Dublin youth charged with raping female when he was aged 15
The 18-year-old appeared at the Dublin Children's Court this week and was remanded on bail to appear again in September to be served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
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The offence allegedly occurred in late 2022 in the city's north side. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has yet to enter a plea.
There was no objection to bail.
The Children's Court, which has lesser sentencing powers, does not have jurisdiction to hear a rape trial.
Legal aid was granted.
Bail terms stated he must have no contact with the complainant, not leave the jurisdiction, surrender his passport, provide gardaí with a contact phone number, sign on once a week and remain out of the area where the alleged incident occurred.
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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Crime has got so bad in Britain that foreign governments are warning their citizens about visiting
Before Samuel* travelled from Australia to the UK last October, his friends and family warned him about London's reputation for crime. 'I had planned to travel all around Europe,' says the 27-year-old architecture student from Sydney, 'but my parents said, 'once you get to London, you need to be really careful''. Conversations about the soaring robbery and theft rates in London are commonplace for Australian travellers visiting the UK, says Samuel. 'Everyone knows of somebody [in Australia] that's had their phone stolen in London,' he says. 'It's definitely common to hear the warnings in Australia, everyone knows that.' Despite the warnings, Samuel became one of around 80,000 people whose phones were stolen in London last year. Walking up a flight of stairs at Euston station with his mobile in his back pocket, he noticed he had been pick-pocketed when he reached the top. The experience had such an impact on him that he still finds himself checking his pockets in Australia, even though phone theft is 'non-existent' out there. Warnings about London's crime are not just hearsay out in Australia; they are now being issued by the Australian government. The government website Smart Traveller has raised the UK travel advice from a Level 1 to a Level 2 warning, urging Australians to 'exercise a high degree of caution' when visiting Britain, adding that 'petty crime is common, including pickpocketing' and alerting readers to thieves who use 'scooters and bicycles to snatch belongings'. Two extra bullet points recommend travellers 'keep money and valuables such as mobile phones out of sight' and 'avoid putting valuables in [their] pockets'. In Australia, there are only four risk levels when it comes to travel warnings: Level 1 indicates that a country is 'similar' to Australia safety-wise, while Level Four is 'do not travel' because 'your health and safety are at extreme risk'. Level 2, issued to the UK, 'may reflect a weak law-and-order system, where violent crime is common,' explains the website, adding that the country 'may lack some key public services, such as a responsive police force.' Two fifths of mobile phone thefts in Europe now happen in the UK, according to the insurance company SquareTrade Europe. Its data reveals that phone theft claims in the UK have increased by 425 per cent since June 2021. One mobile phone is stolen every six minutes across the capital, according to the Metropolitan Police. Meanwhile, violent crime has gone up by 30 per cent during Sir Sadiq Khan's nine-year tenure as Mayor of London. In March, the Conservatives accused him of overseeing a 'woefully inadequate' response to the problem of phone theft after dedicating only two sentences to the increase in his policing strategy for the capital. In early July this year, the Home Office wrote on X that there had been a 44 per cent rise in street crime across the UK, record levels of shop theft and a million incidents of anti-social behaviour. There's been a 44% rise in street crime, record levels of shop theft and a million incidents of anti-social behaviour. We refuse to accept this for our towns. This summer, police forces are increasing targeted patrols to protect businesses from harm and increase public safety. — Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) July 4, 2025 Australia is not the only country warning its citizens to take precautions when visiting the UK. Research by The Telegraph has uncovered a slew of foreign countries that have either put out fresh warnings about the rising levels of crime in the UK in recent years, or updated the 'crime' sections of their websites with additional warnings. The countries include France, Canada, New Zealand, the UAE and, most surprisingly, Mexico. In a 'travel advice' section on the Mexican embassy website, it warns that 'in London, crime has increased, especially in crowded areas, on the streets, and on public transportation.' It lists 16 bullet points with practical advice on how to avoid petty crime on the street, in the hotel, and when travelling in a vehicle. 