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Murder charge after woman found dead in Newton Aycliffe

Murder charge after woman found dead in Newton Aycliffe

BBC News12 hours ago
A woman has been charged with murder after a 56-year-old woman was stabbed to death. Durham Police were called to an address in Bakewell Place, Newton Aycliffe, on Wednesday at about 19:45 BST, by the North East Ambulance Service.Patricia Hewitt, 41, has been charged with murder and has been remanded in custody. She is expected to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on August 18.
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Nine teens arrested in connection with 'love triangle' murder of boy, 16
Nine teens arrested in connection with 'love triangle' murder of boy, 16

Daily Mail​

time13 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Nine teens arrested in connection with 'love triangle' murder of boy, 16

A 16-year-old boy was lured to his death following an argument 'over a girl,' in what authorities are calling a calculated and deadly plot. South Carolina teenager Trey Dean Wright was found shot to death on June 24. Nine teenagers, including the victim's girlfriend have been arrested following the savage attack. Deputies discovered Wright lying in the middle of First Neck Road near Johnsonville - about 45 miles from Myrtle Beach, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds Fox New reports. The teen later died at the hospital and in a chilling twist, authorities revealed the murder was caught on video. 'This was an altercation between two people,' Sheriff TJ Joye said, as reported by WBTW News. 'It's not like I'm just going to go to Johnsonville and shoot somebody,' he added. 'They had issues with each other and it was over a female.' Just one day after the shooting, Devan Scott Raper, 19, was taken into custody by the Florence County Sheriff's Office, accused of firing the fatal shots after an argument turned deadly. 'The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life,' Joye added. 'You've got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?' Raper, from Conway, was booked into the Florence County Detention Center following his arrest on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He remains behind bars as a judge denied his bond. But in a haunting turn of events, the initial arrest quickly expanded into eight more over the following weeks - including Wright's own girlfriend - all accused of being part of a deadly setup. Gianna Kistenmacher, the victim's 17-year-old girlfriend, was the second to be arrested - shockingly taken into custody on June 30 for what authorities described as significant involvement in the case. According to the sheriff's office, Kistenmacher, of Myrtle Beach, brought her boyfriend to meet with Raper - knowing he was armed and likely to kill Wright. She was arrested and charged with accessory before the fact to a felony, but has since been granted bond and subsequently released to home confinement. On Tuesday, a staggering three more teens from Myrtle Beach were charged in connection with Wright's heinous murder. Among those charged in connection with the killing are Hunter Kendall, 18, Sydney Kearns, 17, and Corrinne Belviso, 18 - though their alleged roles in the disturbing scheme remain unclear. Maj. Michael Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff's Office told WBTW-TV that the additional arrests involved individuals 'complicit in bringing the armed codefendant, Raper, to the incident location and knowing that there would be a confrontation'. 'They knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him, according to the arrest warrants,' Nunn added. Nunn also confirmed that all five suspects accused of murder are being charged as adults under South Carolina law, according to The Post and Courier. Similar to Raper, Kendall remains in custody without bond, while Belviso and Kearns each posted their $20,000 bonds last week and are now awaiting trial, Fox News reported. Four additional teens were taken into custody for involvement in the deadly romantic rivalry, but authorities have not released their identities or any further information, as they are minors. According to Nunn, one of the nine teens was behind the recording of the incident, according to WBTW. 'A lot of times the, people involved record the event, so that takes a lot of the guesswork out of it,' Nunn told the outlet. 'Well, it's kind of hard to deny what we see with our, with our eyes, and what's posted on social media, audio, video, those types of things,' he added. Nunn said one final suspect is still expected to turn themselves in, adding that the decision to charge so many teens with murder was made carefully and in close consultation with prosecutors, according to WBTW. 'All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,' Ashley Lindsey, Wright's mother, told Fox News Digital. 'I don't even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.' Nunn said the case stands out as rare and highly unusual, according to Post and Courier. 'Every case is different,' Nunn told the outlet. 'I can't say that I've ever seen one identical to this. This case would be unusual anywhere.' Raper's next court appearance is scheduled for August 19, while Kendall and Belviso are set to appear in Florence County Circuit Court on September 17.

