Steer clear of dolphin ‘targeting women in wetsuits', swimmers warned
The animal, which has been named Reggie, was first spotted joining swimmers in Lyme Bay, Dorset, for an early morning dip on Aug 3 and its presence has attracted crowds of people to the area.
But experts say that Reggie, which appears to be living on its own, could snap and turn aggressive amid all the attention, which could also be a danger to its own safety.
It has already been photographed with gashes that were seemingly caused by a boat's propeller.
Kayaker Rhys Paterson, 32, said he was forced to intervene after the dolphin began jumping on a woman, pushing her head repeatedly under the water.
Footage showed the swimmer saying: 'It scared me to death – oh my goodness!' before being pushed under the waves on Aug 14.
Mr Paterson, a development director from Lyme Regis, said the filmed incident was not the only confrontation, and the dolphin appeared to be 'targeting women in wetsuits'.
'We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept jumping on them,' he added. 'The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it kind of jumped on her back four times.
'We had been following the dolphin for a little bit, because obviously it's quite a local legend at the minute.
'But when we realised it wasn't playing, it was quite a big shock. People need to understand that it's not an amusement arcade. It's a wild animal. It can snap all of a sudden.'
'Multiple potential offences' observed
The Marine Management Organisation, a government quango, said: 'We're increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media.
'Please remember – never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area.
'Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people.'
However, some holidaymakers are ignoring the warnings, and videos posted online show paddle-boarders floating close to the dolphin.
'Leave the poor thing alone'
One social media user commented: 'We went down last night and watched from the shore. We were shocked to see so many paddle-boarders out there (around 20) and they were all following the dolphin and not leaving him alone.
'Yes it's magical for everyone to be up close but seriously have a word with yourselves. Leave the poor thing alone.'
Lucy Babey, the director of programmes at Orca, a marine conservation charity, told The Telegraph: 'This is a wild animal and a large, robust animal. Interacting with the dolphin could result in serious injuries to both people and the dolphin.'
Bottlenose dolphins are native to British shores, can reach up to 13ft in length and typically weigh around 500kg.
It is illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or disturb dolphins, whales and porpoises under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in a prison sentence of up to six months and an unlimited fine.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Solve the daily Crossword
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Elle
29 minutes ago
- Elle
Amanda Knox's Real-Life Case Was a Lot More Complicated Than It Looks in the Hulu Series
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. It's been nearly two decades since the murder of 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy first became international news. However, most of the media attention was devoted to the suspects in this case, with lurid speculation and grisly details dominating the headlines. Almost immediately in November 2007, Kercher's roommate, Amanda Knox, became the face of this story, fitting the mold of guilty and innocent depending on the publication or news outlet. Knox was convicted and subsequently acquitted of Kercher's murder, not to mention various appeals and retrials in between. Now, an eight-part Hulu true crime drama will depict not only the events in the weeks before and after, but also the decade-plus fight to clear Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito's names. Considering there has already been a Lifetime movie, a Netflix documentary (that Knox was part of), the Matt Damon-starring Stillwater (which was inspired by Knox's story), and two memoirs penned by Knox, it might seem there isn't much left to say. However, Knox is a producer on The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, alongside Monica Lewinsky, allowing Knox to have a voice alongside a collaborator whose entire character was also scrutinized by tabloids when she was in her early twenties. The series, created by K.J. Steinberg, sets out to show how Knox ended up behind bars, including how she became a suspect, the prolonged interrogation, the mishandling of evidence, and the ongoing trial-by-media, spanning 16 years. Tell Me Lies star Grace Van Patten plays Amanda with Sharon Horgan as Knox's mother, Edda Mellas. However, Kercher's family was not involved (Stephanie Kercher told The Guardian last year that the family found it 'difficult to understand' how the dramatized retelling serves any purpose). To help make sense of it all, below you'll find a guide to some of the real-life events depicted in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. However, if you don't know much about the case, be warned: There are some spoilers for the show ahead. Knox is studying at the University of Washington when she applies to spend an academic year abroad, opting for the picturesque Italian college town of Perugia. As reported by Rolling Stone, the 20-year-old Knox wants to 'expand her horizons' and 'live without a safety net' in her junior year. Knox rents a room in a cottage at 7 Via della Pergola, taking the last available spot in the four-bedroom accommodation. Kercher is also part of a study abroad program