clare to the capital in February last year for the ceremony. When the event finished, the couple went to the hotel's Chino Latino bar where, after chatting with other business leaders, Mr Correia sat with his wife at a table where a waiter was setting down drinks. Aware the waiter was facing away from him, Mr Correia lightly tapped the man on the back to make him aware of his presence. Recalling the moment, he said: 'I put my phone down and then said, 'Cheers mate', while I tapped him on the back and then sat straight down in my chair behind him. That was it. It was innocent and was just a warning of, 'I'm behind you, I'm just letting you know'.' CCTV footage then shows the waiter calmly continuing to put drinks on the table. Just over an hour later, the bar manager told Mr Correia that a staff member had accused him of sexual assault. Mr Correia said: 'I was thinking, it's got to be a prank – I honestly did. In the back of my mind I was hoping someone was going to go, 'Got ya!', but it just became more real the longer it went on.' Two officers took a statement from the waiter, who claimed Mr Correia had groped him and used a finger to penetrate him. A female officer's bodycam video, seen by the MoS, reveals she then watched the incident on the hotel's CCTV. 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Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Minister asked to comment on detention of Irish politician in Egypt
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD (MP) Paul Murphy said he had been detained in Egypt while attempting to march to the Rafah crossing into Gaza as part of a large demonstration and effort to get aid into the region. The opposition politician said his phone and passport were confiscated on Friday before being put on a bus to Cairo airport for deportation. His partner, Councillor Jess Spear, appealed to Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy premier Simon Harris to make a public statement. In a statement, she said: 'Paul was detained for hours this afternoon and forced onto a bus to be brought to Cairo airport for deportation. Paul's phone has been taken but he was allowed to call me briefly this evening.' She added: 'It is a serious matter for a member of the Dail to be detained in Egypt and forcibly deported just because he was participating in a peaceful march to try and get humanitarian aid into starving people in Gaza. 'I appeal to the Tanaiste to make a public statement calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Paul and all the others detained and to let them continue their humanitarian mission to Gaza.' Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday and set off towards Gaza on Friday. Prior to his phone being taken, he said his passport had been confiscated by the Egyptian army along with the passports of other people in the group who were stopped. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. He said those being detained were being asked to board a bus and he believed they were going to be deported. Mr Murphy told the PA news agency that several other Irish citizens were among those who have been stopped. In a video, he said: 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are going to act to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza, to demand that Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, of food, of water, of medical supplies, is ended. 'I'm just asking people to redouble their efforts, to get on to your own government, in Ireland's case get on to (Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Harris, your local TD, ask them to pressurise the Egyptian regime to allow us to engage in our peaceful march.' He added: 'The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months. Since March, a total attempt of starvation. 'And that this is a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.' Mr Murphy then posted a livestream video on X in which Egyptian authorities could be seen forcibly dragging some of the participants away from a sit-down protest. The livestream abruptly ended after his phone was taken, a People Before Profit spokesman said, adding that he had been put on a bus for Cairo airport. A post by an administrator on his X account says: 'We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport and phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully march to Gaza.' On request for a comment, a spokesman for Mr Harris referred to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The statement said the department was 'closely monitoring the situation' along with its embassy in Egypt. 'Embassy officials are engaging with the relevant local authorities and are in contact with EU and other partners regarding the situation. 'The department is in contact with a number of citizens and is providing advice and guidance. 'As set out in our travel advice, the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing is particularly dangerous at the moment and the border crossing is currently closed.'
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Powys County Times
Minister asked to comment on detention of Irish politician in Egypt
The partner of an Irish politician who was detained in Egypt has called on Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister to make a statement on the matter. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD (MP) Paul Murphy said he had been detained in Egypt while attempting to march to the Rafah crossing into Gaza as part of a large demonstration and effort to get aid into the region. The opposition politician said his phone and passport were confiscated on Friday before being put on a bus to Cairo airport for deportation. His partner, Councillor Jess Spear, appealed to Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy premier Simon Harris to make a public statement. In a statement, she said: 'Paul was detained for hours this afternoon and forced onto a bus to be brought to Cairo airport for deportation. Paul's phone has been taken but he was allowed to call me briefly this evening.' She added: 'It is a serious matter for a member of the Dail to be detained in Egypt and forcibly deported just because he was participating in a peaceful march to try and get humanitarian aid into starving people in Gaza. 'I appeal to the Tanaiste to make a public statement calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Paul and all the others detained and to let them continue their humanitarian mission to Gaza.' Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday and set off towards Gaza on Friday. Prior to his phone being taken, he said his passport had been confiscated by the Egyptian army along with the passports of other people in the group who were stopped. My bus and group of marchers has been stopped by the Egyptian authorities and our passports taken. They are telling us to get on a bus, but it is not clear where they will take us. We fear they intend to report us to stop us from marching to Gaza. — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 13, 2025 He said those being detained were being asked to board a bus and he believed they were going to be deported. Mr Murphy told the PA news agency that several other Irish citizens were among those who have been stopped. In a video, he said: 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are going to act to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza, to demand that Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, of food, of water, of medical supplies, is ended. 'I'm just asking people to redouble their efforts, to get on to your own government, in Ireland's case get on to (Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Harris, your local TD, ask them to pressurise the Egyptian regime to allow us to engage in our peaceful march.' He added: 'The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months. Since March, a total attempt of starvation. 'And that this is a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.' Mr Murphy then posted a livestream video on X in which Egyptian authorities could be seen forcibly dragging some of the participants away from a sit-down protest. The livestream abruptly ended after his phone was taken, a People Before Profit spokesman said, adding that he had been put on a bus for Cairo airport. A post by an administrator on his X account says: 'We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport and phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully march to Gaza.' On request for a comment, a spokesman for Mr Harris referred to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The statement said the department was 'closely monitoring the situation' along with its embassy in Egypt. 'Embassy officials are engaging with the relevant local authorities and are in contact with EU and other partners regarding the situation. 'The department is in contact with a number of citizens and is providing advice and guidance. 'As set out in our travel advice, the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing is particularly dangerous at the moment and the border crossing is currently closed.'
