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British woman, 21, is 'raped by Syrian man, 31' in Greek party town of Malia

British woman, 21, is 'raped by Syrian man, 31' in Greek party town of Malia

Daily Mail​17-07-2025
A 21-year-old British woman has accused a man of raping her while on holiday in the popular Greek resort of Malia, Crete.
According to local outlet Cretapost, the tourist told police she had gone to a bar in the early hours of June 22.
She alleges that she met a man while there and spent time drinking with him.
It is claimed that after leaving the venue together, the man took her to a deserted location and raped her.
Greek police said a 31-year-old man from Syria has been identified and arrested in connection with the incident. He remains in custody.
The woman, who was on a short vacation, reported the alleged attack to police shortly afterwards. Officers launched an investigation and tracked down the suspect.
Authorities said the woman will be examined by a forensic doctor, whose findings are expected to provide more clarity as the investigation continues.
No further details have been released at this stage.
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Great-grandfather, 80, who became drugs mule shifting £13m of cocaine for one of Britain's most feared cartels is jailed for seven years
Great-grandfather, 80, who became drugs mule shifting £13m of cocaine for one of Britain's most feared cartels is jailed for seven years

Daily Mail​

time24 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Great-grandfather, 80, who became drugs mule shifting £13m of cocaine for one of Britain's most feared cartels is jailed for seven years

