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Manchester bomber's brother charged with attempted murder of prison guards

Manchester bomber's brother charged with attempted murder of prison guards

Telegraph2 days ago
The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking four prison officers with weapons and hot cooking oil in a high-security jail.
Hashem Abedi, 28, has been charged with a total of five offences following the incident at HMP Frankland in Durham on April 12.
He is accused of three counts of attempted murder, one count of assault and one count of unauthorised possession in prison of a knife or offensive weapon.
The officers suffered burns and stab wounds when Abedi allegedly threw hot cooking oil over them before using makeshift weapons to stab them. The investigation into the alleged attack was led by counter-terrorism police.
The jihadist is serving a 55-year sentence for assisting Salman Abedi, his brother, to carry out the suicide attack that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in May 2017.
The families of five of the Manchester Arena victims have previously written to Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, to express their disbelief that Abedi was not already in solitary confinement.
Jailed in 2020 for his part in the bombing, he was sentenced to a further three years and 10 months for a 'vicious attack' on a prison officer in May that year.
He and two other inmates attacked prison officer Paul Edwards, 57, in his office at the high-security Belmarsh jail in south east London. Following the alleged attack, the Prison Service banned the use of kitchens for the most dangerous inmates.
The suspension applies to prisoners in high-security separation units and close supervision centres across England and Wales.
Abedi, who remains in custody, will appear at Westminster magistrates' court on Sept 18.
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Ricky Jones case should not be compared to Lucy Connolly, lawyer says
Ricky Jones case should not be compared to Lucy Connolly, lawyer says

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Ricky Jones case should not be compared to Lucy Connolly, lawyer says

A jury 's decision to clear a suspended Labour councillor of encouraging violent disorder after he called for far-right activists' throats to be cut cannot be compared to the case of Lucy Connolly, lawyers have claimed. Ricky Jones, 58, faced trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he described far-right activists as 'disgusting Nazi fascists' in a speech at an anti-racism rally last year, in the wake of the Southport murders. The now-suspended councillor, surrounded by cheering supporters in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 2024, was filmed stating: 'They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.' Jurors deliberated for just over half-an-hour and found him not guilty on Friday. This caused Conservative and Reform politicians to brand the decision 'two-tier justice' – with shadow home secretary Chris Philp comparing the case to that of Mrs Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months after she posted a tweet calling for 'mass deportation' of asylum seekers and to 'set fire to all the f****** hotels' on the day of the Southport attacks. Former home secretary and Tory leadership candidate Sir James Cleverly also called the jury's decision to clear Ricky Jones 'perverse' in an X post, adding: 'Perverse decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isn't a dispassionate criminal justice system.' Lawyers have said the cases should not be conflated as Connolly and Jones faced allegations of a different nature – and Jones faced trial where Connolly, having pleaded guilty, did not. Peter Stringfellow, a solicitor at Brett Wilson, said: 'Both (Jones and Connolly) said pretty unpleasant things. 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'And the difference with him is he's saying: 'That's not what I was intended to do'.' Mr Stringfellow added that, in the case of Connolly, racially aggravated discourse on social media did translate into real-life violence across the country – whereas Mr Jones' comments at a rally did not cause a violent disorder. 'What she (Connolly) did, what followed her comments about threatening to burn people in hotels, is that that's precisely what then happened – and people were attempting to burn people in hotels.' Ernest Aduwa, partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, said comparisons between Jones' and Connolly's cases were 'misplaced'. 'We need to be honest about what is going on here. The verdict in the Ricky Jones case was not political, it was legal,' he said. 'A jury listened to the evidence, tested it and decided unanimously he was not guilty. 'That is not bias or 'two-tier justice' – it is the justice system doing what it is supposed to do: separating facts from noise. 'Comparisons with the Lucy Connolly case are misplaced. 'Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty. There was no trial, no cross-examination, no jury. She admitted the specific offence: stirring up racial hatred online. 'Ricky Jones faced a different charge … with a high burden of proof. 'The jury decided the Crown had not met it. 'That does not mean the protest was not passionate or loud – it means there was not enough evidence to prove intent to incite violence. That distinction matters. 'I understand why emotions run high. But flattening two different situations into one misleading narrative does no favours to justice. 'The fact that a black man at a protest can receive a fair trial and be acquitted should be seen not as an injustice, but as proof the system can still get it right.' He added: 'The law is not perfect, but it must rest on evidence – not opinion, pressure, or politics.' Laura Allen, head of the protest and public order team at Hodge, Jones and Allen lawyers, said the two cases involved different decisions that need to be put in their legal context and it is 'frankly offensive' to the ordinary members of the public who sat on the jury to suggest they had not acted appropriately. If there is anything close to a two-tier system in the British justice sector it is one that historically 'has not favoured ethnic minorities', although work has been done to try to repair that situation, according to Ms Allen. A judge made a ruling on Connolly's sentence after she had said she was guilty, while a jury listened to the evidence during the trial and found him not guilty. Ms Allen said they are 'just two very different things and it is not possible to compare them in the way that Nigel Farage is choosing to do as part of his political grandstanding'. 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Pictured: Father who was gunned down behind pizza takeaway in 'drive-by shooting' - as police continue manhunt for killer in 'stolen car'
Pictured: Father who was gunned down behind pizza takeaway in 'drive-by shooting' - as police continue manhunt for killer in 'stolen car'

Daily Mail​

time23 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Pictured: Father who was gunned down behind pizza takeaway in 'drive-by shooting' - as police continue manhunt for killer in 'stolen car'