'Avoid displaying jewellery, cameras, cell phones, or other valuables,' the website advises. The UAE embassy website also warns travellers of a 'recent increase in violence and knife crime' in London, 'including a number of attacks on citizens of Arab Gulf states'. It says: 'We advise our citizens to take special care, especially at night, and avoid wearing valuable items that attract attention in public places'. Twelve bullet points follow, with advice 'to make your visit to London safer'. They include making sure to check that the hotel door has a functional lock and a dead bolt. Like Australia, the Canadian government has increased its warnings about crime in London. In 2017, the Canadian website increased the risk level of the UK from the first level ('exercise normal safety precautions') to the second level ('you should exercise a high degree of caution '). Canada only has four risk levels, the fourth being 'avoid all travel'. Though the update seems to have been made following the Westminster terror attack in 2017, the volume of advice about 'crime' in London has grown startlingly on the website over a decade. Web archives show that in 2012, the Canadian government published one line warning of 'petty crime' including 'pickpocketing, purse snatching and mugging'. By 2017, the section on crime had grown to three paragraphs, and included a new warning of 'violent crime such as mugging and sexual assault'. In 2019, the government was listing areas in which to be most vigilant, including 'pubs and bars', and had published a line that 'cellphone theft is rampant in tourist areas'. Now, in 2025, there are three lengthy sections on 'petty crime', 'violent crime' and 'spiked food and drinks' with detailed bullet points advising Canadians to 'avoid showing signs of affluence'. And it's not just foreign governments issuing warnings: back in the UK, London hotels are now also warning travellers of the high rates of petty crime. 'We always mention to be wary of phone snatching; there's a lot of phone snatching in Piccadilly Circus', says a concierge, who did not want to be named, at a luxury five-star hotel in central London. 'Also, when they are wearing jewellery, we mention that they should be careful.' Unsuspecting guests falling victim to phone snatching has 'happened a few times,' they say, 'but there's not much we can do. It happened once with an external member of the public, it was over a year ago: it can be guests, or people from outside. It's most likely phones.' It's lunchtime in central Victoria. 'Hop-on hop-off' buses are embarking on their tours of London, filled with huge groups of tourists. One bus steward is shepherding a queue of eager foreign visitors into a brightly coloured, open-top coach. He says that in the last year, he has been witness to six or seven 'live' phone snatches alone. 'Most of the time they come on electric bicycles, they snatch from the footpaths and they go away: they're really fast,' he says. Now he worries that it could detrimentally affect the tourist industry he is part of. 'It could impact tourists because tourists are afraid of where the crime is… it could impact the business', he admits. 'People are still afraid. Previously I heard that London was the safest place, but crimes are going up now'. Is he concerned for the future of his job? 'Yes, there is a concern,' he admits, before suggesting that 'we should tighten immigration laws' and that 'people should be punished when they commit the crime.' Online, social media is awash with warnings for those visiting the UK. 'So I moved to London this week, and I am so anxious walking on the streets,' says Australian social media user Alicia English while filming herself in a TikTok post. 'Apparently everyone's phones get stolen off them, people drive past on bikes and just snatch them out of your hands… that is making me anxious because I really can't afford a new phone right now.' Her video has nearly 200 comments. 'I saw someone have a phone snatched out [of] their hands on Oxford Street last week,' says one respondent. In May 2024, Calina Chehade, a 24-year-old video editor, saw a string of warnings about crime in London on TikTok before her trip to the city. Chehade, who lives in Lebanon, was travelling to the UK for an Olivia Rodrigo concert. 'Phone snatching is especially talked about and famous in London,' she tells The Telegraph. 'My mum sent me a TikTok of someone with a black eye because someone stole their phone. It definitely got on my nerves.' Before she travelled to London, family members who had visited before gave her tips to prevent her phone being stolen. 'I remember my cousin telling me 'wear a big coat and put your wallet inside your coat, and close it well and hold on to your belongings,' she says, before reciting, as if by heart: 'Always walk with confidence. Don't let them know you're a tourist.' Though Chehade did not have her phone snatched, she views herself as one of the lucky ones. 'It was fine, luckily,' she reflects of her visit. 'But there is luck involved, it's not just me being prepared. Thank God, nothing happened.' Then she confides, almost in amazement, and perhaps with a slight tinge of disappointment: 'I didn't even witness a phone snatch while there.'
