Latest news with #Kilroy
HKFP
4 days ago
- HKFP
‘Kilroy was here': Is writing on toilet walls still a thing?
a young man had been arrested and charged with writing a seditious message on a toilet wall was … pleasantly nostalgic. Writing on the walls of public toilet cubicles used to be a widespread hobby, and some walls in popular establishments were virtually covered in writings and drawings. Well-prepared graffiti artists had pencils or pens; the rest of us just scratched. Of course, many of the results lacked artistic quality, and most of them were obscene. Among the more printable was the almost universal assurance that 'Kilroy was here.' A variety of theories are offered about who Kilroy was and why he was commemorated in this way. I also recall coming across 'Clap your hands and jump with joy; I found this wall before Kilroy,' to which someone had added 'Kilroy built it.' Public toilets in the more academic parts of Oxford sported graffiti of a more learned kind. Many of them were in Latin, a few in ancient Greek. Some users spent their toilet time composing alphabets: A is for Anabasis, B is for Binomianism, C is for Critical Theory and so on. Inevitably, academics have swooped. Selection of findings here. Sample discovery: 'Females discussed body image more than males did. There was also a difference in focus: females listed their height and weight, whereas males listed their penis size.' A more civilised habit, in private homes, was to decorate your toilet walls with examples of entertaining newspaper errors. Many of these came from The Guardian, which was so notorious for the laxity of its proofreading that Private Eye called it The Grauniad. It must be said, however, that in the vast majority of English toilets, the graffiti, if there was graffiti, was fairly crude and disgusting. However, this was a result of the fact that the toilet cubicle was private. You could do what you liked in there and nobody would know. At my boarding school, there were actually crowds of smokers in some cubicles during break times. So I am a little concerned about the news that someone has been arrested and charged for defacing a toilet wall. The question is: How did they catch him? I assume … I hope … there is no question of CCTV in the cubicles at Hong Kong China City, where the deplorable deed is alleged to have taken place. I realise we are on camera a lot these days. Citysuper actually has cheerful notices saying: 'Smile! You're on CCTV'. Shoplifting is a serious matter, and I yield without complaint the right to televise the avocados. The toilet is another matter. No doubt, writing on the walls is only one of the many ways in which the privacy of the cubicle can be abused, but there should nevertheless be privacy. Other theories are also a bit worrying. Does Hong Kong China City expect its toilet attendants to inspect a cubicle after each visit to make sure the walls have not been defaced? Or do the national security cops keep an eye on suspected subversives by poking a periscope over the partition from the next cubicle? No doubt the ensuing trial will be a big attraction to the media, and all will be revealed in due course. Meanwhile, the story also has a serious side. The suspected scribbler could face seven years in jail if his work is considered seditious. As a police spokesman memorably put it: 'Doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention is a serious offence.' Also, it's a national security offence, so even if your only audience was a toilet wall, you don't get bail. Kilroy was here and has moved to Canada.
Extra.ie
20-07-2025
- Extra.ie
Did State pay my sister's killer after conviction?
