Footballer faces jail for £400,000 handover of laundered money
Sheriff Maryam Labaki said he had committed an "insidious crime" that "crossed the custody threshold".
The court heard how Keatings had parked his white transit van alongside a Mercedes van on Young Street in Wishaw.Police and officers from the NCA saw him remove "two weighty boxes from his van and put them in the rear of the Mercedes".A later searched of the Mercedes and found two boxes containing 78 bundles of notes totalling £390,040.A quantity of elastic bands, which had Keatings DNA on them, were also discovered in the boxes.The court heard that Keatings' finger and palm prints were found in various locations on the boxes and bank notes.
Solicitor Brien Grieg, defending, said Keatings was a first offender, a father, and "a working man".He told police at the time of his arrest he was working as a plasterer.Sheriff Labaki deferred sentence until 19 September for background reports, but continued Keatings' bail in the meantime.She said: "This is a very significant sum, and it's an insidious crime in many ways."You must prepare yourself for every eventuality. You have crossed the custody threshold."
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Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I heard my mother's murderer smash into her home on the Ring doorbell before beating her to death
The daughter of a woman who was brutally murdered in her own bedroom has described how he tore her family apart. The moment killer Dean Mears forced his way into the home of vulnerable Catherine Flynn was caught on a Ring doorbell camera – and witnessed by her horrified daughter. Natasha Flynn-Farrell, 38, could only watch helplessly from her own home as Mears, 34, kicked in the front door and smashed the window of her mother's home in north Wales last October. She then had to listen as he rained blows down on her frail 69-year-old mother. Harrowing audio captured the appalling sound of 15 thuds as the scaffolder dragged Catherine, who had mobility issues and used a Zimmer frame, out of bed and stamped repeatedly on her face and neck. By the time relatives had raised the alarm and police had rushed to the scene, he had already fled, leaving Mrs Flynn with injuries a pathologist likened to those seen in high impact crashes. Meanwhile, callous Mears was disposing of his bloodstained clothes in a doomed bid to cover his tracks. Mother-of-four Catherine, from Rhyl, died in hospital hours later. Mears, a drug user who claimed he was too high to know what he was doing, was jailed for 28 years in June. Mother of one Natasha told the Daily Mail: 'Mum was our matriarch, we called her our Queenie. She adored her children and grandchildren, and she had the biggest heart. 'I will never get over the way she died, so brutally and needlessly. He targeted a vulnerable old lady, in her own bed, and beat her until she could take no more. No punishment will ever be enough. 'I am struggling with my grief and severe PTSD, and I miss mum so much. I cannot bear to hear a Ring doorbell because it reminds me of her murder.' Catherine, known as Cathy, raised three daughters and a son with her husband, Mick. The family, originally from Liverpool, moved to Rhyl when Natasha was 13. Natasha said: 'We had a great childhood, and we had a wonderful mum. She was a feeder; she liked to make a big Sunday roast and have everyone round. 'She taught me how to cook too. Every penny she has was for her children. Just before she died, she'd paid for driving lessons for my daughter. 'Our last outing together, four days before her murder, was to book Christmas dinner at a restaurant for us all. We'd never been out for Christmas dinner before, and we were excited. 'Mum loved Christmas, and she loved her garden; she liked anything which brought her family together. Following her death, locals paid tribute to Catherine Flynn, with one saying: 'She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, would do anything for anyone, a true queen with a heart of gold' 'She was there to support me when my first daughter, Latitia, was sadly still born in 2004. 'Two years later, she cut the cord when my second daughter, Natalia, was born. Mum was always there for us all.' In 2011, Mick passed away and Cathy's own health began to deteriorate. She was diagnosed with COPD, emphysema, arthritis and a leaking heart valve. Natasha said: 'Her health was bad, and she was so tiny, she was like a little doll. But her character was strong. 'I used to say she was made of solid gold. She needed a walking frame and a wheelchair to go any distance, but she still liked to go out and do her shopping and see people, and she was great company. 'She liked watching the soaps and she liked pottering in her garden. Above all, she liked to see her family. 'Due to her health, she moved to a smaller property, around a five-minute drive from me, and I saw her every day. If she wasn't well, I stayed over in her spare room. I even moved in with her for a while after she'd been in hospital. 'I made her meals, using the recipes she'd passed down to me, and took her for all her appointments. We were best pals as well as mum and daughter 'I had access to her Ring Doorbell stream but that was just for peace of mind because Mum had fallen a couple of times. Never did we think she might be burgled or attacked. 'Her home was lovely, she'd never had any trouble, she had a stair-lift and a walk-in shower, and a beautiful little garden. She was by the sea, and it felt like the perfect place for her retirement.' In October last year, the family planned a meal out and decided to book their first Christmas dinner away from home. Four days later, Cathy was murdered. Natasha said: 'It was a Thursday, which was takeaway night. My husband had called round earlier in the evening with Mum's takeaway and to check she was OK. 