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News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Real estate agent accused of attacking four people
A real estate agent accused of assaulting four people in Sydney's inner west during two separate attacks is in negotiations with prosecutors, a court has been told. Karl Adon Howard was arrested in February over two incidents just minutes apart in Rozelle and charged with a string of offences, including multiple counts of assault. Mr Howard is alleged to have assaulted two women and two men before he was allegedly involved in a stand-off with police. Police were called to a Rozelle carpark on the evening of February 9 after reports that Mr Howard had approached a 49-year-old woman and demanded her car keys and assaulted her. According to police, a bystander intervened before Mr Howard allegedly assaulted the 55-year-old man. About 20 minutes later, emergency services were again called when Mr Howard allegedly assaulted a 39-year-old man and 40-year-old woman – who were both known to him – at a Burt St, Rozelle unit block. Police allege the woman fled onto the street but was again assaulted by Mr Howard. The male alleged victim collapsed unconscious outside the unit and both he and the woman were treated by paramedics. After a stand-off, police negotiated Mr Howard's exit from the unit and he was arrested and taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital under police guard. He has been in custody on remand since. Mr Howard was not required to be in court on Thursday and was represented by his solicitor John Sutton. Mr Howard has yet to enter any pleas to the charges. Mr Sutton told magistrate Susan Horan that he was in negotiations with police and prosecutors. The matter will now return to court in September. Mr Howard was charged with multiple counts of assault and common assault. He was also charged with other serious offences, including entering a prescribed premises without a lawful excuse, aggravated break and enter and supplying a prohibited drug.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
On The Road: How Walking Football left our intrepid reporter flat on his back... and what makes it such a unique form of the beautiful game
Moments of clarity can come out of the air with the velocity of a clearance by a Junior centre-half. Ball and thought struck me at the Firhill Complex. The first rendered me prostrate, the second provoked a smile and a sense of gratitude. Lying on the plastic turf of the complex with a match raging around me, I took a moment to reflect on the absurdity of this old dodderer playing fitba' at 70. But I also basked in the joy of the game and all it offers. It surrounded me. The John Sutton Community Club runs 16 kids' football teams and a couple of veteran sides of over 50s and over 60s. But its walking football group on Friday morning is a microcosm of what the former footballer and his gang of volunteers want the club to be all about. The key word is inclusion. This may drift into the world of cliché but its wondrous reality is visible amid the drizzle of a Firhill Friday. There is Margaret Mary, a woman of venerable if undisclosed age, who is partially sighted and taken two buses from Cambuslang to attend. There is the chap who fell from a roof when working and struggled to walk again. He is now perfectly able to thread a pass or shrug off a challenge. There is the character who plays with the aid of a crutch and is not averse to using his stick to control the ball. There are others, young and old, who play without obvious physical disadvantages. These include Sutton's daughter, who is nine-years-old, a couple of guys who play for the over-50 and over 60s teams, and others who are younger and impressively mobile. The game is close and gently competitive and the after-match is glorious. There is fruit, coffee and an array of cakes. A couple of dozen players scoff the grub and scoff gently at me. There is community. It is wonderful to witness. Margaret Mary says: 'Aye, I've come from Cambuslang and the two buses were on time. I have been partially sighted since birth. I have always loved football and I go to see Motherwell. I can make out shapes and the colours of strips but I can't recognise faces. You can get commentary piped to you on earphones but I prefer to watch it in my own way.' She came to the club after the loss of her partner last year. 'I saw it advertised and I thought it would be good to get back out and about,' she says. 'It's made me feel a lot better and I enjoy a cup of tea and natter. I like the company and have made some good friends. If I don't turn up for one week, I always get a wee call to see how I am.' Alongside her sits Eddie Hughes, 59. He plays for the over-50s side and spends much of the morning poking the ball between my legs. 'I was 20-odd stone and had walking sticks so I started playing for health reasons and it has helped me greatly. My mobility has changed completely. I always played football when younger and I used to sell the macaroons and spearmint gum at Firhill.' This brings a flood of memories to older heads but Eddie is focused on the future: 'When I came along here there were only three of us but look how it has grown. Hopefully, more and more will come.' The future, too, holds a significant move for Eddie. 'Aye, I'm 60 later this year so I will qualify for the over-60s. We try to play a lot of friendlies and build up through that,' he says. A triple role is held by Jim Cairney, who is chairperson of the club, manager of the over-60s team, and a trustee of the community club. 'I was wandering down Maryhill Road a few years back and I thought I would pop into the complex,' he says. 'There was a poster looking for players so I signed up and got involved.' Jim had played amateur football in the past and coached under-age sides. 'I have always been part of football,' says Jim, 63, a retired civil servant. 'I believe in the good of the game. We are inclusive here. Anyone can come along.' John Sutton watches the walking, stumbling football with a smile on his face. It's football but perhaps not as he knows it. The lad from Norwich is now the family man of Scotland. He has played football in this country for more than 20 years, from Raith Rovers through Dundee, St Mirren, Hearts, Motherwell, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Morton. Brother of former Celtic and England striker Chris, John leads the charitable trust that is committed 'to the advancement of public participation in sport'. His involvement began when a job ended. He coached Morton reserves until they were no more. 