An 80-year-old great-grandfather who became a drugs mule and shifted a staggering £13million of cocaine for one of Britain's most feared cartels has been jailed. Widowed Malcolm Hoyland was arrested in a police bust after he made 17 cocaine drops for the notorious Byrne Organised Crime Group when his son became ill and fell into debt. The gang is considered a wing of the ruthless Kinahan Cartel, which is one of the world's most powerful organised crime groups with a multi-million pound empire spanning drug-smuggling, arms-running, money laundering and extortion. Ex-soldier Hoyland and his 49-year-old son Richard's point of contact in the Irish-based Byrne gang was a mysterious underworld figure named only as 'Mr Miyagi' after the elderly mentor from the Karate Kid movies. Based at a £200,000 semi he rented from Richard, in Prestwich, Manchester, Hoyland snr made trips in his car across the UK including Plymouth, London and Ripon, North Yorks and was said to have been regarded as a 'trusted' figure in the racket. Police swooped on the property last January and found cocaine inside with a street value of £8.3million. Detectives believe up to £13million worth of cocaine was handled by the white-bearded OAP and his son before being trafficked to various gangsters across Britain on behalf of the Byrnes. At Manchester Crown Court Hoyland snr who has arthritis, is partially deaf and has other serious health conditions, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and was jailed for a total of seven years and three months. It is feared he will now die behind bars. Hoyland jnr from Todmorden, West Yorkshire, also admitted conspiracy and was jailed for 10 years. Both will have Proceeds of Crime hearings in January. The racket was uncovered after police began a surveillance operation on the Hoylands following a tip off they were dealing with the Byrnes. Inquiries revealed Hoyland jnr had first come into contact with the Byrnes after he developed the incurable neurodegenerative illness Huntington's Disease and his business went into liquidation. Hoyland snr who formerly worked as a roofer and a farmer after leaving the army then agreed to help out his son with cocaine drops when the family home got into mortgage arrears. Describing the duo's role in the gang, Prosecutor Alex Langhorn told the court: 'They were involved in the source and supply of at least 137kg of cocaine on behalf of someone whose name was stored in their phones as "Mr Miyagi". 'There were 17 trips with destinations as far flung as Ripon, North Yorks, Leicester, Accrington, Batley, Haydock, Sunderland, Sheffield, Plymouth, Burnley and the City of London. 'Mr Miyagi directed what was to be done with the packages but it would appear Richard was the primary point of contact and he passed things onto his father who was a willing participant in the conspiracy.' The court heard how Hoyland jnr was seen meeting with a member of the Byrnes gang and following a handover that man travelled on supplied cocaine to other gangsters in the cartel, the prosecutor said. 'On one occasion Richard received a call from a Mr Miyagi saying: "Yo mate ASAP" and another contact using the pseudonym Mike Tyson on the encrypted Zangi app contacted him to ask if his father could deliver 5kg of cocaine to a postcode in Hulme, Manchester,' Mr Langhorn said. 'Richard then contacted his father who then arrived in Hulme whereupon Mr Miyagi sent him a message saying the person collecting the drugs could not see him. Mr Miyagi then asked Malcolm to check if the drugs had "Cartier" stamps embossed on them. A further series of handovers were later observed.' Police who raided Hoyland snr's address found him sat in his car on the driveway. In the living room three bags were found containing 70g of cocaine and a machete was found hidden underneath cushions on a sofa. A further 13kg of cocaine was found a box in a wardrobe in a bedroom. In the garage police recovered two empty Sports Direct sports holdalls suspected to have been used in a previous consignment plus £2,000 in cash locked away in a safe. Initially Hoyland snr claimed to have no knowledge of the drugs but later admitted: 'I was aware packages containing drugs were stored in the property but I did not arrange for the drugs to be brought to the property. 'I was directed by my son and occasionally dealt with some packages. I wrote some notes and I accompanied Richard on a number of trips around the country but at his request I would stay in the vehicle whilst he conducted whatever business there was. 'I also accept on a very few occasions I made deliveries on my own but I acted at all times under the direction of my son. I felt I could not report the drugs to the police as I was afraid about what others might do to my family. ' Hoyland jnr was stopped as he was driving his Ford Transit in Littleborough. His ex-partner's home was searched and officers recovered two iPhones and £5,040 in cash from a sock drawer in the master bedroom. He later said he got involved in the racket due to a 'hole in his finances' after being forced to give up his job due to his illness and claimed he was trying to provide for his family. In mitigation for Hoyland snr, defence counsel Michael James said: 'He was acting under the direction of other people. He felt he was simply helping out his son and didn't feel he could do anything else. 'He didn't ask to become involved but became involved due to the family's circumstances. His role in the operation was towards the bottom of the chain and there is a real risk given his age and current health that he may never be released from custody before he passes away.' For Hoyland jnr, defence counsel Nicholas Clarke said: 'He was not making significant amounts of money. He had lost his career and been diagnosed with a medical condition which will affect his ability to walk, wash and feed and he merely made sufficient money to keep up with his mortgage and keep his family in clothes and food.' In sentencing Hoyland snr, Judge Peter Horgan said: 'It is a sad state of affairs when I have to sentence a man of 80 for such serious crime. 'I accept you introduced to this conspiracy by your son - however you were acting in the expectation of significant financial reward and you made your own decisions to play an active role. 'Others have expressed how dumbfounded at your involvement in this matter.' Speaking following their pair's sentencing, Detective Constable Elle Cartwright, of Greater Manchester Police's serious organised crime group, said: 'This was a sophisticated and highly organised criminal network responsible for flooding communities with harmful drugs. 'Richard Hoyland, along with his father Malcolm, played pivotal roles in supplying vast quantities of class A drugs to gangs across the country. Their convictions are a significant result in our ongoing fight against serious and organised crime.' The Byrnes gang is believed to be responsible for a number of gangland hits, drug smuggling and trafficking. They are an off-shoot of the Kinahan Cartel - which is believed to currently be operating from Dubai. Steven Gerrard's influencer daughter Lilly-Eva is currently dating Lee Byrne, the son of jailed crime boss Liam Byrne, who works for the Kinahan Cartel. Her future father-in-law's gangster brother David Byrne, 33, was machine-gunned to death in 2016, while his cousin is convicted Kinahan murderer 'Fat Freddie' Thompson, 44. While there is no suggestion Lee is involved in crime, his relationship with Lilly-Ella has raised eyebrows, with former Garda assistant commissioner Pat Leahy previously warning Gerrard that any links with the Byrne clan did him 'no favours'. Lilly-Ella and Lee announced the birth of their first child together earlier this year.

