
Teenager pleads not guilty to Cribbs Causeway attempted murder
A 16-year-old boy has denied charges of attempted murder and affray in connection with the stabbing of another teenager in May.Police found the 15-year-old victim with stab wounds after being called to an underpass near The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, on the evening of Monday 26 May.The teenage suspect pleaded not guilty when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, and a trial date was set for November.A second 16-year-old boy also pleaded not guilty to affray and assault causing actual bodily harm. Neither can be named due to their age.
A total of nine people were arrested in connection with the incident and three were charged.A third 16-year-old has already received a a 12-month youth referral order after pleading guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and affray at Bristol Magistrates on 25 June. The other six people arrested remain on police bail while investigations continue.Avon and Somerset Police have said the victim is "making good progress with his recovery".

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BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Three witnesses sought after Devon walking trail attack
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The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man created ‘assassination kits' in his home garden for criminal underworld
A criminal gang responsible for manufacturing and distributing "assassination kits" across the UK has been handed sentences totalling more than 60 years. Gary Hardy, 62, was identified as the seller of these deadly packages, which were produced in the garden of his co-conspirator, 64-year-old Ronald Knowles. Knowles was central to the operation, acquiring blank-firing handguns and ammunition, which he then converted into viable firearms. Each "kit" was meticulously prepared, containing a handgun, silencer, magazine, and ammunition, all carefully wrapped in a latex glove. Police confirmed that converted firearms linked to the gang have been recovered from eight different locations nationwide. Investigators believe at least 33 firearms were manufactured at Knowles's illicit factory, which is thought to be one of the largest of its kind in the East Midlands. The network's reach extended to serious criminals, with 65-year-old accomplice Steven Houston responsible for supplying the weapons. Among those who received the illicit firearms was 23-year-old drug dealer Jason Hill, who was convicted of murder last year. Hardy, of The Birches, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, received a sentence of 23 years, while Knowles, of Milton Avenue, Alfreton, Derbyshire, was handed a 13-year-and-six-month sentence, and Houston, of Breach Oak Lane, Corley, near Coventry, was given 25 years in prison. Sentencing Hardy, Knowles and Houston, who sat side by side in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, Judge Mark Watson said: 'You were in business together. You brought your own set of skills and contacts to the enterprise. 'Each of you contributed in different but important ways. This was a large scale and highly sophisticated enterprise which involved a large number of weapons.' The judge said the operation started in at least November 2022 and told the court he is sure this was intended to continue for longer. The judge sentenced Hill, of Derby Road, Risley, Derbyshire, to serve four years consecutively to his life sentence for murder, and said: 'You are in a different and unique position in that you were not part of the conspiracy I deal with – you were a customer of it. 'These guns were designed to kill. There is no evidence these weapons had been discharged by you.' Hardy, Knowles and Houston were charged with conspiring to sell a firearm, conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiring to convert a firearm. Hill was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Knowles and Hill admitted their crimes before Houston and Hardy were found guilty at a trial. Police stopped a vehicle in Gallows Lane in Measham, Leicestershire, in August 2023 and found a white box containing four firearms with Knowles's DNA on some of them. Nottinghamshire Police said when officers arrived at his property, they found him setting fire to evidence in his garden. Other weaponry was also seized from inside the address including crossbows, knives, axes, machetes, swords, gas powered weapons, airguns and ammunition, the force said. Abigail Joyce, prosecuting, said the weapon kits were distributed on a 'significant scale', and added: 'There was an expectation of substantial financial gain.' Ms Joyce told the court, which was attended by friends and family of the defendants: 'The prosecution contend that the three played leading roles in a long-standing conspiracy. 'The sale of assassination kits demonstrates they were only designed to be used for one purpose, i.e. the infliction of serious, and likely fatal, injuries.' Emma Goodall KC, defending Hardy, said his chronic health issues would make prison difficult and added that a custodial sentence would impact his wife. Defence barrister for Knowles, Balraj Bhatia KC, said the defendant was 'not the instigator' and is described by many as a 'caring, helpful, kind person that many in difficulties can turn to'. In a letter read out by Mr Bhatia, Knowles wrote: 'I have made my bed, now I must lie in it. I'm sorry for what I got up to. If I manage to come through my sentence, I promise you won't be hearing any more from me.' Gordon Cole KC, defending Houston, said his client has 'real, physical difficulties' and has shown a 'clear expression of remorse'. In a statement after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Adas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'These are ruthless individuals that have a complete disregard for human life. 'They were creating, packaging and distributing firearms, which would have led to devastating consequences had they been used in public. 'Each handgun had been threaded to fit a silencer, which allowed the gun to be used discreetly at close quarters, meaning any potential targets would be lucky to escape with their lives. 'The rounds of ammunition were converted in such a way that upon impact they expanded causing maximum damage to any target. 'Our team of detectives have now closed arguably one of the biggest firearm factories in the East Midlands and taken a large quantity of firearms off the streets. 'The full impact of this investigation will never be seen – that's because we are unable to count the number of lives we may have saved. 'If this operation had continued undetected, the strong likelihood is these weapons would have been used and people would have been killed or seriously harmed. 'To put this into context – considering that each assassination kit included 10 rounds of converted ammunition, the seizure of more than 800 blank firing rounds and nearly 800 lead pellets indicates that the group had the potential to supply up to 80 further firearms packages. 'So far, we have identified eight locations across the country where these specific converted firearms or ammunition have been seized. 'The majority were in the West Midlands. This was therefore a well-established and far-reaching criminal enterprise. 'These criminals have shown no remorse. They provided no comment in interview and have no care whatsoever for the damage they were willing to inflict on others. 'Their motives are likely to have been financial, providing weapons to criminals who in turn were using them to protect their drug operations. 'They have now paid the full price for their actions by being handed lengthy prison sentences. 'Hardy is likely to spend the remainder of his life behind bars, which sends out a clear message to those willing to get involved in this level of criminality.'


BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Paedophile who posted child abuse online jailed for 19 years
A paedophile who committed a string of "revolting" sexual offences against children has been jailed for 19 years. Mark Manship, 39, of Cardiff, was convicted of raping, sexually assaulting and sharing indecent images of a young girl from Bristol online. During sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, he was made subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restraining orders and was added to the sex offenders Con Elizabeth Howell described Manship as a "manipulative man who committed truly abhorrent crimes to fuel his own grotesque sexual desires". 'Extremely distressing' The court was told of the significant impact of his crimes which "continue to echo through every part" of his two victims' Manship to 19 years in prison, with an extended licence period of eight years, the judge said: "The facts of this case are extremely distressing. "They are nothing short of revolting or horrific." Manship was caught after exchanging sexually explicit messages describing child abuse, as well as indecent images of children, with an undercover FBI agent in December 2020, the court was was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police and a search of his devices uncovered hundreds of indecent images of was charged with one count of rape of a child under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, two counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child, and one count of making indecent photographs of a pleaded guilty to all charges at Bristol Crown Court in May. Det Con Howell commended the two victims for their bravery."He took advantage of very young girls and shared his horrific abuse of one of them online - giving absolutely no thought to their wellbeing or the devastating long-term effects his crimes will have on them and their families," she said."I'm very pleased they have been able to see him handed a significant prison sentence today."