
Man accused of shooting wife at pub on Valentine's Day rang friend and said ‘she's dead'
The BBC reported that the suspect phoned Leslie Thompson after Lisa Smith, 43, was killed outside The Three Horseshoes in Knockholt, Kent on Friday.
Kent Police believe the man, named as Edvard Stockings or Smith, fell from the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge that crosses the Thames at Dartford, and is searching the water to try to recover him.
Mr Thompson told the BBC that just under two hours after the shooting, he received a phone call in which his friend told him: 'I can't live, we've all gone together' and that 'armed police will probably shoot me'.
He believed his friend had suffered a breakdown, and had been greatly affected by the death of his father two years ago.
Mr Thompson told the broadcaster he could not understand what had happened.
'They were both the life and soul of the party. We really don't know why he has done it. I'm baffled.'

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Metro
19 minutes ago
- Metro
'I was a top UK cocaine smuggler and I think Top Boy is completely ridiculous'
When you've lived a life 'comfortably in the top 1% of cocaine smugglers', watching the drug trade play out on the small screen can make the flaws hard to ignore. Take Ronan Bennett's Top Boy, which was touted as a realistic portrayal of life on a Hackney council estate with the 'shotting' (selling), 'food' (drugs) and 'Ps' (cash) in the mix. Yet reformed drug smuggler Andrew Pritchard, 58, says elements are 'completely ridiculous' and 'exaggerated'. Pritchard hails from Hackney and Stoke Newington and so knows a lot of the cast of the Netflix show. 'It's so far from the mark it's unreal,' he tells the Metro. He says shows like it 'raise the bar with kids' for what they might expect from a life in London's criminal underworld. 'They think it's normal to go and shoot and spray people,' he said. 'They don't realise that one drop of blood costs more than 100 kilos of cocaine. The minute you put blood on the street, the police are all over you.' If you're in the market for the more genuine article, Pritchard recommends This City Is Ours on the BBC. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. The way he tells it, his own story is ripe for screen adaptation – and he would undoubtedly be a stickler for authenticity. Retreading his own misspent youth is part of what he does now with The AP Foundation, giving young offenders a glimpse into the life of a top drug smuggler; one that was a thrilling, addictive ride but that hurt people and ended with 15 years in prison. By the time Prtichard was 21, it was the height of the 1980s house party craze, and he was behind some of the largest illegal warehouse raves in the country. The guest lists weren't anything to be sniffed at either, with Pritchard reeling off names like Milli Vanilli, Boy George and the Pet Shop Boys. It was through these parties that he also became 'open to the criminal elements' and started to build an elaborate drug smuggling operation, spanning Europe and the Caribbean, where his mother arrived in the UK from as part of the Windrush generation. As Pritchard details in the new Sky docu-series Amsterdam Narcos, first came ecstasy, then cocaine. To be more specific, 'vast' amounts of ecstasy, which wound its way into clubs and venues. He used friends at the fruit markets in New Covent Garden and New Spitalfields to get the stuff over from Holland – where the round design-stamped pills was booming. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'Holland was a very big exporter of apples and potatoes,' Pritchard explains, speaking rapid-fire, because he knows this inside-out. 'But apples were a really good choice because of the boxes they come in. They had different crates on them and also they were quite heavy. 'So what I discovered was that if we could simply place a bulk of ecstasy at the bottom of each crate, and obviously put trays of apples above them, they were quite a good transport. They were perishable goods so they would come through customs very quickly.' The Sky docu-series gets into this, but it's staggering to hear the number of places you can hide drugs in transit. 'Places you possibly couldn't imagine,' says Pritchard. 'We had them everywhere from the nose of the plane to the cargo bins. 'Everywhere you could imagine, on a ship, plane or passenger, we hid drugs.' With drugs, violence inevitably follows. Pritchard doesn't shy away from the brutality, describing people he's seen 'shot in the head, put in the boot of a car and set fire to'. But there was never any point in having a security team, he says, because 'the kind of people you deal with will just drive by and spray everyone'. 