'Mum always rang me around 10.30pm to let me know she was safe in bed. I picked my phone up ready for her call and noticed a notification from Ring doorbell. I clicked on it, knowing Mum would not have a visitor this late.' To her horror, Natasha saw a man smashing the door and window before forcing his way into the house. She heard a series of thuds and bangs as her mother pleaded to be spared. She said: 'The attack lasted less than a minute, but I was hysterical. I was trying to use the microphone, screaming at him to leave her alone. 'I called 999 and they made me wait for the police to arrive before I drove round to Mum's. I was in such a state, I just wanted to see her, but they wouldn't let me in. I'd convinced myself she'd somehow escaped injury, that he had smashed the place up and stolen whatever he wanted.' But Cathy was rushed to hospital, and her devastated family were warned she had suffered catastrophic head injuries. The following day, they made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw life support. Natasha said: 'Mum was so swollen, all the bones in her face were broken so when I kissed her, she felt like jelly. She never regained consciousness. I held her hand and we all said a prayer and I told her: 'Don't worry Mum. Dad is waiting for you.' My whole world shattered when she took her last breath.' Thanks to the doorbell footage, Dean Mears, a local drug addict, was quickly arrested. Natasha said: 'We'd never heard of him. He didn't know my Mum at all. He claimed to be so high he had no idea why he had targeted her home and attacked her. 'The months after Mum's death were a blur. We held her funeral, but we couldn't say a proper goodbye because the police had retained tissue samples as part of their investigation. 'Christmas came, and I forced myself to go out for the dinner we'd booked, because I knew Mum would want me to be strong. But all I could think of was the empty place where she should have been. 'Natalia passed her driving test, which Mum would have loved as she'd paid for the lessons. But it was bittersweet. We couldn't celebrate anything without our Queenie. 'I had severe PTSD and flashbacks; I couldn't bear to watch TV in case there was a doorbell ringing. I felt guilty, as though I could have somehow saved her. I was overwhelmed with grief. 'I had a lot of help and I'm still having support from the police and specialist family liaison officers. But the pain never goes away.' At Caernarfon Crown Court in June, a jury was told Dean Mears had dragged Cathy from her bed, stamping on her at least 15 times before leaving her for dead. Remorseless Mears admitted manslaughter but was convicted of murder, following a nine-day trial. Judge Rhys Rowlands jailed Mears for 28 years and told him: 'You dragged her out of bed…stamped on her face 15 times, pretty much breaking every bone in her face. 'She was frail and extremely vulnerable. She was a very small lady. Plainly terrified, Mrs Flynn can be heard to plead with you, but you showed no mercy…you can be heard repeatedly stamping on her face. 'Your adult life has been blighted by you taking illicit drugs…..I'm quite satisfied that this case was a murder for gain. You didn't break into Mrs Flynn's home intending to kill her - as such the murder was not pre-meditated. 'I cannot ignore 15 blows were aimed by you. This was unusual savagery. You are a dangerous individual.' The family have now learned that samples taken from Cathy's body can be returned to them, so they will soon receive her ashes as a whole. Natasha said: 'When we have mum back together, we will hold a big party to celebrate her life, to remember the love and the joy she brought into the world. 'She will always be our Queenie. I'm raising awareness of violence against women and girls too. I'd like to help other families, in mum's name. 'But I won't ever forget or forgive. I am still being supported by specialist officers and FLO workers. And I will be ready, when Mears is up for parole. He is an animal, a monster, and I hope he never walks the streets ever again.' Following the death of Mrs Flynn - known as Cathy - one local said: 'She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, would do anything for anyone, a true queen with a heart of gold.' The judge added: 'Any loss of life is tragic, but your killing of Mrs Flynn that night wasn't only senseless but the circumstances surrounding it can only be viewed as truly horrific. 'You broke in, went up the stairs, passing the chair or stairlift on the stairs she used because she had only limited mobility. 'You dragged her out of bed, demanding repeatedly to know where the keys were, and repeatedly stamped on the victim on her face and neck, causing the most catastrophic of injuries. 'As to exactly why you behaved in that way, only you will know.' But the judge said drugs had ruined Mears' life and now the life of another family. 'I have no doubt the root cause was your long-standing addiction to harmful illicit drugs and association with the dealers at a higher level of these drugs.' Addressing Mrs Flynn's family, who cheered the guilty verdict from the public gallery, the judge added :'I can't for one moment put myself in their shoes. 'What a dreadful experience to have gone through:' He added that not many juries had to listen to somebody being killed. Afterwards Senior Investigating Officer Superintendent Lee Boycott of North Wales Police said: 'On 24th October 2024, Dean Mears broke into Cathy Flynn's home whilst she was sleeping and ferociously and repeatedly stamped on her in a brutal and violent unprovoked attack. 'The injuries Cathy sustained were not survivable and she tragically died the following day in hospital. 'His abhorrent actions that night was witnessed by Cathy's daughter on her doorbell footage, which will undoubtedly stay with her and her family forever. 'Despite Mears showing no remorse for his actions, Cathy's family have remained dignified and respectful throughout the judicial process. 'I commend them for their courage and my thoughts remain with them today. 'I welcome today's verdict and thank the jury, and the investigation team, for their diligent work in securing justice for Cathy's family.'
