Latest news with #Cheshire-based
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House builder blames ‘broken planning system' and interest rates for loss
In independent house builder has blamed the 'broken planning system' and high interest rates putting off first time buyers for it falling into the red. Cheshire-based Eccleston Homes has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.2m for the 12 months to 31 October, 2024, down from the £2m profit it achieved in the prior year. New accounts filed with Companies House also show its turnover decreased over the same period from £31.1m to £22.2m. Eccleston Homes, which is owned by Kevin Marren and operates in the North West of England, legally completed 68 houses in the year, down from 87. The business added that the drop in its gross profit from 22.9 per cent to 17.4 per cent was a 'major factor in a disappointing result for the period'. The house builder said prolonged high interest rates led to potential buyers making a conscious decision to hold off investing in a property until the Bank of England had reduced rates. It added that 'the broken planning system has been a major issue in recent years' and that while the government's plans to improve it are 'encouraging' it feels 'this will take a few years to have a major impact'. The results come on the same day the Bank of England is expected to cut interest rates to four per cent. House builder hoping for further interest rates cuts A statement signed off by the board said: 'We have continued to experience difficult house buying market conditions during the year due to prolonged high interest rates. 'This has adversely affected sales for the year as many potential home buyers have made a conscious decision to wait until interest rates have reduced before committing to buying a property.' The house builder added: 'We are budgeting for an increase in legal completions in the current period and, on a positive note, we have a better forward sold position than this time last year with 54 per cent of our homes budgeted to legally complete forward sold. 'It is hoped that the continued falls in interstate and mortgage rates will help to sustain this momentum.' Eccleston Homes also said: 'The broken planning system has been a major issue in recent years. 'The new government's intentions to improve the planning system and regulatory environment are encouraging but we feel this will take a few years to have a major impact. 'Inflationary pressures have eased but we still need to contend with increased costs due to rising building regulation changes relating to energy efficiency and the move away from gas boilers which are still working their way through the system. 'We remain uncertain as to when some of these regularity changes will be implemented. 'The frantic early days of the Trump administration are causing great uncertainty at a geopolitical and macro-economic level. 'If they actually push ahead with a sustained tariff trade war this may result in a slowing or reversal of the downward trend in interest rates.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Scottish Sun
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Gary Neville brutally trolled after watching his Salford side spanked 3-1 in opening game of season
Neville dreams of chasing Wrexham up the footie pyramid OWNER GOAL Gary Neville brutally trolled after watching his Salford side spanked 3-1 in opening game of season Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARY NEVILLE was taunted with a hilarious social media post after Salford City lost their season opener. Salford's new campaign started in misery after 3-1 defeat to Crewe Alexandra at home. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Gary Neville was trolled by Crewe Alexandra after Salford lost their opening game of the season Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 Salford lost 3-1 on Saturday Credit: PA And the ever-devoted Neville looked just as miserable from his director's box. A photographer inside Moor Lane snapped a stern Neville watching the game through a window on Saturday afternoon. The Man Utd legend looked downtrodden as he rested his hand on the glass with his eyes fixed on the action. With his hand spread out, Neville had five fingers pressed against the window - and this prompted a bit of fan from Crewe's social media admin. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS LEGEND SCARE Bayern legend and president Uli Hoeness rushed to hospital after falling ill Crewe posted the photo on X with the caption: "Nah it was three Gary" in reference to the Railwaymen's 3-1 win. The Cheshire-based side took the lead inside eight minutes after Salford star Ben Woodburn had a penalty saved by Tom Booth. Kadeem Harris scored at both ends of the field to make it 1-1 inside 16 minutes. But Conor Thomas' quickfire double at the end of the first half was enough to secure the win. 5 Crewe posted the photo on X with the caption: 'Nah it was three Gary' 5 Gary Neville and David Beckham have completed a takeover of Salford City Credit: Getty BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK This season was meant to mark new beginnings for Salford after Neville and England icon David Beckham completed their takeover in May. Neville clubbed together with other members of Manchester United's famous Class of 92 to buy stakes in the club in 2014. Gary Neville reveals fear with Liverpool to become most successful English team ever Salford enjoyed four promotions in five years once the ex-United stars initially bought in. Beckham then joined the ownership team in 2019 when he purchased a ten per cent stake from majority shareholder Peter Lim, who left in 2024. But now Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes have also relinquished their ownership. Butt, 50, was also inadvertently snapped sitting in front of Neville this weekend. The new group also includes four further businessmen plus an Indian sports technology company. According to The Athletic, they have invested between £11million and £15m to bolster Salford's infrastructure and sporting ambitions. The 2024-25 season was their sixth consecutive campaign in League Two. The Ammies finished eighth, missing out on a play-off spot by just one point. But Neville's dreams of chasing Wrexham up the footie pyramid hit a stumbling block after Crewe's latest win.
