Man dies in crash involving motorcycle and car in Cornwall
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The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘It was the wrong thing to do to me' – Darts player who was punched by disgraced pro star speaks out for first time
THE DARTS player who was punched by Adam Smith-Neale has spoken out about being attacked for the first time. Smith-Neale was banned for eights months in March 2024 for smacking amateur Sam Whittaker in the face after he beat him at the Nuneaton Darts Open in Warwickshire. 3 3 3 Following his suspension, Smith-Neale claims he whacked his rival after he 'threatened' his mum during the match and made a 'derogatory comment under his breath' following his victory. But Whittaker, 40, has dismissed these claims, saying he never threatened his mum or insulted him at the event and that he believes he only punched him because he is a 'sore loser'. He claimed Smith-Neale, known as Big Dog, bragged to people at the tournament he was going to beat him badly and couldn't take it when he lost. Whittaker said: 'He doesn't like it because he lost. Before we started playing, he told everyone he was going to smash me. 'It was the wrong thing to do to me because when I am on my game I can beat anyone. 'He was going round the room saying he was going to beat me, and when he lost he didn't like it. He probably did it because he knows I can beat him.' He alleged Smith-Neale lightly kicked him in the back of his heel as he was about to throw darts several times during the match, saying he 'kept coming up behind me as I was about to take the shot and clipped me.' Whittaker claims when he asked him to stop his mum 'shouted her mouth off' and told him 'he was in the wrong' and he was 'nothing'. He added that the only interaction he had with her mum was to ask her 'I am in the wrong?' after she berated him, adding he 'made no threats to her'. Whittaker said Smith-Neale, who lost his professional status due to inactivity, punched him when he tried to shake his hand at the end of the match. Whittaker revealed that the punch didn't hurt him and he then told his rival that 'my mum can hit harder than that' after he attacked him. He claims Smith-Neale then said "come on then" and tried to square up to him before the landlord of the pub pushed him away. Whittaker also claimed the pair previously played in an amateur darts team which represented the Queens Head pub in Tamworth. He said Smith-Neale announced in the team's Facebook group chat in 2015 that he was leaving it because he wanted to play Super League darts. Whittaker wished him good luck with his new career in the chat, so he was left baffled after Smith-Neale had threatened him and the club captain by telling them he was going to 'punch them up'. He said he was shocked by his remark as he and the captain had previously got on well with the former pro. Whittaker said Smith-Neale can often be volatile and unpredictable, saying: 'He is just very up and down, he can be very friendly and then he can turn on you the next minute. 'He is just not a very nice person, he is always bragging and arrogant and claiming he is better than other players. It is good to have confidence but you do not need to have arrogance with it. He is just trying to ridicule people.' Discussing the altercation in an interview with Darts World magazine, the 2018 BDO World Masters champion, Smith-Neale said: 'It was on a Saturday afternoon in a local near where I live in Nuneaton. 'There was a bit of needle and he made threats towards me which plenty of people heard. 'Then my mum got involved and he had a go back at her, making threats also. 'It was kind of decided between us that we would sort things out after the match.' Asked by Darts World if he regretted his actions, Smith-Neale replied: 'If someone threatens my family, I would do the same thing again.' Smith-Neale's DRA suspension was backdated to March 12, 2024 – the date of his initial ban - and lifted on November 12 last year. The Coventry-thrower has returned to television screens this week with appearances on the MODUS Super Series in Portsmouth, which is on Pluto TV.
The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Preston stabbing sparks call for probation staff safety review
There needs to be a review of safety for probation officers across England and Wales after a stabbing incident that has deeply concerned frontline staff, a watchdog has told the Guardian. The call from Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, includes a demand for walk-through metal detectors and security guards to help protect caseworkers as they interact with growing numbers of released offenders. A man was charged last week with the attempted murder of a probation officer in her 30s who was stabbed at work in Preston, Lancashire. Ryan Gee, 35 and of no fixed address, is due before Preston magistrates court accused of attempted murder, threatening a person with an offensive weapon or bladed article in a private place, two counts of possessing a knife blade in a public place, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and false imprisonment. After the incident, a petition calling for enhanced security has gained more than 15,000 signatures and support from dozens of probation staff. Probation officers face extra work and increasing contact with serious offenders after the early release of prisoners to ease overcrowding in jails. Ministers are releasing some violent prisoners, those convicted of sexual offences and domestic abusers, after serving a third of their sentences in a bid to reduce pressure on prisons. Asked if he backed calls for an immediate review of safety procedures, Jones, who was the chief executive of the Parole Board for nine years, said: 'Probation staff do a vital job at the frontline of the justice system managing a large and complex caseload. It is vital that there is a proper review to learn lessons from the recent serious and concerning attack on an officer. Probation staff deserve to be safe in their work.' According to the petition, many probation offices do not have dedicated security personnel, nor do they consistently use metal detectors or other screening methods to ensure the safety of their staff and visitors. 'This oversight places probation officers at significant risk, potentially exposing them to threats and violence from the very individuals they are working to help rehabilitate,' the petition says. Most probation offices have panic alarms on the walls and no security guards. There is no guarantee that staff will be able to reach them if they are attacked. In comments below the petition, one staff member wrote: 'Since starting my new office in January, I have witnessed colleagues being punched, and on one occasion trapped in a room with an angry and aggressive service user. We do our best to manage risk. We use body cues, we use high-risk rooms, we ask our colleagues to keep an eye out if we are concerned. But we work with humans, who are unpredictable. With the best will in the world, we cannot read their minds.' A former probation officer said they left the service because of threats, abuse and a lack of security. 'I worked in the Probation Service for five years before leaving, one of the reasons being the relentless abuse, threats of violence and the lack of security in our offices. Time and again, concerns about safety were not taken seriously,' they said. The total number of offenders on probation in England and Wales at the end of March 2025 was 241,540, a 9% increase compared with March 2015. The government began freeing thousands of inmates early in September to curb jail overcrowding, by temporarily reducing the proportion of sentences that some prisoners must serve behind bars from 50% to 40%. A sentencing review by the former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke called for more criminals to serve their sentences in the community while being monitored by the Probation Service. The Probation Service said it was conducting a review of the incident in Preston, and would consider whether further changes were needed nationally. A spokesperson said an internal investigation that would consider the security measures at the site had already been launched. Officials are limited in what they can say because of the continuing police investigation and criminal charges. 'Our thoughts remain with the probation officer involved, their family and their colleagues,' they said. 'We will not tolerate assaults on our hard-working staff. We have already launched an urgent investigation into security measures at Preston and will use the findings to consider whether further changes are needed across the entire service to ensure all staff are better protected.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Teenager performing wheelie tackled to ground by Kent Police
Bodycam footage released by Kent Police shows an officer tackling a teenager who performed a wheelie, seemingly directly at him. The incident took place on 26 July after police responded to reports of 'nuisance' teenagers riding bikes into oncoming traffic and performing wheelies near the public. During the intervention, the officer grabbed the youngster mid-cycle and instructed him to 'stop it'. Other teenagers involved were issued section 35 dispersal orders, had their parents informed, and their bikes seized by officers. Watch the video in full above.