'You're your own security. It's how you do business with people,' he explains. 'You have to become a person they can't afford to lose in that chain, because a lot of people rely on you, so they wrap you in cotton wool.' He says that was his 'protection blanket', alongside a good deal of luck. When a close call forced Pritchard to flee to Jamaica, with the help of extended family on his mother's side, he moved into cocaine. In the noughties, an estimated 20% of the cocaine in Britain came through Jamaica. Pritchard's contact book was stuffed: people on the wharfs, docks, planes, from Montego Bay into Schiphol Airport, to Heathrow and Gatwick. So how much money was he making? That, he's less candid about. 'It's very difficult to put a button figure on it,' he says. 'Turning over hundreds of millions, yes, but what you could actually say you may have at some point received would be a different figure altogether.' As with every great crime drama, from Goodfellas to Scarface, there's always the third act looming, when it's time to pay the piper. Pritchard's arrived in 2015, when he was sent down to Belmarsh. But since he was released and set up his charity to help young offenders, Pritchard's life has been a series of 'surreal' moments. Including attending a knife crime conference at the Old Bailey, only to meet the judge who sentenced him. When the judge, no longer wearing his wig and gown, started to apologise for issuing such a lengthy sentence, Pritchard stopped him. 'Don't apologise, I said, because you changed my life. If I hadn't put in that time and come to my senses, I would be here in front of you in handcuffs again, not sitting here advising kids why not to live this lifestyle,' he told the judge. Prtichard has even brought in a number of fellow reformed offenders to help with his foundation, including Stephen Mee (former drug lord turned artist) and Kenneth Noye (of the Brink's Mat heist, or Jack Lowden's real-life character in The Gold, for TV fans). More Trending 'They know what it's like to sit in prison for 30 odd years and watch people you love die while you're wasting away,' says Pritchard. Now their role is to tell those at the start of a life of criminality that it isn't all it's cracked up to be in shows like Top Boy and Gangs of London. 'You have to tell them the truth, tell them what it is. It seems glorious. And I'll say to you, yes, it's glorious in parts. 'There's two sides to this coin, but when it flips, that other side is not a nice side.' View More » Amsterdam Narcos airs 13 August on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Netflix fans stunned as controversial film about a dog 'goes too far' MORE: Love is Blind tackled a dating taboo – and I was thrilled MORE: Netflix unveils major return for Peaky Blinders legend in 'stressful' new film


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Newton Aycliffe stabbing: Woman arrested on suspicion of murder
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after another woman was found stabbed to Police was called to an address in Bakewell Place, Newton Aycliffe, on Wednesday just after 19:45 BST, by the North East Ambulance Service.A 57-year-old woman died at the force said a 41-year-old woman was arrested at a separate address in the town a short time later and taken into custody. Officers believed it was "an isolated incident", a spokesperson said. "An investigation is ongoing and residents should expect to see an increased police presence in the town over the coming days whilst inquiries are carried out." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Mirror Daily Digest: Our top stories from Liverpool parade crash suspect in tears to Strictly fans' 'disgust'
In this Tuesday's Mirror Daily Digest, we've pulled together the biggest stories of the day from the Liverpool parade crash suspect's appearance in court to 'disgust' over a new Strictly star Welcome to the Mirror's Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Thursday, we're featuring everything from the alleged driver of a car which mowed down huge crowds at Liverpool's victory parade appearing in court to controversy surrounding a Strictly star and a new virus hitting the UK. The Liverpool parade crash suspect, Paul Doyle, broke down in tears earlier today as he was charged with another 24 offences related to 23 victims. Elsewhere, one former Apprentice star's inclusion in Strictly Come Dancing has provoked outrage and Brits have been warned over a new virus found in the UK. Liverpool parade crash suspect Paul Doyle in tears as he faces more charges Our News team's attention was drawn to the courts earlier today as the alleged driver of a car which mowed down huge crowds at Liverpool's victory parade broke down in