The Irish Sun
24-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Chilling signs of ‘siblicide' as experts warn of dangerous rise… after teen smothered toddlers to ‘save them from Satan'
BRITISH schoolgirl Amber Gibson was just 16 when she was stripped naked, sexually assaulted, beaten over the head, and strangled in a horrific woodland killing. The beast behind the murder? Not a depraved stranger or a serial killer, but Amber's big brother, Connor Gibson - the boy who was supposed to love and protect her the most. 20 Amber Gibson, 16, was subjected to a harrowing attack before being strangled by her brother Credit: Refer to Caption 20 Evil Connor Gibson was described as 'beneath contempt' by a detective 20 Gibson was seen leading sister Amber away before returning without her Credit: PA 'The last person she saw alive was you, her brother, strangling the life out of her after having beaten her up and tried to rape her,' a judge told Gibson following the 2021 murder. Amber - who suffered another harrowing fate in death, when the stranger who found her body further violated it - is a victim of siblicide, where one sibling is killed by another. Though common among animals - particularly birds, in competition for food - this type of homicide is rare in humans, whose longest-lasting relationships are often with their siblings. When it does happen, it sends shockwaves through families - with the heartbroken mum of one killer who stabbed his four-year-old sister 17 times revealing: 'I lost both of my children.' And worryingly, experts warn that cases of sororicide (killing one's sister) and fratricide (killing one's brother) could soar amid a mental health crisis among Britain's youngsters. 'Recent siblicide cases appear to indicate that mental ill health is a major factor,' UK criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone, who specialises in sex crime, tells The Sun. A recent NHS survey reveals one in four young people in England have a common mental health condition - a 47 per cent increase on 2007 figures. Meanwhile, Marcus says sex crime cases involving siblings are rising - with the 'easy availability of 'My concern is the ever-increasing number of children and young adults who have mental health problems,' adds Marcus, of Cheshire-based 'If we get to the stage where a psychotic disorder is combined with drug and Amber Gibson's evil brother Connor jailed for life for murdering & sexually assaulting his teen sister 20 Gibson, 20, was jailed for a minimum of 22 years Credit: PA 20 The family were 'heartbroken' beyond words by Amber's death For most siblings their bond forms at an early age. They grow up together - navigating family dynamics, sibling rivalry and hurdles in their own lives while under the same roof. It is during this shared childhood that criminologists say the roots of siblicide can form. 'Siblings should be our first teachers in sharing, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution,' behavioural criminologist Alex Iszatt tells us. 'But for some, the home becomes a training ground for violence instead. "Who hasn't shouted, 'I hate you,' at the top of your lungs to a brother or sister? Yet that rage rarely turns deadly.' If we get to the stage where a psychotic disorder is combined with drug and porn addiction, and an underlying sibling rivalry or dispute, this may escalate to siblicide Marcus Johnstone In the Gibsons' case the siblings, born into a troubled family, had gone into foster care when Amber was three. At the time, her brother, then five, had declared: 'We are safe.' But these three words would prove untrue for Amber when Gibson - by then a 19-year-old man - savagely attacked her in Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland in November 2021. The fiend battered his little sister, broke her nose, tore off her clothing and sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, before strangling her with his hands. Jailing Gibson for life at the High Court in 'What you did was truly evil,' Lord Mulholland added. The judge also slammed Stephen Corrigan - a stranger who inappropriately touched Amber's body, then concealed it, after discovering her - for his 'despicable conduct'. 'Any decent human being, on coming across the naked body of a young girl who was unconscious or possibly dead, would immediately call the emergency services,' he said. 'Golden child' jealousy While Gibson's motive for Amber's murder remains unclear, experts say perpetrators of siblicide might be driven by greed, trauma, psychosis, or decades of 'unresolved' rage. In some cases, 'small micro-traumas - persistent emotional or physical wounds - build up over time like a simmering pot until they erupt in pure rage,' says Alex. Other killers act on jealousy; they feel resentful of their parents' perceived favouritism of a 'golden child', or the bond shared between their sibling and other family members. 'Psychologists call this 'sibling displacement rage', where anger aimed at parents, trauma, or even personal failure is redirected onto a brother or sister,' adds Alex. 'The 'chosen one' becomes the lightning rod - not because they caused the pain, but because they represent everything the angry sibling feels deprived of. 