Thetford twins killed in Portugal crash had 'special bond'
Mr Marcao, a barber at Max The Barber in Thetford, had cut Afonso's hair the day before the fatal crash."They were such kind people," he said. "Even Maria and Domingos; always laughing, just very nice people."
Family friend Jaden Jermy, who grew up with the twins, said he "couldn't believe" news of the fatal crash. "They [Afonso and Domingos] were very quiet when they were younger, but when they found football they sort of found their voice." he said. "They were always together and they were just so funny."Thetford Town Football Club paid tribute to the family and said the twins had been "integral" to their U18 team in recent years.The town is home to a large Portuguese community and Kirsty Turner, club secretary of youth football team Thetford Bulldogs FC, said news of their deaths had hit it town hard."The family have lived in Thetford for a long time; I know quite a few of their relations. Always a happy-go-lucky family and very memorable," she said.
Carla Barreto, mayor of Thetford said: "It's hard enough when a community loses a member, or a young person, but to lose a whole family in one go was devastating. "It's something that really digs deep."The Serrano family were living in Thetford, but were not believed to be British nationals, the UK Foreign Office said. A spokesperson from the Municipal Council of Mourão decreed two days of mourning from Sunday, following the incident. It said all activities and events promoted by the municipality would be cancelled throughout the weekend.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Child killer Constance Marten ‘barred from calling lover or sending him letters in jail,' prison source claims
EVIL mum Constance Marten has been banned from contacting her rapist lover in jail, a source claimed. Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following a retrial last month. 10 10 10 The pair lived off-grid with their baby Victoria, and the tragic tot died while living in a tent in the South Downs with hardly any clothes or "means of keeping or remaining warm". Victoria, who spent 'much of her life' in a Lidl bag for life, was later discovered dead inside an abandoned shed. The couple are now awaiting sentencing, with Marten behind bars at HMP Bronzefield and Gordon locked up at HMP Belmarsh. A prison source has claimed the mum, who had four children previously removed from her care, is now banned from calling Gordon or sending him letters from jail. According to the insider, inter-prison calls are usually easy to facilitate, and happen on a "semi-regular basis". "But with Constance and Mark staff have been told there's not a chance," the source told the Mail. "Prisoners are allowed to write to whoever they want to. But just because they pop it in the post bag it doesn't mean it is going to get there. "Every letter is read by security. Constance is going to be fuming when she finds out Mark isn't getting any of them." This comes after a source also claimed Marten could be in for a "rude awakening" in jail. The former socialite has allegedly been moaning about the food in HMP Bronzefield - nicknamed the women's Monster Mansion. The 38-year-old is the daughter of aristocrat Napier Marten, who was a page to the Queen. But Marten is simply known as Prisoner A9624X at the 527-inmate prison, a mile south of Heathrow airport. Now, Marten has made numerous complaints about life behind bars, according to one prison source. 10 10 10 And she is accused of behaving like she is "above the jail and everyone in it", the source claimed. The source told the Mail: "She complains as much as any other inmate I've seen in my career and she's got it a lot easier than most prisoners. "She seems to think she is above the jail and everyone in it. She acts like it's a mistake she's in there and sooner or later someone will realise and she'll be back out." Ahead of her sentencing next month, a source told the outlet: "Staff are a bit nervous about what she's going to be like afterwards." Timeline of baby 'killing' - how couple evaded cops CONSTANCE Marten and Mark Gordon allegedly sparked a 54-day manhunt across the UK after vanishing with their baby Victoria. Here's how the pair's journey began... December 20, 2022 Marten and Gordon booked into a holiday cottage in Northumberland, with the rental due to end on Boxing Day. The owner told jurors he found the property in "something of a state" on December 28. December 24, 2022 The couple claim their baby daughter was born this day but this has been disputed by prosecutors. December 28, 2022 Their Suzuki broke down on the M18 motorway so a recovery driver took them to a nearby Sainsbury's. There was allegedly no sign of the baby but the back and side windows of the car had been blocked by clothing. January 4, 2023 Marten and Gordon checked into the Ibis hotel at the Lymm Services in Cheshire then later the AC Hotel in Manchester. January 5, 2023 The couple's Peugeot 206 catches fire on the M61 motorway in Greater Manchester. Police launch an urgent probe after finding placenta, burner phones and Marten's passport, jurors were told. She and Gordon are taken to a Morrisons store in Bolton by a member of the public before being seen on CCTV at the nearby Bolton Interchange station. The couple allegedly use Marten's trust for a taxi to Liverpool, then a £400 cab to Harwich in Essex. Cab driver Ali Yaryar, who picked the couple up from Liverpool, told the court: "I think the baby had no clothes". January 6, 2023 The couple arrive in Harwich and check into a Premier Inn at around 3am. They later move to the Fryatt Hotel, where they paid in cash, it was said. January 7, 2023 Marten and Gordon travel by taxi to Colchester then to East Ham in London. The couple allegedly buy a buggy from Argos then grab another cab to Whitechapel. They ate in a Brick Lane restaurant then dump the new buggy - choosing instead to keep Victoria in a Lidl bag, jurors heard. January 8, 2023 The couple spend £475 on a taxi from Hornsey to Newhaven in East Sussex and walk to the South