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
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I fled to the UK for safety. So why are your leaders cosying up to the brutal despots in Beijing who've put a £100,000 bounty on my head?
Chloe Cheung never takes the same route home twice in succession. On the streets of Leeds where she lives and works, she carries self protection devices, including alarms and air tags, in case she is kidnapped. It is the same when she's on her frequent visits to London. Cheung, a slender, fragile figure, is 20 years old. But despite her childlike appearance, she has a £100,000 bounty on her head.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Lucy Connolly to walk FREE: Tory Councillor's wife who was jailed last year for 'racist' Tweet during the Southport riots is being released from prison in a matter of hours
Lucy Connolly is set to walk free from prison in just a matter of hours after being jailed for writing a racist tweet during last summer's riots. The mother and former childminder has spent more than nine months behind bars after admitting making the inflammatory post on X in the wake of the Southport attacks in July last year. Connolly, who is also the wife of Tory Councillor Ray Connolly, pleaded guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred and was handed a 31-month sentence in October. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it.' She has been serving time at HMP Peterborough and had an application to have her sentence reduced rejected in May. But, the Daily Mail can now reveal that Connolly is due to be released on Thursday. The news will come as a huge boost to her husband and 12-year-old daughter as well as campaigners calling for her release. Connelly's imprisonment had prompted allegations that she was a victim of 'two-tier justice', with claims that those with right-wing views are treated more harshly than others in the UK. Connolly's X post was made just hours after killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, sparking nationwide unrest. She was arrested on August 6, by which point she had deleted her social media account. But other messages which included other condemning remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone. The Southport atrocity sparked nationwide unrest, with several people - including Connolly - jailed as a result. Her tweet was viewed 310,000 times in three-and-a-half hours before she deleted it. She later pleaded guilty to distributing material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to 31 months in prison in October. In May, she had an appeal against her sentence refused by three Court of Appeal judges at the Royal Courts of Justice. In a written judgment, Lord Justice Holroyde, said: 'There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive. 'The application for leave to appeal against sentence therefore fails and is refused.' He added that the principal ground of appeal 'was substantially based on a version of events put forward by the applicant which we have rejected'. Connolly argued she had been 'really angry' after the Southport attacks, but hours after posting the rant on X realised it was not an acceptable thing to say, so deleted it. She also said that news of the Southport murders had triggered her anxiety caused when her baby son, Harry, died as the result of a hospital blunder 13 years earlier. At her appeal case, Adam King, representing Connolly, asked if she had intended for anyone to set fire to asylum hotels or 'murder any politicians'. She replied: 'Absolutely not.' Naeem Valli, for the prosecution, told the court the post was a reflection of her attitude towards immigrants. At the time Mr Connolly told of the pain of his wife's long imprisonment, saying: 'The 284 days of separation have been very hard, particularly on our 12-year-old girl.' Connolly's case later became international news, with US officials saying earlier this year they are keeping tabs on developments over their 'concerns' about free speech. A State Department spokesman said in May: 'We can confirm that we are monitoring this matter. The United States supports freedom of expression at home and abroad, and remains concerned about infringements on freedom of expression.' It came after political commentator and Trump ally Charlie Kirk was made aware of Connolly's ordeal after a visit to the UK and vowed to get the US State Department involved in the process. Appearing on GB News, Kirk said: 'I am going to try and get the US State Department involved. I'm going to bring this up to Marco Rubio. I'm going to send him a text.' Kirk had been in the UK for a debate at the Oxford Union on Monday when the case of Mrs Connolly was raised. He later appeared on GB News, during which he said: 'I'm sorry, speaking as a citizen not on behalf of the US government, is this a way that a liberal democracy and ally of the United States acts? Kirk continued: 'I just find it so outrageous that she is now going to jail for two and a half years for a deleted social media post that she apologised for. As you guys (the UK) have birthed free speech to the world, you are now becoming a totalitarian country. 'I'm going to bring this up to Marco Rubio. I'm going to send him a text. This should be mentioned. It's not new.' Connolly's sentence was recently brought under the spotlight again last month after a man who abused a first class cabin crew on a flight from London was jailed for just 15-months. Recruitment tycoon Salman Iftikhar, 37, was flying in first class when he launched a vile tirade of abuse towards Virgin Atlantic staff on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore in his homeland of Pakistan. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the sentence was evidence of 'two-tier justice', given Connolly was jailed for more than double his sentence. Mr Philp told the Mail last month: 'Iftikar was sentenced to only 15 months in prison last week for threatening an air stewardess with gang rape and for racially aggravated harassment. Iftikhar has multiple previous convictions. 'Yet Lucy Connolly got 31 months for a far less serious offence - a prosecution Lord Hermer personally authorised. 'This is two-tier justice in action. 'I have today referred the case to the Attorney General Lord Hermer for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. 'We'll now find out if Hermer is willing to take action to fix Britain's two-tier justice problem.'
