Two women die at Gwynedd beauty spot
'An investigation to establish what happened is now underway. We are appealing for anyone who may have been walking in or around the Watkin Path area between 6pm and 9pm last night, they are urged to contact us via the website or by calling 101 quoting reference number 25000480868.'
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Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Erika Jayne finally breaks silence on ex Tom Girardi's jail sentence for swindling clients out of $15million
Erika Jayne has emotionally spoken out days after ex-husband Tom Girardi was sentenced to jail after his conviction on multiple fraud charges. Giradi, 86, faces dying behind bars with his sentence of seven years and three months in federal prison after being found guilty of swindling his horribly injured or grieving clients out of around $15 million in settlement fees. Erika, 53, revealed she had learned Girardi's grim fate while in London on tour during a candid chat on the Friday, June 13, episode of Diamonds in the Rough with Teddi Mellencamp. The reality star, who was wed to Girardi for 20 years, said: 'And then 10 minutes before the second show, I get the news that Tom is being sent to prison. … It just hurts. 'It reopens old healing wounds, and it is something that, you know, I had a sold-out crowd in a theater just for me, and I was so grateful. My happiest place in the whole world to be is on stage. So while I was happy … there's a little piece [of me] that was like, "Ugh." 'I was very disappointed because those people [in the audience] were there for me, and I felt like five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself. I was 95 percent there, and five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself. Giradi, 86, faces dying behind bars with his sentence of seven years and three months in federal prison after being found guilty of swindling his horribly injured or grieving clients out of around $15 million in settlement fees - pictured August 2024 'This was the day that he got sentenced, my second show. My first show was flawless. And my second show was great, don't get me wrong. But there was that five percent I could have given the audience, and instead I was feeling sorry for myself. The reality star said she struggled to 'fight back thoughts and emotions' during her performance. Erika was herself accused alongside Girardi of embezzling money to fund their lavish lifestyles - but faced no charges. As well as his jail time, Girardi has been ordered to pay $2,310,247 in restitution to his victims and a $35,000 fine. Judge Josephine L. Staton, who handed down the sentencing, ordered Girardi to surrender to federal authorities by July 17. The sentencing occurred in a courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on June 3, which also happens to be Girardi's 86th birthday. A jury found the once-powerful attorney guilty on four counts of wire fraud in August. Girardi, who built the prestigious LA law firm Girardi & Keese after his fight against a California utility giant inspired the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich, plead not guilty to the four counts (he had been indicted on five counts of wire fraud in 2023). His high-rolling career came tumbling down in 2020 when he was accused of stealing millions in settlements he'd won for the victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia, a tragedy in which 189 people died. The claims from that crash were also the basis of separate criminal charges against Girardi in Chicago, where he was charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of criminal contempt of court. However those charges were dropped following the California conviction. He pleaded not guilty in that case. 'This self-proclaimed "champion of justice" was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of the millions of dollars,' United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a press release about the prison sentence. 'My office will vigorously prosecute corrupt lawyers and those who assist them in criminal activities.' Lawyers for Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and dementia in 2021, had concerns about the defendant residing in prison amid his health woes. Attorney Sam Cross, who is among Girardi's lawyers, said the defendant would probably end up spending the rest of his life in prison in light of his health troubles, according to the LA Times. 'Should Tom Girardi die in prison?' he asked the judge multiple times in remarks. Cross also asked the judge on Monday to keep Girardi in his current assisted living facility instead sending him to federal prison, arguing he would not receive the proper care he needs in prison. 'We believe he is in need of specialized treatment,' Cross explained to the judge, according to Deadline. He described Girardi as 'frail, elderly' and argued he would be at risk of being 'exploited or taken advantage of' in prison. But the judge ultimately disagreed, citing testimony from a BOP forensic psychologist, a BOP neuropsychologist, and the self-awareness Girardi was apparently exhibiting. She concluded they can safely sentence Girardi to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. 