
Crimestoppers offers £20k for information after Ipswich murder
The reward, only payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers, rather than the police, will expire on 30 April."If you prefer not to talk to the police, you can tell us what you know, and we'll pass it on for you," added Mr Breckon."We are independent of the police and won't ask for any personal details, there'll be no police contact or witness statements, and you won't have to go to court."Nobody will know you contacted us."
In the weeks following Mr McNicholl's death, a woman in her 50s and then a 17-year-old boy and were arrested on suspicion of murder before each being released on bail.Police previously said the last sighting of the "cheeky geeza with a fun sense of humour" was on 23 December, but he had been on social media on Christmas Day."We don't have anything post that," admitted Suffolk Police's Det Supt Mike Brown."What we don't have is any sign of a forced entry but there is a hypothesis that Billy knew or had an association with the person that and attacked him."
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Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Driver admits killing woman, 22, in 140mph Christmas crash as he fled police
Evan Forde, 32, ploughed into a BMW while tearing through north London streets at more than three times the speed limit - instantly killing 22-year-old Brazilian student Maria Carolina Do Nascimento A driver has admitted to killing a 22-year-old woman in a Christmas Day horror crash after tearing through north London streets at more than 140mph. Evan Forde, 32, was behind the wheel of a Mercedes when he smashed into a BMW on Hendon Way, Brent Cross, at around 3.45am on December 25, 2022. Despite the 40mph speed limit, Forde was caught at more than three times that - a devastating impact that killed passenger Maria Carolina Do Nascimento instantly. The brazilian student died at the scene despite desperate efforts by paramedics to save her. On Tuesday at the Old Bailey, Forde pleaded guilty to causing Ms Nascimento's death by dangerous driving. Shameless hit and run driver who killed pregnant woman's unborn baby jailed Moments before the crash, police in a marked car had signalled for Forde to stop, but he sped off. Scotland Yard said officers did not pursue him. Within minutes, they were told his car had ploughed into another vehicle. Forde and his passengers then fled the wreckage on foot. Ms Nascimento's grieving relatives wept as he admitted the offence in court. Forde's barrister, Tasmin Malcolm, said he had "always accepted" he was driving the Mercedes. She added: "Undoubtedly the speed Mr Forde was driving will be an aggravating feature to the court. It is important we are satisfied of the accuracy of the material relied on by the Crown." Prosecutor Frederick Hookway said small differences in speeds were irrelevant, given the defendant had reached "top speeds of over 140mph". Judge Anthony Leonard KC adjourned sentencing until October 22, granting Forde conditional bail. He told him: "You have pleaded guilty to a very serious charge. There was perhaps no option other than to do so given the state of the evidence. "However, the fact you pleaded at this stage will be taken into account at sentencing. You must understand the most likely result - if not the inevitable result - will be you sent to prison." The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is standard procedure in such circumstances.


ITV News
3 hours ago
- ITV News
Councils consider legal action over asylum hotels after Epping ruling
Councils across England are considering launching their own legal actions after a district council in Essex secured a High Court victory, temporarily blocking asylum seekers from being housed in a hotel in the area. Conservative-run Broxbourne Council in Hertfordshire said it was taking legal advice 'as a matter of urgency' about whether it could take similar action to Epping Forest District Council, which is also run by the Tories. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage indicated the 12 councils where Reform UK was the largest party would consider legal challenges following Tuesday's ruling. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Farage said the local authorities would do 'everything in their power to follow Epping's lead.' He added: 'The good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex.' Writing on X, Farage also said: "This is a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping. They do not want their young women being assaulted on the streets." "This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far right, and have won. They represent the vast majority of decent people in this country." "Young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere. They must be detained and deported." "I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others across the country." On Tuesday, a High Court judge ruled the former Bell Hotel in Epping must stop housing asylum seekers by September 12. The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month. A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences, while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel. The High Court ruling is said to have angered the Home Office who fear the verdict will interfere with immigration policy and their obligations to house asylum seekers. Migrants must be removed from hotel in Epping after council wins injunction Could the Epping asylum hotel injunction set a precedent for other councils? ITV News' Paul Brand said that sources within the Labour party feel that councils are going to waste taxpayers' money fighting a government that is already working to end the use of hotels by asylum seekers. The Home Office has insisted it has reduced the number of asylum seeker hotels from 402 to 210. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that the migrants housed at the hotel 'need to be moved out of the area immediately,' while her shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that 'residents should never have had to fight their own government just to feel safe in their own town.' He said: 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' The area saw thousands of people turn out in protest about the housing of migrants in the Bell Hotel. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. In a post on Facebook, Broxbourne Council said: 'Broxbourne Council will now take legal advice as a matter of urgency about whether it could take similar action.' Meanwhile, the leader of South Norfolk District Council, which covers the town of Diss where a hotel housing asylum seekers has also been the subject of protests, said the council would not go down the same route. Conservative leader Daniel Elmer said the council was using planning rules to try to ensure it was families being housed in the area rather than single adult males. He said to do so, which would effectively convert the hotels into hostels, should require a change of use. Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a protest in July outside the hotel in Diss, which houses more than 40 children. Cllr Elmer told the PA news agency: 'We make a big play about integration, and to replace families who have children in the local school system and have integrated into the local community would make no sense.' He added: 'If we can punish people who have put up sheds in their gardens without permission, then we can take action against hotels being converted into hostels without planning consent.' Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Government will 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns'. She added: 'Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.' Lawyers for the Home Office had warned the court that an injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction, but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers to September 12. He also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel's owner, the green light to challenge his ruling, but the company could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment.