and has already moved in; the two other roommates are both Italian women in their late 20s. In the weeks after moving in, Kercher and Knox hang out with the guys living in the basement apartment below them. It is here they meet 20-year-old Rudy Guede, a basketball acquaintance of Kercher's new boyfriend, Giacomo Silenzi. On October 25, Knox and Kercher go to a Schubert recital at the local university, and when Kercher leaves at the intermission, 23-year-old student Raffaele Sollecito approaches Knox. The two immediately hit it off, with Sollecito hanging out at the bar (Le Chic) where Knox works later that same evening. Knox goes back to Sollecito's apartment that night, and the pair are inseparable for the next week. Knox is scheduled to work a shift at Le Chic on the evening of November 1, but owner Patrick Lumumba texts that it is so quiet that she doesn't need to come in. Knox and Sollecito cook, smoke a joint, and watch Amelie. They turn their phones off for the evening. The following morning, Knox leaves Sollecito's apartment to return to her place, where she showers, changes her clothes, and grabs a mop and bucket, to clean up a leaky pipe at Sollecito's. When Knox arrives home, the front door is ajar. Knox's two other roommates are away for the holiday weekend (All Saints' Day), and Kercher's door is closed. Knox explains her thought process after she finds drops of blood in an email sent to friends and family two days later (and shared with Rolling Stone), saying she believed it was 'nothing to worry about.' It is only when she sees feces in the toilet in the other bathroom that Knox panics that there might be an intruder. Knox calls Sollecito, whose apartment is a five-minute walk away. A broken window in another room suggests that someone had been there, and Kercher isn't answering her phone. Sollecito tries to break down Kercher's locked bedroom door, but it won't budge. They return outside, where Sollecito called the carabinieri (Italian military police). In the meantime, two postal police arrive with two cellphones that have been found in a bush half a mile away, which are registered to Knox's roommate, Filomena Romanelli. Then Romanelli, her boyfriend, and two of her friends arrive. One of Romanelli's friends breaks down Kercher's door, and Kercher's partially clothed body (which is covered with a duvet) is discovered inside. Someone had cut Kercher's throat, and her time of death is estimated to be between 8:30 P.M. on November 1 and 4 A.M. the following morning (the long timeframe is due to a delay in taking body temperature). While Kercher's British friends fly home to the UK, and Knox's two roommates hire lawyers, Knox voluntarily speaks with the Italian police without legal representation. Knox is interviewed multiple times over the next few days, and her phone is tapped. Paparazzi capture Knox kissing Sollecito outside the 'House of Horrors,' and her seemingly at-ease and amorous behavior in the days after the murder becomes a cornerstone in the court of public opinion. Knox's mother encourages her to fly home, but Knox thinks she can help with the investigation. But on the night of November 5, Knox accompanies Sollecito to the police station, and they are both interrogated for prolonged periods overnight. Sollecito admits that Knox could've left in the middle of the night while he slept, and the sleep-deprived Knox signs a confession that she was in the room next door to Kercher's when she was stabbed and that it was her boss, Patrick Lumumba, who killed Kercher. Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba are all arrested. Patrons from Le Chic provide an alibi for Lumumba. Meanwhile, the Rome forensic police match the fingerprints in Kercher's bedroom to Rudy Guede, who is arrested in Germany on November 20. Lumumba is released and later sues Knox for slander. Then, Guede is extradited to Italy in December. Guede, Knox, and Sollecito are charged with murder. They will be held in detention until a trial date is set. A working theory in these early stages regarding the motive from 'public minister' Giuliano Mignini (whose job is part detective, part district attorney) is that Kercher was killed in a satanic ritual. Later, this is downgraded to 'a drug-fueled sex game that went awry' (as per The New York Times). Leaks are common from the start, with security footage from a lingerie shop or theories from the prosecution ending up in the news Guede has an expedited trial, which comes with a reduced maximum sentence. He is found guilty of sexual assault and murder. He is sentenced to 30 years. Knox and Sollecito are now formally indicted on murder charges. In the lead up to this indictment, Knox's family speaks about how much Knox is being vilified by the tabloid press, with many publications twisting the childhood nickname 'Foxy Knoxy' (that Knox earned when she played soccer) to have sexual connotations. Knox and Sollecito's trial begins January 16, and the prosecution is still maintaining it was a 'drug-fueled sex game gone awry.' Sollecito's lawyer counters that they were 'two lovebirds in the first week of their romance,' not a couple looking for excitement. Knox is also painted as a 'she-devil' who manipulated Sollecito into doing whatever she wanted. The trial doesn't conclude until December, and during these 12 months, Knox remains a fascination for the media—represented as a temptress and an innocent. Knox testifies that the police hit her during the interrogation, and the Italian justice system is now under the international microscope. The defense argues that DNA evidence is contaminated (due to how many people walked through the crime scene) and that the evidence