'Over the years, this resentment festers and can turn violently lethal.' 'Cold and calculated' 20 Liz Edwards and her daughter Katie (pictured together) were stabbed as they slept by Liz's older daughter, Kim Credit: SWNS:South West News Service 20 The knife Kim Edwards and Lucas Markham used in the killing Credit: SWNS:South West News Service 20 The 15-year-olds are believed to be Britain's youngest double murderers Credit: SWNS:South West News Service In 2016, Kim Edwards and her boyfriend Lucas Markham, both 14, became the UK's youngest double murderers when they slaughtered Edwards's mum and 13-year-old sister. Prosecutors said 'cold and calculated' Edwards had held a grudge against her mother, Liz Edwards, 49, before the double stabbing at the family's home in Spalding, Lincolnshire. She'd also felt resentful of her mum's close bond with her younger sister, Katie. 'I was not killing my sister out of anger, and I miss her, but I was excited about killing my mother and I was looking forward to it,' Edwards later chillingly told a psychiatrist. After murdering the pair as they slept, Edwards - who also confessed to being 'jealous' of Katie - had sex with Markham, feasted on ice cream, and Nearly 5,000 miles away, in Texas, another teen - 20 Twisted Paris Bennett murdered his sister Ella, four, while their mum was at work 20 Bennett with his young sister before he killed her in 2007 Credit: facebook 20 Charity Lee managed to forgive her son Credit: Facebook/ Charity Lee Bennett, then 13, crept into little Ella's bedroom after convincing their babysitter to go home. He punched and tried to strangle the defenceless youngster, before knifing her 17 times. He also sexually attacked Ella, having browsed graphic porn like 'S&M', 'bondage' and 'sadism', and even searched for snuff films in the hours leading up to her murder. 'I had always known, as a child, that the most devastating thing to my mother would be the loss of one of her children,' Bennett, now rotting in jail, 'And I found a way to take away both her children in one fell swoop.' He showed zero empathy, his sister hid under a table, begging for her life before he shot her Criminologist Alex Iszatt The siblings' mum, Charity Lee, fainted when police told her that Ella had been killed. When she came to, she asked if her son was okay - only to find out that he was the murderer. Incredibly, despite Bennett's heinous actions, Charity managed to forgive her son. 'Only once I understood what Paris is - a predator - was I able to forgive him,' the grieving mum, who founded the ELLA foundation to help others impacted by violence, mental illness and the criminal justice system, wrote in an article for Good Housekeeping. She added: 'If I was swimming in a beautiful ocean, enjoying myself, and a shark came up and bit my leg off, hopefully I would not spend the rest of my life hating that shark. 'Hopefully, I would understand that sharks are what they are. And, for better or worse, Paris is a shark.' Infamy hungry 20 Teen killer Nicholas Prosper holding a plank of wood as a mock gun Credit: PA 20 Prosper killed siblings Giselle, 13, and Kyle, 16, and mum Juliana, 48 Credit: PA 20 A teddy bear shot by Prosper prior to him killing his mother and two siblings While some siblings kill out of jealousy or revenge, others crave notoriety. In March this year, a sadistic teen who dreamed of becoming Britain's worst mass killer was Then aged 18, a court heard he had sought to 'emulate and outdo' Sandy Hook shooting monster '[Prosper] showed zero empathy,' says Alex. "His sister hid under a table, begging for her life before he shot her.' She adds that Prosper - who was 'deeply fascinated' by both high-profile murderers and rapists - displayed narcissistic psychopathy, a chilling detachment from human emotion. 'Hitman inquiry' While most cases of siblicide in the news involve teenagers, an American criminologist reveals that many perpetrators are actually adults who are acting 'in the moment'. 'The perpetrators are often adults, and the act is due to a heated argument influenced by drugs or alcohol, and is done in their own home due to easy access to weapons,' says Dr Angelo Brown, an assistant professor of criminology at Arkansas State University. He adds: 'Siblicides done by youth are rarer but often are more likely to make the news.' Typically, perpetrators of siblicide are male, with killer sisters 'much less common'. But just last month a Nancy Pexton, 69, is accused of murdering film director Jennifer Abbott Dauward, known as Sarah Steinberg, at her flat in Camden, North London . In 2016, a 26-year-old woman - Sabah Khan, also from Luton - knifed her own sister 68 times in a ferocious hallway attack because she wanted to steal her husband. Khan - whose internet history included "hiring a hitman for £200" - had become consumed by jealousy after starting an ill-fated affair with sister Saima's husband, Hafeez Rehman. 