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has refused to clarify if was still being paid by the State as recently as February, almost six years after murdering his wife Valerie French. Mr Kilroy, a former park ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), has been behind bars since beating, stabbing and strangling his wife to death in Kilbree Lower, Co. Mayo, in June 2019, while the couple's three children slept. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW After two collapsed trials, he was convicted of her murder last July, the jury rejecting his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Valerie French However, received information in February this year that the Co. Meath native was still being paid by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which oversees the NPWS. When the reasons for this were queried in February by Extra, a spokesman for the department said on February 19: 'The matter is currently the subject of legal correspondence, however, the department does not comment on individual circumstances of existing or former members of staff.' But that comment changed this week, with the department giving an outright denial anybody serving time for a serious offence like murder was on the State payroll. The case around the brutal murder had already shone a light on the legal anomaly that has seen Mr Kilroy retain guardianship of the couple's three children after murdering their mother Valerie, a 41-year-old occupational therapist originally from Leap, Co. Cork. Valerie French Kilroy. Her brother David French, who is leading efforts to have this law changed and has recently published a book about his sister and the aftermath of her murder, has had three Freedom of Information (FOI) requests rejected since February in trying to establish if and when the State stopped paying Mr Kilroy a salary. An initial FOI submission to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was rejected on the grounds that specific personal information could not be shared. A second request asking for a description of protocol when someone is convicted of a serious crime such as murder received the response that it 'would fall under the category of serious misconduct. It is the case that all serious misconduct cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis having regard to the relevant guidelines and procedures and legal advice, as appropriate.' A final request asked for the number of people on the payroll who have not presented to work in the past five years. This was refused on the grounds that it 'would involve the disclosure of personal Information'. Extra asked the department this week if it had any update to its comment in February. A spokesman responded: '…you have raised a query about a conviction for a serious criminal offence (murder) and the department can confirm that there are no persons currently serving a prison sentence for such a conviction who are in receipt of any payments (whether by way of salary or otherwise) paid by the department, which includes the NPWS.' Asked if that was true at the time of our initial queries in February, and what the 'legal correspondence' mentioned in the initial response referred to, a spokesman said the department 'won't be adding anything to the response' provided this week. Mr French said it is 'hard to find words to describe the situation' of Mr Kilroy potentially receiving a salary over six months after his conviction and almost six years after being arrested for murder. 'From child guardianship to property ownership, the legal situation following a homicide needs serious reform,' he told People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger raised the issue in the Dáil this week, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin responding that he did 'not have the background in respect of the NPWS and how it is dealing with this, but I will find out'. Ms Coppinger told Extra: 'It's very concerning someone who was very publicly tried and convicted for the murder of his wife could continue to be paid by the State.' An employment law expert told they 'can think of no legal reason why somebody convicted would still be getting paid'. 'If somebody is arrested for a really serious charge, such as murder, I would expect that they would immediately be put on administrative – i.e. paid – leave, because they have the presumption of innocence. 'But on conviction, that ought to have been withdrawn and his employment terminated. And I suspect what has happened is simple human error, he wasn't removed from the payroll, because as far as they were concerned, he was still on 'special leave.'' The solicitor added the 'only other angle I could see' is that, 'perhaps on humanitarian grounds, they're placing his salary in trust for the kids, because he's not in a position to provide for them and the mother has passed away'. But he further explained there was 'no legal authority' for such an arrangement. A spokesman for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform told 'In the event a civil servant is convicted and incarcerated for a serious offence, dismissal would be highly probable, subject to the specific circumstances and the application of internal disciplinary procedures. 'The reasons for warranting the sanction of dismissal are cited in Appendix A of the Civil Service Disciplinary Code which states that any serious misconduct is misconduct which is sufficiently serious to warrant dismissal or other serious sanction.' A source in a union that represents civil servants said their experience aligns with the department's comments that judgments are made 'case by case' when someone is convicted of a crime. 'There's no one-size-fits-all process that I'm aware of,' they said. 'If you go down to the Four Courts and listen to a whole day's proceedings, there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to criminal law. 'Criminal law is vast, and with good reason, because the nature of what transgresses the law varies widely. The law has different ways of dealing with cases of different individual criminal activity.' Mr Kilroy's legal team, Thomas J Walsh Solicitors in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, did not respond to an approach for comment.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Another growing AI startup makes a big move in downtown S.F.