A father who was gunned down behind a pizza takeaway in a 'drive-by shooting' has been pictured as police continue their manhunt for his killer in a 'stolen car'. Dale Stogden, also known as Brett, was shot near a petrol station on Doncaster Road, Wakefield, at 9.43pm on Tuesday, August 12. Police believe that the vehicle used was on false plates and had been stolen in a burglary in Castleford on August 3. Following the shooting, Mr Stogden, a 50-year-old from Wakefield, was rushed to hospital where he sadly later died from his injuries. West Yorkshire Police have arrested three men on suspicion of murder, aged 19, 20, 27, from addresses in the Ossett and Lupset areas of the city. They currently remain in police custody. Now, his heartbroken daughters have paid tribute to their beloved father, pleading with the gunman responsible for his 'cruel' death to come forward. Adding that they have been left in 'complete shock' by the unexpected loss of their father 'in such horrific, violent circumstances', their statement continued: 'We will miss him, and our breakfast get togethers. 'We will miss his big smile. Dad, we hope you are no longer in pain and that you can rest in peace. We will always love and miss you.' His daughters also implored the person responsible for their father's murder to contact the police, adding: 'We would like to ask the person who took our dad's life so cruelly, please hand yourself in then we can have some closure and lay him to rest.' The force said that they are continuing to follow 'multiple' lines of enquiry, following a 'strong response' to the public appeals for information. On Wednesday evening, a Toyota RAV4 car which police believe was used in the offence was recovered after being found abandoned at an address on Dunbar Street, Wakefield and is now being recovered for police analysis. It was described as being distinctive due to having bull lights on the roof above the windshield. The driver was driving in the direction of Wakefield before turning around near the BP petrol station immediately before the shooting and then driving off in the same direction they came from. Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team who is leading the investigation said: 'We are determined to get answers for Brett's family and ensure that those involved in this senseless crime are brought to justice. 'I would like to extend my thanks again to those who have already provided information to assist this investigation. 'I would like to reassure you that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes and all available lines of enquiry are being followed up.' Any motorists who were in the Doncaster Road area, described as 'busy on most evenings', between 9.30pm and 9.45pm on August 3 have been urged to check their dashcam footage. Pictured: police seen investigating in a bush and nearby bin following the shooting on August 12 DCI Entwistle previously said that he understood 'the shock and concern' that the incident will have caused for the general publics, 'particularly given that a firearm has been involved'. He added that the force were 'dedicating significant resources to this investigation and our neighbourhood policing colleagues are supporting this with an increased presence in the area to provide reassurance to the community.' Any motorists who were in the Doncaster Road area, described as 'busy on most evenings', between 9.30pm and 9.45pm on August 3 have been urged to check their dashcam footage. Those with relevant information or who witnessed any part of the incident have been asked to contact the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team via Live Chat online or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Ploughland.

Facing jail, pastor found guilty of 19 charges of sexual and physical abuse against woman and children
Facing jail, pastor found guilty of 19 charges of sexual and physical abuse against woman and children

Daily Mail​

time23 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Facing jail, pastor found guilty of 19 charges of sexual and physical abuse against woman and children

A pastor is behind bars for the serial abuse of a woman and several children. Reverend James Haram put his traumatised victims through ordeals branded 'truly awful' by a judge. This included the 51-year-old raping the woman. The youngsters who were preyed upon were often struck with a wooden spoon or a rod. Haram - who had been with the Free Church of Scotland in Glasgow - was found guilty of a total of 19 charges of physical and sexual abuse. The crimes spanned between 1997 and 2020 at addresses in the city as well as Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire and in Ayrshire. Haram was remanded in custody at the High Court in Glasgow and will be sentenced in September. The woman regularly suffered at his hands. He called her names, punched walls, threw household items around in anger and threatened to hit her with a piano stool. He tracked where she went, checked who she was talking to and forced her to take part in religious activities. Haram once mowed over flowers the woman had taken time to grow. The pastor also suggested she should kill herself. The violence escalated with Haram grabbing and choking the woman. She recalled her 'whole body going limp'. Jurors heard the Haram would pester the woman into sex while making biblical references. She was told that she had to 'subject' herself to him. The victim recalled how she would sob with 'tears down her face'. But giving evidence, Haram claimed that 'every sexual encounter was consensual'. He claimed that the woman had 'many wonderful gifts', but that she had used them to 'turn against' him. He called her 'incredibly convincing'. But, the reverend, of Dumbarton, did accept there were 'occasional flare-ups of aggression'. The abuse of the children was said to include carrying out 'modesty checks' on girls to see what they were wearing. Prosecutor John Macpherson put to him that one girl gave 'a fairly graphic account of some savagery' of being 'regularly beaten'. He insisted this was 'wholly fabricated'. Jurors heard he flew into a rage while in a car with two children and claimed he would deliberately crash, killing them all. But, Haram told the trial: 'They knew I did not mean it.' Judge Tom Hughes deferred sentencing for reports. He told Haram: 'I think it is fair to say this has been a deeply distressing case for everyone involved. 'The jury has heard a different version of events from all the witnesses who gave evidence. 'It appears that (what happened) was truly awful - incidents of violence, aggression, all sorts of difficulties and the sexual offending which took place. 'During that period, you appeared to be living a life whereby you were acting in an official capacity as a man of the cloth. 'You have now been convicted of extremely serious offences which will obviously carry a lengthy custodial sentence.' Haram had been on bail, but was remanded meantime. He appeared to be clutching a Bible as he was led to the cells.

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