20 Nancy Pexton, left, with her sister Jennifer Abbott Credit: Central News 20 Saima Khas was stabbed to death by her sibling Sabah Khan (pictured) in 2017 Credit: PA:Press Association 20 The flat where Khan lured her sister before slitting her throat and hacking off her hand Credit: SWNS:South West News Service Desiring Hafeez for herself, she delved into gruesome methods for murdering 34-year-old Saima - including paying a 'black magic priest' in Pakistan £5,000 to 'remotely' kill her. Eventually, she settled on butchering the mother-of-four with a knife bought from Tesco, as her victim's eldest daughter called down the stairs, "Auntie, are you killing a mouse?' Khan was later locked up for life, with a minimum of 22 years, after pleading guilty to murder. According to Alex, affairs are not the only type of family 'betrayal' that can spark siblicide. 'Financial betrayal is another trigger,' she tells us. 'Siblings who grow up competing for resources — whether love, attention, or inheritance — can reach a point where murder seems like the only way out.' Siblings who grow up competing for resources — whether love, attention, or inheritance — can reach a point where murder seems like the only way out Alex Iszatt Sometimes, a supposedly 'betrayed' sibling wishes to 'completely erase' the other. 'This can develop into a psychological obsession,' explains Alex. 'There have been cases where perpetrators don't just want what their sibling has - they want to be them.' Such killers might mirror their sibling's behaviour, or copy their appearance. 'The violence is more than physical; it's psychological annihilation,' says Alex. 'By killing their sibling, the perpetrator attempts to claim their identity.' The warning signs of siblicide Siblicide involves the killing of one sibling by another. It might present as sororicide (killing one's sister) or fratricide (killing one's brother). Experts tell The Sun that 'red flags' for siblicide include obsessive grudges, violent fantasies, sudden emotional detachment, and extreme bullying beyond typical sibling rivalry. 'Spotting warning signs early can save lives,' says behavioural criminologist Alex Iszatt (pictured left). 'Therapy and intervention help, but only if they come before homicidal planning starts.' Criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone (pictured right), who specialises in sex crime, adds: 'Such killings are extremely rare in the UK but, where it does arise, they are often linked to family arguments, jealousy or financial problems spanning many years, for example, the inheritance of a property. 'Siblicide which also involves a sexual assault is often linked to severe mental illness and drug abuse.' Some experts believe that 'full siblings' are less likely to be involved in siblicide. 'Research has indicated that there are differences between full-blood siblings, half-siblings, [and] step-siblings, as full siblings seem less likely to kill each other,' says Dr Brown. 'This is explained by evolutionary theories that we are more likely to protect those with whom we share DNA.' In 2022, a teen from Indiana, US, was jailed after Nickalas Kedrowitz, who was just 13 at the time of the 2017 killings, reportedly wanted to free the toddler and baby 'from Satan and hell'. He was caged for 100 years. Whatever the motives, genetics and 'betrayals' behind siblicide, there is no doubt that the violent crime destroys the lives of more than the two siblings involved. "We now have one daughter buried in Larkhall Cemetery and another child in prison,' said Amber's devastated foster parents after her brother was convicted of her murder. "We really miss Amber - life will never be the same." And Bennett's mother Charity admitted: 'While I've learned to forgive Paris, you don't ever fully heal from something like that. You learn to live with it.' 20 Nickalas James Kedrowitz smothered step-brother Nathaniel, 11 months Credit: Fox 20 His sister Desiree McCartney, 23 months, was also killed by Kedrowitz Credit: Fox 20 Nickalas Kedrowitz was caged for 100 years Credit: Ripley County Jail
Scottish Sun
24-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Chilling signs of ‘siblicide' as experts warn of dangerous rise… after teen smothered toddlers to ‘save them from Satan'
Experts fear cases of siblicide - where one sibling is killed by another - could soar amid a mental health crisis among Brit youngsters, with sex crime cases involving brothers and sisters already on the rise BLOODIED BONDS Chilling signs of 'siblicide' as experts warn of dangerous rise… after teen smothered toddlers to 'save them from Satan' BRITISH schoolgirl Amber Gibson was just 16 when she was stripped naked, sexually assaulted, beaten over the head, and strangled in a horrific woodland killing. The beast behind the murder? Not a depraved stranger or a serial killer, but Amber's big brother, Connor Gibson - the boy who was supposed to love and protect her the most. Advertisement 20 Amber Gibson, 16, was subjected to a harrowing attack before being strangled by her brother Credit: Refer to Caption 20 Evil Connor Gibson was described as 'beneath contempt' by a detective 20 Gibson was seen leading sister Amber away before returning without her Credit: PA 'The last person she saw alive was you, her brother, strangling the life out of her after having beaten her up and tried to rape her,' a judge told Gibson following the 2021 murder. Amber - who suffered another harrowing fate in death, when the stranger who found her body further violated it - is a victim of siblicide, where one sibling is killed by another. Advertisement Though common among animals - particularly birds, in competition for food - this type of homicide is rare in humans, whose longest-lasting relationships are often with their siblings. When it does happen, it sends shockwaves through families - with the heartbroken mum of one killer who stabbed his four-year-old sister 17 times revealing: 'I lost both of my children.' And worryingly, experts warn that cases of sororicide (killing one's sister) and fratricide (killing one's brother) could soar amid a mental health crisis among Britain's youngsters. 