Latest news with #AudiA3
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Urgent search for 14yo girl believed to be with two men
An urgent search has been launched for a 14-year-old girl from NSW, with police and family pleading for public assistance after her social media was 'deactivated' and people trying to contact her have been 'blocked'. Holly Whalan was last seen around 12.15pm on Sunday near High Street, Warialda, which is situated around 350kms north west of Coffs Harbour in NSW. When Holly was unable to be contacted, her parents alerted New England Police, and investigations began. NSW Police say Holly 'may be in the company of two men, aged 22 and 24'. 'Investigations indicate Holly may (have) been in Woodridge, QLD, about 11.50pm last night,' a NSW Police statement said. 'Police and family have concerns due to her age.' On Facebook, Holly's mother, Kahlia Whalan, said she was 'extremely worried' and that Holly's Facebook account had been 'deactivated'. 'Our daughter is missing,' she wrote on social media. 'We believe she has been taken out of Warialda.' Adding to Ms Whalan's concern, she revealed the when people have tried to contact Holly, they have been 'blocked immediately'. 'Anyone who tries to contact her is blocked immediately,' she wrote 'Her Facebook has been deactivated. 'We are extremely worried for her safety. Please help us bring our baby home. 'If you know something, do the right thing and tell us immediately Holly is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes Police say she was last seen wearing a white crop top and black and white tights. NSW Police believe she may be travelling in either a 2015 blue Mitsubishi Lancer, QLD registration 741JD9, or a 2008 silver Audi A3 bearing QLD registration 344GJ6. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or Crime Stoppers NSW online.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
This man was known as 'Mr Italy' before his criminal empire fell apart
This man was known as 'Mr Italy' before his criminal empire fell apart The group he was a part of was also linked to large-scale drug supply. Andrew Cooney (Image: GMP ) A man who was found to have benefited from criminal conduct to the value of over £2 million is set to lose his luxury watches and overseas property following proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Andrew Cooney was involved in a criminal group responsible for the largest gun-running conspiracy ever disrupted by UK law enforcement. The group was also linked to large-scale drug supply, Manchester Evening News reports. The gang operated from a flat at Cotton Field Wharf, a residential development in Ancoats Marina where firearms, ammunition, drugs, and large sums of cash were stored. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here A judge previously described the group's activity as criminality on an 'exceptional scale'. The conspiracy involved the distribution of approximately £70 million worth of cocaine and the sale of 48 Skorpion machine pistols across the UK and Ireland, at prices ranging between £9,000 and £15,000 each. Top row, left to right: Andrew Cooney, Daniel Waters, Mohammed Omar Malik and Daniel Gibbons. Bottom row, left to right: Sean Hogan, Conor Sandlan and Adrian Gonzales Cooney, who was referred to as 'Mr Italy' in reference to a property he owned there, was involved in the supply of drugs and firearms and acted as a broker for the group. At his address in Alderley Edge, police recovered a kilogram of cocaine from his Audi A3, along with two Porsche vehicles parked outside. Officers also seized a number of luxury watches, mobile phones, a vacuum packing machine, and paperwork relating to a villa in Italy. In 2023, Cooney was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Following a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act, he was found to have benefited from crime in the amount of £2,376,867.89. However, his available assets were assessed at £32,158.95. This includes a Rolex Daytona watch, an Audemars Piguet watch, and his share in the Italian property. At a hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday (May 29), Judge Bernadette Baxter ruled that if the amount is not paid within three months, a further 12 months will be added to Cooney's sentence. Under proceeds of crime legislation, prosecutors can seek to recover the financial benefit of criminal conduct, with funds often directed toward community initiatives. During his trial, Cooney told the court he had worked on a market stall as a teenager, later as a cleaner and youth worker, before moving into property auctions. He said he became involved in drug dealing due to financial pressures. Cooney, 39, of Oakfield Close, Alderley Edge, was found guilty of conspiring to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply cocaine. He was acquitted of conspiring to supply amphetamine. Mohammed Omar Malik, aged 33 and of St Mary's Parsonage, Manchester city centre, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, and amphetamine. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison. Daniel Gibbons, 39, of Wordsworth Road, Reddish, Stockport, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply cocaine, and conspiracy to supply amphetamine. He was acquitted of conspiracy to supply MDMA and was sentenced to 28 years. Daniel Waters, aged 41 and of Broom Avenue, Reddish, Stockport, was found guilty of conspiring to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life. He received a sentence of 26 years and 6 months in prison. Sean Hogan, 40, of West Park, Denton, Tameside, was found guilty of conspiring to supply firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He was also found guilty of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and ketamine. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Conor Sandlan, 32, of Redfearn Wood, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, as well as conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, and amphetamine. He was sentenced to 30 years and 6 months. Adrian Gonzalez, aged 33 and of City Road East, Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life, and to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, and amphetamine. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Article continues below
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Wales Online
Killers walked away as young man bled to death after being stabbed with a broken bottle, court told
Killers walked away as young man bled to death after being stabbed with a broken bottle, court told Joshua Norman died after being stabbed in the throat with a broken bottle Joshua Norman (Image: Family photograph / South Wales Police ) Two men left a younger man they had been 'on a bender' with to bleed to death after stabbing him in the neck with a broken cider bottle, a court heard. Paul Rosser, 49, is accused of stabbing the victim in the neck, close to the Adam's apple, after breaking the top off a Thatcher's Katy cider bottle. His nephew Joshua Cullen, 32, is accused of encouraging or assisting him. Both allegedly then walked away, leaving him to die. Both men deny the murder or manslaughter of Joshua Norman, 27, in an attack that allegedly happened as they walked home through Swansea after buying drugs. Mr Norman, who was pronounced dead at the scene after the incident in September last year, was described at the trial in Swansea Crown Court as a "loving son, father, brother, and uncle". Opening the case for the prosecution Christopher Rees KC told the jury it was the crown's position that Rosser was the one who smashed a glass bottle and used it as a weapon to stab Mr Norman in the neck while Cullen "assisted or encouraged" the attack. He said both defendants were "part of a joint enterprise" to kill Mr Norman or at the least cause him really serious bodily harm. The barrister told the court that Rosser and Mr Norman along with others had spent the night of September 10 last year in Mr Norman's flat in Matthew Street in Swansea smoking crack cocaine and drinking alcohol, and that the following morning the pair went out "trying to score" further drugs. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter He said after buying alcohol from the CK's shop on High Street the pair walked to Griffith John Street and to the flat where Cullen lived with his mother, the defendant Rosser's sister. Just after 10.15am a black Audi A3 car arrived at the block and the defendants along with Mr Norman got in and were driven away. The court heard the Audi drove to David Williams Terrace in Port Tennant making a detour on the way so Mr Norman could withdraw £150 in cash from an ATM. The prosecutor said the Audi stayed outside an address on David Williams Terrace for a short period before driving off and it was the prosecution case that the visit to the street was to buy drugs. The jury was told that a short time later witnesses saw males getting out of a black Audi vehicle on Port Tennant Road and appearing to engage in an argument before getting back into the car and driving off. The prosecutor said then that at 11.54am a driving instructor giving a lesson saw a black Audi car stop in the middle of the road on New Cut Road on the approach the Dyfatty traffic junction. He said three men were seen to get out - the defendants and Mr Norman - before the car drove off. He said the three men then took a footpath through a wooded area to nearby Upper Strand where a "confrontation" took place between Cullen and Mr Norman. He said the three males then made their way north along Upper Strand and went through the tunnel to emerge onto Cwm Road where brothers walking over the tunnel on Bridge Street heard an argument in progress below them, though the siblings could not tell what was being said. The prosecution say the fatal attack on Mr Norman happened 'in the shadow' of the tunnel on Cwm Road (Image: Google ) The court heard that moments later a driver making a delivery to a business on Cwm Road saw a male - who the prosecution say was Mr Norman - waving a large branch around and trying to "fend off" two males who were described as standing "shoulder-to-shoulder". The two men then walked away to the Griffith John Street flats where they were caught on CCTV. Mr Rees told