tears. Paul Doyle, 53, was charged with another 24 offences. He already faced a string of charges after a Ford Galaxy minivan ploughed into scores of football fans in May. But as Doyle, of Burghill Road, West Derby, appeared in court on Thursday morning, prosecutors levelled another 24 charges at him relating to 23 more victims. It brings the total number of victims on the indictment to 29, including eight children - two of whom were just six and seven-month-old babies at the time. As the hearing began, Doyle clasped his hands to his face and broke down in tears. Appearing via video link the father of three struggled to speak as he sobbed when asked if he could hear the proceedings via a webcam in prison. Strictly fans 'disgusted' over latest stars as they urge BBC to take action Throughout this week, our Showbiz team have been keeping across all the latest Strictly announcements - and one future contestant is causing quite the stir amongst fans. Viewers say they have been left 'disgusted' by the star's inclusion in the BBC show. Thomas Skinner, who is best known for appearing on The Apprentice, will be showing off his footwork for judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Mosi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke in just a few weeks' time. However, because he has become known for some of his controversial views that he has posted on social media, some fans demanded were not impressed. One fan wrote on X: " the BBC not looked at his social media output?" to which someone replied: "Somebody who has different political opinions than me is on television. BAN THEM." but the initial tweeter insisted that is not what they meant as viewers in their droves demanded his social media history is checked Deadly mystery virus found in UK for first time after sweeping through Europe Overnight, the latest statistics from the UK Health Security Agency revealed a new virus had been found in the UK for the first time. Three cases of Oropouche virus were detected among travellers returning to the UK after spreading across Europe. It's the first time the Oropouche virus has been found in the UK, with all instances linked to journeys to Brazil. Latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also show a surge in travel-related chikungunya infections throughout England. Between January and June 2025, 73 cases were recorded - a sharp rise from the 27 cases during the same timeframe in 2024, marking the highest tally ever documented for this period. Chikungunya is a mosquito-transmitted disease connected to international travel, presenting symptoms such as sudden fever typically coupled with joint discomfort. Buckingham Palace forced to remove Anne birthday post after major family gaffe Our eagle-eyed Royal team spotted Buckingham Palace make a major gaffe earlier this Thursday, leaving them red-faced. To celebrate Princess Anne's upcoming birthday tomorrow, the Palace had released a list of 75 facts about the Princess Royal However, one so-called fact caused quite a stir among Royal enthusiasts, leading to the entire post being removed. The contentious point was number fourteen on the list, which claimed that Anne, King Charles ' sister, had two stepchildren from her second marriage to Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The Palace even named these supposed stepchildren as Tom and Amy Laurence. This information was quickly debunked by fans who pointed out that Sir Tim, a retired Royal Navy officer, had not been previously married before tying the knot with Princess Anne in December 1992. 'I could hear my dead mum celebrating with me when I opened my A-level results' A record number of students today celebrated top A-level results across the country - with a new milestone hit for A & A* achievements. But education leaders warned of stark divides in results between different areas of the country. On average across the UK, 28.3% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.8% in 2024 and above 25.4% in 2019. Boys took a lead over girls in the top grades for the first time since 2018, with 28.4% of boys' A-level entries scoring an A or A* this summer, compared to 28.2% of their female classmates' entries. One happy sixth-form student said she had kept a promise she made to her mum before she died by getting a place at Oxford University. Gabrielle Morgan, 18, who is from Newcastle and who achieved straight A*s in English literature, Spanish and chemistry, said: "I could practically hear her celebrating with me when the offer came through. I know just how proud of me she is and I know she helped a lot, even though she wasn't here physically." Her mum, who moved from Malaysia to the UK in her early 20s, died from lung cancer in April last year.