'Recent siblicide cases appear to indicate that mental ill health is a major factor,' UK criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone, who specialises in sex crime, tells The Sun. A recent NHS survey reveals one in four young people in England have a common mental health condition - a 47 per cent increase on 2007 figures. Advertisement Meanwhile, Marcus says sex crime cases involving siblings are rising - with the 'easy availability of extreme porn sites' feared to be contributing to such vile attacks. 'My concern is the ever-increasing number of children and young adults who have mental health problems,' adds Marcus, of Cheshire-based PCD Solicitors. 'If we get to the stage where a psychotic disorder is combined with drug and porn addiction, and an underlying sibling rivalry or dispute, this may escalate to siblicide.' Amber Gibson's evil brother Connor jailed for life for murdering & sexually assaulting his teen sister 20 Gibson, 20, was jailed for a minimum of 22 years Credit: PA 20 The family were 'heartbroken' beyond words by Amber's death Advertisement For most siblings their bond forms at an early age. They grow up together - navigating family dynamics, sibling rivalry and hurdles in their own lives while under the same roof. It is during this shared childhood that criminologists say the roots of siblicide can form. 'Siblings should be our first teachers in sharing, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution,' behavioural criminologist Alex Iszatt tells us. 'But for some, the home becomes a training ground for violence instead. "Who hasn't shouted, 'I hate you,' at the top of your lungs to a brother or sister? Yet that rage rarely turns deadly.' Advertisement If we get to the stage where a psychotic disorder is combined with drug and porn addiction, and an underlying sibling rivalry or dispute, this may escalate to siblicide Marcus Johnstone In the Gibsons' case the siblings, born into a troubled family, had gone into foster care when Amber was three. At the time, her brother, then five, had declared: 'We are safe.' But these three words would prove untrue for Amber when Gibson - by then a 19-year-old man - savagely attacked her in Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland in November 2021. The fiend battered his little sister, broke her nose, tore off her clothing and sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, before strangling her with his hands. Jailing Gibson for life at the High Court in Livingston two years later, Lord Mulholland told the merciless killer that Amber 'would have looked to you, as her big brother, for support'. 'What you did was truly evil,' Lord Mulholland added. Advertisement The judge also slammed Stephen Corrigan - a stranger who inappropriately touched Amber's body, then concealed it, after discovering her - for his 'despicable conduct'. 'Any decent human being, on coming across the naked body of a young girl who was unconscious or possibly dead, would immediately call the emergency services,' he said. 'Golden child' jealousy While Gibson's motive for Amber's murder remains unclear, experts say perpetrators of siblicide might be driven by greed, trauma, psychosis, or decades of 'unresolved' rage. In some cases, 'small micro-traumas - persistent emotional or physical wounds - build up over time like a simmering pot until they erupt in pure rage,' says Alex. Other killers act on jealousy; they feel resentful of their parents' perceived favouritism of a 'golden child', or the bond shared between their sibling and other family members. Advertisement 'Psychologists call this 'sibling displacement rage', where anger aimed at parents, trauma, or even personal failure is redirected onto a brother or sister,' adds Alex. 'The 'chosen one' becomes the lightning rod - not because they caused the pain, but because they represent everything the angry sibling feels deprived of. 'Over the years, this resentment festers and can turn violently lethal.' 'Cold and calculated' 20 Liz Edwards and her daughter Katie (pictured together) were stabbed as they slept by Liz's older daughter, Kim Credit: SWNS:South West News Service 20 The knife Kim Edwards and Lucas Markham used in the killing Credit: SWNS:South West News Service Advertisement 20 The 15-year-olds are believed to be Britain's youngest double murderers Credit: SWNS:South West News Service In 2016, Kim Edwards and her boyfriend Lucas Markham, both 14, became the UK's youngest double murderers when they slaughtered Edwards's mum and 13-year-old sister. Prosecutors said 'cold and calculated' Edwards had held a grudge against her mother, Liz Edwards, 49, before the double stabbing at the family's home in Spalding, Lincolnshire. She'd also felt resentful of her mum's close bond with her younger sister, Katie. 