The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Lord Dannatt urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US firm
A member of the House of Lords urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at the request of a US defence company that employs him as an adviser. Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, wrote privately to two separate Home Office ministers asking them to address the 'threat' posed by the group after its activists targeted a factory in 2022. The activists caused extensive damage to the factory which is run by Teledyne, a US multinational that sells technology for military, aerospace and other applications. Lord Dannatt has been a paid adviser to the company since 2022. Dannatt's involvement after the attack on the factory in Wales led to allegations heard later in court that the peer was 'seeking to influence' the criminal investigation into the Palestine Action activists. The police officer in charge of the investigation had told Teledyne executives that 'it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case', according to evidence heard in the trial of one of the activists. Dannatt said he was completely unaware of the exchanges in the trial and said the allegations were 'baseless'. His actions on behalf of the company nonetheless demonstrate the value to companies looking to affect government policy of having a member of the House of Lords as an adviser. Dannatt, 74, has sat in the Lords since 2011. He is now under investigation by the house authorities over two sets of allegations that he broke parliamentary rules that forbid lobbying. One allegation stems from undercover filming by the Guardian. He has denied the earlier allegations, saying: 'I am well aware of … the Lords code of conduct … I have always acted on my personal honour.' In July this year, ministers banned Palestine Action, claiming it was involved in terrorism. Supporters of the group countered that the ban was absurd and draconian. The group is challenging the legality of the ban in court. Two years ago, four activists were convicted of conspiring to damage Teledyne's factory in Presteigne in Wales. They had broken into the factory to protest against the sale of military equipment to Israel. They smashed windows and computer screens, drilled holes in the roof, sprayed red paint, and set off smoke grenades. Prosecutors told the court that the damage totalled more than £1m. The four activists were jailed for between 23 and 27 months. While three of the activists pleaded guilty, the fourth went to trial. Transcripts of her trial were obtained by the Guardian and reveal allegations heard in court that Dannatt sought to interfere in the police's investigation of the protest. On 19 December 2022, 10 days after the action at the Welsh factory, Sgt Alex Stuart of Dyfed-Powys police, who was in charge of the investigation, sent an email to four of his superiors. He had spoken with the general manager of the factory in the UK. She had told him that a senior Teledyne executive based in the US had 'spoken to Lord Richard Dannatt about Palestine Action'. Stuart wrote: 'Lord Dannatt was chief of the army general staff. He's now a life peer. He has an invested interest [sic] in this aspect of UK trade and investment, particularly military projects. 'Essentially there have been an indication that he wants this case to be explained and he wants to have some input on it. They haven't explained exactly what he wants, however I have told them that it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case.' He added: 'I have explained that they need to establish what Lord Dannatt wants.' He wrote that if the peer was concerned in general about Palestine Action's tactics, he should talk to senior police officers at a national level. 'It's not best placed for him to actively speak with an investigation team about the matter in the way that I think he wants to.' Later that day, a DCI replied to Stuart: 'The chief constable is aware of the case and has received an update. Whilst Lord Dannatt has every right to communicate with the force regarding matters of concern, it does not mean that the matters he raises receive the response that he may want.' At the criminal trial in May 2023, James Manning, the barrister for one of the defendants, asked Stuart whether he was concerned that Dannatt was seeking to have some input into the case which at that stage was being investigated by the police as a live criminal investigation. Stuart replied: 'Yeah, to a certain extent, yes.' Manning then asked: 'And you thought that that was inappropriate … and you told [Teledyne] as much?' Stuart replied: 'Yes.' Elen Owen, the prosecutor, told the court there was 'absolutely no evidence' that Dannatt had tried to 'influence' the investigation. 