'I had my personal training business up and running but people approached me about doing football camps,' he says. 'I wasn't too keen on it at first but we did it and it proved to be a success.' This led to the formation of the community club. 'It has grown enormously. We have 16 teams now but the priority was and is allowing everyone to have a place where they can play football. 'We have lads who are heading off to pro youth teams and this is great. We also have a partnership with Maryhill Juniors which offers lads a pathway in the game. But this club is open to all kids, including those who have never kicked a ball.' He adds: 'I grew up in an era of 'jumpers for goalposts' with a couple of dads giving their time to teams. It was a great system. Personally, I believe football has gone away from that a wee bit. 'We have to cover pitch costs and referees here, but we want to make it accessible.' He is wedded to the Firhill Complex. He wants kids from the area to be able to walk to training, acknowledging that many may be disadvantaged in terms of money. 'We want to stay here, stick with the community,' he says. Sutton, too, has hopes of branching the club out into boxing, even netball, but for the moment allows himself the brief luxury of reflecting on how far the club has come. 'Did I ever think I would come to Scotland to play football? No. Did I ever think this would be where we are? No. But we now have aspirations. 'Some of the people who have helped out with that have been incredible. I will give you the example of the 2011 team. They started off in the bottom division but how they have progressed. 'They are brilliant kids who put in a lot of commitment as do their coaches. Many parents don't drive so you can imagine the pick-ups, organisation when we have to play a game in, say, Greenock.' He is talking in a corner away from the Friday walking football crowd and the noise of their animated chatter reaches us. 'I think it is important to have a place where people gather. 'Jim, our chairman, has done such a great job on this and so has Angie, who makes the cakes. In modern football, people meet up for a game or training and disappear afterwards. We want them to stay on, to chat, to become part of the community at this club.' Jim, the aforementioned chairman, offers me a specialty coffee and dispenses cakes liberally. There are laughs and the retelling of highlights of the match. My performance is referenced as one chap points out that my talent for being nutmegged was outstanding. 'There was a line of passes going though your legs like cars shooting down the Clyde tunnel,' he says. Jim points out that there may be an over-70 team in the offing. He offers me a bun but not a signing-on form.
Wales Online
09-07-2025
- Wales Online
Bailiff turned up at wrong cafe demanding thousands and refused to leave until paid, claims owner
Bailiff turned up at wrong cafe demanding thousands and refused to leave until paid, claims owner The owner claimed the bailiff was in the wrong Welsh county and said she had to call the police before he would, eventually and without apology, leave Sarah & John Sutton of Clwb Coffi in Tonypandy, Rhondda (Image: Jon Plimmer ) A popular independent coffee shop in Tonypandy has revealed a distressing incident in which bailiffs turned up unannounced at their premises demanding thousands of pounds, all due to a case of mistaken identity. The event took place during a busy Friday morning at Clwb Coffi, an independent coffee shop run by Sarah Sutton and husband John Sutton. According to Sarah, a bailiff entered the premises during peak hours and took her aside, stating that she owed around £2,500 and that he would not leave until the money was paid. Get the latest Rhondda news first by signing up to our newsletter here 'He came in with a bodycam, looked just like you'd imagine a bailiff,' Sarah claimed. 'He told me I owed two and a half grand and wasn't leaving until I paid it." Eventually, she claimed, he showed her details of the alleged debt on his tablet. The charge was for unpaid business rates to Newport City Council. But Clwb Coffi is located in Tonypandy, under Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. 'Straight away I knew it wasn't right,' she said. Despite showing him proof that they had paid their business rates to the correct authority, Sarah claimed the bailiff refused to accept the mistake. 'It was like talking to a brick wall. He kept saying 'it's not my problem' and that he wasn't going anywhere.' Article continues below Sarah went on to describe her concern that the bailiff would not budge. She originally called a local councillor she knew, who advised phoning 999. 'I didn't know what else to do. He wouldn't let me speak to anyone at his company, wouldn't give me a contact or even tell me who he worked for at first,' she claimed. The police arrived and, after some discussion, the situation de-escalated. The bailiff eventually left the premises without offering an apology, claimed Sarah. 'He didn't admit he was wrong, but it became clear he realised there was an issue. He just left after getting upset with the police.' Following the incident, Sarah said it took around three months to receive a small amount of compensation from the company. 'We had to follow up multiple times. There was no immediate apology. It took a month to even get the first response.' In a Facebook post shared after the incident, which happened in April, Clwb Coffi explained why it had waited to go public: 'We haven't shared this story, as we were going through a complaints process and felt it better to keep it offline but I think it's important to share as lots of customers saw this happen.' They claimed they felt intimidated and threatened by the presence of the bailiff and criticised the lack of accountability from the accidental mix-up they got involved in. The post concluded with frustration over the lack of apology and the difficulty of the complaints process. 'If we forgot someone's drink or made a mistake on an order, it genuinely keeps us up at night, and we'll do all we can to make it right. How can companies be so useless at taking accountability?' Article continues below
