
Protesters turn out as woman appears in court over alleged support for Hamas
On October 9 2023, it is alleged she gave a speech at Soas University of London 'being reckless' as to whether a person would be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.
Seven days later, she allegedly expressed support for Hamas by giving her opinion in a WhatsApp group chat.
On Friday, Cotte appeared at the Old Bailey and sat in the well of the court for a hearing before the trial judge, Richard Marks KC.
The judge set a further pre-trial hearing for October 24 and granted Cotte continued conditional bail.
The defendant faces a 10-day trial at the Old Bailey from February 23 next year.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
First session of indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources say
CAIRO, July 7 (Reuters) - The first session of indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks in Qatar ended inconclusively, two Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said early on Monday, adding that the Israeli delegation didn't have a sufficient mandate to reach an agreement with Hamas. The talks resumed on Sunday, ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's third visit to the White House since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to power nearly six months ago. "After the first session of indirect negotiations in Doha, the Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorized and is not authorized to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers", the sources told Reuters. Netanyahu said, before his departure to Washington, that Israeli negotiators taking part in the ceasefire talks have clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions that Israel has accepted.


Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Cancer doctor blames Covid after downloading sick images of children
Consultant urologist Paul Struch, 41, received a suspended prison sentence on Thursday and will also be hauled before a a professional disciplinary hearing for his actions. A top cancer doctor has blamed the coronavirus pandemic for making him exhausted after he was caught downloading explicit images of underage girls - some as young as four. Consultant urologist Paul Struch, 41, received a suspended prison sentence on Thursday and will also be hauled before a professional disciplinary hearing for his actions. Police raided Struch's apartment in Hitch Quay, Wandsworth, south London, after a sting operation which caught him chatting to an undercover officer concerning his interest in girls aged four years old and up, The Mirror reports. When his address was searched, the doctor was seen attempting to tamper with or destroy a memory stick on which images were found, prosecutor Jonathan Gold told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court. The prosecutor said: "His address was searched and he was seen attempting to tamper with or destroy a memory stick on which images were found along with a white iPhone. There are some aggravating features, the ages of some of the children are quite young, some are as young as four years-old." The court heard that Sturch's mental health deteriorated while working on the medical frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic - and Simon Ray KC, defending, told Judge Anne Brown: "The General Medical Council (GMC) are aware and a custodial sentence would almost certainly end his career, but not if you follow the recommendation of the pre-sentence report of a community sentence." The doctor, who hasn't returned to work at King's College Hospital, Camberwell, said he feels "appalled, crushed and overwhelmed by remorse and shame. His KC reminded the court that Sturch's offending was purely online and didn't involve physical contact with children. The barrister said Sturch still has ambitions to return to the medical profession "There is nothing professionally that brings him into contact with children. His speciality is very much adult men," said Mr Ray. "He was working to exhaustion to save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and he has dedicated his life to the care of others. "This frontline work on the Covid ward contributed to his mental disintegration that led to the commission of these offences. He takes full responsibility for his actions and offending, although he recalls little of his offending actions. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "He is a consultant urological surgeon with a speciality in prostate cancer, undertaking life-saving procedures. He has skills that are rare. If ever there was a case where the court can be sure offences will not be repeated its is this one. "The effect on the defendant losing his career and everything he has worked for would be devastating. Work is his identity and it is something he has worked on all of his life," added Mr Ray. "If the defendant is struck-off it would be a personal tragedy and the NHS would lose a talented surgeon." Judge Brown sentenced Sturch to six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, which includes thirty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement. He will also be under Probation Service supervision for eighteen months, must sign the sex offenders register for seven years and was made subject to a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his internet use, plus further conditions. "There were children under obvious distress and I will not go into details in open court," announced Judge Brown. "We must take the age and vulnerability of the children into account. It is not for me to second-guess the GMC. I have to decide if there is an alternative to a custodial sentence. "I do not think it is helpful to guess what the GMC will do in the future. I don't know their work," said the judge. "By the time the police came to his flat he was no longer going to work," said Mr Ray. "The police body worn camera presents a powerful image of where he was at the time in his life. His state and the state of his flat." The defence submitted medical reports revealed Sturch had a depressive disorder that led to "poor judgement and impulsivity." Mr Ray added: "People can function when they really, really have to, but behind the scenes they are collapsing."


Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Hamas says it has lost control over most of the Gaza strip and that it has suffered 'a near-total collapse of security'
A senior Hamas security officer has said that the Palestinian terrorist group has lost about 80% of its control over Gaza. The lieutenant colonel told the BBC that Hamas' command and control system had collapsed as a result of Israeli air raids that have also largely affected the group's leadership. The officer has stepped away from his duties for health reasons after being wounded in the first week of the war, which began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said that 'there's barely anything left of [Hamas'] security structure', adding that about 95 per cent of the group's leadership have been killed. 'The active figures have all been really, what's stopping Israel from continuing the war'. He added that there is now a security vacuum and that there is 'no control anywhere', noting there are now criminal gangs 'everywhere.' The officer's remarks come after Israel's then-defence minister Yoav Gallant declared that 'Hamas as a military formation no longer exists' and that it was engaged in guerrilla tactics. According to the former Hamas official, the group tried to regroup during the 57-day ceasefire with Israel earlier this year, but after the truce disintegrated in March, Israel has targeted the group's remaining structures. It comes after US-led ceasefire efforts in Gaza appeared to gain momentum on Saturday after nearly 21 months of war, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday will send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar. The statement also asserted that Hamas was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the proposal US President Donald Trump has pushed for an agreement and will host Netanyahu at the White House on Monday to discuss a deal. 'There are 20 hostages that are alive, 30 dead. I am determined, we are determined, to bring them all back. 'And we will also be determined to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,' Netanyahu said before departing, emphasizing the goal of eliminating Hamas' military and governing power. Inside Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 41 Palestinians and another 10 were killed while seeking food aid, hospital officials in the embattled enclave told The Associated Press. People walk past makesfift shelters as smoke billows east of Gaza City, in the central Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment on July 6, 2025 Two American aid workers with the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation were also injured in an attack at a food distribution site, which the organisation blamed on Hamas, without providing evidence. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.