Colorado prosecutors to lay out evidence in firebomb attack on demonstration for Israeli hostages
Investigators say Mohamed Sabry Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall on June 1. But he threw just two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, 'Free Palestine!' Police said he told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before.
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Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Vandals who cut down Sycamore Gap tree sentenced in England to more than 4 years in prison
LONDON (AP) — Two men who cut down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree were sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in prison. The tree stood for nearly 150 years before Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers carried out what a prosecutor called a 'moronic mission' and cut it down in the middle of the night, toppling it onto Hadrian's Wall. Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage — one for destroying the tree, the other for damaging the ancient wall. Justice Christina Lambert sentenced the pair each to four years and three months in prison during the hearing in Newcastle Crown Court. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The tree, perched in a saddle between two hills, had been known to locals for its scenic setting but became famous after a cameo in Kevin Costner's 1991 film 'Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.' It drew tourists, lovers, landscape photographers and even those who spread the ashes of loved ones. It was voted English 'Tree of the Year' in 2016. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. LONDON (AP) — The two men who long denied cutting down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree changed their tune Tuesday as they faced several years in prison for the crime. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers previously testified at trial that they had nothing to do with the vandalism, but a prosecutor said that the two convicts now blame booze for the act as they admitted before sentencing that they had been on what he termed a 'moronic mission' to topple the tree. Prosecutor Richard Wright said that it was a 'fanciful proposition' that they didn't intend to cut down the tree along Hadrian's Wall or realize what they were doing until it was too late. 'The court can be sure they were sober, prepared and planned to do what they did,' Wright said. He said the pair should serve prison sentences between 18 months and 4 years. Justice Christina Lambert was due to sentence the pair later in the afternoon at Newcastle Crown Court. Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were each convicted in May of two counts of criminal damage — one for killing the tree, and the other for damaging the ancient wall. The illegal felling in Northumberland National Park on Sept. 28, 2023, caused instant outrage and news quickly spread beyond the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire. It wasn't Britain's biggest or oldest tree, but the sycamore was prized for its picturesque setting, symmetrically planted between two hills along the wall that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tree had long been known to locals but became famous after a cameo in Kevin Costner's 1991 film 'Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.' It drew tourists, lovers, landscape photographers and even those who spread the ashes of loved ones. It was voted English 'Tree of the Year' in 2016. 'This iconic tree can never be replaced,' Andrew Poad, general manager of the heritage and nature conservation charity National Trust, said in a statement read in court by a prosecutor. 'It belonged to the people. It was a totemic symbol for many; a destination to visit whilst walking Hadrian's Wall, a place to make memories, take photos in all seasons; but it was also a place of sanctuary.' One man wielded a chainsaw while the other captured the felling on grainy video on a cellphone. Prosecutors couldn't say who cut down the tree and who memorialized the senseless act, but both were equally culpable. In less than three minutes, the tree that had stood nearly 150 years crashed to the ground. Carruthers will have to carry the burden for his actions like a 'form of personal penance,' attorney Andrew Gurney said. 'It was no more than drunken stupidity,' Gurney said, 'and something he would regret for the rest of his life.' At trial, the two men — once the best of friends who have fallen out since their arrests — testified they were at their respective homes on the night of the crime and downplayed their skills working with chainsaws. But evidence shown to the jury implicated both men. Graham's Range Rover was near the tree around the time it fell. Video of the felling was found on his phone — with metadata showing that it was shot at the location of the tree. As digital data showed Graham's vehicle on its way back to where the two lived about 40 minutes away, Carruthers got a text from his girlfriend with footage of their 12-day-old son. 'I've got a better video than that,' Carruthers replied. The jury didn't hear evidence of a motive for the crime, but Wright suggested in his closing argument that the two had been on a 'moronic mission' and cut down the tree as a joke. 'They woke up the morning after and … it must have dawned on them that they couldn't see anyone else smiling,' Wright said.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Vandals who cut down Sycamore Gap tree sentenced in England to more than 4 years in prison
LONDON (AP) — Two men who cut down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree were sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in prison. The tree stood for nearly 150 years before Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers carried out what a prosecutor called a 'moronic mission' and cut it down in the middle of the night, toppling it onto Hadrian's Wall.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Los Angeles man dies in jail while awaiting trial for killing and dismemberment of wife, her parents
Published Jul 15, 2025 • 2 minute read FILE - This undated photo combination provided by the Los Angeles Police Department shows Mei Haskell, left, and her parents, YanXiang Wang and Gaoshan Li. (Los Angeles Police Department via AP, File) AP LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, her mother and her stepfather has died in jail while awaiting trial, authorities said Monday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Samuel Bond Haskell, 37, was found dead Saturday in his cell in a downtown Los Angeles jail and died by suicide, a statement from the LA County district attorney said. He was accused of killing his wife and the mother of his three children Mei Haskell, 37, along with her mother, 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang, and stepfather, 72-year-old Gaoshan Li. Haskell had pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. His next pretrial hearing had been scheduled for Monday. Haskell is the son of Emmy-winning television producer Sam Haskell, a former executive at the powerful William Morris talent agency. An email seeking comment from his attorney and family wasn't immediately answered. The attorney, Joe Weimortz, told NBC4 that Haskell had been willing to waive a preliminary hearing where evidence would be presented publicly and to waive a jury trial because of the effect it would have on his children. Weimortz said Haskell was 'not afraid of prison, but was afraid of an even larger media spectacle.' He added that 'The Haskell family grieves every single life lost in this case.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement that by killing himself, Haskell had escaped justice and denied the victims' relatives a chance to face him. Haskell had faced the possibility of life in prison without the chance of parole if convicted. In their statement, prosecutors laid out the evidence they intended to present against Haskell. They allege that he killed the three victims on Nov. 6, 2023, in the house they all shared in the Tarzana neighbourhood of Los Angeles. The following day, prosecutors say, he paid day labourers $500 to remove heavy plastic trash bags from the property. After driving away, they discovered body parts in the bags. They returned the bags and the money to Haskell's house and called police, but no one was home and the bags were gone when officers arrived. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Prosecutors said they obtained a video of Haskell putting a black plastic bag into a dumpster, and another of him transferring trash bags between his wife's Tesla and an SUV he had rented. Later the same day, a man going through a dumpster discovered a beheaded torso later determined to belong to Mei Haskell. Samuel Haskell, who had been staying at an Airbnb with his children since the killings, was arrested on Nov. 8, 2023. From the family home, police recovered eight plastic bags whose contents included bloody bedding, towels, a large machine saw, a machete, a plywood board covered in blood and canes belonging to the older victims. The bodies of Wang and Li have not been found, but bloodstains on a gun and knife found in the rented SUV matched the DNA of all three victims, authorities said. Toronto & GTA Columnists NFL Uncategorized Editorial Cartoons