'I was not killing my sister out of anger, and I miss her, but I was excited about killing my mother and I was looking forward to it,' Edwards later chillingly told a psychiatrist. Advertisement After murdering the pair as they slept, Edwards - who also confessed to being 'jealous' of Katie - had sex with Markham, feasted on ice cream, and watched the Twilight films. Nearly 5,000 miles away, in Texas, another teen - psychopath Paris Bennett - beat and murdered his four-year-old sister in a sick bid to hurt his mum 'in the worst possible way'. 20 Twisted Paris Bennett murdered his sister Ella, four, while their mum was at work 20 Bennett with his young sister before he killed her in 2007 Credit: facebook 20 Charity Lee managed to forgive her son Credit: Facebook/ Charity Lee Advertisement Bennett, then 13, crept into little Ella's bedroom after convincing their babysitter to go home. He punched and tried to strangle the defenceless youngster, before knifing her 17 times. He also sexually attacked Ella, having browsed graphic porn like 'S&M', 'bondage' and 'sadism', and even searched for snuff films in the hours leading up to her murder. 'I had always known, as a child, that the most devastating thing to my mother would be the loss of one of her children,' Bennett, now rotting in jail, later told TV host Piers Morgan. 'And I found a way to take away both her children in one fell swoop.' Advertisement He showed zero empathy, his sister hid under a table, begging for her life before he shot her Criminologist Alex Iszatt The siblings' mum, Charity Lee, fainted when police told her that Ella had been killed. When she came to, she asked if her son was okay - only to find out that he was the murderer. Incredibly, despite Bennett's heinous actions, Charity managed to forgive her son. 'Only once I understood what Paris is - a predator - was I able to forgive him,' the grieving mum, who founded the ELLA foundation to help others impacted by violence, mental illness and the criminal justice system, wrote in an article for Good Housekeeping. She added: 'If I was swimming in a beautiful ocean, enjoying myself, and a shark came up and bit my leg off, hopefully I would not spend the rest of my life hating that shark. Advertisement 'Hopefully, I would understand that sharks are what they are. And, for better or worse, Paris is a shark.' Infamy hungry 20 Teen killer Nicholas Prosper holding a plank of wood as a mock gun Credit: PA 20 Prosper killed siblings Giselle, 13, and Kyle, 16, and mum Juliana, 48 Credit: PA 20 A teddy bear shot by Prosper prior to him killing his mother and two siblings While some siblings kill out of jealousy or revenge, others crave notoriety. Advertisement In March this year, a sadistic teen who dreamed of becoming Britain's worst mass killer was caged for life after shooting dead his brother, sister and mother at their Luton home. Nicholas Prosper - who had plotted a school shooting to make him 'globally notorious' - slaughtered Kyle, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, and Juliana Falcon, 48, last September. Then aged 18, a court heard he had sought to 'emulate and outdo' Sandy Hook shooting monster Adam Lanza - with his family becoming 'collateral damage' in his failed plot. '[Prosper] showed zero empathy,' says Alex. "His sister hid under a table, begging for her life before he shot her.' She adds that Prosper - who was 'deeply fascinated' by both high-profile murderers and rapists - displayed narcissistic psychopathy, a chilling detachment from human emotion. Advertisement 'Hitman inquiry' While most cases of siblicide in the news involve teenagers, an American criminologist reveals that many perpetrators are actually adults who are acting 'in the moment'. 'The perpetrators are often adults, and the act is due to a heated argument influenced by drugs or alcohol, and is done in their own home due to easy access to weapons,' says Dr Angelo Brown, an assistant professor of criminology at Arkansas State University. He adds: 'Siblicides done by youth are rarer but often are more likely to make the news.' Typically, perpetrators of siblicide are male, with killer sisters 'much less common'. But just last month a woman appeared in court accused of knifing her sister to death before she was arrested allegedly with the victim's missing diamond Rolex. Advertisement Nancy Pexton, 69, is accused of murdering film director Jennifer Abbott Dauward, known as Sarah Steinberg, at her flat in Camden, North London. In 2016, a 26-year-old woman - Sabah Khan, also from Luton - knifed her own sister 68 times in a ferocious hallway attack because she wanted to steal her husband. Khan - whose internet history included "hiring a hitman for £200" - had become consumed by jealousy after starting an ill-fated affair with sister Saima's husband, Hafeez Rehman. 