'He was just asking for information and the email … chain makes it quite clear that the decision was made by the police that it would be inappropriate to, to make any contact with him and, and that was the end of the matter.' The judge hearing the case, Rhys Rowlands, agreed with the prosecution that Dannatt was not relevant to the trial and that there was no evidence to suggest he had tried to interfere. His opinion was based on a decision about whether the police officer could be questioned about his concerns. He allowed the questioning to go ahead, though ruled Dannatt could not be named. Dannatt described the officer's allegations as 'unfounded' and pointed to the judge's view that he 'had nothing to do with the trial'. He suggested the general manager may have sought to use his name to help present their case. Teledyne and the general manager did not respond to a request for comment. On 22 December 2022, Dannatt had an online call with the factory's general manager and another senior member of Teledyne. Dannatt told the Guardian that Teledyne had 'contacted me to seek my assistance in raising concerns by the company to the government with regard to attacks on their premises'. He added: 'They briefed me on the Palestine Action attacks, and I then agreed to write to the home secretary.' In his letter, Dannatt declared his role 'at the outset' as a paid adviser to the company, but said he believed 'the threat from Palestine Action has more widespread implications for security and the economy within the United Kingdom'. The letter to Suella Braverman was headed 'General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL', addressed from the House of Lords. He outlined the details of Palestine Action's activities at Teledyne's factory and at another factory run by a different arms company in Edinburgh. Dannatt wrote: 'The slow pace at which the British legal system has been working to take action against those involved in the trespass and criminal damage resulting from such 'direct action' has served to embolden Palestine Action and their continued recruitment drive for individuals who are prepared to commit arrestable offences.' He told Braverman he would be 'very grateful to receive assurance that the threat from Palestine Action is fully recognised by our security services and appropriate action [is] either planned or being taken'. He said he had 'undertaken to brief the Teledyne main board in the United States that the threat from Palestine Action in the UK is being suitably addressed'. Dannatt contacted the government again in September 2024 after 'attacks on Teledyne facilities continued and the company asked [him] to raise their concerns again'. In a letter to Dan Jarvis, the Labour security minister, Dannatt once again disclosed his role. Under the same letterhead, he said he would be 'very grateful to receive assurance from the current government that the threat posed by Palestine Action continues to be fully recognised by our security services and that appropriate action is being taken.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Fencing boss speaks on theft of Kaleb Cooper kit
The owner of a fencing firm has described how thieves stole farm equipment belonging to Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper from a field.A post knocker, owned by Mr Cooper, was stolen along with a tractor, which he does not own, from a field near Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, between 15:30 and 16:30 BST last hired items were being used by Aylesbury firm Home and Country Fencing, whose owner, who asked to be identified only as Lewis, said he believed the thieves had been keeping watch,Mr Cooper declined to comment, but posted to Instagram, on which he has 2.9 million followers, writing: "Can we please make this as hot as possible! What is going on with England at the moment." The equipment was being used in a field off Hawkswood told the BBC: "They broke into the field and cut a chain off. "They had probably been watching us as it was parked out of sight behind a barn."We had another post knocker stolen 11 months ago in Chalgrove as well."A social media post from the company, shared by Mr Cooper, suggested a "burnt out" silver 4x4 vehicle found nearby was "possibly related".The post knocker is a Protech P200S with the serial number 10698. It belongs to Mr Cooper, who lives near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and has risen to fame in Jeremy Clarkson's farming show on Amazon Prime in recent green John Deere tractor 6630 had the number plate OU11 Valley Police said both were seen being driven past the BP filling station in Gerrards Cross, on the A40 Oxford Road, at 15:52 on the same force is appealing for anyone with further information to contact Mutual, the insurance arm of the National Farmers' Union, estimates that rural crime in the UK cost £44.1m last year – although that was down 16.5% on the previous year. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