the jury that by this point Mr Norman had already been fatally stabbed in the neck near the Adam's Apple with the broken bottle and was bleeding heavily. The court heard that the delivery driver saw Mr Norman laying on the floor and went to help. A passer-by who was walking home from the JD Gyms in Parc Tawe also went to assist the injured man, and together the two men tried to stem the bleeding and perform chest compressions while on a 999 call. The court heard that police and paramedics were soon on the scene and the Wales Air Ambulance also arrived but despite the best efforts of everybody at the scene Mr Norman could not be saved and he was pronounced dead at 12.55pm. The prosecutor said Rosser was arrested on Cwm Road while Cullen was arrested at his flat on Griffith John Street at 1.35pm. He said when officers arrived at the flat they noticed the washing machine was in use and there were clothes in it. The court heard that crime scene investigators subsequently recovered fragments of glass from a broken Thatcher's Katy Cider bottle from the tunnel end of Cwm Road which were found to have Mr Norman's blood on them. The jury was told that a subsequent post mortem examination of the deceased's body found sharp-force penetrating injuries in a circular pattern some 5cm in diameter on the front of the neck which had cut a vein. The prosecutor said that following his arrest and remand Rosser made unsolicited comments to a probation officer in HMP Swansea that he had been on a three or four day "bender" prior to the incident and that on the morning in question had smoked crack and drunk alcohol. He said Rosser also told the officer that Mr Norman had been "aggressive" in the back of the car and had butted and smashed the side window, and that he said he later broke the bottle to "warn off" Mr Norman but the bottle came into contact with the neck when when Mr Norman "lunged" at him. The prosecutor told the jury that in his police interview Cullen provided a written statement in which he said he "adamantly denied" the charge and denied inflicting any injuries on Mr Norman, saying Mr Norman had been aggressive towards him and had tried to bully him and start a fight because he was "sober and quiet". Article continues below Mr Rees told the jury that it was the prosecution case that Rosser had smashed the bottle and used it to stab Mr Norman, and that Cullen had assisted or encouraged him. He said neither man had called for an ambulance or had tried to help Mr Norman as he bled to death in front of them, but rather they had walked away. Paul David Rosser, of McRitchie Place, Gendros, Swansea, and Joshua Lee Cullen, of Griffith John Street, Dyfatty, Swansea, deny murder and manslaughter, and the trial continues.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Time of India
Former Manchester United star Brandon Williams pleads guilty to dangerous driving at 99mph
Brandon Williams (via Getty Images) Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams was brought before the court after being involved in a high-speed collision, as he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison. The 24-year-old footballer, who used to earn £3.4 million annually at Manchester United, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Prosecutors reported that Brandon Williams was traveling at almost 100mph as he sucked on a balloon, which has brought very serious issues of his conduct while driving into question. Brandon Williams admits to hazardous driving and insurance offenses Manchester United youngster Brandon Williams is now facing the consequences of his actions in court after a devastating incident on August 20, 2023, in Cheshire. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Brandon Williams was traveling in an Audi A3 at 99mph in a 70mph area on the A34 near Handforth. The crisis deepened when witnesses claimed to have spotted a balloon in his mouth during the incident—usually an indicator of nitrous oxide inhalation, though no official release came confirming the substance. Brandon Williams had a young woman with him at the time, and his driving style was 'erratic, said authorities. He pleaded guilty to both offenses—dangerous driving and driving without third-party insurance—during an appearance in court that could lead to a custodial sentence of two years. Court to decide fate of former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams' run-ins with the law follow close on the heels of his stint with Manchester United coming to an end. Once touted as a talented full-back in the club's setup, Williams earned media attention for his active play and ability on the pitch early in his career. Nevertheless, his choices off the field have now eclipsed his athletic success. The judge will take several considerations into account when handing out the sentence, such as his prominent profile, the wantonness of his actions, and the possible risk to public safety. A prison term is still a possibility, awaiting the judge's ultimate decision. Also read: Ben Johnson says Caleb Williams is proud to be a Bear, despite early NFL Draft drama As sentencing looms, Brandon Williams waits with bated breath for the verdict that may decide the next chapter of his life. Once touted as the star Manchester United was waiting for, the defender's actions now threaten his liberty. The case is a harsh reminder of what results from irresponsible behavior, regardless of one's standing or achievement on the field. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