Revoke Palestine Action activist's passport, former extremism tsar urges Cooper
Revoke Palestine Action activist's passport, former extremism tsar urges Cooper

Telegraph

time43 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Revoke Palestine Action activist's passport, former extremism tsar urges Cooper

Yvette Cooper should revoke the passport of a pro-Palestine Action activist, Labour's former anti-extremism tsar has said. Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, was arrested at a demonstration in Westminster last week after holding a sign declaring his support for the proscribed organisation. His passport has been revoked three times since he returned to Britain in 2005 from US custody, where he had been detained on suspicion of being a member of al-Qaeda. Lord Walney, who was dismissed as the Government's independent adviser on political violence and disruption in February, has now urged the Home Secretary to consider revoking Mr Begg's passport for a fourth time. 'While she awaits charging decisions from the Met, the Home Secretary will surely want to consider taking Moazzam Begg's passport off him again,' the peer told The Telegraph. 'Begg's long history of terror-related controversy underlines the malign nature of the ongoing attempt to overwhelm the criminal justice system after the proscription of Palestine Action. 'Justice needs to be served swiftly to send a message that protestors cannot trample the rule of law in the UK.' The Home Secretary can withdraw the passport of any citizen on national security grounds. Such individuals remain British nationals, but are unable to travel abroad and find it more difficult to prove their citizenship. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, backed Lord Walney's position. 'No chances should be taken with Moazzam Begg while a charging decision is made about his apparent support for Palestine Action,' he said. 'Let's not forget that Palestine Action uses violence to try to force its views on others. 'This has included smashing up property, vandalising RAF aircraft and attacking a police officer with a sledgehammer.' Birmingham-born Mr Begg, a dual British-Pakistani national, was detained in Pakistan in 2002 and handed over to American authorities in Afghanistan. Suspected of being a member of al-Qaeda, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay the following year. He has alleged that he was tortured in the facility and witnessed the murders of other detainees. Mr Begg was released from US custody in 2005 following pressure from the British government, but later received a settlement after suing UK authorities for alleged complicity in his detention. Upon his return to Britain, he was stripped of his passport on two occasions, the first between 2005 and 2009 and the second from 2014 until 2021. He had been arrested in 2014 on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities linked to the conflict in Syria and charged with seven offences. But the case against him was subsequently dropped when it emerged that the security services had known of and consented to his travel to Syria. He has never been found guilty of any terror-related offence. In 2021 he received a passport, only for it to be withdrawn for a third time four weeks later. The following year, then home secretary Priti Patel decided he could apply for a new one. After returning to Britain in 2005, Mr Begg became an author and public speaker and also joined Cage International as a senior director. Before his arrest, he had called on Muslims to attend protests to declare their support for Palestine Action. Speaking at a meeting in Birmingham, Mr Begg said Islam placed a responsibility on followers to change what they believed was unjust, adding: 'There is strength in numbers, stop being a coward – cowards never win battles.

Cooper says Palestine Action ‘more than a regular protest group'
Cooper says Palestine Action ‘more than a regular protest group'

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Cooper says Palestine Action ‘more than a regular protest group'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has labelled Palestine Action more than 'a regular protest group' as she defended the group's proscription as a terrorist organisation. She said protest and free speech remain 'an important part of our democracy' which will 'always be protected', but argued Palestine Action has carried out 'an escalating campaign'. Writing in The Observer, she said: 'Some may think it is a regular protest group known for occasional stunts. But that is not the extent of its past activities.' Ms Cooper said counterterrorism intelligence showed the organisation passed the tests to be proscribed under the 2000 Terrorism Act with 'disturbing information' about future attacks. 'Protecting public safety and national security are at the very heart of the job I do,' she said. 'Were there to be further serious attacks or injuries, the government would rightly be condemned for not acting sooner to keep people safe.' She said only a tiny minority of people who had protested in support of Palestinian people since the start of the war with Israel had been arrested. 'That is why the proscription of this group is not about protest or the Palestinian cause,' she said. 'In a democracy, lawful protest is a fundamental right but violent criminality is not. The Metropolitan Police said on Friday more than 700 people have been arrested since the group was banned on July 5. The force said a further 60 people will be prosecuted for support of Palestine Action, while Norfolk Police said on Saturday 13 people were arrested at a protest in Norwich. Last week, the Met confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for offences under the Terrorism Act relating to Palestine Action. The three people charged were arrested at a protest in Parliament Square on July 5. More prosecutions are expected in the coming weeks, and arrangements have been put in place 'that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary', the Met said.

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