STV News
3 hours ago
- STV News
Police watchdog urges use of seized crime cash to fund fight against gangs
Scotland's police watchdog chief is calling for talks on allowing money seized from criminals to be reinvested directly into tackling organised crime in Scotland. The latest report from the HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland praised Police Scotland's response to recent increase in organised crime-related violence. But he warned that such efforts have come at a 'significant' financial cost. Mr Naylor said he would like discussions to begin about introducing an Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme in Scotland, which would allow Police Scotland and other approved bodies to keep a portion of proceeds seized from criminals to spend directly on fighting crime. Similar schemes are already in operation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Mr Naylor said: 'The early months of 2025 have seen a return of significant violence and disorder associated with serious organised crime groups. 'Police Scotland's operational activity has resulted in a significant number of arrests. 'However, the increasingly complex nature of such criminality reinforces the need to ensure policing continues to have the resources required to protect communities across Scotland from those who seek to cause the greatest harm. 'In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Proceeds of Crime Act reporting agencies can and do receive money from the proceeds recovered from crime under the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS). 'The Home Office encourages agencies to invest ARIS funds into areas that will increase asset recovery or, where appropriate, to fund local crime fighting priorities. 'This process is not applicable in Scotland. 'At a time of increasing demand, I would be encouraged to see conversations to consider if some funding could be released from seized assets to bolster the fight against organised crime – and maintain Scotland's position as a top performer in this area.' iStock Proceeds of crime funding should go towards frontline policing efforts Mr Naylor's annual report states that during 2023-24 more than £10m was recovered in Scotland using Proceeds of Crime legislation. This money goes back into the Scottish Government's CashBack for Communities programme, which is funded by Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) seizure and provides free activities and programmes for young people. Elsewhere in the UK 'proceeds of crime' assets to the value of £243.3m were recovered from confiscation, forfeiture and civil recovery orders during 2023-24. From this, £98.1m of Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme money was distributed to Proceeds of Crime Act reporting agencies – including police forces, to fund local crime fighting priorities. In his 2024–2025 annual report, Mr Naylor said policing reform had clearly strengthened Scotland's ability to tackle organised crime compared to before the creation of a single national force. He said: 'These events are often contained within a limited geographical area, but on this occasion have stretched across the east and west regions of the country.' He added: 'These attacks also remind us of the transnational nature and risk posed by organised crime groups and the need for police and law enforcement agencies to work globally to target those involved in directing such activities.' Mr Naylor said that over the past 12 months, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) had carried out a number of detailed inspections, including a review of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), inspections of road policing, and the police response to missing persons. HMICS had also carried out joint inspections with other scrutiny partners, in areas including adult support and protection, children at risk of harm, and of police custody centres. Mr Naylor said work was underway on a joint review with HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland to look at the citation system in Scotland, and on a review with Audit Scotland to look at 'Best Value' arrangements across Scottish policing. He welcomed the recent passing of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 by the Scottish Parliament which strengthens officer vetting and disciplinary powers. However, he said further work was needed to address the financial impact of the new legislation. He said: 'Too little consideration has been given to the wider impact of the legislation – and how this could affect a number of organisations including Police Scotland, the SPA , the Police Investigations and Review Commission (PIRC), and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. 'As part of our scrutiny plan for the next three years, we will inspect how Police Scotland – and others – engage in the proactive work required to assess the likely cost – and other demands that this new legislation will bring.' Mr Naylor said Police Scotland had been on a reform journey since its creation in 2013, and opportunities remained to redesign the organisation to meet future budgetary challenges. He added: 'Policing in Scotland is a complex and multifaceted activity. 'The reform journey cannot simply be a further reduction of capability and capacity within policing. 'The work that is underway to improve the organisation even further will be challenging and it will take time to deliver outcomes. 'This has to be done while continuing to deliver the high quality of service that the people of Scotland demand and deserve.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country