North Wales Chronicle
23-05-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Ex-Manchester United player Williams given suspended sentence over crash
Williams, 24, was spotted driving at high speeds and in an erratic manner in an Audi A3 on the A34 near Handforth, Cheshire, on August 20 2023. His vehicle collided with a Ford Fiesta before crashing into the central reservation. Williams was on loan at Ipswich Town at the time of incident. Last June, Manchester United announced he would leave the club at the end of his contract. In March, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and having no insurance. On Friday, at Chester Crown Court, he was sentenced to a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years. Recorder Eric Lamb also banned him from driving for three years and ordered he must undertake 180 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order. A female motorist travelling behind Williams on the dual carriageway shortly before 6pm thought he was not in control of his vehicle, which was braking heavily and dropping back to leave a small gap, the court heard. Max Saffman, prosecuting, said the woman noticed the driver and a female passenger appeared to have yellow balloons in their mouths, and she was 'scared' they would collide with her vehicle. The Audi overtook and swerved in front of her, in what she said was a 'needless manoeuvre'. Williams then repeated the same behaviour as he drove up to a Ford Fiesta driven by Clare Smith, the court was told, but as he pulled out to overtake he hit the rear of her vehicle and then careered into the central reservation. Both vehicles were extensively damaged. In victim personal statements Ms Smith and her two female passengers all described Williams's driving as 'too fast and erratic'. One said she thought she was going to be killed. They sustained various physical injuries, including whiplash and bruising, and all had suffered a psychological impact. The court was told that Williams's 'prolonged episode' of dangerous driving took place over five miles and, although he was not under the influence of Class C drug nitrous oxide at the time, he had assisted his front-seat passenger to use her balloon. Collision investigators concluded that Williams was driving at 99mph on the 70mph limit road just four seconds before the crash. Richard Littler KC, defending, said: 'This episode of dangerous driving, he says himself, was underpinned by a lack of maturity, stupidity and, moreover, trying to be ostentatious. 'He was driving like an idiot well in excess of the speed limit and was showing off. 'He has previously used nitrous oxide as a recreational drug when he was much younger but he was not using it at the time. He was though assisting the front seat passenger to so use it. 'This is a defendant who is genuinely remorseful and he wishes to apologise through the court to anyone he has harmed either physically or emotionally by his actions when he was driving that car. 'He accepts there is no excuse for what he did.' The barrister said Williams, who had no previous convictions, was 'keen to get his life back on track'. He said: 'Let go by Manchester United in 2024 having joined the club at the age of seven after being scouted, he was a regular player in the 2019-2020 season. 'His career was then blighted by an interruption, which was Covid. 'The demands of being a professional footballer were huge. Relationships with those close to him became strained and he moved in different circles which alienated him from those who truly cared for him. 'This was where he was at the time of the driving incident in 2023.' Williams is working with two fitness coaches in the hope that he can land a professional contract this summer, the court heard. Mr Littler went on: 'One of those coaches, Sean O'Shea, is of the opinion that he had too much money, too soon and the inability to deal with all that brings. 'He says this is a common theme when football coaches deal with young players.' Mr Littler added: 'In the last few years, Brandon Williams has had to live with significant mental health and neurological issues. 'He is in a better shape mentally and physically right now. 'Knowing the harm he caused to others and the pressure of these proceedings coming have weighed heavily on his shoulders. 'This is a defendant who is trying his level best to get his career back on track and improve his physical and mental wellbeing.' Recorder Lamb noted the references from Mr O'Shea and a fellow football coach, Wayne Richardson, as well as Williams's work with homelessness charity Shelter, and told him: 'There is a different side to your character.' Williams was supported in court by his parents and two close friends. He made no comment after sentencing.