20 Nancy Pexton, left, with her sister Jennifer Abbott Credit: Central News 20 Saima Khas was stabbed to death by her sibling Sabah Khan (pictured) in 2017 Credit: PA:Press Association Advertisement 20 The flat where Khan lured her sister before slitting her throat and hacking off her hand Credit: SWNS:South West News Service Desiring Hafeez for herself, she delved into gruesome methods for murdering 34-year-old Saima - including paying a 'black magic priest' in Pakistan £5,000 to 'remotely' kill her. Eventually, she settled on butchering the mother-of-four with a knife bought from Tesco, as her victim's eldest daughter called down the stairs, "Auntie, are you killing a mouse?' Khan was later locked up for life, with a minimum of 22 years, after pleading guilty to murder. According to Alex, affairs are not the only type of family 'betrayal' that can spark siblicide. Advertisement 'Financial betrayal is another trigger,' she tells us. 'Siblings who grow up competing for resources — whether love, attention, or inheritance — can reach a point where murder seems like the only way out.' Siblings who grow up competing for resources — whether love, attention, or inheritance — can reach a point where murder seems like the only way out Alex Iszatt Sometimes, a supposedly 'betrayed' sibling wishes to 'completely erase' the other. 'This can develop into a psychological obsession,' explains Alex. 'There have been cases where perpetrators don't just want what their sibling has - they want to be them.' Advertisement Such killers might mirror their sibling's behaviour, or copy their appearance. 'The violence is more than physical; it's psychological annihilation,' says Alex. 'By killing their sibling, the perpetrator attempts to claim their identity.' The warning signs of siblicide Siblicide involves the killing of one sibling by another. It might present as sororicide (killing one's sister) or fratricide (killing one's brother). Experts tell The Sun that 'red flags' for siblicide include obsessive grudges, violent fantasies, sudden emotional detachment, and extreme bullying beyond typical sibling rivalry. 'Spotting warning signs early can save lives,' says behavioural criminologist Alex Iszatt (pictured left). 'Therapy and intervention help, but only if they come before homicidal planning starts.' Criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone (pictured right), who specialises in sex crime, adds: 'Such killings are extremely rare in the UK but, where it does arise, they are often linked to family arguments, jealousy or financial problems spanning many years, for example, the inheritance of a property. 'Siblicide which also involves a sexual assault is often linked to severe mental illness and drug abuse.' Some experts believe that 'full siblings' are less likely to be involved in siblicide. 'Research has indicated that there are differences between full-blood siblings, half-siblings, [and] step-siblings, as full siblings seem less likely to kill each other,' says Dr Brown. Advertisement 'This is explained by evolutionary theories that we are more likely to protect those with whom we share DNA.' In 2022, a teen from Indiana, US, was jailed after smothering his 23-month-old half-sister, Desiree McCartney, and 11-month-old stepbrother, Nathaniel Ritz, to death. Nickalas Kedrowitz, who was just 13 at the time of the 2017 killings, reportedly wanted to free the toddler and baby 'from Satan and hell'. He was caged for 100 years. Whatever the motives, genetics and 'betrayals' behind siblicide, there is no doubt that the violent crime destroys the lives of more than the two siblings involved. Advertisement "We now have one daughter buried in Larkhall Cemetery and another child in prison,' said Amber's devastated foster parents after her brother was convicted of her murder. "We really miss Amber - life will never be the same." And Bennett's mother Charity admitted: 'While I've learned to forgive Paris, you don't ever fully heal from something like that. You learn to live with it.' 20 Nickalas James Kedrowitz smothered step-brother Nathaniel, 11 months Credit: Fox 20 His sister Desiree McCartney, 23 months, was also killed by Kedrowitz Credit: Fox Advertisement
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Eaglesham Mum raises concerns about battery storage facility
Last month East Renfrewshire Council gave Cheshire-based firm GPC 1337 Ltd, which is understood to be a subsidiary of Apatura, the go ahead to build and run a 40-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) on an agricultural site at the east side of Glasgow Road in Eaglesham. A previous application was refused last October after councillors raised concerns over the risk of fire from lithium-ion batteries. The company returned with a new plan, which council planners once again recommended for approval, but more than 300 people submitted objections to the scheme, including local MSP Jackson Carlaw. READ NEXT: Song celebrating Glasgow football club released for lifelong fan's 90th birthday READ NEXT: ScotRail peak fares to be scrapped in major change MSP Jackson Carlaw has previously stated his opposition to the decision (Image: Sourced) One of those vehemently against the BESS is Morag Hannan who has three young children and whose family is one of four households living metres from the site. The mum, who has described the increasing number of BESSs as an 'assault on the Scottish countryside,' is deeply concerned because when lithium batteries go wrong, they do so 'explosively' and 'have a tendency to reignite.' The 41-year-old said: 'We would have to evacuate towards the fire. We don't have any way to go out the back. 