Woman ‘sexually assaulted on London Underground train' – as cops release CCTV image of topless man
Woman ‘sexually assaulted on London Underground train' – as cops release CCTV image of topless man

The Sun

time27 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Woman ‘sexually assaulted on London Underground train' – as cops release CCTV image of topless man

COPS are urgently hunting for a topless man after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Tube. Police said that their suspect struck on a Jubilee line train travelling between Southwark and London Bridge on Monday, June 30. The alleged sexual assault happened just before 5pm, when thousands of commuters would be leaving the office and getting on the London Underground. Now, the British Transport Police (BTP) has released a CCTV image in the hopes someone can identify the person of interest. The picture shows a middle-aged white man of medium build with short dark hair. He is wearing black and white patterned shorts and appears to have a tattoo on his right arm. A BTP statement said: "Officers would like to speak to the man pictured as they believe he may have information which could help their investigation." The statement added: "Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 500 of 30 June. "Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111." Data released by Transport for London revealed over 800 reports of sexual assault on the London Underground were made in 2024. This was an increase of 56 assaults when compared to the previous year, with 745 occurring between April 2022 and April 2023. 1

Our mum is UK's most infamous female gangster…we played with sawn-off shotguns at 3 & she hid dad's grisly death from us
Our mum is UK's most infamous female gangster…we played with sawn-off shotguns at 3 & she hid dad's grisly death from us

The Sun

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Our mum is UK's most infamous female gangster…we played with sawn-off shotguns at 3 & she hid dad's grisly death from us