On the heels of securing a fresh funding infusion last month, San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup Harvey AI is now upgrading its downtown office. The company, which provides AI solutions for attorneys, is on the verge of a deal with Los Angeles-based Kilroy Realty Corp., which is one of the Bay Area's more prominent commercial landlords. It's unclear whether the parties have signed, though real estate insiders told the Chronicle that a deal involving Harvey leasing 92,000-square-feet of office space at 201 3rd St. was imminent. Kilroy declined to comment on the deal when contacted by the Chronicle. But, a spokesperson for Harvey, who also declined to share specifics, confirmed that the company will be moving to the new Third Street location 'later this fall.' It's been a tough five years for Kilroy and other commercial landlords in San Francisco since the start of the pandemic, but the city's office market is now showing signs of a very slow recovery period — largely thanks to demand for new offices from AI startups. Harvey is currently based in a smaller, 30,000-square-foot office at 575 Market St., and had been perusing the market for a larger space for some time — it came close to signing a deal at 525 Market St. several months ago, the Chronicle learned. It's unclear why that deal did not materialize. The company's lease with Kilroy takes the growing startup away from Market Street, placing it across the street from the city's Moscone Convention Center and near the Museum of Modern Art in the Yerba Buena neighborhood. 'We've hired a new CTO in Siva Gurumurthy and a new Chief Business Officer in John Haddock and both of them have plans to hire talented individuals to join their team this year,' the company's spokesperson said in an email to the Chronicle on Tuesday. 'While we don't share lease details or specific hiring targets, the move will support both our San Francisco growth goals and our objective of building a great connected culture across our teams and a space where we can host Harvey customers.' Gurumurthy served as the head of engineering for Twitter, now known as X Corp., for six years prior to the pandemic. Haddock is a recent veteran of fintech Stripe. Last month, the three-year-old company announced that it raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation in a Series E fundraising round — its backers include Kleiner Perkins, Coatue, Sequoia Capital and OpenAI. Named after the sharp-witted lead character in legal drama 'Suits,' Harvey was founded in 2022 by former antitrust litigator Winston Weinberg and Gabriel Pereyra, a former research scientist for Google DeepMind and machine learning engineer at Meta. The deal with Kilroy comes as a boost to the developer's 12-story Third Street building — and larger portfolio in San Francisco, which hasn't seen a deal of that size in years, according to the company's executives. Kilroy CEO Angela Aman said during an earnings call in May that a 57,000-square-foot lease renewal by data analytics company Amplitude, that was completed at that time, represented Kilroy's largest deal in the city since 2019. According to Kilroy's most recent quarterly financial report, just over 11% of its occupied space, or 1.9 million square feet, was available for sublease as of March 31, and a majority of those subleases were concentrated in the Bay Area. Overall vacancy in San Francisco's office market has been hovering at over 30% for several years now, but late last year began to dip for the first time since 2020, a positive trend that continued last quarter. San Francisco real estate firm CBRE has forecast that the city is on track to have its best leasing year since 2019, when 12.6 million square feet of office space was leased. Alexander Quinn, senior director of research for real estate firm JLL, said in a post to social media on Tuesday that the amount of space leased by AI companies in the Bay Area grew from 4.8 million square feet to 10.8 million square feet over the last two-and-a-half years.
Business Wire
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Kilroy Realty Announces Dates for Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call
To participate and obtain conference call dial-in details, register by using the following link: This call will be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of Kilroy's website at A replay will also be available beginning July 30, 2025 through August 5, 2025, by dialing (866) 813-9403 and entering access code 496726. International callers should dial (929) 458-6194 and enter the same access code. About Kilroy Realty Corporation Kilroy is a leading U.S. landlord and developer, with operations in San Diego, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Austin. The Company has earned global recognition for sustainability, building operations, innovation, and design. As a pioneer and innovator in the creation of a more sustainable real estate industry, the Company's approach to modern business environments helps drive creativity and productivity for some of the world's leading technology, entertainment, life science, and business services companies. The Company is a publicly traded real estate investment trust ('REIT') and member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index with more than seven decades of experience developing, acquiring, and managing office, life science, and mixed-use projects. As of March 31, 2025, Kilroy's stabilized portfolio totaled approximately 17.1 million square feet of primarily office and life science space that was 81.4% occupied and 83.9% leased. The Company also had approximately 1,000 residential units in Hollywood and San Diego, which had a quarterly average occupancy of 95.2%. In addition, the Company had one development project in the tenant