'It's barbed wire fences and our neighbour beside us has got a stone wall. He's in his eighties and he can't get over that wall. 'We would have to move towards the fire and the hydrant is directly outside our drive, so if fire engines got there first, we're trapped. We cannot get out." Morag Hannan with neighbour Kenneth Munro and husband Craig at the site (Image: Newsquest) 'The advice is to shelter in place, but it's a listed building with chimneys and obviously everyone's worried about the toxic fumes that come off battery fires," she added. 'We don't think that we could safely shelter in place and we don't know how we would get out either and these are things that the planning officer has ignored.' She pointed to the battery storage plant fire at Moss Landing in California earlier this year and last month at a battery recycling plant in Kilwinning to highlight the devastation that can occur in the event of a battery fire. Her concerns, however, are not just for her family and neighbours but for the long-term environmental and health impact a BESS and a fire would potentially have on Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire and beyond. She has also raised questions as to why this site has to be used, when it is connecting more than five miles away to a substation in Giffnock. Morag Hannan (Image: Newsquest) 'In Moss landing they tested the soil samples and there are dangerous levels of toxic metals in the soil since the fire,' said Morag, who also raised concerns about asthma and respiratory problems following battery fires. 'We're talking about the whole of East Renfrewshire being affected if this happens. 'The White Cart River is 170 metres downhill from this site. 'They said they will put in protection measures, but they keep chopping and changing and they can't tell us how these work. 'There's such a high safety issue, not to mention the noise, which they've kind of downplayed." Morag Hannan, neighbour Kenneth and her husband Craig (Image: Newsquest) A petition to overturn the decision was started by a non-Eaglesham resident, which Morag says shows that this is not just an Eaglesham issue and how many throughout the authority feel strongly about the issue. The petition, which highlights concerns about the establishment of a BESS on greenbelt land and potential land contamination, has attracted nearly 3,000 signatures. It states that the council had earlier rejected a similar proposal from the same company, with councillors 'raising concerns about the suitability of the site and pointing out that the energy produced may not necessarily be from renewable sources'. It further adds that their earlier judgment should have set a precedent, yet now, 'inexplicably', approval has been granted. An Eaglesham Community Action group has also been started by Eaglesham resident Tom Taylor in response to the decision. Tom has raised concerns about a high voltage electricity line and a high pressure natural gas line running through the site. An Apatura BESS (Image: Apatura) Andrew Philpott, chief development officer at Apatura, said: 'The points raised by residents are understandable, and when developing projects, we take all of the local communities' concerns extremely seriously. 'The proposed project at Eaglesham has been through a rigorous planning process, meeting all of the council's requirements and ensuring the proposed project is developed to the highest standard. 'This includes developing a comprehensive fire safety plan with the local Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), conducting environmental impact reports and extensive Noise Impact Assessments (NIAs). 'These steps minimise the impact on local communities and environments, whilst maximising the impact on Scotland's net zero targets. 'We also develop a community fund alongside all our projects, specifically designed to directly fund community projects and benefit local residents. Our goal is to ensure that the communities hosting our projects share in the rewards, contributing to a sustainable and equitable future for all. 'Battery Energy Storage Systems are a crucial part of decarbonising the UK's energy demand and directly support the vast amounts of wind and solar energy produced in Scotland - storing it when generation is high for when demand is at its peak - and help put an end to expensive curtailment costs. 'The Eaglesham project is critical infrastructure for the nation, and whilst we're still in the early stages of development, we look forward to working closely with the local community and the council to make sure it's beneficial for all parties involved.' An East Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "Having considered the application in full, permission was granted by our Planning Applications Committee with a number of conditions which must be met by the applicant."