WHEN Neil Calvey was just nine months old his dad walked in from work, sliced open a sack of used bank notes and poured them over his head. Baby Neil sat playing with thousands of pounds as his jubilant dad took a picture to put in pride of place on the mantelpiece. 13 13 13 13 It may sound far-fetched, but as the son of Mickey and Linda Calvey - two of Britain's most notorious armed robbers - that is not his most outrageous story. Now for the first time Neil and his sister Melanie are opening up about their childhoods which were moulded by untold riches, but also crime, violence and loss. Mickey was shot dead in a failed armed robbery when the kids were aged just seven and four. So mum Linda decided to continue with the family business and became the most notorious female gangster in British history - The Black Widow. She was the first woman to be charged with gangland murder in Britain and was convicted of shooting dead her lover Ronnie Cook and jailed for life. This meant Neil and Mel had lost both their mum and dad to their lives of crime. Now in a new BBC podcast they reveal what it was like to live a childhood as the kids of prolific armed robbers. Neil says: 'When my dad got killed and my mum went to prison, it was like falling into a black hole. You just don't know which way to turn.' Mel adds: 'I was angry. I'd already lost my dad, then I lost my mum. I told her that. I was about 14, and I asked her, 'Why did you do that to us?' I was bitter for years. 'It was like drinking a poison that festered in me. It's like I walked into a party at 14 and didn't leave until I was in my forties. 'Black Widow' killer Linda Calvey reveals moment she slapped 'most hated woman in UK' as she tells of time behind bars 13 'I was reckless. For years I was just on another planet.' One of Neil's earliest memories is playing outside aged just three-and-a-half with what turned out to be a real sawn-off shotgun. He says: 'I thought it was just another toy gun; I'd found it behind the sofa. I was outside running around with it when one of the neighbours knocked on the door. My mum just said, 'Oh, he's got loads of guns.' She thought it was a toy, but it wasn't.' Life of extremes Neil remembers the good times and being able to enjoy the fruits of his parents' ill-gotten gains, but he concedes it was a life of extremes. He explains: 'I suppose it was a little bit different from the norm. I mean, my mum and dad used to be called Bonnie and Clyde by my friends. 'We had some really good times, when we were having it good it was really, really good. Lovely houses, lovely clothes, nice cars. 'Then you had the flip side which was the polar opposite. As a kid growing up you were either at the top of the tree or at the bottom. There was no in between.' Mel was just 13 when she went on a spending spree to Hamley's toy shop with money she found under Linda's bed. While dad Mickey was in-between armed robberies, he was a stay-at-home dad to Mel and Neil. I was bitter for years. It was like drinking a poison that festered in me. It's like I walked into a party at 14 and didn't leave until I was in my forties. I was reckless. For years I was just on another planet Melanie Calvey Mel says: 'I remember coming home from school one day and he was in prison, and I come home and I didn't know he was coming out. 'So I ran up and give him a hug and he said, 'I'm going to cook dinner tonight, what do you want? Paella or Spaghetti Bolognese? That was his two dishes he was really good at [sic].' But the family's kitchen table where the kids would eat their dinner doubled up as the planning desk for Mickey and his cronies. And it was one of those plans that went wrong and ended in Mickey's death - he was shot by police during a botched robbery in early December 1978. But Neil and Mel were oblivious to their father's death, with mum Linda deciding not to tell them until after Christmas. 13 13 13 They didn't even go to their dad's funeral. Mel says: 'I was staying with my mum's brother and his wife, and looking back now it sort of makes sense, every time the news came on they kept turning the telly off.' Neil's recollection is hazy, but at the inquest into Mickey's death a nurse who got to him after he had been shot said his last words were: 'Tell my wife and kids that I love them.' Neil says: 'That broke my heart. It still does to this day.' Jailed for murder Linda wasn't to stay alone for long. She soon became romantically involved with one of Mickey's associates, Ronnie Cook. He showered Linda with gifts and luxury holidays, but she says he became controlling and she turned down his marriage proposal. Linda picked up where her husband Mickey had left off and became part of a gang organising a series of post office robberies in which she claimed to have made more than £1million. Her first conviction in 1986 resulted in her being sentenced to seven years imprisonment, of which she served about three years - half her sentence. And around 18 months after being paroled she was found guilty of the murder of her ex-lover Cook by shooting him in the head, meaning she was heading back to prison for an even longer stretch. I thought it was just another toy gun; I'd found it behind the sofa. I was outside running around with it when one of the neighbours knocked on the door. My mum just said, 'Oh, he's got loads of guns.' She thought it was a toy, but it wasn't Neil Calvey She spent time in prison alongside some of Britain's most infamous female killers including Moors Murderer Myra Hindley and Cromwell Street killer Rose West. Linda was behind bars for 18-and-a-half years for Cook's murder - meaning Neil and Mel spent much of their childhood and early adult years without both parents, which had a profound effect on them both. She was released on parole in 2008, and she and the kids had a lot of catching up to do - and a lot of animosity to overcome. Neil reflects: 'It was a great life when it was nice, but when it went wrong it went properly wrong. 'I think we've had rows. I've said, 'Why didn't you ever think of me and Mel? You were thinking of yourself, your kudos, I'm Linda Calvey, I'm a big gangster girl'.' Mel adds: 'I got angry that she'd done that, I've got to be honest. I'd already lost my father and now I'm losing my mother. So I was very angry over it.' 13 13 13 Reckless Neil and Mel said they turned to drugs and alcohol to help them cope with their unique and tragic situations. Neil says: 'Over the years with my mum going away and ending up with the murder and stuff I found myself turning to alcohol and other dependents to try to numb my mind. 'My mind was racing all the time, it would never let things go.' Mel adds: 'I was quite a handful, I'd gone quite wayward because of how my life had been. 'I was quite reckless, a lot of drugs, a lot of drinking. I just didn't care about nothing.' Despite the pain, there are also moments of reconciliation. Neil adds: 'I might have been angry with the situation, but I never blamed my mum. I'd still choose her. And my dad. It's just a shame how it all went.' Mel agrees: 'I'd still choose them, but I'd want it to be a different way. 'I used to be envious of my friends whose parents had jobs, mortgages, dinner on the table. That's what I wanted. A normal life. 'I never had that. So if I could have them back again, that's what I would want.' Listen to Gangster: The Black Widow on BBC Sounds from August 8. Linda is the author of Life Inside and Black Widow, both available now 13 13

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