is mainly circumstantial. Regardless of these factors and an emotional appeal by Knox, in December, a jury of six civilians and two judges finds Knox and Sollecito guilty on all counts. Knox receives a sentence of 26 years (she has an additional guilty verdict for slander against Lumumba), and Sollecito gets 25 years. The appeal trial begins for Knox and Sollecito. Both defense teams are focusing on DNA evidence, including traces of Sollecito's DNA on Kercher's bra clasp (which wasn't discovered at the crime scene until 47 days after the murder) and traces of Kercher's DNA found on the alleged murder weapon—a bread knife recovered from Sollecito's kitchen. After being behind bars for nearly four years, Knox and Sollecito are acquitted on October 3. Slander against Lumumba is the only charge for which Knox receives a guilty verdict (the three-year sentence has already been served by this point). The DNA evidence that was vital in convicting the pair in 2009 now helps overturn the verdict; independent experts successfully argued that contamination was a possibility. The prosecution team states that they will appeal this appellate court verdict to the Italian Supreme Court. Knox returns to Seattle the following day, where the press are waiting outside her family home. Guede's conviction of sexual assault and murder is upheld, though his sentence has already been reduced from 30 to 16 years. On Valentine's Day, the prosecution team files an appeal to the Italian Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) to seek a new trial for Knox and Sollecito. The Italian justice system allows for various appeals on both the defense and prosecution side. In this instance, if the acquittal is reversed, then Knox can be tried in absentia. 'We're not considering that possibility; for us, she has been acquitted. That's how the system works, but for us it's a hypothesis far into the future,' says one of Knox's lawyers, Luciano Ghirga. Two days later, it is reported that Knox has sold a tell-all memoir to HarperCollins for nearly $4 million. The Court of Cassation (the Italian Supreme Court) overturns Knox and Sollecito's acquittal on March 26, meaning they will have to stand trial again. HarperCollins says they will still release Knox's memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, as planned, on April 30. The retrial begins September 30 with neither Knox nor Sollecito present in the Florentine court. While Sollecito attends some court hearings, Knox remains in the U.S. throughout this new trial as she is afraid that if she returns to Italy, authorities will put her in prison again. On January 30, Knox and Sollecito are re-convicted of murder. Knox's new sentence is 28 and a half years, Sollecito's is still 25 years. The process continues to swing between courthouses, and the pair can appeal this latest twist. The following day, a teary Knox appears on Good Morning America, saying she 'will never go willingly back' to Italy and plans to fight any extradition attempt. In a verdict that shocks Italy, the Court of Cassation overturns the convictions of Knox and Sollecito, rather than sending the case back down to the lower court. They are cleared of all charges (except for Knox's slander charge). They will not face a retrial. Neither Sollecito nor Knox is present in court to hear the verdict. In September, the Court of Cassation explains its verdict is informed by the 'culpable omissions of investigative activity' and 'contradictory evidence.' The Netflix documentary Amanda Knox premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival. Knox, Sollecito, Mignini, and freelance reporter Nick Pisa (whose regular coverage included salacious exclusive stories for The Daily Mail that fueled the perception of Knox) participated in this account of the events. The documentary goes on to receive two Emmy nominations. The European Court of Human Rights orders Italy to pay €18,400 (approximately $21,000) in damages for failing to provide Knox with access to a lawyer during the November 2007 interviews. However, they found no evidence of the 'inhuman or degrading treatment' that Knox alleged took place during the interrogations. Knox returns to Italy for the first time in nearly a decade. In the years since her conviction was overturned, Knox has been working with nonprofits like the Innocence Project. At the Criminal Justice Festival in Modena, she serves as a keynote speaker and is a guest on a panel discussing trials by media. Knox marries author Christopher Robinson. In an interview with the New York Times, Knox announces the birth of her first child, Eureka. Knox remains close with Catholic priest Don Saulo, who was the chaplain at Cappane prison where Knox was incarcerated for four years. Don Saulo helps facilitate a meeting in the summer of 2022 with prosecutor Mignini. The latter was instrumental in painting Knox as a sex-crazed vixen, but Knox wants to meet face-to-face. Her family voices objections to Knox writing to and meeting with the prosecutor. 'But I was haunted by this 'Why?' question. Why did this happen to me? If they had done their job correctly, I would be a footnote in Meredith's story,' Knox tells The Guardian. Knox also reunites with Sollecito during this trip in the town of Gubbio, which was where they had planned to visit 15 years earlier. On her podcast, Labyrinths, Knox explains the slander conviction is one that some people see as 'proof that I am a liar and I am an unsavory person and that I have something to hide and I've never told the full truth about what happened to Meredith and only somebody who was involved in the crime would ever even make statements that implicated themselves and others.' It is why she has fought to have it overturned. Knox is convicted again of this charge in an appellate court in Florence, Italy. The highest court (Court of Cassation) in Italy upholds the slander conviction against Knox. Knox releases her second memoir, Free: My Search For Meaning.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