improvement phase totaling approximately 875,000 square feet with a total estimated investment of $1.0 billion and two life science redevelopment projects in the tenant improvement phase totaling approximately 100,000 square feet with total estimated redevelopment costs of $80.0 million. A Leader in Sustainability and Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility Kilroy has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and continues to be a recognized leader in our sector. For over a decade, the Company and its sustainability initiatives have been recognized with numerous honors, including earning the GRESB five star rating and being named a sector and regional leader in the Americas. Other honors have included the Nareit Leader in the Light Award, being listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, being named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, and receiving the ENERGY STAR highest honor of Sustained Excellence. Kilroy is proud to have achieved carbon neutral operations across our portfolio since 2020. The Company also has a longstanding commitment to maintain high levels of LEED, Fitwel, and ENERGY STAR certifications across the portfolio. Kilroy is committed to cultivating a company culture that makes a positive difference in our employees' lives by focusing on development, celebrating our unique backgrounds, promoting employee health and wellness, and dedicating ourselves to being a responsible corporate citizen through our community service and philanthropic efforts. More information is available at Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, trends, and factors that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside of our control. Accordingly, actual performance, results, and events may vary materially from those indicated or implied in the forward-looking statements, and you should not rely on the forward-looking statements as predictions of future performance, results, or events. Numerous factors could cause actual future performance, results, and events to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: global market and general economic conditions, including actual and potential tariffs and periods of heightened inflation, and their effect on our liquidity and financial conditions and those of our tenants; adverse economic or real estate conditions generally, and specifically, in the States of California, Texas, and Washington; risks associated with our investment in real estate assets, which are illiquid, and with trends in the real estate industry; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; any significant downturn in tenants' businesses, including bankruptcy, lack of liquidity or lack of funding, and the impact labor disruptions or strikes, such as episodic strikes in the entertainment industry, may have on our tenants' businesses; our ability to re-lease property at or above current market rates; reduced demand for office space, including as a result of remote working and flexible working arrangements that allow work from remote locations other than an employer's office premises; costs to comply with government regulations, including environmental remediation; the availability of cash for distribution and debt service, and exposure to risk of default under debt obligations; increases in interest rates and our ability to manage interest rate exposure; changes in interest rates and the availability of financing on attractive terms or at all, which may adversely impact our future interest expense and our ability to pursue development, redevelopment, and acquisition opportunities and refinance existing debt; a decline in real estate asset valuations, which may limit our ability to dispose of assets at attractive prices, or obtain or maintain debt financing, and which may result in write-offs or impairment charges; significant competition, which may decrease the occupancy and rental rates of properties; potential losses that may not be covered by insurance; the ability to successfully complete acquisitions and dispositions on announced terms; the ability to successfully operate acquired, developed, and redeveloped properties; the ability to successfully complete development and redevelopment projects on schedule and within budgeted amounts; delays or refusals in obtaining all necessary zoning, land use, and other required entitlements, governmental permits and authorizations for our development and redevelopment properties; increases in anticipated capital expenditures, tenant improvement, and/or leasing costs; defaults on leases for land on which some of our properties are located; adverse changes to, or enactment or implementations of, tax laws or other applicable laws, regulations, or legislation, as well as business and consumer reactions to such changes; risks associated with joint venture investments, including our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on co-venturers' financial condition, and disputes between us and our co-venturers; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; risks associated with climate change and our sustainability strategies, and our ability to achieve our sustainability goals; and our ability to maintain our status as a REIT. These factors are not exhaustive and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. For a discussion of additional factors that could materially adversely affect our business and financial performance, see the factors included under the caption 'Risk Factors' in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and speak only as of the dates on which they are made. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information, or otherwise, except to the extent we are required to do so in connection with our ongoing requirements under federal securities laws.