'He will be designated to an appropriate facility,' she said. Girardi's mental competence had been a major issue throughout the trial, with his lawyers previously attempting to push for a new trial in addition to claiming he is unable to assist his lawyers, struggles with his memory, and is legally unfit to appear before a jury (however prosecutors claimed it was mostly an act, alleging he had been faking dementia to evade being held responsible for his crimes, according to the Los Angeles Times). In January 2024 Girardi was cleared to stand trial with U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton declaring he was 'competent to stand trial', despite his Alzheimer's diagnosis. Girardi was previously declared fit by a court-appointed psychologist in June 2023 but his attorneys presented repeated challenges. Neuropsychologist Dr. Diana Goldstein said that she 'has concluded her examination and opined, among other things, that [Girardi] is competent to stand trial,' she wrote. It is unclear the basis for that conclusion and her full analysis. Goldstein's report was filed under seal and partly redacted by Girardi's attorneys. The prosecutors who retained Goldstein do not have access to the complete document, Yahoo News reported. California forensic and clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Nathan Lavid wrote in a sworn affidavit that Girardi suffered from late-onset Alzheimer's disease and dementia, the news outlet reported. Girardi's brother, Robert, had been acting as conservator on his brother's behalf after Girardi underwent a mental evaluation in February 2021, The New York Post reported. During the trial, the jury heard that between 2010 and 2020 the shamed attorney used his clients' settlement funds 'like a personal piggy bank.' 'Girardi Keese was a den of thieves and Tom Girardi was the thief-in-chief,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Paetty previously told the court. 'Girardi Keese was a house of cards built on the lies of Tom Girardi.' Girardi ran a massive 'Ponzi scheme,' lying to clients and using their misappropriated millions to pay for his own lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury cars, exclusive club memberships, expensive jewelry for his third wife, ex-go-go dancer Jayne plus $20 million to fund her acting career. The couple were together for 21 years but their divorce - filed by Jayne soon after the Lion Air allegations - has been held up since Girardi Keese filed bankruptcy in 2021 with more than $100 million in debts. Jayne never showed up at her soon-to-be-ex husband's trial and it's unclear if she ever made an appearance to the sentencing on Tuesday, however she made no mention of her estranged husband's legal troubles on Instagram that day, with her latest Instagram Story being a shout-out to her new Vogue profile at 7:15AM PT. Girardi - who was disbarred in 2022 following the allegations against him - was portrayed by his defense team as suffering from dementia. 'He got old, he got sick, he lost his mind,' his attorney Charles Snyder previously told the court. 'All the lights were on but there was nobody home. He lost touch with reality.' Girardi and his legal team also pointed the finger of blame at another man, Christopher Kamon, 49, the chief financial officer of Girardi Keese who they say stole between $50 million and $100 million from the company. Kamon plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud and was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison in April in a separate trial. During the trial, prosecutors told jurors that Girardi preyed on clients who were 'in their darkest hours,' suffering from terrible injuries or mourning the death of loved ones. Joe Ruigomez - who desperately needed money to pay the giant medical bills for the horrible injuries he suffered in a 2020 gas explosion at his home that killed his girlfriend - was told by Girardi that his settlement from the PG&E utility was $5 million, when it was actually $50 million. Another Girardi client, Judy Selberg, hired the once-acclaimed lawyer to bring an unlawful death lawsuit after her husband Paul was killed in a boating accident in April 2018. Girardi won $500,000 for her but at the time of the guilty verdict, more than four years after the settlement, she's still owed a large portion of that. He also held up Erica Saldana's $2.5 million settlement which she needed to pay the medical bills for the devastating injuries her one-year-old son suffered in a car crash. And Josie Hernandez had to declare bankruptcy because Girardi didn't pay her the money she was owed from a settlement over a medical device injury. In all these cases, when the clients called or emailed Girardi to ask when they were going to get their money, he came up with excuses like there was a lien or 'holdback' on the settlement, that there was an IRS issue or a judge needed to 'sign off' before the money could be paid. All these claims were false. 'He lied to his clients over and over and over again about why they weren't being paid,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Moghaddas previously told the court. 'He lied to them them because he did not want to give them their money because it was gone….it was already spent. 'Behind the curtain he was pilfering his clients' funds. It was just cruel to treat victims in this manner. 'He was buying two private jets while his clients weren't getting paid…. This this case is a simple and sad story of trust violated and greed.' It took the jury of seven men and five women only four and a half hours of deliberation to reach their guilty verdicts - two hours the first day and two-and-a-half hours the following day.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Shaquille O'Neal to pay $1.8 million to settle FTX class action lawsuit
Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal will pay $1.8 million to settle a class action lawsuit related to the demise of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. O'Neal, and other celebrities like Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, were named in the lawsuit in 2022. They had been accused of touting FTX as a reputable and trustworthy investment option via paid endorsements. The proposed settlement only pertains to O'Neal. Three years ago FTX was the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, but it ended up with billions of dollars worth of losses and had to seek bankruptcy protection. The Bahamas-based company and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, came under investigation by state and federal authorities for allegedly investing depositors funds in ventures without their approval. Before its failure, FTX was known to use high-profile Hollywood and sports celebrities to promote its products. It had the naming rights to a Formula One racing team as well as a sports arena in Miami. Its commercials featured 'Seinfeld' creator Larry David, as well as Brady, the former quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, basketball players O'Neal and Curry, and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2024. A little more than a month after that, FTX said in a court filing that nearly all of its customers would receive the money back that they were owed. While the proposed settlement with O'Neal had been agreed to in April, the payment amount and other terms were disclosed in a filing with the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, earlier this week. The settlement class includes anyone who deposited funds into FTX or bought its FTT token between May 2019 and late 2022. The agreement, which still needs court approval, would provide O'Neal with a broad release from future claims and also includes a stipulation that he can't seek reimbursement from the FTX estate. The payment will be made within 30 days of the settlement being finalized, according to the filing.
Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment thug attacks cops with Molotov cocktail & knife in police station rampage – as he shrugs off 50,000-volt Taser
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a yob attacked cops with a Molotov cocktail, knife and a hatchet in a police station rampage over his "grudge" with authority. Alexander Dighton, who had been referred to the anti-terrorism programme Prevent in January 2024, attacked three police officers at Talbot Green police station in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Alexander Dighton carried out a rampage at a police station 7 He managed to resist being Tasered before attacking police 7 Dighton has now been jailed for life Credit: PA The 28-year-old knifed one of the cops in the leg and knocked another unconscious after storming the station. Footage released today shows Dighton first trying to hurl a firebomb at a police van but when it did not ignite, he started a blaze by pouring lighter fluid on the vehicle. The thug was then captured smashing the windows on two cars using a pole before terrified officers: "I'm fed up, I'm done". He managed to shake off the 50,000-volt Taser fired at him before continuing to smash the windows of the police station. Dighton has now been locked up for life with a minimum of 22 years after pleading guilty to ten charges related to the January 31 attack. The Old Bailey was told he had developed a "grudge" against authority and believed he was "damned from birth". Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said his sister had reported him to Prevent due to concerns he held "racist and anti-Muslim views" and was likely to be involved with incel groups. During the attack on the police station, officers attempted to Taser him but it had no effect. He swung a pole at one officer and punched one in the head during the savage attack. Dighton then knifed Det Con Jack Cotton in the leg - narrowly missing his femoral artery - as three cops attempted to restrain him. When officers searched him, they found Dighton was wearing body armour and was carrying a hatchet in his bag. He later told police he did not consider the scope of damage, "merely that blood had to be spilt". The thug also admitted he was motivated by an anti-government ideology but denied intending to kill a police officer. Dighton said: "Authority is not my problem. It's the use of authority which to me is the problem, the use of authority I have seen since I was 15, that's my problem." He admitted the attempted murder of Detective Constable Jack Cotton, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Sergeant Richard Coleman, assaulting Pc Joshua Emlyn and threatening Pc Stephanie Fleming with an adapted wooden pole. Dighton also pleaded guilty to the attempted arson of a police van, two counts of damaging police property and having an adapted wooden pole, a knife and a hatchet. Speaking after the case, Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service said Dighton wanted to attack the Government and the state. "We were able to show that Dighton's attack was not only pre-meditated and meticulously planned, but that his motivations were connected to terrorism. "While it is not a criminal offence to hold extreme or offensive views, it is one to carry out attempted murder and attack police officers because of them." 7 Dighton first attempted to firebomb a police car Credit: SWNS 7 He went to the station with a cache of weapons Credit: SWNS 7 Dighton was sprayed with Pave but remained undeterred