NEW YORK — A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against financier Jeffrey Epstein has joined two other judges in rejecting the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the decades-long sexual abuse suffered by girls and young women who fell into his orbit. The ruling Wednesday by Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, also turned down the government's request. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision forecloses the possibility of grand jury testimony being released now that three judges have reached the same conclusion. A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007. The rulings are a collective repudiation of the Justice Department's effort to divert attention away from its stated refusal to release a massive trove of records in its possession and make clear that the still-sealed court documents contain none of the answers likely to satisfy the immense public interest in the case. President Donald Trump had called for the release of transcripts amid rumors and criticism about his long-ago involvement with Epstein. During last year's presidential campaign, Trump promised to release files related to Epstein, but he was met with criticism — including from many of his own supporters — when the small number of records released by his Justice Department lacked new revelations. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday. Berman said a 'significant and compelling reason' to reject the government's request was that the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts 'pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.' He wrote that the government's 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials 'dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials.' 'The Government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein Files,' Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the Justice Department's refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts. 'By comparison,' Berman added, 'the instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct.' The Justice Department had informed Berman that the only witness to testify before the Epstein grand jury was an FBI agent who, the judge noted, 'had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.' The agent testified over two days, on June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. She was recently transferred from a prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, officials in Trump's Republican administration have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter to Maxwell's lawyers, Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team.
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
NEW YORK — A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts. The ruling Wednesday by Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, also turned down the government's request. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision forecloses the possibility of grand jury testimony being released now that three judges have reached the same conclusion. A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007. The rulings are a collective repudiation of the Justice Department's effort to divert attention away from its stated refusal to release a massive trove of records in its possession and make clear that the still-sealed court documents contain none of the answers likely to satisfy the immense public interest in the case. President Trump had called for the release of transcripts amid rumors and criticism about his long-ago involvement with Epstein. During last year's presidential campaign, Trump promised to release files related to Epstein, but he was met with criticism — including from many of his own supporters — when the small number of records released by his Justice Department lacked new revelations. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday. Berman said the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts 'pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.' The Justice Department had informed Berman that the only witness to testify before the Epstein grand jury was an FBI agent who, the judge noted, 'had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.' The agent testified over two days, on June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The entire transcript was 70 pages. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. She was recently transferred from a prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, officials in Trump's Republican administration have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. 'The government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein file,' Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the Justice Department's refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts. 'By comparison,' Berman added, 'the instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct.' Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche, and the House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter to Maxwell's lawyers, Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Comer wrote that although Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team. Neumeister and Sisak write for the Associated Press. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