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Monster used €6k van to hide body after brutal murder, rages Valerie French's brother amid fight for sister's belongings
THIS is the first photo of the camper van used by killer James Kilroy to hide wife Valerie French's body. The release of the pic comes as her brother David, 56 — who is taking civil action for damages against Kilroy — is on a mission to find the items in his dead sister's estate. 4 Valerie was killed at her home in June 2019 4 Valerie's brother David is on a mission to find the items in his dead sister's estate Credit: Collins 4 This is the first photo of the camper van used by killer James Kilroy to hide wife Valerie French's body David believes all his sister's belongings — including the camper van — should be sold and the money placed into a trust fund for Valerie's Kilroy inflicted 57 injuries on the occupational therapist in a 'brutal' blade attack at their home in Co He then put her body in the Mazda Bongo van and left their children in the house near Westport before he was later arrested by The €6,000 vehicle — bought by Kilroy in 2013 as a treat for his 40th birthday — was used by the killer before the murder as he roamed around Ireland while his wife ran the family home and cared for their three kids. Read more on Valerie French Our exclusive image shows the monster enjoying the outdoor life in the camper van. David — whose new book For Valerie, inset, is published on Thursday — believes his sister's estate includes her car, savings accounts, a motorcycle and a ride-on lawnmower. He told The Irish Sun: 'The van should be sold because it's of no use to Kilroy, now he's serving a life sentence. 'He loved that camper van and just didn't care about other people. Most read in The Irish Sun 'He also loved knives and bows and arrows — and this also shows his violent tendencies.' David added: 'He bought that van as a treat as he was so entitled and only ever cared about himself. 'BRUTAL CRIME' 'He used that camper van in the commission of a truly brutal 'I believe everything in Valerie's estate should be sold and that the proceeds should be put into a trust fund for her children. 'I have asked Kilroy's legal team to provide information on what he thinks should be in Valerie's estate. 'Once we have received his reply on the estate we will then consider our next course of action.' INSANE CLAIM David also believes Kilroy — who tried to claim that he was insane by insisting the mother of three had hired Brute Kilroy is legally recognised as the sole owner of the Although David has urged him to sell the property for Valerie's children, he has yet to agree to the move. Valerie's brother is now considering taking legal action over the house. LEGAL BATTLE During a previous court ruling, wife killer Eamon Lillis was forced to surrender half of the proceeds from his house sale to victim Celine Cawley's daughter. David added: 'Kilroy should not be in a position where he can benefit financially from my sister's horrific murder. 'Proceeds from the sale of that house should go to providing a future for her three children. 'If he doesn't agree to the house being sold, and the proceeds going to the children, we will be taking him to 'We have already seen cases where killers have been ordered to share sales from a house and this will be another option open to us.' 'ROBBED KIDS OF THEIR MOTHER' David also said of Kilroy: 'He deprived those three children of a loving mother — it's time he finally did the right thing by those kids. 'He robbed those children of a future simply because of jealousy and rage. Why should he earn a nest egg after he completes his sentence?' Since his sister's murder, he has fought a campaign for legislation to prevent individuals who have killed their spouses from having guardianship rights over their kids. Entitled Valerie's Law, the issue is one of a number of themes in David's new book. TRIBUTE TO SISTER The publication pays tribute to his sister's loving personality, her relationship with monster Kilroy and the 'shocking aftermath' of the killing. It will also outline details of the inquest into the murder, and three murder trials, before Kilroy was convicted in July 2024. Kilroy — who has appealed his conviction and has never shown any remorse for the horrific killing of the mum of his three kids — is also described as an 'entitled and controlling' husband in the book. 'Kilroy should not be in a position where he can benefit financially from my sister's horrific murder." David French In one extract, David reveals how the couple's relationship 'was deteriorating' before she died. It reads: 'One of Valerie's close friends afterwards told us Valerie was 'practically a single parent'. A few days before she was killed, they had gone with a group of friends to the cinema. 'ODD BEHAVIOUR' 'Kilroy had sat on his own. This was odd behaviour on a rare night out for the couple. 'He saw everything belonging to him as very important. 'And he cared more about his possessions than people. 'He was obsessed by the things he bought. He was obsessed about his motorbike, his camper van and his PlayStation. 'He only talked about himself — I felt Valerie was less important to him than his possessions.' FOR Valerie by David French is published by Gill Books and is available in all good book stores from Thursday. 4 David's new book For Valerie is set to be published on Thursday