Downs National Park. January 9, 2023 Both Marten and Gordon claim baby Victoria died on this day - making her 16 days old, the court was told. It is said there is no way of knowing this for sure. January 12, 2023 Marten is captured buying snacks and petrol with cash but there was no sign of the baby. Prosecutors say she bought the fuel to cremate the baby but changed her mind. January 16, 2023 Marten and Gordon are seen setting up a tent in Stanmer Park Nature Reserve in the South Downs despite the cold weather. February 16/17, 2023 The couple are spotted near Hollingbury Golf Course in rural Sussex allegedly pushing a buggy with no baby. Their tent is later seen in Coldean Lane in Brighton A driver sees the pair walking towards Stanmer Park with something under Marten's puffer jacket, the court heard. February 19, 2023 Gordon and Marten are allegedly seen in their tent in the park with a very young baby with a "wobbly" head. Jurors told the baby had no socks, blanket or hat on. February 27, 2023 The couple are arrested in Hollingbury Place in Brighton but do not reveal Victoria's location at first, it is said. March 1, 2023 Tragic Victoria is found dead in a Lidl bag covered in rubbish inside a disused shed "like refuse", the court is told. "She is only expecting a couple of years maximum because she still believes what she was doing with her baby made sense. "She thinks she's just passing through here. We reckon she's in for a rude awakening." Marten's new life sees her also "complain constantly" about the food, according to the source. "It's almost as if she's in a restaurant and is surprised about how poor the standards are. It's like she doesn't seem to understand where she is, that this is a prison," they said. Among the inmates serving life at the Surrey women's prison are baby-killer nurse Lucy Letby and Beinash Batool, who murdered her ten-year-old step- daughter Sara Sharif. A source previously told The Sun how Letby and Batool had become friends "partly for their own protection" as child killers are a target for other female prisoners. And Marten, who can only mix with a handful of inmates including the dangerous pair, should consider making pals with them, it was claimed. Marten has been put under 24-hour observation over fears for her safety, with guards checking her at least every five minutes. But our source claimed Marten's behaviour continues to be "odd" and it appeared that she was "deluded about what's happened". Marten and Gordon were arrested in Brighton on February 27, 2023 following a nationwide manhunt after they fled with their newborn. It was revealed the couple had four children between 2017 and 2021, but all were placed into care after strong concerns were raised. Marten gave birth to Victoria without seeking any medical assistance in early 2022 and kept her "their little secret". The infant had hardly any clothes or means of keeping or remaining warm. Victoria, who spent 'much of her life' in a Lidl bag for life, was tragically discovered dumped among rubbish in a shed near Brighton. At their first trial, which began in January 2024, they were convicted of perverting justice, concealment of a baby's birth and child cruelty. And when their 'chaotic' second trial ended last month, a jury found the couple guilty of manslaughter. The two lengthy hearings had cost taxpayers more than £10million. ODD BEHAVIOUR IN COURT By Summer Raemason THE jury deliberated for 14 hours and 32 minute before reaching its verdicts. Gordon looked to Marten before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, the Recorder of London, will sentence the couple on 15 September. During their trial, the couple regularly argued between themselves and interrupted the judge. They also refused to attend several hearing pretending to be ill, which nurses later disproved. Marten herself was represented by 15 separate barristers, including seven KC's. The couple were regularly reprimanded for talking to each other during the trials. One jury member told the judge they were being distracted by the defendants. Gordon often attended with a large sack full of papers, while Marten had a stack of files. The couple smiled, chatted and blew kisses at each other in the dock during their first trial. They continued to chat and smile at each other when appearing at the Old Bailey throughout their subsequent hearings. When Gordon was giving his evidence, Marten mouthed words of encouragement to him from the dock. She also described the prosecution as "heartless" and "diabolical". Moments after being convicted, Gordon yelled from the dock: "I'm not surprised by the verdict. It was faulty, it was unlawful. This is not over, it has just begun." He also said it was "a scam". 10 10 10 10
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Body found after 12-year-old went missing in River Swale
A body has been found after a 12-year-old boy went missing while swimming in the River Swale. The body was recovered from the river in Richmond at 10.45pm on Saturday, North Yorkshire Police said. The search was launched after reports the boy had entered the river at around 5pm. A police statement said: 'The body is yet to be identified but the boy's family have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.' The statement said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Body pulled from river in search for missing boy, 12
A body has been pulled from a river in the search for a missing 12-year-old boy. The body was found in the River Swale in Richmond late Saturday, North Yorkshire Police said. Police launched a search for the boy after receiving reports at 5pm on Saturday that a boy had entered the river and not been seen since. Specialist search teams as well as fire and rescue officers were deployed to help with the search, with crews "recovering a child's body from the water" at 10.45pm. "The body is yet to be identified, but the boy's family have been informed and are receiving support from specially-trained officers," police said in a statement. The death is not being treated as suspicious.
